This course was taught through the department of speech and language. Thus, Michelle’s early interest in autism paved the way for her field of study.
In 1995 Michelle accepted a job with a public high school district and there she began to learn about students at the high end of the autism spectrum, those with Asperger Syndrome. Given her background in autism and cognitive rehabilitation, she was able to understand how to create a treatment program for these “smart” but socially limited students. The clinical work Michelle was providing through the school district appeared to have a positive impact on the students. Thus, Michelle gave her first workshop in 1998 at her profession’s state convention. At that time she introduced the I LAUGH framework of social cognition. Invitations soon followed for her to provide more public workshops and soon parents were calling her requesting that she go into private practice.
She entered into private practice in 1999. Her practice was originally named “Michelle G. Winner, SLP", but now that she has a full staff working with her, the name of the clinic is being changed to “Michelle G. Winner's Center for Social Thinking” to better reflect her business’s role in the community.
Michelle has written four books, "Think Social! A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students" (2005), "Worksheets! for Teaching Social Thinking and Related Skills" (2005), "Thinking About YOU Thinking About ME" (2002 and 2nd Edition, 2007) and "Inside Out: What Makes The Person With Social Cognitive Deficits Tick" (2000). Michelle has also made two DVDs of her workshop days in conjunction with The Gray Center: "Strategies for Organization: Preparing for Homework and The Real World (2003)" and "Social Thinking Across the Home and School Day (2003)". She self-publishes her books nationally, making them available at www.socialthinking.com and for sale outside of North America from Jessica Kingsley Publisher (www.jkp.com).
Michelle is known internationally for her user-friendly approach and engaging speaking style. She has been an invited speaker at conferences and workshops for educational districts across America, including the national conference put on by The Gray Center, The Linguisystems National Conference and at Stanley Greenspan’s ICDL conference in Virginia.
Michelle also consults to school district in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as across the nation. She has worked with Andrea Walker’s SUCSESS project in Orange Country for 3 years helping their staff to develop plans for helping them serve the older child. Michelle continues to write journal and magazine articles with her insights on social cognition. Her greatest areas of self-study currently involve the exploration of perspective taking (Theory of Mind) and its impact on many different aspects of functioning, and the complex array of skills demanded when we request students to “get organized”. Michelle is developing treatment ideas around both of these areas with a focus on how to determine what we need to help teach students in the elementary and secondary years to help them move forward to be increasingly productive and independent persons as they approach their adult years.
The title that best fits Michelle now is “Specialist for Persons With Social Cognitive Deficits”. Michelle is passionate about educating all persons, parents, educators, administrators and students about the real impact of social cognitive deficits across the home, school and work day. She is convinced that we can do more to help students find increasing levels of success as adults.
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