MontCOMM Scholarships Available

 

Request a scholarship here

 Jessica Minahan: Helena and Dillon in June

Jessica Minahan, Ph.D., BCBA, LABA, is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst, author, special educator, and consultant to schools internationally.  Since 2000 she has worked with students who struggle with mental health issues and challenging behavior in in public school systems.  She specializes in training staff and creating behavior intervention plans for students who demonstrate explosive and unsafe behavior.  She also works with students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, anxiety disorders, trauma histories, and autism. Her particular interest is to serve these students by combining behavioral interventions with a comprehensive knowledge of best practices for those with complex mental health profiles and learning needs. 

She is a blogger on The Huffington Post, the author of The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students with Nancy Rappaport, and the author of The Behavior Code Companion: Strategies, Tools, and Interventions for Supporting Students with Anxiety-Related or Oppositional Behaviors.

Practical Trauma- Informed Strategies to Reduce Anxiety

With up to one in three children struggling with anxiety in this country, overwhelmed adults require a new approach as well as a practical and easy-to-implement toolkit of strategies that work. Anxiety has become ever-present in students of all ages. Several strategies will be shared and time will be spent developing FAIR plans. 

Location: East Helena High School

Date: Monday, June 10, 2024 8:00-4:00

Register Here

Behavioral and Educational Practices for Students with Mental Health Disabilities

About 10 percent of kids in school struggle with mental health problems. Whether they're running out of a class, not doing their homework, disrupting others, or quietly being defiant, their behavior is often misread and misdiagnosed.  Behavior plans are often ineffective, even unhelpful, in addressing certain behaviors because they do not acknowledge the underlying causes.  The training will provide guidance on developing FAIR behavior intervention plans as well as empathetic, flexible, practical, and more importantly effective strategies for preventing inappropriate behavior in the classroom.  

Location: University of Montana Western

Date: Tuesday, June 11, 2024 8:00-4:00

Register Here

ADOS2 Refresher Training: Virtual

 October 15, 2024: 8:30-4:00, 7 OPI Renewal Units available

This training is only available to practitioners who have completed the initial 2-day ADOS2 training. 

The ADOS-2 revision improves an instrument already viewed as the gold standard for the observational assessment of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).  With updated protocols, revised algorithms, a new Comparison Score, and a new Toddler Module, the ADOS-2 provides a highly accurate picture of current symptoms unaffected by language. The ADOS-2 can be used to evaluate almost anyone suspected of having ASD- from 1-year-olds who do not consistently use phrase speech to adults who are verbally fluent. 

Like its predecessor, the ADOS-2 is a semi-structured, standardized assessment of communication, social interaction, play, and restricted and repetitive behaviors.  By observing and coding these behaviors, clinicians can obtain information that informs diagnosis, intervention, treatment planning, and educational placement. 

Register Here

 STAR: Virtual Trainings

November 7-8, 2024

December 9-10, 2024

This comprehensive two-day workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009). The STAR Program, a research-based curriculum, is used to provide examples.  Detailed information will be shared on the evidence-based instructional methods of:

• discrete trial training;
• pivotal response training;
• teaching through functional routines

Participants will learn how to implement these strategies through structured lesson plans and a curriculum scope and sequence.  The workshop will include extensive data collection systems and participants will learn to collect and use data for instructional decision making. Workshop topics will include the use of Power Point lecture, video examples, presenter demonstration, and participant "hands-on" practice. 

Register Here

Dr. Pat Friman Speaking in Missoula 06.21.24

•  4 OPI Renewal Units will be offered for this training. 
• The cost for non MTABA members is $50.00
• Register here

 

ADOS2 Initial Training Registration is Open

Register Here 

Participation is limited to 30 people per training; preference will be given to school providers who are anticipating administering this assessment. 

September 23-24 2024: Missoula, location TBD

September 26-27 2024: Helena, location TBD

The ADOS-2 revision improves an instrument already viewed as the gold standard for the observational assessment of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).  With updated protocols, revised algorithms, a new Comparison Score, and a new Toddler Module, the ADOS-2 provides a highly accurate picture of current symptoms unaffected by language. The ADOS-2 can be used to evaluate almost anyone suspected of having ASD- from 1-year-olds who do not consistently use phrase speech to adults who are verbally fluent. 

