About Michelle Garcia Winner

Michelle Garcia Winner Michelle received a bachelor degree in Speech Language Pathology from UC Santa Barbara in 1982. She then received her master’s degree from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1985.

She has worked as a speech language pathologist in a variety of settings including the elementary and secondary levels of public school, in neuro-cognitive rehabilitation programs for persons with head-injuries and strokes and in a clinical research program in Bloomington, Indiana under the mentorship of Nancy Dalrymple.

Michelle found her way into the field of speech language pathology after picking up a book on what is known today as “classical autism” back in the late 70’s. She took a course on autism at UCSB that was taught by Dr. Robert Koegel.

This course was taught through the department of speech and language. Thus, Michelle’s early interest in autism paved the way for her field of study.

In 1995 Michelle accepted a job with a public high school district and there she began to learn about students at the high end of the autism spectrum, those with Asperger Syndrome. Given her background in autism and cognitive rehabilitation, she was able to understand how to create a treatment program for these “smart” but socially limited students. The clinical work Michelle was providing through the school district appeared to have a positive impact on the students. Thus, Michelle gave her first workshop in 1998 at her profession’s state convention. At that time she introduced the I LAUGH framework of social cognition. Invitations soon followed for her to provide more public workshops and soon parents were calling her requesting that she go into private practice.

She entered into private practice in 1999. Her practice was originally named “Michelle G. Winner, SLP", but now that she has a full staff working with her, the name of the clinic is being changed to “Michelle G. Winner's Center for Social Thinking” to better reflect her business’s role in the community.

Michelle has written four books, "Think Social! A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students" (2005), "Worksheets! for Teaching Social Thinking and Related Skills" (2005), "Thinking About You Thinking About Me" (2002) and "Inside Out: What Makes The Person With Social Cognitive Deficits Tick" (2000). Michelle has also made two DVDs of her workshop days in conjunction with The Gray Center: "Strategies for Organization: Preparing for Homework and The Real World (2003)" and "Social Thinking Across the Home and School Day (2003)". She self-publishes her books nationally, making them available at www.socialthinking.com and for sale outside of North America from Jessica Kingsley Publisher (www.jkp.com).

Michelle is known internationally for her user-friendly approach and engaging speaking style. She has been an invited speaker at conferences and workshops for educational districts across America, including the national conference put on by The Gray Center, The Linguisystems National Conference and at Stanley Greenspan’s ICDL conference in Virginia.

Michelle also consults to school district in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as across the nation. She has worked with Andrea Walker’s SUCSESS project in Orange Country for 3 years helping their staff to develop plans for helping them serve the older child. Michelle continues to write journal and magazine articles with her insights on social cognition. Her greatest areas of self-study currently involve the exploration of perspective taking (Theory of Mind) and its impact on many different aspects of functioning, and the complex array of skills demanded when we request students to “get organized”. Michelle is developing treatment ideas around both of these areas with a focus on how to determine what we need to help teach students in the elementary and secondary years to help them move forward to be increasingly productive and independent persons as they approach their adult years.

The title that best fits Michelle now is “Specialist for Persons With Social Cognitive Deficits”. Michelle is passionate about educating all persons, parents, educators, administrators and students about the real impact of social cognitive deficits across the home, school and work day. She is convinced that we can do more to help students find increasing levels of success as adults.

Day One: Social Thinking Across the Home and School Day: The ILAUGH Model of Social Cognition

Course Outline
Designed for parents & professionals to understand the inner mind of persons high on the Autism Spectrum (Asperger Syndrome, PDD-NOS or High Functioning Autism), ADHD, Non-Verbal Learning Disability or have no working diagnosis but they fit the clinical picture! Participants will learn not only functional treatment strategies they can use both at school and at home, but they will also better understand why these students react and respond the way they do.
On this day we will introduce the I LAUGH model of Social Cognition which helps to demonstrate how social processing difficulties impact not only social skills but also the ability to work as part of a group and focus on specific academic tasks such as written expression, reading comprehension and organizational skills for many of our students. We will also address how best to approach writing IEP goals that impact real, albeit, slow change in how students understand the world around them. Concepts related to assessment will also be introduced and the problem with using only standardized tests to qualify these students will also be explored. This workshop is noted for its depth in explaining WHY students with social skills difficulties have related academic challenges which impact them across their school and home day.

