Unlocking The Emergence of Social Communication

      The inaugural C.A.S.L. is a unique event designed to encourage bold new ways of thinking about how the drive and capacity for communication emerges. By considering the nature of communication in communities of individuals with Autism and those who use Sign Language, C.A.S.L. aims to improve the quality of life and humanistic appreciation of individuals for whom social communication can sometimes be difficult. The insights that will emerge from this workshop are meant to aid in decreasing social challenges for these groups. C.A.S.L. will feature three groups of world-reknowned researchers from around the country: a group of linguists who devote their careers to the study of sign languages; a group of researchers who study communicative abilities in autism; and a group of scholars who have begun to explore the connection between the two areas of research. In addition, the workshop will engage and include members of the community (from New York and beyond) who themselves identify as having autism. SUNY students will also be invited to attend this conference, which will excite their interest in service-centered applied research and learning.