Catalina Nicolescu

My expertise integrates the know-how of the JASPER trainer, accredited by Kasari Autism Research Lab UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, BACB accredited Registered Behavior Technician, trainer and speaker.

I am Cătălina Nicolescu and I remember my first steps in discovering and practicing ABA therapy. It started in 2006 at the "Horia Moțoi" Center. Many years have passed and I have developed my skills as a home-based, shadow therapist and coordinator.

I have always sought to learn new scientifically validated approaches and practice them as faithfully as possible, each stage of my professional evolution having one goal: significantly improving the quality of the life of children diagnosed with autism. I have always wanted to pass on what I practice and learn, so I organized workshops for parents and therapists in the country, being an accredited ANC trainer; I have also presented papers in many Conferences/Congresses at the national level; BACB accredited RBT; having also completed the Romania BCaBA Alternate Pathway Course Sequence training course.

Starting with 2019, I focused on the natural Environment Teaching (NDBI) and applied the JASPER approach, offering these services to young children.

Starting with 2024, I exited the DAAL autism project umbrella, and my work became more complex and challenging, having collaborations with Alina Vlad, and having the role of the mentor for the parents that are part of the program developed by her: FOCUS.

My knowledge goes to parents and therapists through the courses recorded for the www.autism.ro platform, continuing the collaboration with Damian Nedescu.

I organize mentoring groups and all the events I support in the country have one single goal: the development of play and communication in children with ASD.

The way of playing in children with ASD is affected in different ways, and this is why I strongly believe that learning through play is a natural and appropriate way to develop language skills, play, new concepts, problem solving skills, flexibility in thinking, creativity development, the spontaneity and symbolization needed by young children in social interactions. Playing should be fun and rewarding, but also an opportunity to learn for the child.

Presentation: Why is it important and how can we develop Joint Engagement in children with ASD?

Abstract:

An important outcome of the early intervention is improved social communication skills, a challenge for young children and a defining characteristic required for an autism diagnosis.

Early development of joint engagement and language acquisition are usually intertwined. Studies show that the development of this skill is considered very important for the child's further development. A longer period of time spent with an adult actively engaged in the same activity (referred here as JE) was associated with an improved trajectory of expressive language, along with toddler social cognition skills. When is chosen the method of teaching that contains meaningful social interactions with emotional valences in activities and games, the child learns faster and generalizes more naturally, compared to the situations when the teaching takes place without a meaningful social connection.

Throughout his development, the child learns to communicate during the daily interactions he has with his parents or other significant persons from his life. Thus, the more he engages with significant people around him, the more he’ll have the opportunity to learn valuable communication skills.

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulties with joint engagement. It is challenging for them to pay attention to both an object and a person while interacting, so they end up spending a lot of time playing alone with toys or manipulating objects, without interacting with others. Therefore, they miss many opportunities to be exposed to new information that stimulates cognitive development, learning objects, language, new ideas to play, problem solving, better tolerance and social skills.

For young children with ASD, social engagement must be a priority during the early intervention. Teaching them how to interact with other people is the most important goal, and not exactly simple for the parent or therapist.

My presentation brings forward not only the importance, benefits and promotion of joint engagement, but also the assessment of JE alongside the strategies that are easily incorporated by the parent and therapist into the child's daily interactions, experiences and routines.

Keywords: ASD; Joint engagement; shared involvement; language development; social skills; child development