Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Children with autism spectrum disorders participate in general education classroom activities throughout the United States. General education professionals and support staff may be unfamiliar with students who have this unique spectrum disorder and can benefit from training regarding the nature of ASD and how it affects students. Learning how to adapt classroom activities and how to use effective communication skills can assist educators in more effectively supporting all students.

Participants will learn:

the characteristics of autism, pervasive developmental disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and Fragile X SYNDROME
ways the characteristics manifest in students at different ages with various levels of intellectual functioning
effects of the characteristics on the behavior, learning, socialization and communication of these students
how to more effectively utilize supports from special education team members
useful learning strengths of students with ASD
simple classroom adaptations to promote participation and reduce distractions
how to use peer support appropriately and encourage peer relationships to develop
utilizing one-to-one or classroom assistants effectively
how to garner resources to help professionals in every school
techniques to communicate and work with families more effectively