Overview of Workshop: In this workshop Dr. Kasari describes how to assess joint attention and play in young children with autism. Next, she identifies ways in which clinicians can create individualized targets for intervening with a child. Lastly, she illustrates techniques for intervening on children's social communication and play skills.
Connie Kasari, Ph.D., is Professor of Education and Psychiatry at UCLA, where she conducts research on early interventions and interventions for children in their schools. Since 1990 she has been on the faculty at UCLA where she teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses. She is a founding member of the Center for Autism Research and Treatment at UCLA and has been actively involved in autism research for the past 25 years. Her current research focuses on developing targeted interventions for early social communication development in at risk infants, toddlers and preschoolers with autism, and peer relationships for school aged children with autism. She is involved in several randomized controlled trials, with her most recent work involving multi-site studies for interventions aimed at underserved and under-represented populations of children with autism. She has published widely on topics related to social, emotional, and communication development and intervention in autism. She is on the treatment advisory board of the Autism Speaks Foundation, and regularly presents to both academic and practitioner audiences locally, nationally and internationally.
