Buron, Kari Dunn – Autism Awareness

Kari Dunn Buron worked in K-12 with students with autism for 30+ years. Kari developed an Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate program for educators at Hamline University and has done volunteer work specific to autism in Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados, Tanzania and Ghana. In 2003, Kari received a Self-designed Fellowship that allowed her to spend a year interviewing and working internationally with a number of therapists and researchers in the area of Social Cognition, Education and Autism. She is the co-author of The Incredible 5-Point Scale, and the author of When My Worries Get Too Big, A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control and A 5 is Against the Law! (2008 ASA literary award winner). Kari is also the co-editor of a textbook for educators titled Learners on the Autism Spectrum: Preparing Highly Qualified Educators (2009 ASA literary award winner) and is the creator of a social skills magazine called The Social Times (2010 Gold Winner, National Patenting Publications Award and Gold Medal 2011 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award). Kari recently completed a work of fiction titled Adalyn’s Clare, which was published in August of 2012.

When My Autism Gets Too Big! Addressing Social Cognition and Emotional Regulation using the Incredible 5-Point Scale

Autism Spectrum Disorders involve difficulties in the areas of Social Thinking, Relationship Building, and Emotional Regulation. This presentation will address these three areas of need as they impact a person’s ability to function in the highly social environment of school. Having a problem of social cognition impacts a person’s competence in almost all social situations.

These difficulties can lead to explosive behavior and even aggression. Kari will present a brief overview of the social thinking research, and autism learning theories emerging from the new field of educational neuroscience. She will then describe and illustrate 5 systematic approaches to teaching social information, and increasing a person’s ability to understand and regulate their emotional responses. The strategy discussion will focus on the use of the 5-Point Scale and also include Video Self Modeling, 5 Stars, relaxation, and direct teaching of relationship skills.