This self-study is composed of research presented at the 2017 ASHA Convention Research Symposium, “Advances in Autism Research: From Learning Mechanisms to Novel Interventions.” These journal articles – published as part of a 2018 research forum in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research – explore the clinical implications of current research on SLPs’ work with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specific topics include ways to personalize intervention, the interaction between language and executive functioning, how a child’s ability to interact differently with their environment impacts communication, and factors that may influence the development of shape bias, which is an important factor in vocabulary development.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• describe patient characteristics and treatment issues that must be considered in order to personalize intervention for children with ASD
• discuss the relationship between executive functioning skills and language abilities in children with ASD
• explain how motor skill development supports speech and language development
• describe the potential reasons for differences in the development of shape bias in children with ASD and typically developing children

Learning Assessment
Online, multiple-choice exam