Los Angeles-Based LKS and Associates Becomes World’s First Speech-Language Clinic With a Certified JASPER Speech Pathologist

Founder and Director Lisa Klein is the world’s first speech pathologist certified in proven treatment approach targeting the foundations of social communication (joint attention, imitation, play) for children

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LKS & Associates is pleased to announce that Founder and Director Lisa Klein, M.S., CCC-SLP COM, is now a certified JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement and Regulation) therapist, positioning the speech-language clinic as the world’s first to have a certified JASPER speech pathologist on staff. Developed at UCLA by Kasari Lab Founder and Director Dr. Connie Kasari, JASPER is a proven treatment approach based on a combination of developmental and behavioral principles that target the foundations of social communication (joint attention, imitation, play). Such preeminent certification will enable LKS and Associates to expand on its life-changing treatment, support and care for children with a variety of disorders.

“This is a significant milestone for LKS and Associates,” says Klein, who has worked as a speech pathologist for more than 20 years in private practice and rehabilitation hospitals all over the US. “JASPER training and certification has completely changed how I practice therapy. The techniques are not only proven to identify preverbal and prelinguistic cues and skills that are often missed when assessing global delays in childhood speech and children becoming verbal, but they can be easily implemented by parents, teachers, clinicians and other related service providers—naturally incorporated into inclusion and special education classrooms and everyday activities in the home—with the only required materials developmentally appropriate toys or activities.”

Parents of children who show signs of speech and verbal delays can arrange for a consultation with Lisa Klein here to help increase the rate and complexity of their child’s social communication.

“We are delighted and proud to certify Lisa as the world’s first JASPER speech therapist,” says Dr. Kasari, one of the world’s leading experts in autism research and treatment. “A dedicated, hardworking and passionate therapist, she is a true pioneer in the field. We have no doubt she will continue to make significant breakthroughs.”

Over the past 15 years, JASPER has been tested in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving nearly 500 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and is one of two social communication interventions recommended by the UK-based National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as evidence based (2013). Studies conducted both within the Kasari Lab and by independent researchers show improvements in joint engagement, social communication, and emotion regulation with decreasing negativity over time, as well as increasing parental co-regulation strategies.

“Particularly now, at a time when social distancing limits interactions, it’s more important than ever to address developmental issues,” adds Klein, whose clinic specializes in evaluating and treating children and adults with a range of disorders, from ASD and orofacial myology to brain injury and dysphagia (swallowing difficulties). “While we offer virtual sessions, we are also safely seeing clients in our Los Angeles office, as nothing can replace the hands-on, one-to-one personal attention.”

For more information, visit: https://lksandassociates.com/

About

LKS and Associates is a Los Angeles-based clinic specializing in the evaluation of and treatment for children and adults with a variety of disorders, including Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Orofacial Myology, Sensory Processing Disorder, delays related to Fine Motor, Gross Motor, and Visual Motor, Down Syndrome, Feeding Aversions, Phonological/Articulation Disorders, Expressive and Receptive Language Delays, Brain Injury, Cognitive-Linguistic Deficits, Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and Dysarthria.