IMFAR: day one lecture notes transcribed (2/5)

Here is the second and long overdue installment of my transcribed notes from the first day at IMFAR. It has taken me longer than I had hoped to work on these. Sometimes life takes over, they say. Yesterday, I had the kindergarten transition meeting with Sine and Cosine in tow. Myself and five other participants reviewed, discussed, and eventual accepted Sine's new IEP. It was also agreed upon that a watchful eye would be kept on any emerging needs of Cosine (after I provided documentation of her ADOS testing and its accompanying recommendations of further psychological evaluation). I will definitely explore this process more in upcoming blogs.

Also, we have been doing some home improvement. As much as I enjoy the conceptual planning and the physical tasks at hand, it is stressful when I have to gingerly accommodate the improvements against my daily routines. My daily routines provide me with as much comfort as a Valium does to others.

Also, I have cut my hours down at work, finally acknowledging I have been living my life teetering on the brink of collapse. I am hoping for more time to spend with my family and more time to dedicate to more writing & (fun for me) illustrations.

Here's the next piece in the puzzle.

Invited Educational Symposium: Friendship in ASD through Life Span: Nature, Trajectories, Importance and Treatment

Paraphrased overview from program book: Having friends is important to a child's well-being and development of cognitive, linguistic, and social skills in typical development. 60-75% of individuals with ASD experience difficulties in forming friendships. Yet, it is an overlooked topic. Enhancing friendship in ASD will be considered by reviewing individual, familial, and environmental observed, quantitative and qualitative, components.


The Beginning of Friendship- Friendship in Preschoolers with HFASD: New Evidence and Implications.
N. Bauminger-Zviely/ School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

• conceptual different from typical peer interaction


• chosen specific peer over long period of time


• have shared history and shared emotional process


• “closeness” = proximity preference


• develop trust


• friends are stable and durable


• based on caregiver attachment


• markers and forms change


• higher level of engagement in joint tasks


• increase in reciprocal language


• cognitively important


• cyclical: need to have – have to need


• in ASD, 10-44% lacking friendship (number of friends decrease with age)


• sisters = friends (both ASD)


• friends younger or also disabled


• mothers believe teacher mediation important to forming friendships


• teachers believe teacher mediation is NOT important to forming friendships


• mutual preference important


• w/ friend: terms of affection in the form of nicknames


• w/ friend: shows imaginative play and touching


• w/o stillness and withdrawal


• didactic interaction lacking


• use of “buddy” encourages


• w/ HAS- shared experiences about fun not fear


• w/ HAS- less complex social pretend play


• both showing encouragement and comforting


• w/ HAS less vocalization


• reciprocity observed in both (quality different)


• w/ HAS solve problems slower, few comments, few coordinated action/gesture


• more efficient in 2nd experiences- learn and acquire skills


• friendship feasible and meaningful


• friendship should be specific aim for early intervention


• with no early friends, higher degrees of loneliness, no deeper quality relationships, and anxiety


• developing friendships develop individual