Autism Resources for Educators

COVID-19/Coronavirus and Online/Distance Learning Resources

We understand that the current world situation has caused additional challenges for everyone and that individuals with autism and their loved ones and caretakers may experience the interruption in routine and schedules more intensely.

We are working to connect you with resources to assist you and your students during this challenging time. Please consider joining our free online Autism Helpline and watching the Homebound Activities category where you can share, learn and find support. Also, follow our Facebook page @MoProjectACCESS for updates. 

Following are some links we hope you find helpful and we will continue to add:

Official Information and Resources

• Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - DESE-related Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information (please be sure to scroll down to the green bar titled Special Education Information & Guidance), DESE COVID-19 Related School Reopening and Distance Learning Question and Answer Guide (from July 30th), Special Education Compliance COVID-19 Q&A (from April 2nd), as well as Distance Learning Strategies: By Missouri Teachers, for Missouri Teachers 
• Missouri Department of Social Services - Missouri Services Navigator ("this resource offers instant access to available programs and services such as school meal programs for students, food banks, child care, diaper banks, counseling and organizations that assist with housing, transportation or utilities issues. There are currently over 2,000 services listed, with new services added daily. Users can search by keyword, location and/or service. Every program and service contains a map of the location as well as contact information").
• Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services COVID-19 Outbreak resources, including a dashboard of current statistics for Missouri
• U.S. Department of Education COVID-19 ("Coronavirus") Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel
• Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) updates
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):  Overall Resources
• World Health Organization (WHO) Coronavirus page
• National Alliance on Mental Illness COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide

Educational Resources

• Transitioning Back to School During COVID: Using Visuals and Other Evidence-Based Strategies for Children with Autism - free Toolkit download from Indiana Resource Center For Autism
• Autism Society COVID-19 Toolkit By Topic, COVID-19 Resources by Topic, Facebook Live Recordings and National Helpline information (800-3-AUTISM = 800-328-8476)
• Project ACCESS Autism Helpline 
• Google's Teach from Home - a temporary hub of information and tools to help teachers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis
• Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) - Resources for Teaching Remotely
• Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) - Free webinar: Teaching Special Education Online During COVID-19
• SELPA - padlet of Resources to Support School Closures/Distance Learning for Students with Autism
• Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center: Tele-Intervention and Distance Learning and webinars: 1) Shifting Blackboards: Supports for Emergency Online Teaching, Adjusting Assignments, and Rethinking Field Experiences; 2) Use of Tele-Intervention in Early Intervention (IDEA Part C): Strategies for Providing Services Under the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
• Social Thinking® - "Free Stuff to Use at Home & School: Social Emotional Support Strategies
• Council of Administrators of Special Education's Considerations for Special Education Administrators
• Understood - Legal FAQs on Coronavirus, School Closings, and Special Education
• Understood - Online Assignments: Best Practices for Teachers to Use With Students and Distance Learning: 6 UDL Best Practices for Online Learning
• Executive Functioning in online environments
• Autism in Context: Autism and the Coronavirus: 20 tips
• Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules (AFIRM) - Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain Times/COVID-19 Toolkit (available in multiple languages and with a companion set of Adult Resources)
• Resources to support EI/ECSE
• Control Alt Achieve list of Chrome Extensions for Struggling Students and Special Needs
• Carol Gray Social Stories™ - several social stories related to COVID-19 with permission to use (subscription is free)
• Live Binders - Resources for LID/Autism
• Live Binders - Virtual Activities for Teachers and Families COVID-19
• kidsactivities.com - Here's The Entire List Of Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due to School Closings
• Amazing Educational Resources - Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due to School Closings
• Autism Circuit - Tools and Techniques For Students on the Autism Spectrum
• Tools to Grow - Resources for Pediatric Therapists
• Jennifer Adair (In-District Autism Consultant) - A Veteran Teacher Shares From Her Bag of Tricks for Teaching Kids with Autism
• 190 Best Structured Work Systems, compiled by Autism Circuit 
• Teach@Home - Daily Lessons & Activities for K - 5 Students ( includes some resources in Spanish)
• Pyramid Educational Consultants/PECS - Support at Home (includes video lessons, lesson plans, visuals - updated weekly); also, their Helpful Info tab has free downloads and helpful documents
• Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) - Communication supports for children and adults with complex communication needs during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Read Theory - 50+ Tools For Remote and Distance Learning (categories: Video Conferencing and Communication Tools; Progress Monitoring and Data Management; Homework Management and Online LMS; Content-Specific Tools; Miscellaneous Tools)
• Distance Education with Canva; "With school closures around the world, Canva is supporting teachers, parents, and students when it comes to adapting to distance learning. We already have thousands of free templates and resources that you can use to plan lessons and keep students engaged and empowered."
• Autism Science Foundation - Resources for Service Providers
• Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute - COVID-19 Resources
• All Digital School - a collection of digital tools and resources worldwide, for teachers and for parents. Includes multiple topics, including autism/special education, early childhood, social learning, communication, with a variety of free guides. 

