About the Course
Social communication difficulties are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), often impacting children’s social interactions and development. Traditional interventions can be resource-intensive and may not always engage parents effectively in the process. This session will discuss the different strategies used during PACT sessions that have been proven to be an effective and integral piece of parent-mediated intervention designed to enhance social communication skills in children with ASD.
Objectives
Participants will list and briefly explain parent-mediated approaches and how they help increase social communication in children.
Participants will list high impact, social-emotional, and developmental strategies to support growth of healthy relationships and social brains.
Anna Paola Smith, LCSW, PACT Accredited Provider
Anna Paola Smith attended The University of Texas at Austin where she received her BA in Psychology and her Masters degree in Social Work. She has had the opportunity to work with children and families in the school, hospital, and clinical settings. Anna Paola's interests lie in family systems and how the development of one child may impact the entire family unit. She started a sibling support group at Autism Community Network to provide siblings a safe space to share their own experiences. Anna Paola also provides routine follow-ups for caregivers after their child receives an autism diagnosis and is a bilingual Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy Accredited Practitioner, supporting families impacted by autism through dyadic coaching. Anna Paola is part of an interdisciplinary diagnostic team that uses a strength-based approach to address the unique presentation of the child and family.
Speaker Disclosure: Ms. Smith receives a salary from Autism Community Network.