Autism expert to lead free workshop on East Campus Oct. 20

25 Sep 2017     By Kelcey Buck

Facilitating conversations for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will be the subject of a free workshop hosted by the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders Oct. 20 on East Campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Patrick Rydell, founder and director of the Rocky Mountain Autism Center, Inc., and Autism on Call, LLC, in Lone Tree, Colorado, will facilitate the workshop. “Building the Capacity for Conversation in ASD: Strategies for ECE Programs” is the subject of the free workshop, which is scheduled for 9-11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 20. The specific building and room location on East Campus will be provided to participants after registration. 

Rydell, who completed his doctorate at Nebraska in 1989, will lead the presentation in assisting speech-language pathologists with how best to prepare children with ASD to be successful in conversations. Using the approach from his book, “Learning Style Profile for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Rydell will also discuss the developmental progression from early childhood to adolescents regarding the foundations of conversation and its relationship to core challenges and learning style in children with ASD.

“This workshop is a tremendous opportunity to learn practical strategies for addressing conversation and social skills in children with autism, including those hard-to-serve adolescent years,” said Cynthia Cress, the Alan T. Seagren Associate Professor of Education. “This is appropriate for educators, as well as interventionists, to learn some new ways to promote meaningful interactions with peers and teachers in classroom environments. We’re excited to bring an experienced presenter and practitioner like Dr. Rydell to Nebraska for this presentation.”

With more than 35 years of practice in the field of ASD, Rydell is a MedBridge instructor for professional continuing education in ASD. In addition to authoring “Learning Style Profile for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Rydell is also the co-author of the “SCERTS Model” and has co-authored five book chapters and numerous peer-reviewed research articles on topics related to ASD.

For questions or more information regarding the workshop, email Cress. Anyone interested in attending the workshop should click here to RSVP by Oct. 12.