ACT as a group therapy for children with ASD
Tracks
Track 6
| Saturday, May 16, 2020 |
| 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
Presenter(s)
Mrs Emma Spencer
Clinical Psychologist
Child Development Solutions Australia
ACT as a group therapy for children with ASD
10:30 AM - 5:00 PMAssumed knowledge of attendee
Intermediate (working knowledge of topic area e.g., treated a few cases)
Level of learning
Intermediate
Outline
Research indicates that there is a significant increase in the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)has had good outcomes when used in treatment with children and adolescents presenting with ASD. Children and adolescents with ASD present with social and emotional skills deficits, often best taught in group settings. Traditional Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and behavioural skills can be difficult to grasp due to the inflexibility of the thinking styles of those presenting with an ASD diagnosis. The core of ACT is the development of psychological flexibility - the antidote to the rigidity that is experienced by those with ASD.
The attendees of this workshop will:
* Be provided an overview of ACT and group therapy as foundational knowledge for the workshop.
*Develop an understanding of how ACT can be used to create Psychological Flexibility in children and adolescents with ASD.
* Learn how to apply ACT in a group therapy setting to teach patients how to manage overwhelming emotions.
* Learn skills to work the group process, to develop and strengthen the social skills that patients require to build and maintain effective relationships.
* Participate in creative activities and experiential activities to develop skills in delivering developmentally appropriate group programs.
* Feel confident to develop and deliver unique group programs to meet the needs of a variety of ages, genders and co-morbidities.
The workshop will have a balance of theory, creative activities and group & individual experiential activities to ensure that learning outcomes are achieved and participants feel confident in applying the knowledge and skills presented.
The attendees of this workshop will:
* Be provided an overview of ACT and group therapy as foundational knowledge for the workshop.
*Develop an understanding of how ACT can be used to create Psychological Flexibility in children and adolescents with ASD.
* Learn how to apply ACT in a group therapy setting to teach patients how to manage overwhelming emotions.
* Learn skills to work the group process, to develop and strengthen the social skills that patients require to build and maintain effective relationships.
* Participate in creative activities and experiential activities to develop skills in delivering developmentally appropriate group programs.
* Feel confident to develop and deliver unique group programs to meet the needs of a variety of ages, genders and co-morbidities.
The workshop will have a balance of theory, creative activities and group & individual experiential activities to ensure that learning outcomes are achieved and participants feel confident in applying the knowledge and skills presented.
Learning outcomes
At the conclusion of this workshop, participants should be able to:
• Apply ACT skills in a group therapy setting, to support the development of emotion regulation and social skills for children and adolescents with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Apply ACT skills in a group therapy setting, to support the development of emotion regulation and social skills for children and adolescents with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Biography
Emma is a Clinical Psychologist with a special interest in assessing and supporting children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families. Emma is also passionate about mindfulness based therapies including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which she originally trained in over 15 years ago. Since this time, Emma has developed and delivered multiple professional training programs in ACT, and written group based therapy programs for both in-patient and outpatient populations for national mental health facilities. She is also trained in a number of creative therapies, which she utilises in combination with her ACT skills to deliver individual and group based treatment with her clients.
Emma is also the Director of multiple group practices on Sydney's North Shore, falling under the Spencer Healthcare banner. Her organisation incorporates KidsLink, a unique group therapy program providing social and emotional skills training to Neurodiverse children and adolescents.
