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Project ACCESS 

Regional Professional Development Opportunities

Autism trainings are offered by your Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC).

Click here to: View your Regional Professional Development Center's training calendar

The following seminars are offered by credentialed autism trainers through Missouri's RPDCs. The Department of Elementary & Secondary Education contracts with Project ACCESS at Missouri State University (MSU) to develop and provide training and technical assistance services regarding the identification and provision of services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Project ACCESS has developed a wide range of trainings. Certified trainers around the state may conduct those trainings (see the following list of trainings and note the ( )ed number following the name of the training indicates the number of certified trainers that are available statewide to assist with presentations). CONTACT YOUR RPDC TO REQUEST TRAINING.

A review of professional development opportunities regarding autism now available to you through your Regional Professional Development Center includes:

Introduction to Autism

This two-day training is designed to give educators an overview of autism as an educational disorder. Essential methods for assessing behaviors are taught and basic programming strategies are introduced. Topics include: definition of autism and eligibility criteria for special education and related services; descriptions of sensorimotor integration issues, communication issues, social and relatedness issues; assessing behaviors for their messages; the social stories teaching strategy; structuring and scheduling in the classroom; and essential features of effective programming for students with autism. Target audience:  Any educator or school staff member working with students with autism, parents and administrators. Please note:  This training is a prerequisite to most autism trainings offered by the RPDC.

Working with Students with Autism in the Schools (WASS)

This four-day training is usually split into two, two-day presentations about four to six weeks apart. This allows participants to practice specific ways to analyze and alter environment, develop effective programs, adjust curriculum through IEP writing and analyze behavior data to determine appropriate interventions. Working in collaborative teams is strongly encouraged. Topics to be covered include specific ways to analyze and alter the environment; analyzing behavioral data to determine appropriate interventions; developing effective programs through IEP writing; creating a system for organizing educational strategies; teaching new skills and behaviors to students; and working in collaborative teams to achieve the most success.  Discover information about behavior and reinforcement, social skills training, augmentative and alternative communication, and functional communication training. Target audience:  Any educator or school staff member working with school-aged students with autism, and administrators. Please note:  attending the Introduction to Autism training or For the Regular Teacher, Including the Very Special Child training is a prerequisite.

Early Intervention for Young Children with Autism (EIYCA)

This four-day training focuses on educators who are, or will be, working with preschool students with autism, with content specific to communication, behavior, and curricular issues. It is typically presented in a two, two-day format like the WASS. The focus is on systematic ways to address problem behavior through assessing and altering the environment and/or curriculum, teaching new skills, choosing effective research based methodologies, determining effective intervention strategies and discussing current trends and topics related to early intervention. Target audience: Any educator of staff member working with students with autism age 3 to 5 years, and administrators.  Please note: attending the Introduction to Autism training or For The Regular Teacher, Including the Very Special Child training is a prerequisite.

Early Identification of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This is a one-day training. Discover key components to consider when deciding if a child needs further evaluation for autism. Learn about referral to First Steps or Early Childhood Special Education services. This training is targeted towards anyone working with infants and toddlers who might make a referral for consideration for special services including early intervention providers, Service Coordinators, childcare providers and Parent Educators. Please note: attending the Introduction to Autism training or For The Regular Teacher, Including the Very Special Child training is a prerequisite.

Services for Very Young Children (Toddlers) with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This two-day training enables  you to learn behaviors that may be observed in young children who might need further evaluation for autism spectrum disorders. Receive guidelines on how to generalize skills learned in clinical or educational settings to the home environment. Learn considerations for evaluating therapies for children with autism.  Target audience: Anyone working with infants and toddlers including early intervention providers, childcare providers and Parent Educators.

Working with Young Children with Autism in Discrete Trial Formats (DTT)

Two days of intense training in the discrete trial strategy!  Learn about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and determine how to use and implement DTT (a behavior strategy used within the umbrella philosophy of ABA) in an application of the ABA methodology. You will learn how to use this well-established, research-based strategy within the context of applied behavior analysis.  Instruction will focus on using this method with children ages 2-6, though the strategy is essential with students of all ages in every school program.  Participants will learn how to determine whether discrete trial training (DTT) methods would be helpful to a child, how to begin DTT formats with any child, ways to integrate this method into the special and regular classroom and curriculum, and how to expand and/or fade the use of discrete training.  The pros and cons of choosing any method as an exclusive program for any child will be discussed.  First Steps service providers, early childhood special educators, teachers of school-age children, administrators and parents will benefit.  Target audience: Any Special Education teacher, administrator, paraprofessional or other related services provider working with youngsters who receive services using the ABA methodology.  Please note: attending the Introduction to Autism training or For The Regular Teacher, Including the Very Special Child training is a prerequisite.

Functional Communication Training: Supporting Communication in Verbal & Nonverbal Individuals with Interfering Behaviors (FCT)

This three-day training addresses ways of supporting communication in verbal and nonverbal individuals with interfering behaviors. Functional Communication Training theory and research is shared with participants. Problem-solving strategies for selecting pragmatic and practical communication systems for students is provided, emphasizing positive behavior supports. Teams informally assess their student, select a communication system, and determine its effectiveness. Demonstrations of aided, unaided, and voice output devices, as well as academic and literacy activities are provided. Included will be demonstrations of ways to use augmentative communication systems in the general education classroom. Target audience: Special Education teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and speech language pathologists. Please note: attending the Introduction to Autism training is a prerequisite.

Essential Features of an Effective Program for Students with Autism 

This half-day seminar is geared specifically toward school administrators who oversee programs serving children with autism. Content will cover universally-accepted components of effective programs, discussion of IEP issues for children with severely challenging behaviors, and suggestions for involvement in home-based or private programs for children with autism. Participants will be provided forms which are pertinent in performance-based evaluations of staff serving severely disabled children in special education settings, plus children integrated into general education classrooms.

Sensorimotor Integration and the Student with Autism (SI)

Students with autism and related disorders of communication and behavior have difficulties in the way they process sensory information.  Their senses of vision, hearing, touch, movement, taste, and smell are often poorly integrated.  Such lack of integration often affects behavior, academic performance, functional self-help skills, and school performance.  This one-day seminar focuses on understanding the role of sensorimotor integration in the diagnosis and educational treatment of students with autism.  Methods of infusing sensorimotor integration in the classroom and activities throughout the day will be discussed. Learn about sensorimotor issues frequently experienced by children with autism.  Target audience:  Special Education teachers and administrators, paraprofessionals, and physical and occupational therapists.  Please note: attending the Introduction to Autism training or For The Regular Teacher, Including the Very Special Child training is suggested, but not required,  prior to attending this training.

For the Regular Teacher: Including the VERY Special Child

This two-day seminar addresses the needs and concerns of general educators serving students with challenging behaviors and alternate/parallel curriculum needs.  Teachers will learn how to fit IEP objectives into their regular class work, and what types of activities and materials can be used in the regular classroom. Additionally, general educators will learn how to use a paraeducator effectively, the first steps in behavior management, how to document classroom needs, and how to identify additional professional development needs for themselves and their teams.

This workshop will be useful to teachers, paraeducators, administrators, parents, and social educators. Autism will be highlighted, but the information and strategies are useful in working with any child with challenges, including the "at risk" child.

Though a brief overview of autism will be provided, this workshop is not intended to address the intricacies of diagnosis or the special education process.  Curriculum discussion will focus on alternative programming, rather than on traditionally modified academics.

Click here to: View your Regional Professional Development Center's training calendar