What Can I Say? What Did You Say?

Developing Pragmatic Language Skills for Social Interaction

A 2-day workshop for informed parents and professionals

Presented by Elsa Abele, CCC, SLP

November 15–16, 2010 or March 16–17, 2011

Children and adults with Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, and Language Learning Disabilities are often in need of services to increase their skills in social communication or pragmatic language, so that they can succeed in both school and workplace settings. They typically have deficits in Theory of Mind, Central Coherence, and Executive Function that keep them from developing the skills of social interaction. This course focuses on treatment for the learning of conversation and listening skills, personal narrative skills, and verbally mediated problem solving using “self talk.”

Participants will understand the goals for mastering the language of social interaction (words, intonation, and body language) through explicit teaching. They will also learn to summarize the behavioral consequences of the rumbling stage, the meltdown or neurological storm, and the recovery stage.

Download the Registration Form.

For additional information and registration materials, please contact Shelley Viles, Director of Continuing Education at 603.283.2145

Day 1
9:00–10:15		Theoretical Foundations for Social Interaction: Theory of Mind, Central Coherence, Executive Function
10:30–12:00		Continued with educational implications
1:00–2:15		Assessment of strengths and penalizing behaviors Pragmatic Checklist and Prutting Kirshner Protocol
2:30–3:30		Analysis of videotape for identification of penalizing behaviors
Day 2
9:00–10:15		Treatment Groups: goal setting
10:30–12:00		Treatment Groups: organization and content
1:00–2:15		Infusion of social skills into the school or work community
2:30–3:30		More hands-on ideas for Monday morning. Questions

Elsa Abele is a speech language pathologist with special interest in Pragmatic Language Disorders, particularly as they affect social interaction. As a faculty member in the Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate Program at Antioch University New England, Elsa is committed to training professionals in working with persons who need to learn social communications skills in an explicit manner from a language perspective. She trains in school systems especially for children with Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, Non-verbal Learning Disabilities that inhibit their abilities to glean the underlying and unexpressed structural rules of conversation and narratives.

She has retired from her academic appointment at Boston University–Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in the Program of Communications Sciences and Disorders. She maintains a relationship with Sargent where she does some work through the Boston University Rehabilitation Services. She has co-led groups for young adults with clinical psychologist Dr. Barbara Rosenn, Wellesley, Massachusetts, and has helped to launch a private practice with former graduate students that offer pragmatic language development work in Newton, Massachusetts.

Elsa was educated at Elmhurst College and at Boston University. She worked as a speech language pathologist in the Burlington, Massachusetts public schools for seventeen years before joining the Boston University faculty. She is a member of the American Speech Language Hearing Association, from which she holds her clinical certification, and its special interest division, the Division of Language Learning and Education. She is a board member of the Asperger Association of New England and its New Hampshire chapter.

Last Updated: 9/1/10

What Can I Say? What Did You Say?

Developing Pragmatic Language Skills for Social Interaction

Presented by Elsa Abele, CCC, SLP

Day 1

Day 2