Webinar: Supporting non-verbal children with autism
If you are a therapist, graduate or allied health professional looking for a great professional development opportunity join us in our upcoming panel discussion and Q&A on 21 August, 2024 at 12:00pm AEST.
The first time that you support a non-verbal child with autism in therapy can be a big personal and professional challenge. Where do you start? How do you even start using alternative and augmentative communication (AAC)? How do you answer the tough questions from families; ‘will this child ever talk?’
Join our panel of senior therapists working in our ESA early childhood therapy teams to learn more about supporting non-verbal children with autism and their families. The panel will explore topics such as how to assess non-verbal children, how to work in a multi-disciplinary team, and the common challenges therapists face in this area.
We’ll share practical strategies on how to build trust and rapport, optimise your therapy sessions for your non-verbal client, use AAC and empower families to support communication.
About our panelists
Sarah Millward
Team leader and Speech Pathologist
Sarah is a Senior Speech Pathologist and Team Leader at Early Start Australia, Box Hill South in Victoria. She has worked in private and public systems in Australia and America. Sarah has experience evaluating and implementing a range of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and supporting clients with motor speech difficulties. Sarah is a neurodiversity affirming therapist who enjoys supporting Gestalt language processors in early intervention. She is an enthusiastic and strengths-based clinician, who prioritises building a strong relationship with clients and their support teams.
Denise Imms
Senior Speech Pathologist
Denise has worked in the disability sector for over 20 years as a clinician, a supervisor, and a consultant providing training and support to therapists across Australia. She has worked predominantly with young children with developmental delays and/or autism and is passionate about collaborating with families to enhance their child’s learning, development and participation. Denise’s keen interest in AAC drives her commitment to helping children and families achieve their communication goals. She also enjoys empowering therapists with the knowledge and confidence needed to support children with complex communication needs.
Heather Towner
Senior Speech Pathologist
Heather is a Senior Speech Pathologist, with training to provide Orofacial Myology services, at Early Start Australia Upper Mount Gravatt. She has a special interest in early intervention, caregiver coaching, augmentative and alternative communication and feeding. Heather is passionate about providing neurodiversity affirming practice and advocating for her clients.
What you will take away from this session:
- Build your confidence engaging with a non-verbal child
- Unlock your capacity to empower parents and families and answer difficult questions
- Discover practical strategies to implement for your next session
- Expand your knowledge of AAC
Event details
Can’t make it for the live session?
Register anyway to receive the event recording and webinar summary materials.
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