Dr. Ráchele Schafer, assistant professor of professional education at Bemidji State University, will deliver an Honors Council Lecture on autistic individuals’ perceptions of the effectiveness of social skills training.

Schafer’s presentation, “The Efficacy of Elements with Social Skills Training for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum,” will be held Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Hagg Sauer 100 on the Bemidji State campus. Honors Council Lectures are open to the public free of charge.

Schafer has a doctorate in special education with a specialization in autism spectrum disorders and a minor in communication studies. She also has a master’s degree in communication studies and a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications with an emphasis in biology. Schafer has spoken nationally and internationally on autism spectrum disorders and has created an algorithm in an effort to assist individuals with Asperger’s syndrome in communicating interpersonally.

The Honors Council Lecture Series is hosted by the Bemidji State University Honors Council. The council is the advisory group to the honors program comprised of 12 faculty members from each of the University’s colleges. Student representatives are also elected to the council by their cohorts for one-year terms.

For more information about the Honors Council Lecture Series, please contact the honors program at (218) 755-3984.