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The Center for Spectrum Services offers workshops and trainings on numerous topics relevant to professionals, paraprofessionals, and parents. Workshops are conducted by seasoned professionals in the autism field, including psychologists, clinical social workers, speech and language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and behavioral specialists. Trainings are typically three hours in length but can be modified if needed. Presentations can take place at the Center for Spectrum Services or at a location of your choosing. Workshops are designed to actively engage participants as much as possible. They may include hands-on learning activities, examples of educational or therapeutic materials or illustrative video clips.
Understanding Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
New York State Education Department approved coursework training in autism
The Center for Spectrum Services is approved by New York State Education Department as an approved provider of coursework in the needs of students with autism. Read more…
Specialized Training in
Autism Spectrum Disorders
This series of workshops is designed to help professionals, families and home-based providers to effectively understand the unique needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders as well as to assist them in improving skills, enhancing communication and managing behavior.
As part of a grant through OMR/DD, trainings are free to Family Support Staff employed as Respite, Residential Habilitation, and Applied Behavioral Support Specialists by programs in the Taconic region. Other professional and paraprofessional staff as well as family members are welcomed to attend for a small conference fee.
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Prepared Workshops
Understanding Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are unique learners with complex needs. This is a comprehensive workshop designed to help teachers, clinicians, and support staff gain a better understanding of ASDs, which include the diagnostic categories of autism, Asperger Syndrome and PDD. Topics will include a discussion of the social, communication, sensory and learning characteristics of students on the spectrum as well as best practices in providing educational and emotional/behavioral supports to help these students succeed within a school environment. An overview of current research on these disorders will also be included.
Asperger Syndrome
What is Asperger Syndrome? Twenty years ago it was a new and little-understood term, while today almost every educational setting has students identified as having AS. Individuals with Asperger’s offer unique challenges to educational settings. This workshop will focus on understanding the strengths and needs of these individuals and on identifying strategies, materials, and supports that can result in successful outcomes.
Integrating Different Educational Approaches:
TEACCH, PECS, ABA, VB, RDI-HELP!
Understanding the alphabet soup of educational strategies for ASDs can be confusing and overwhelming. All too often, a single strategy is selected as a “one size fits all” solution for all students with these disorders. This workshop will review the educational approaches and materials most successful with students with ASDs and provide guidance on how to select approaches and combine strategies to meet the unique needs of each learner.
Make It And Take It: Using Visual Supports
Students with ASDs are often visual learners. Individualized visual supports reduce anxiety and help students accept changes in routine, manage behavior, organize time, and understand anticipated events. This workshop will review an assortment of visual strategies and materials. Participants will identify visual strategies they feel would be useful and then make some visual supports (i.e., schedules, playbooks) to bring back to their school or home environments.
Teaching Functional Life Skills With The Use Of Visual Supports
Visual supports can be an effective tool to increase communication, enhance play and social skills, promote positive behavior management, and develop independence. This workshop will look at general teaching techniques such as task analysis, chaining, prompting, reinforcement schedules, and how visual supports can be incorporated throughout the day. In addition, the workshop will address how to teach specific skills such as toilet training, self-feeding, expanding food choices, self-care, and bedtime routines. Demonstrations of the use of visual schedules, jigs, visual communication systems, social stories, play books and behavioral systems will provide hands on learning opportunities for workshop participants.
The Use Of Prompting In Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders
This workshop will review effective prompting techniques that help in teaching students to become as independent as possible. Verbal, gestural and picture symbol prompting strategies that can be used for educational or behavioral support will be discussed. Guidelines for reviewing and fading prompts will be outlined. Videotapes of work with students will illustrate the concepts presented.
Building Successful Integrated Programs
Inclusion is not a magic bullet! For an integrated environment to work for students with ASDs, a program must be thoughtfully designed, staff adequately trained and supervised, and the curriculum individualized to meet the unique learning needs of each student. Appropriate use of classroom educational aides is an essential ingredient for student success. Encouraging the acceptance and participation of peers is vital to maximizing the advantages of a mainstreamed setting. This workshop will build a framework for successful integration planning and monitoring.
Transition Strategies That Work
Thoughtful educational planning and student preparation help to build successful outcomes for students transitioning between preschool and school age services, from self-contained to integrated settings, from elementary to middle and high school. The Center for Spectrum Services has been awarded an Effective Practices Grant from New York State Education Department for the way we prepare our students for integration into their neighborhood schools.
Strategies to Enhance Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Skills
Communication impairments are a core deficit for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This workshop will present a variety of strategies to help people on the autism spectrum to communicate more effectively. Verbal strategies such as use of hand cues to prompt speech and techniques to teach expression of a variety of pragmatic functions will be presented. Nonverbal and voice output devices will also be presented. Techniques to facilitate language comprehension through use of visual cues will be discussed, as well as ways to enhance social interaction and relatedness. Videos and resources related to these topics will be available for viewing.
