This session is part of two comprehensive series:
Birth to Three Annual Conference 2 PROGRAM A – ON-DEMAND
and
Birth to Three Annual Conference 2 – ON-DEMAND
COURSE DESCRIPTON:
This course reviews the key pillars of neurodiversity-affirming care and teaches attendees how to modify current practices to be in line with these principles. Attendees can expect to learn about how to use sensory regulation and relationship-based care to provide impactful therapy for the birth-three population. This course will teach you how to support and honor all forms of play and communication, including Gestalt Language Processing (GLP). This course will address the big questions surrounding GLP – What is the difference between Gestalt and Analytic Language Processing? Why am I just now hearing about GLP? What are signs of GLP in early childhood? How can I support suspected GLPs?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Modify therapy practice to incorporate neurodiversity-affirming values in children B-3 with language delays and differences.
- Utilize self-regulation, sensory motor movement, and engagement to support language learning in children B-3.
- Select treatment approaches in line with a child’s language processing style (Analytical Language Processing vs. Gestalt Language Processing).
AUDIENCE:
Birth to three therapists including OTs, PTs, SLPs, and Special Educators working in these settings: Outpatient – hospital, Outpatient – private practice and Early intervention/home care.
COURSE OUTLINE:
Part 1: Neurodiversity-Affirming Care Overview
- Define neurodivergent vs neurotypical
- What’s new? Terminology changes
- Learn about the neurodiversity movement
- Compare medical vs social vs. moral model of disability
- Pillars of ND-affirming care in early intervention
- Supports sensory differences
○ Values connection over compliance
○ Honors all forms of communication and play
○ Celebrates strengths
- Education on listening to and amplifying ND voices
Part 2: Developmental Milestones Overview
- Review of ASHA’s milestones
- Reframe of milestones
○ Age expected vs. age appropriate5
○ Splinter skills seen in ND children
Part 3: Sensory Differences & Relationship-Based Therapy
- Overview of DIR Floortime
- Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities (FEDCs)
- Self-regulation, interest in the world, engaging, relating, and intentionality are required prior to purposeful 2-way communication
- Sensory systems
- Review of various sensory systems
○ Sensory-motor learning
- Relationship-based therapy
- The importance of caregiver/child relationships in therapy
○ Joint attention – using affect & motivation to support learning ○ Caregiver coaching
- Application
- What this looks like in my practice
○ Mini case studies included
Part 4: Play
- Defining play
- Autistic vs. allistic play
- Embracing the mantra “all play is ok”
- How supporting all play styles relates to relationship-based therapy
Part 5: Total Communication
- What is communication?
- Types of communication
○ Sign language
○ AAC (SGD and picture cues)
○ Gestures
○ Verbal communication
■ leads into discussion on GLP vs. ALP
Part 6: Gestalt Language Processing
- The power and purpose of echolalia
- Understanding the differences between Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) vs. Analytical Language Processing (ALP)
- The correlation between the ND movement and GLP
- Research from the 70s → now
○ Breaking down the evidence based practice triangle
■ Increased focus on “clinical expertise” and “client/caregiver perspective” vs. “scientific evidence”
- Signs of GLP in early childhood
○ echolalia & scripting
○ relationship to high emotion experiences
- Supporting GLPs
- How to respond to echolalia
○ Altering language models
■ Understanding mitigation
■ Reinforcing learned scripts
■ Modeling to include: let’s, it’s, I’m
- Balancing GLP and ALP
- Can a child be both a GLP and ALP? – Yes!
○ Understanding the role or regulation in language processing
■ Some children move to become ALP, but rely on gestalts during moments of dysregulation/stress
○ Application
■ Case study for a child with a mixed ALP/GLP approach
Laura Strenk, MS, CCC-SLP is a pediatric speech-language pathologist who has built a career committed to providing children from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of communication differences access to the most current and effective evidence-based practices. Laura’s passions lie in the areas of autism, neurodiversity-affirming care, apraxia of speech, and literacy. In addition to providing treatment in a private, outpatient clinic for children from ages 1-16+, Laura serves as her clinic’s Program Development Coordinator, allowing her to support the growth and development of a variety of programs, including student programming (including internships, fieldwork placements, etc.) and clinical/advocacy programs (including social clubs, DEI committees, etc.). Through this position, Laura developed a love for educating others, which led her to an Adjunct Teaching position within UNC-Chapel Hill’s Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, where she taught a Pediatric Speech-Sound Disorders course to first-year graduate students.
Laura Strenk receives payment from Education Resources, Inc. for teaching this course.
Laura Strenk has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.
Once you purchase an online course you will have access to the course materials. If you have purchased this course, please ensure you have logged in to your account in order to take the exam.
Once you purchase an online course, you will have the opportunity to take an exam to test your retention of the material. If you have purchased this course, please ensure you have logged in to your account in order to take the exam. The exam must be completed with a pass rate of 80% or more in order to receive your certificate of attendance.
Continuing Education Hours for disciplines not listed below: 3 contact hours (0.3 CEUs). Intermediate level. License #______________.
Education Resources Inc. is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Course approval ID# 11368. This Distance Learning-Independent Course is offered at 3 contact hours 0.3 CEUs (Intermediate Level, OT Service Delivery & Foundational Knowledge). AOTA does not endorse specific course content, products or clinical procedures. This course can be used toward your NBCOT renewal requirements for 3 units. Provider for the FL Occupational Therapy Association CE Broker for 3.5 CE Hours - approval #____. ASHA CE Provider (Intermediate level). This session applies 0.3 ASHA CEUs toward approval but must be combined with all Part A Sessions to receive ASHA CEUS. ASHA CE Provider approval and use of the Brand Block does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products, or clinical procedures. Approved by the FL Physical Therapy Association for 3.5 CE Hours - approval #_______. This course has been approved by the MD State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners for 3 Continuing Education Hours. This session applies __ CE hours toward approval but must be combined with entire course to receive approval by the MN Board of PT, #______. Approval #____ by the NJ State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners for ___ CECs. Approved sponsor by the State of IL Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for Physical Therapy for 3.5 contact hours. The Illinois Early Intervention Training Program has approved this event for ____ hours of EI credential credit in the area of Intervention. Approved provider by the NY State Board of PT for 3.5 contact hours (0.35 CEUs). This session applies 3 hrs. toward approval but must be combined with entire course to receive approval by the OH PT Association - Approval #___. Education Resources is an approved agency by the PT Board of CA for 3 contact hours. This activity is provided by the TX Board of PT Examiners accredited provider #2210017TX for 3 CCUs and meets continuing competence requirements for PTs and PTAs licensure renewal in TX. Approved Provider for OK State Board of Medical Licensure & Supervision #BAP202310003. 3 hours of this course qualify towards the discipline-specific hours for the 20-hour requirement for NDTA re-certification. They do NOT qualify towards the 8-hour NDTA Instructor requirement for re-certification.
Education Resources Inc., 266 Main Street, Suite 12, Medfield, MA 02052 508-359-6533