Objectives for the ILAUGH Day

Participants will be able to define the acronym I LAUGH to explain aspects of social cognition.
Participants will be able to explain why a person with social skill deficits has academic problems in the classroom.
Participants will be able to distinguish and describe the difference between a useful IEP goal and one that is of little benefit towards developing their program.
Participants will be able to describe 3 critical elements that must go into an assessment of persons with social cognitive deficits.
Participant will be able to describe why formalized tests are not of strong benefit when trying to identify critical deficits in persons with social cognitive weaknesses.
Participant will be able to describe at least 3 functional treatment strategies.

AGENDA

8:00-8:30
Register and use appropriate social skills to chat
8:30-10:30
The basic scoop on these folks
Introduce the "I LAUGH" model and related treatment
10:30-10:40
Break
10:40-12:00
"ILAUGH" and related treatment
12:00 to 12:40
Lunch
12:40-2:00
Complete "ILAUGH", Video, IEP Goals
2:00-2:10
Break
2:10-3:30
Assessment
Questions

Day Two: Looking Into the Mind with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Like Disabilities: Exploring how Informal Assessment, Mental Health and Adult Transition Issues Link to Practical Program Development.

Course Outline

The autism spectrum and related disabilities represents a very heterogeneous population across a large range of functioning. The core social challenges experienced by this population are complex based on the dynamic and synergistic process of communication.
In this workshop, we will take a fascinating look at videos representing students across Michelle Garcia Winner's "Three Steps of Perspective Taking". Exploring in depth different informal assessment tasks, related pathways to treatment and information to consider when deciding how best to include the student with the mainstream population across the day. A handout will be provided to discuss different types of treatments across the autism treatment, recognizing there is no singular treatment for people who have autism spectrum disorders.
Video presentations of clients will range in age from early elementary school to adulthood and across a range of cognitive and social cognitive functioning.
The information, while very helpful to professionals who are on the assessment and/or treatment teams, will also prove useful to parents and paraprofessionals to help understanding the core thinking of the mind with social learning weaknesses.
Mental health issues related to this population will be explored; cognitive behavioral approaches will be reviewed. Strategies to help promote better transitions to adulthood will be discussed along with strategies specific for working with the older student and adults.
The audience discussion will relate to how to blend social and academic teaching to better prepare students for more competent daily functioning.

Course Objectives

Describe an informal assessment task for the severely impaired perspective taker and describe a related strategy for developing treatment and determining the least restrictive environment for learning.
Describe an informal assessment task for the emerging perspective taker and describe a related strategy for developing treatment and determining the least restrictive environment for learning.
Describe an informal assessment task for the impaired interactive perspective taker and describe a related strategy for developing treatment and determining the least restrictive environment for learning.
Explain why mental health challenges are the most common with students who function at the IIPT level.
Explore and describe which treatment models are likely the most appropriate for different levels of students on the autism spectrum.
Plan treatment programs for helping students transition into the adult world.

AGENDA

8:00-8:30
Register and use appropriate social skills to chat
8:30-10:30
Introduction to the Concept of Perspective Taking
Model - 3 Levels of Perspective Taking Deficits
10:30-10:40
Break
10:40-12:00
Exploring how Perspective Taking Applies to Kids in School
12:00 to 12:40
Lunch
12:40-2:00
4 Step Treatment Model of Communication
Exploring Functional Treatment Activities
2:00-2:10
Break
2:10-3:30
Treatment Model Exploration, continued
IEP Goal Writing