Family Resources

• Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) - Resource Gallery of Interventions, including Support For Families During the COVID-19 Crisis
• Online AAC Support for Families During School Closures
• Milestone Autism Resources - COVID-19 Resources for Families and Transition Planning During COVID-19
• Division for Early Childhood (DEC) is offering free access to their webinars for family members of young children with disabilities between the ages of 0 and 8. Email dec@dec-sped.org for more information.
• ASHA Leader Live blog: 10 Ways Children With Language Disorders Can Maintain Both Physical Distance and Social Connection
• STAR Autism Support - Home Supports
• Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center: Supporting Children and Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Understood - Coronavirus: Latest Updates and Tips (including Activities to Keep Kids Busy at Home and School Closings and Learning at Home)
• COVID-19: Preparation Tips for Families Affected by Autism
• Carol Gray Social Stories™ - several social stories related to COVID-19 with permission to use (subscription is free)
• Selfadvocacyinfo.org Plain Language Storyboard on "COVID-19 Information By and For People with Disabilities":   English    Spanish (Inforamación de COVID-19 Por y Para Personas con Discpacidades)
• Control Alt Achieve list of Chrome Extensions for Struggling Students and Special Needs
• Autism Speaks COVID-19 Information and Resources 
• 13 ABA Therapy Activities for Kids with Autism You Can Do at Home
• 123 Homeschool 4 Me - Free Worksheets and Ideas to Make Learning Fun
• Teach@Home - Daily Lessons & Activities for K - 5 Students (includes some resources en Español)
• ASERT - Mindful about Meltdowns: A COVID-19 Resource for Parents
• Pyramid Educational Consultants/PECS - Support at Home (includes video lessons, lesson plans, visuals - updated weekly); also, their Helpful Info tab has free downloads and helpful documents
• BrainPOP - "Make Any Room a Classroom" - animated videos and supportive materials in the following subjects: 
  Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health and Social Emotional Learning, Engineering and Technology, with additional specific topics under New and Trending, such as Distance Learning.  Free access during school closures.
• Autism Science Foundation - Resources for Families
• COVID-19 Resources for Families: Help Children Understand COVID-19 - Stemie: Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education
• IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University: For Parents: Supporting Learning During COVID-19

Resources en español:  

• COVID-19 (Coronavirus Enfermedad 2019) - Qué necesita saber
• COVID-19: Qué hacer si se siente enfermo
• SÍNTOMAS DE LA ENFERMEDAD DEL CORONAVIRUS 2019
• Evite la propagación del COVID-19
• 10 maneras de controlar los síntomas respiratorios en el hogar
• Inforamación de COVID-19 Por y Para Personas con Discpacidades
• Resumen seminal de Understood: Recursos e información sobre el coronavirus
• Apoyando los Individuos con el Autismo en Tiempos Inciertos
• Autism Science Foundation - Recursos En Español
• OCALI - Narrativas Sociales Para Apoyar a Las Familias Durante COVID-19  
• Milestone Autism Resources - Recursos de COVID-19 para familias   Planificación de la transición durante COVID-19
   

National Parent Helpline: 1-855-427-2736 (1-855-4A PARENT)

24 Hour Parent Helpline: 1-888-435-7553

National Crisis Hotline: 1-800-448-3000

Follow the rotating banner links below to access our resources.  In addition, you are invited to join us using social media, to peruse our curated list of web resources for educators, families, and special links from the Missouri State Department of Education, and to learn more about autism evidence-based interventions.

Project ACCESS Autism Minute

Project ACCESS Autism Minute videos are short (usually 5 minutes or less) instructional videos that provide information designed to add to your available autism resources. We'll cover a variety of topics, including evidence-based practices, strategies and core principles to increase Missouri educators' capacity to serve students who experience autism and other developmental disabilities. 
If you want to learn more about this topic and many more, please visit our Autism Training page to sign up for one of our trainings: Autism Training

The current Autism Minute features Edna Smith, Ph.D., who has served as Project ACCESS Director, Autism Resources Specialist, Missouri Autism Consultant and Autism Team Coach. In this video she discusses Basic Concepts That Every Autism Educator Needs to "Get": 

• "When the sensory system is calm,
• reinforcement is available,
• the environment is made predictable through structure and visual supports,
• and task demands are carefully designed,
• skills can be effectively taught and learned."  ~ Dr. Ruth Aspy and Dr. Barry Grossman