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Friday, August 7, 2020

Archived Webinar - Navigating a Socially Distanced Classroom for Students with Autism

Aimee Dearmon will discuss creative, evidence-based practices for teaching students new routines focused on social distancing, the importance of wearing a mask, and staying healthy through self-care routines. She’ll also provide free visual supports and resources as well as discuss ways to support families in navigating new challenges at home. Participants will learn strategies and tools that can be used with students in pre-K through post-secondary classrooms.

Webinar - Rev Up Your Child’s Executive Functions for a Successful School Year

Tuesday, August 11 at 1 pm ET.

Not available August 11? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.
After a long summer of relaxed schedules, unstructured time, and no homework, the transition back to school is rarely smooth — especially for children with ADHD and especially in a year riddled with uncertainty and concern. You and your child may be riding an emotional roller coaster straight into the fall, which impacts executive functions among other critical learning functions.
In this hour-long webinar, learn practical ways to get your child’s brain back in “school mode” so they are ready for a successful school year, no matter how that looks. If you have tried teaching executive functioning strategies that never seem to “stick,” there is good news: This webinar will offer evidence-based approaches to reboot your child’s brain to listen, pay attention, and follow through at school.
In this webinar, you will learn:
  • How to “turn on” your child’s brain for listening, focus, and paying attention
  • How to “Zone the Home” for a smooth transition back to school
  • Simple mindfulness strategies to boost EF
  • Effective approaches to increase follow-through when you ask your child to do schoolwork.

Webinar - Family-Centered Planning and ASD

08/19/2020, 1 PM Eastern Time (U.S.)

Research demonstrates the effectiveness of Family-Centered Transition Planning in increasing student and parent expectations for adult life, student career decision-making, and student participation in employment and post-secondary education. Tune in to learn the latest sustainable processes for implementing a Family-Centered Transition Planning model for youth and young adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Tips for Helping Children With Autism Cope With Dental Visits

Booking the Appointment

  • Tell the dentist office your child is on the autism spectrum and ask if they have a hygienist who has experience working with kids with disabilities.
  • Be sure to book a day and time where your child is the calmest and avoid times when they may be tired or irritable.
  • Request a private treatment room. Some dentist offices have pediatric treatment chairs in clusters and some in private rooms. The fewest distractions possible will help the visit go more smoothly.

The Day of the Appointment

  • Have a reward for your child for after the appointment. Maybe a wrapped new toy or the promise of a trip to the park. Pick something highly motivating for them to get them excited about the appointment. Rewards can sometimes be faded out over time, but using them in the beginning is a great way to build motivation.
  • Read more here. 

Penn State National Autism Conference - Virtual

  • Session videos are pre-recorded and will be posted at the times listed in the schedule. All videos will remain available through September 4, 2020, so you can watch at any time.
  • Watch session videos and take quizzes directly through the schedule. You do not have to log in.
  • Handouts and presentations (Adobe PDF) are available through the schedule for some sessions.

Autism prevalence estimates for China, Greece align with global patterns

About 0.7 percent of children in China aged 6 to 12 have autism, suggests the largest study of the country’s autism prevalence to date1. And in Greece, 1.15 percent of 10- and 11-year-olds have the condition, according to the first estimate for that country2.
Both figures fall within the range of autism prevalence estimates reported for children in other nations. The studies also show that autism is about four times as common in boys as it is in girls in both countries, a ratio in line with studiesof children in the United States and elsewhere.

Webinar - Debunking the Myths of Supported Decision-Making and Guardianship

Tuesday, September 8, 2020
2:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)


1 hour 15 minutes
Being able to make your own decisions about your own life is one of the most important rights that people have. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have the same right to make decisions about their lives as people without disabilities. However, their ability to make their own decisions is often questioned by teachers, doctors, family members, and others. Research has shown that individuals with reduced self-determination have diminished quality of life outcomes and are less likely to live and be integrated into their community. Guardianship can be an obstacle to the development of self-determination skills. However, people with I/DD are at an increased risk of being placed under guardianship, and guardianship is frequently still the only option presented and utilized by families and supporters of people with I/DD. This webinar will describe guardianship and less restrictive decision-making alternatives, as well as help debunk some of the myths about guardianship and supported decision-making that persist.

Register here with The Arc.

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Popular screen may mistake intellectual disability for autism

A common autism screening tool misses more than 70 percent of autistic toddlers but flags more than 80 percent of non-autistic toddlers who have intellectual disability, a new study of children in Norway reports1.
The study adds to a mounting body of evidence that the tool, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), is not sufficient on its own to identify signs of autism.
Along with previous research in Norway, the results also help clarify which children the M-CHAT flags and which ones it misses, says lead author Roald Øien, professor of special education at UiT – the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø.
“Basically, we find that screening at 18 months identifies kids with pretty severe delays,” he says, such as a low intelligence quotient (IQ), poor communication skills and prominent autism traits. Conversely, autistic children who fall closer to the typical range of abilities are significantly less likely to be identified by the M-CHAT at 18 months of age.