Sign Language For Individuals With Autism
This workshop is designed to increase an awareness of the many benefits of sign language in addressing the communication difficulties of individuals with autism. Various methods and uses of sign language, as well as research supporting the efficacy of sign language, will be presented. The workshop will also include training in which participants will learn functional signs to facilitate communication.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Strategies
This workshop will present an overview of augmentative and alternative communication strategies that can be used with people with autism. These strategies include sign language, picture communication boards, PECS, low-tech communication devices and high tech systems. Because of time constraints, this workshop will not review all speech-generating devices available, but will present examples of each type of system and discuss the pros and cons of each technique.
Understanding And Using Sensory Techniques: An Introduction
Individuals with ASDs frequently exhibit sensory seeking and avoidance behaviors. This workshop offers participants an introduction to the vocabulary used to describe sensory functioning and sensory processing deficits. Emphasis will be placed on exploring how these concepts relate to individuals on the autism spectrum.
Creating Therapeutic Sensory Environments and Programs For Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Continuing from the introductory content of the first course, participants will explore in greater depth how to design and structure spaces and activities that meet the sensory needs of those with ASDs. A brief review of the concepts presented in the previous course will be offered at the start of the class. Based on case studies, participants will have the opportunity to practice designing sensory diets and environments that can lead to more optimal functioning for those with sensory processing deficits.
Individual And Group Counseling For Children And Adolescents With Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism
This workshop is designed for clinicians who provide therapeutic services to AS/HFA clients. It will provide an overview of social characteristics and needs of high-functioning individuals on the autism spectrum. The workshop will highlight an assortment of strategies that can be used to promote social skill development, increase self-awareness and strengthen coping abilities. These may include use of metaphor, social stories, comic strip conversations, computer clips, visual supports, video modeling, and various curriculum materials.
Developing Relationship Skills In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Deficits in relationship skills affect learning and cognitive development as well as social functioning. In this workshop, the developmental progression of relationship skills will be closely examined and participants will learn effective methods for teaching these skills to children on the autism spectrum. Participants will also learn how to use videotapes to analyze social interactions and compare the skills of children with autism with those of typically developing children.
Enhancing Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
The workshop will examine the social characteristics of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and strategies to promote the development of play skills. We will also review specific techniques such as social stories, scripting, video modeling, as well as curriculum materials designed to enhance social learning. Case examples, sample materials and video clips will be shared.
Introduction To Applied Behavior Analysis And Verbal Behavior Analysis
This workshop will discuss the theoretical principles of applied behavior analysis and how they are used in teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Topics will include basic learning principles, effective use of reinforcement to increase behaviors and skills, effective teaching procedures, discrete trial instruction, strategies to increase verbal behavior, and an introduction to data collection procedures. Examples will focus on early learner skill development to reinforce basic concepts.
Functional Behavioral Assessment/Positive Behavioral Support
This workshop will help participants to understand challenging behaviors in students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and will discuss ways to design effective behavioral support plans. An emphasis will be placed on teaching functional alternatives to problem behaviors and using differential reinforcement procedures to reduce challenging behaviors. Participants will practice applying these skills in simulated situations.
Behavioral De-escalation And Strategies For Intervention
This workshop will address our awareness of the individual and ourselves while dealing with challenging behaviors and the cycle of aggression. An in-depth discussion will focus on effective de-escalation techniques and when to use them, particularly as it applies to people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Picky Eaters: Dealing With Food Aversion
Many individuals with autism and their families struggle with the daily challenges of mealtimes. We will offer a program which will assist in increasing food variety, tolerating new textures, managing utensils and decreasing meal time stress. We will not be discussing the pros and cons of specialized diets, but rather how to help children develop better eating habits. This gentle, safe, easy-to-use method has been found effective in increasing a child’s tolerance for new foods.
College Support For Students With Asperger’s And High-Functioning Autism
An increasing number of students with AS/HFA are pursuing higher education. This presentation is designed to help clinicians, educators, and college administrators gain a better understanding of the various issues that can arise and the supports that may be used to assist students on the spectrum who are entering college life. Topics will include choosing the right college, student preparation, and best practices in providing academic, social/emotional and behavioral supports.
Providing Family Support
This workshop will focus on the impact of autism on the family. The presenter will discuss how to talk with parents when there are areas of concern, dealing with grief and loss, key issues that emerge during life transitions, sibling issues, establishing and maintaining open communication and empowering families.
Supervision and Leadership: Cultivating A Passion For The Process
Discover the difference between supervision and leadership. Learn to identify and become more aware of your own attitudes and practices in regards to supervising or being supervised. Explore effective strategies for facilitating open communication, dynamic problem solving, staff empowering, and a commitment to ongoing growth.
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