Prof Ralf Schlosser will be presenting two seminars at the Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) on 26 and 27 February.

The first, a full-day workshop on efficacy research, will be conducted in the context of augmentative and alternative communication. The seminar will introduce participants to the construct of evidence-based practice (EBP) as it is currently understood. In addition, participants will gain knowledge related to key steps of the EBP process, including (a) asking well-constructed questions, (b) searching for evidence, (c) appraising evidence, and (d) applying evidence. Throughout the seminar participants will be able to apply their knowledge with a view to facilitate skill acquisition. This seminar will be held on 26 February 2015.

A half-day seminar on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and autism will be held on 27 February 2015. It will present participants with an overview of the visual immersion system, as well as a synthesis of research evidence related to four current key issues and priorities facing children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and little or no functional speech. These include (a) speech production, (b) comprehension, (c) beginning communication strategies, and (d) advances in technology.

Ralf Schlosser is a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA. He is also Director of Clinical Research at the Center for Communication Enhancement, Autism Language Program in the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital, MA, USA. Much of Prof Schlosser’s work aims to empower clinicians to implement evidence-based practice (EBP).  He has led many workshops, seminars, and courses on EBP in the USA, as well as in Germany, India, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and has presented in the prestigious Van Riper Lecture series. His research is concerned with the efficacy of augmentative and alternative communication interventions for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, more than 25 book chapters and three books, and received the Editor's Award of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication on numerous occasions. He is a fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. He is the founding joint editor-in-chief of the journal Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention and serves on the editorial board of several professional journals.

The registration forms for both seminars appear below.