Building Self-Regulation Through Communication - Chris Wing CCC-SLP, PhD

Language and communication skills play an important and unique role in the development of self-regulation. Words that describe the internal state of self and others predict the development of self-regulatory skills and should be fostered as part of education and intervention. Children with emotional/behavioral disorders may have undetected language delays/disorders. Strategies to foster self-regulation for these children include building strong relationships, emphasizing words to describe emotions, providing appropriately assertive language, and positive role model identification. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, language impairment, autism, and traumatized children also benefit from an approach to building self-regulation that focuses on language skills. These include strengthening pragmatic language, using a language framework to organize and complete tasks, and building personal narratives. Dr. Wing’s presentation combines evidence-based techniques that combine her research and the research of others with her extensive clinical experience as a speech and language pathologist. This workshop provides strategies that are appropriate for working with children and adolescents.