JASPER: Targeted Treatment of Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, and Engagement Regulation for Children with Autism

In this workshop, Dr. Kasari describes the research base and demonstrates JASPER, a targeted treatment on joint attention, symbolic play, and engagement regulation for children with autism. Dr. Kasari begins by defining and describing how joint attention develops in children. She also demonstrates the different types of play and describes how understanding play is important for both assessment and treatment of children with autism. Next, she identifies ways in which clinicians can create individualized targets for intervening with a child. Lastly, she illustrates techniques for intervening on social communication and play skills during live treatment sessions with young children.