Capstone Project Yields Real-World Support Group for Parents of Autistic Children

Salus University Speech-Language Pathology student, Amanda Kaufmann ’17MS, will never forget her childhood playdates with a family friend who had autism. Amanda watched her friend’s language skills evolve after working with a therapist; she was now able to communicate with the world around her using sign language. Whether she knew it at the time or not, this early experience was the jump start to her studies in Speech-Language Pathology and her capstone project, which is helping local families with autistic children.

Every Thursday evening for the past five weeks, parents of children with autism spectrum disorder gather together to share their experiences at the Speech-Language Institute of Salus University. Autism spectrum disorder is a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. The autism support group is the manifestation of Amanda’s capstone project, which is a resource to the community and provides real-world experience.

“I’ve always had an interest in autism; even during my first semester at Salus, I knew I wanted to do my project on autism,” she said. “My goal with forming the support group was to provide a means for parents of children with autism to help others by networking with each other and sharing resources.”

At each meeting, Amanda sets up a table of snacks and refreshments, presents a new topic based upon group interest (recent ones include reading comprehension, social skills and vocational skills), and leads a discussion amongst the parents.

“I am very much a facilitator for discussion amongst the group,” Amanda said. “I provide all the materials and topics, but they are the ones who are teaching each another by sharing their experiences and resources with one another.” 

Amanda is joined by Jennifer Downs, EdD, CCC-SLP, and Speech-Language Institute director Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, who support the project by offering their professional expertise. Dr. Downs believes the autism support group is a true asset to the community.

“There’s a need for parents to be able to have time together and communicate the knowledge they have,” she said. “The Speech-Language Institute really has a lot to offer the community on a University level. Amanda makes sure it’s a very comfortable environment for everyone to learn and share their personal experiences.”

The participating parents have children of varying ages, anywhere from eight to 17 years old. The parents of the older children have been able to provide guidance to parents of younger children, according to Amanda.

“The parents that attend have children of all different ages and points of development,” Dr. Downs said. “The beauty is that they have been able to support each other just by listening to each other’s stories and discussing.”

Mr. Serianni believes support groups are a complementary aspect to clinical treatment for families that struggle with speech-language disorders.

“Family support groups help people understand that they’re not the only ones out there struggling with this,” he said. “That sort of peer communication, not a therapist or academic telling them what they should be doing, either validates their feelings or acts as a sounding board for them.”

One of the standout moments for Amanda throughout this experience was witnessing parents form playgroups for their children so they can practice their social skills with one another, similar to the play dates that ignited her passion for Speech-Language Pathology in the first place.

As a member of the first class of Speech-Language Pathology students, Amanda is certainly a standout in the program. 

“She’s definitely one of the shining spots in our first group here,” Mr. Serianni said.  “She’s smart, creative, passionate—the hallmarks of a great clinician.”

Based on the success of this summer’s sessions, Amanda and Dr. Downs hope the support group continues in the fall semester and beyond.

“I hope to see the program run again in the fall,” Amanda said. “I’ve already had a lot of interest from parents in creating workshops focused on social skills, so another support group would be beneficial. I also hope to see other Salus-run types of support groups develop for other areas of need.”

If you or a loved one is interested in joining a support group, or for more information, contact the Speech-Language Institute today.