 |
Specialized Centers
Andrew J. Kirch Developmental Services Center
Our Services
Professional Development and Staff Training
Nationally recognized faculty at the Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities provide training on several important topics related to promoting independence, inclusion, and quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities. Staff trainings are individualized to meet the unique needs and interests of groups. Please contact Jill Johnson at 585-275-6605 for more information. The following is a list of common topic areas, as well as target audiences.
Training Specifically for Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism in the Classroom: Strategies for Success
- Target Audience: teachers, school psychologists, paraprofessionals, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and administrators
- Summary: This intensive workshop provides participants with an overview of the core features of autism spectrum disorder, basic theory of applied behavior analysis, and applications in educational settings This is currently being offered twice a year through the BOCES SETRC program for individuals working with children with autism in classroom settings.
- Paraprofessional Training for Children with Autism
- Target Audience: paraprofessionals, although speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, administrators, and teachers could benefit
- Summary: This two-day workshop provides participants with an understanding of autism spectrum disorders and the specific teaching methods used to assist the student to function independently in the classroom using a collaborative team approach. This is currently being offered twice a year through the BOCES SETRC program for individuals working with children with autism in classroom settings.
- Understanding Autism: Providing Support for Individuals with Autism
- Target Audience: service providers, school personnel, respite providers, day care providers, and other community providers who interact with individuals with autism.
- Summary: This is a general overview of the core features of autism and behavioral challenges associated with the syndrome. This training includes discussion of all of the autism spectrum disorders: autism, pervasive developmental disorder (NOS), and Asperger syndrome. Can be modified to meet the needs of the target audience or agency.
- Social Communication Skills for Individuals with Autism
- Target Audience: teachers, paraprofessionals, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, administrators, day care providers, and parents.
- Summary: The goal of this training is to identify for participants tools for assessing social communication skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorders and to identify the key stages in social communication skills instruction. In addition, specific strategies will be described for teaching social communication skills.
- Supporting Higher-Functioning Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Target Audience: teachers, school psychologists, paraprofessionals, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists.
- Summary: This training focuses on individuals with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism and how they can best be supported in educational settings.
- Discrete Trial Training for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Target Audience: teachers, paraprofessionals, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, day care providers, and home care providers.
- Summary: Discrete trial training is one of the most distinctive, effective applied behavior analytic (ABA) instructional methods, and it relies on a highly structured format often in a one-to-one home or school setting. This training covers the basic theory and essential components of discrete trial training for students with autism. “Hands-on” practice and modeling of key instructional strategies are included in this training.
- Including Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in General Education Classrooms
- Target Audience: teachers, teaching aides, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, counselors, and school psychologists.
- Summary: This training focuses on strategies for providing support to children with autism in general education classroom settings. Emphasis is placed upon promotion of social and friendship skills, self-advocacy, curriculum modifications, promotion of self-management strategies and role of the 1:1 paraprofessional in inclusive settings. Information is presented with emphasis on interdisciplinary team functioning. Additional trainings may be provided with the general education children who will be in the classroom with the included child. Describing the disability and the behaviors that might be observed, as well as answering student questions can help smooth the inclusion process.
- Including Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in General Education Classrooms
- Target Audience: teachers, teaching aides, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, counselors, and school psychologists.
- Summary: This training focuses on strategies for providing support to children with autism in general education classroom settings. Emphasis is placed upon promotion of social and friendship skills, self-advocacy, curriculum modifications, promotion of self-management strategies and role of the 1:1 paraprofessional in inclusive settings. Information is presented with emphasis on interdisciplinary team functioning. Additional trainings may be provided with the general education children who will be in the classroom with the included child. Describing the disability and the behaviors that might be observed, as well as answering student questions can help smooth the inclusion process.
- Transitioning Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Target Audience: teachers, teaching aides, administrators, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, counselors, school psychologists, and parents.
- Summary: Planning for transition starts in middle school and is a consideration for IEP development throughout the high school years. Special emphasis on taking into account the special needs of children with autism as vocational or higher education plans are being developed.
- Educational and Behavioral Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Administrator Should Know
- Target Audience: administrators and other school personnel who would be providing oversight to classrooms with children with autism.
- Summary: The goal of this training is to provide a rationale for why school administrators should understand the educational needs of students with autism so that they can provide a quality program using a variety of service delivery models for children across the age span.
Training for Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
- Behavior Challenges: Functional Assessment and Intervention of Problem Behavior
- Target Audience: teachers, teaching aides, administrators, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, counselors, school psychologists, and parents.
- Summary: This training focuses on methods for conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to evaluate problem behavior in children with autism. Based on the results of an FBA, a function-based intervention and behavior plan can be developed and implemented in home, community, and school settings. Workshop includes emphasis on antecedent-based strategies and effective use of positive reinforcement for the promotion of adaptive skills.
- Behavior Management in the Classroom
- Target Audience: teachers, teaching aides, administrators, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, counselors, and school psychologists.
- Summary: This training focuses on tools for managing children with behavior disorders in the classroom. Specific information on using functional behavioral assessment, function-based interventions, data collection, and working with collaborative teaming are discussed. Special emphasis is placed on classroom-wide systems of positive reinforcement of on-task and appropriate behavior.
- Developmental Disabilities: The Instruction of Daily Living Skills
- Target Audience: teachers, teaching aides, paraprofessionals, occupational therapists, community providers, day care providers, in-home providers, and parents.
- Summary: Daily living skills are behaviors that contribute to the independence, comfort and opportunity of persons in everyday settings. Typically, these behaviors are complex (i.e., multi-step) and are gradually learned through the instruction, modeling and encouragement of others. This workshop focuses upon the assessment of daily living skills, identification of individualized skills, and development of systematic educational plans. Emphasis is placed upon task-analytic instruction, simple data systems, and troubleshooting problems related to the acquisition of daily living skills.
Other topics related to supporting persons with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders may be developed upon request.