Towards Better Understanding

It can be said that therapists at EAP Malaysia make excellent teachers because they are constantly faced with new experiences when working with autistic children on a daily basis. The nature of working with children who display an array of behavioral differences, require therapists to have an in-depth understanding of the children’s’ varied behavior and to constantly improve on their interpersonal skills when working with these children.

As such, the workshop on Understanding Behaviour & Skill Building for Students with Asperger's & High-Functioning Autism, which was held on the 3rd of March, was timely and beneficial to many of our therapists and parents alike. Our speakers for the day were Dr. Joseph Perron, a clinical psychologist at the Wisconsin Early Autism Project, and our very own consultant, Ms. Gan Huey Sien. 

Through this workshop, our 46 participants were reminded that every behavior exhibited by a child has a function, and that there are sometimes multiple functions to a particular behavior. In order for parents and therapists to provide the appropriate strategies in therapy, they needed to understand these multiple functions of behavior. 

Various concepts in therapy were discussed during the workshop such as the use of Task Analysis to teach the Feeling Thermometer, the Mind The Gap strategy by Catherine Faherty that is used to teach children to become aware of their internal state, and Michelle Garcia's Social Thinking with Superflex & the Unthinkables that is used to promote flexible thinking in children. Other concepts that were discussed among participants were A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control by Buron & Kari Buron, and The Problem Solving Template by Jill D. Kuzma.

For anyone who has not yet been to one of these workshops, it can certainly appear overwhelming at a glance. But for those who attended, it was definitely an eye-opening session.