ABA/Emotional programs and their relationship to the SLP

The involvement of Speech-Language Pathologists in behavior or emotional/social based programs will vary according to the program in which they work.

If the SLP is trained in a specific program, such as verbal behavior, they may be running mand (request) sessions in a 1-1 format, or even running intensive teaching session, which involves many more skills than just manding or teaching a child with ASD to request. In other programs, the SLP may have a very large caseload and may only be providing support to the team carrying out the program. Support may consist of helping to plan carryover of skills to the natural environment (NET) or to help to determine what syllable shape a child may be using if there is suspicion of verbal apraxia. The SLP has the most knowledge in knowing how syllable shapes develop and what the next level of production can be as a child masters an easier production (such as with the Kaufman cards that are used frequently in shaping word production with this population and others). This same type of involvement can be seen in the CLM and discrete trial sessions. SLP involvement is seen less frequently in DTT programs in the location in which I practice.

In emotional/social based programs such as RDI and Floortime, there is specific training that is required in order to teach parents to carry out the program. There are no programs in my vicinity that utilize these programs. However, SLP’s receive specific training in the area of pragmatic language, and we use many techniques that we incorporate from programs such as theirs into our therapy sessions, as well as when we treat in an integrated classroom. Some of the programs that we have spoken about is the I LAUGH program by Michele Garcia-Winner. The Hanen Centre is also centre that focuses on training SLP’s to provide family, parent and teacher trainings and have programs specifically for autism. They have several books such as “More than Words’ and Talkability” that contain many great strategies for increasing conversation and non verbal language, which is crucial in the development of social skills for individuals with autism.

http://www.hanen.org/web/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

http://www.socialthinking.com/