At the Learning Spectrum, we place a high priority on the professional development of our incredible staff. We feel very fortunate to employ so many caring, talented individuals, and we are always looking for ways to enrich their skills and train them on new approaches so they can bring even better services to our students.
We are excited to share with you two programs many of our staff members will be trained in over the next few months:
JASPER Method
The JASPER Method was developed by Connie Kasari of the University of California, Los Angeles, for students ages three and under. It stands for Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement and Regulation.
JASPER is a unique type of autism intervention because instead of the facilitator directing the child’s attention, the facilitator follows the child’s lead. The facilitator encourages the child to initiate interactions rather than simply responding to questions and other prompts.
Studies have shown that with the one-on-one attention of highly trained JASPER behavioral therapists, children with autism significantly improve their social skills and communication.
Additionally, preschoolers using JASPER show more shared attention with others and initiate communication more often, using gestures, language, or both.
This is significant because JASPER is the only behavioral approach that has been proven to work with autistic children in group settings.
A JASPER trainer will be coming to train eight TLS staff members in April.
Social Thinking
On April 21 and April 22, several of our TLS staff members will be attending a two-day continuing education conference in Columbus called Social Thinking.
Developed by Michelle Garcia Winner, Social Thinking is designed for students with social learning disabilities, especially those with autism spectrum disorder. It’s a language-based approach that exposes the logic behind human social behavior that often appears illogical.
Social Thinking is a social skill that develops over time in the brain, like language. It is the reasons behind our actions, how we engage with people, make friends, and keep ourselves safe in unfamiliar situations. It determines our relationships, our test scores, and our careers.
The conference will share the Social Thinking framework, lessons, and strategies for teaching social thinking and related social skills to students four years old and older.
We are very excited for our staff members to benefit from these groundbreaking trainings, and we look forward to implementing them in the classroom over the next several months.
If you have any questions about the JASPER or Social Thinking trainings or how they benefit our students, feel free to contact us at 614-844-5433.