Top Tips to File in Your SLP Bag from Twyla Perryman, PhD, CCC-SLP
This blog is
based on the following presentation from the 2011 ASHA Convention:
Exploring Child
Characteristics/Family Factors in Evidence-Based Practice for Autism
By Twyla
Perryman, PhD, CCC-SLP
Assistant
Professor
East
Carolina University, Greenville, NC
perrymant@ecu.edu
Dr. Perryman
and Kathie
Dr. Perryman stated that although
children with ASD share common characteristics, they are a very heterogeneous
population. Her seminar focused on family/child
characteristics in early intervention and components of common treatment
approaches.
Seminar Highlights:
- DSM-5 proposed revisions for Autism Spectrum
Disorder for which a child must meet
the criteria in order to be diagnosed with ASD. Among other criteria, the
child must be deficit in social interactions, repetitive patterns of
behavior/interests, symptoms must be present in early childhood, and limit
everyday functioning (more on the DSM-5 in a future blog).
- Two
types of joint
attention: responding and initiating.
- Non-responders is
when a family does not respond to a particular approach or treatment. That's alright -- explore another
approach.
- Components
of any therapy approach are: duration, degree of
structure, setting, AAC vs. verbal, and who delivers the treatment.
- The
young child's ability to play with toy objects in a
meaningful manner seems to be the most affective way in which to determine
how to approach therapy
- Extended
play skills can increase expressive language skills
SLP assessment and approach/treatment
plan:
-
Observe where the child's skills lie in the
following areas:
- Joint
attention
- Playing with
toys
- Symbolic
play
- Imitation
I am such a firm believer in
observational and family assessment for children with suspected ASD. ADVANCE
blogger Stephanie Bruno Bowling recently posted a wonderful blog, The Value of Observation in Diagnostic Assessment,
in support of this same value -- a good read!
Family -- by now, the ADVANCE
readers all know that this blogger is big on including family in all aspects of
ASD; so is Dr. Perryman. She advises looking at the following:
- What family members are involved
- What kind of a support system is in
place
- How is the parent/caregiver's personal
health
- What are the family routines
- Know particular cultural factors
- Explore outside recourses for the family
- How do other family members view ASD and
the child with ASD
- Ask the parents questions
- Be a good listener
- Fit the intervention to the family
dynamics/lifestyle
Dr. Perryman is conducting a
study and wants a data base for family and child characteristics. She can be
contacted through email at perrymant@ecu.edu.
Thank you, Dr. Perryman. My time
was well spent.
"Speech pathologists make good things happen."