Like its predecessor, the ADOS-2 is a semi-structured, standardized assessment of communication, social interaction, play, and restricted and repetitive behaviors.  By observing and coding these behaviors, clinicians can obtain information that informs diagnosis, intervention, treatment planning, and educational placement. 

 STAR Training LIVE  

September 9-10, 2024 Missoula 

September 12-13, 2024 Great Falls

This comprehensive two-day workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009). The STAR Program, a research-based curriculum, is used to provide examples.  Detailed information will be shared on the evidence-based instructional methods of:

• discrete trial training;
• pivotal response training;
• teaching through functional routines

Participants will learn how to implement these strategies through structured lesson plans and a curriculum scope and sequence.  The workshop will include extensive data collection systems and participants will learn to collect and use data for instructional decision making. Workshop topics will include the use of Power Point lecture, video examples, presenter demonstration, and participant "hands-on" practice. 

Register HERE

MAY 3 GREAT FALLS TRAINING WILL BE AT THE HAMPTON INN

Great Falls:  May 3   8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Missoula:   June 28   8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

What is “best practice” for use of AAC with a student? Attendees will walk away from this presentation with renewed or new knowledge to confidently help individuals who rely on AAC. This presentation will provide the attendees with the “ins and outs” of the iOS app, “Proloquo2Go” from www.assistiveware.com. 

Attendees will learn to navigate the app and discover new features. They will practice programming the app in a way that is salient to the user and support persons. This presentation offers a review case studies and a chance to talk about your specific student’s needs. Julie will share her teaching strategies with you to create interactions with AAC/Proloquo2Go are enjoyable for your student, the family, you, and your staff. 

Seven OPI renewal units are available for this training. 

You can register here. 

Meet your Trainer: Julie Doerner

Julie is a nationally certified and state licensed Speech Language Pathologist (SLP). Julie currently works for the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Tribal Health Services of the Flathead Reservation. She serves all ages of patients across the Reservation, but works primarily with Native American children attending Headstart preschool centers. Julie has worked in the public schools, private practice, in the rehab setting, and most recently worked at the University of Montana. At UM, Julie worked for the state assistive technology (AT) program, MonTECH, and the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences. Her work focused on Augmentative Alternative Communication. Julie has been working with the Proloquo2Go app since 2012. When she isn’t working, Julie is riding her horses, training her mini-donkeys, and traveling. 

April is World Autism Awareness Month. Check out this collection of views from Autistic and Neurotypical SLPs, Clients, and Advocates from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/2023-0420-world-autism-month-slp/full/

There is a NEW Statewide Coordinator for the OPI Montana Autism Education Project!

Howdy, 

I am thrilled to announce that Katie Mattingley (bio below) will be taking over the Montana Autism Education Project. I've known Katie since ~2010, and she has been one of our Autism/Behavior Consultants both before and after she came to work at the OPI as a School Improvement Specialist. 

Katie will do an awesome job as the Coordinator, and her experience, knowledge and perspective as an SLP will be a good thing for the MAEP and it's continuation. 

Katie will be your sole point of contact for questions, etc. related to the Montana Autism Education Project starting on Monday, March 25th, as my email address will be disabled when I leave shortly thereafter. 

Thank you for all the things that you and your students have taught me, 

Doug 

Katie is a School Improvement Specialist and Autism Specialist for the Special Education Unit of the Montana Office of Public Instruction.  Katie earned her Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Idaho State University in 2007 and worked as a school-based therapist for 10 years prior to moving into private practice and consulting. Her clinical work primarily has focused on coaching families and individuals experiencing difficulties related to autism spectrum disorders, Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder, and ADHD.   Through the Montana Autism Education Project and Special Education Unit, Katie continues to support school teams in best practices for behavior management, functional and social communication, and in utilizing data to drive intervention for students receiving special education services.