Autistic individuals are uniquely diverse yet, by diagnosis, share some common social challenges.

Jonathan Alderson specializes in best-practices that establish a rapid and deep “therapeutic alliance”. 

Like all humans, autistic children and adults alike lean into relationships in which they feel secure, trusting, and loved. How can therapists, educators, and parents express these effectively to autistic students, family, and partners?

In this presentation, Jonathan will share insights and examples from his 25 years working directly with autistic people and their families.

An open discussion in Q&A format will follow.    

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this webinar and discussion, attendees will be able to:

• Describe several rapport-building strategies.
• Understand the fundamental relational-principles that make the strategies effective.
• Answer questions about autistic individuals’ needs through a “spectrum lens”
• Identify
• Have a greater awareness of stereotypes and myths of autism that inhibit genuine therapeutic relationship 

ACCREDITATION

Approved for 1 hour of MDPAC Group CE credits.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Jonathan Alderson is the Founder and Director of the Integrative Multi-Treatment Intervention program for autism acceptance and development. Alderson offers a highly customized solution and specializes in blending play therapy, structured learning, ABA, sensory, and biomedical treatments into an integrated model, paying attention to order and timing. “The issues underlying the challenges of autistic children are multifaceted – so the treatment must also be multifaceted.” With a Masters from Harvard University and experience in Texas as the Curriculum Specialist Coordinator with Teach For America, he trained in autism treatment for eight years at the Autism Treatment Center of America in their Son-Rise Program in Massachusetts, where he worked as program administrator and Senior Family Trainer. He has worked with over 3000 families, over 25 years, supervising home-based programs in the UK, Ireland, Holland, Spain, Australia, Israel and Mexico. He has been a keynote speaker for The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, The Primary Elementary Teachers Association of Halifax, The Geneva Centre for Autism. the Royal College of Pediatricians (University of Nottingham), and the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation.

He serves as the Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee of the Seneca College Behavioural Science Program. He was editor of the book Autism 101, 2nd Ed. and is the author of Challenging the Myths of Autism honoured with 7 awards including the Mom’s Choice Gold Award, and the International Book Award for Best Parent-Resource. He has been interviewed in the Toronto Globe and Mail, on CBC radio, Breakfast Television and is a contributor to the HuffingtonPost. He appeared in several episodes of the award-winning TV reality series Employable Me in which he coached adults with autism in their job search. Jonathan was editor of the book Autism 101, 2nd Ed. and is the author of the book Challenging the Myths of Autism, honoured with 7 awards including the Mom’s Choice Gold Award the International Book Award for Best Parent Resource.

In 2022 he founded Health Innovation Platform Inc leveraging technology to reach more families through the world’s first online instant individualized development plans for autistic children at www.Thriveguide.co