An estimated 50,000 Americans with autism turn 18 every year. Could these autistic adults be successful in cybersecurity roles? By failing to incorporate those with neurodiversity in our training and recruiting initiatives, are we making a crucial mistake? Join us to hear from those who are actively working in the field to design programs that work for employers and help autistic adults get to work. This webinar will inform participants of research efforts and corporate initiatives to increase the participation of autistic adults in the workforce. Specific attention will be paid to jobs and skills appropriate to the cybersecurity workforce.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Why don’t we have better drugs for autism?
Clinical trials for autism drugs have been plagued with problems: bad design, the wrong measures, too broad a range of participants. All that is finally starting to change.
In the case of autism, too, few drugs have proven effective in trials, and several have failed due to poor design. Just two drugs, risperidone and aripiprazole, are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for autism and are intended to relieve irritability. A few others treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy, which often accompany autism. But none have passed muster for treating the condition’s core social impairments or repetitive behaviors.
Read more here at Spectrum.
In the case of autism, too, few drugs have proven effective in trials, and several have failed due to poor design. Just two drugs, risperidone and aripiprazole, are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for autism and are intended to relieve irritability. A few others treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy, which often accompany autism. But none have passed muster for treating the condition’s core social impairments or repetitive behaviors.
Read more here at Spectrum.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Rethinking regression in autism
The loss of abilities that besets some toddlers with autism is probably less sudden and more common than anyone thought.
One of the oldest ideas in autism — as old as the naming of the condition itself — is that it comes in two forms: one present from birth, and one that abruptly emerges in toddlerhood. The latter type, or so the idea goes, announces itself through a rapid loss of skills.
In this classic picture of ‘regression,’ a talkative, curious 2-year-old suddenly withdraws. He grows indifferent to the sound of his name. He begins to speak less than before or stops entirely. He turns from playing with people to playing with things, from exploring many objects and activities to obsessing over a few. He loses many of the skills he had mastered and starts to rock, spin, walk on his toes or flap his hands. It’s often at this point that his terrified parents seek answers from experts.
Today, Ozonoff, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, Davis MIND Institute, is one of a growing cohort of researchers who say the simple split between regressive and non-regressive autism is almost certainly wrong. Their proposal, which has gained momentum over the past 15 years, is that researchers and clinicians should retire the division for good.
“I think most kids with autism lose some skills, but how many they lose — and when they lose and what they lose — varies across kids,” says Catherine Lord, director of the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. “I think classifying them as regressive or non-regressive is a waste of time and a misnomer.”
Autism: Managing Frustration & Anxiety and Teaching Social Skills - Great Falls
Sat, March 24, 2018
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM MDT
Jed Baker, PhD. comes to Great Falls to share his vast expertise in “Managing Frustration & Anxiety and Teaching Social Skills.” Individuals on the autism spectrum and those with behavioral challenges often have difficulty regulating their feelings and interacting socially. This autism conference describes how to help individuals and their caregivers handle meltdowns and design effective plans to prevent frustration and anxiety. It will also detail effective social skills training strategies for all individuals and review some common skills needed for young adults, including the realm of sexuality and dating.
"Check-In, Check Out" (CICO)
January 22, 2018
MSUB College of Education, Room 122 (9:00AM to 4:30PM)
OPI Renewal Units available
Cost is free
Check-In, Check-Out, (CICO), is a Tier II, group-oriented intervention, designed especially for students whose problem behaviors (a) are unresponsive to Tier I practice and systems, (b) do not require more immediate individualized interventions, and (c) are observed across multiple settings or contexts. Because CICO is a group-based, standardized intervention, it is efficient and cost-effective. For example, the program can accommodate a number of students (e.g., up to thirty), and students can enter the program within a few days following referral. CICO also provides a built-in system for (a) monitoring students’ progress in the program, (b) evaluating the fidelity of implementation, and (c) transitioning to a self-managed program.
Informational Flyer LINK
To register or for more information: contact Denise DesJarlais at ddesjarlais@mt.gov
Understanding Conflict and Communication: Strategies to Prevent Litigation in Special Education
Audience: General and special education administrators and teachers
Dates: 4/18/2018
As an educational professional you encounter conflict every day whether it is with students, co-workers, families, or community members. This workshop has been designed to help you understand conflict, how to resolve conflict, and learn communication and meeting strategies that will allow you to work more easily with others as well as more effectively work through conflict. This workshop is designed for all school staff but the primary focus will be given to general and special education administrators and teachers. The discussion in this workshop will be based around the special education process and special education teams.
The purpose of this workshop is to empower school staff with skills and strategies to more effectively work through tough situations and come to an agreement on next steps. There is much conflict that occurs during the team approach to special education and this will be the foundation of the examples and strategies presented.
Presenters: David Bateman and Jenifer Cline
Presenters: David Bateman and Jenifer Cline
Friday, December 22, 2017
Why autism remains hidden in Africa
Many African children with autism are hidden away at home — sometimes tied up, almost always undiagnosed. Efforts to bring the condition into the open are only just beginning.
The biggest differences are who gets diagnosed and when. Children with autism in Africa tend to be diagnosed around age 8, about four years later, on average, than their American counterparts. More than half of African children with autism are also diagnosed with intellectual disability, compared with about one-third of American children on the spectrum. This suggests that only the most severely affected children are being picked up: Those who are diagnosed often speak few or no words and require substantial help with everyday tasks such as eating or going to the bathroom. By contrast, in the United States, the largest diagnostic increases over the past few decades have been on the milder end of the spectrum.
Read more here at Spectrum.
The biggest differences are who gets diagnosed and when. Children with autism in Africa tend to be diagnosed around age 8, about four years later, on average, than their American counterparts. More than half of African children with autism are also diagnosed with intellectual disability, compared with about one-third of American children on the spectrum. This suggests that only the most severely affected children are being picked up: Those who are diagnosed often speak few or no words and require substantial help with everyday tasks such as eating or going to the bathroom. By contrast, in the United States, the largest diagnostic increases over the past few decades have been on the milder end of the spectrum.
Read more here at Spectrum.
Living On The Autism Spectrum: Women Talk About Their Diagnoses As Adults
When we hear the words “autism diagnosis” it’s common to imagine a young child or adolescent.
But what about those who receive their diagnoses at a later stage of life -- in the midst of successful careers or long, happy marriages?
This hour, we meet two women who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as adults.
Listen here.
But what about those who receive their diagnoses at a later stage of life -- in the midst of successful careers or long, happy marriages?
This hour, we meet two women who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as adults.
Listen here.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
How To: Teach Students to Change Behaviors Through Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring takes advantage of a behavioral principle: the simple acts of measuring one's target behavior and comparing it to an external standard or goal can result in lasting improvements to that behavior. Self-monitoring is sometimes described as having 'reactive' effects (Kazdin, 1989), because students who measure and pay close attention to selected behaviors often react to this monitoring information by changing those target behaviors in the desired direction.
In classroom settings, self-monitoring offers several advantages. Self-monitoring requires that the student be an active participant in the intervention, with responsibility for measuring and evaluating his or her behaviors. Also, in order to accurately self-evaluate behaviors, the student must first learn the teacher's behavioral expectations. That ability of a child or youth to understand and internalize the behavioral expectations of others is a milestone in the development of social skills. Finally, student self-monitoring data is typically economical to collect, even in a busy classroom, and can often be used to document the success of a behavioral intervention.
There are many possible variations to student self-monitoring programs. In order to be most effective, however, self-monitoring programs will usually include the following 7 steps:
Read more here.
In classroom settings, self-monitoring offers several advantages. Self-monitoring requires that the student be an active participant in the intervention, with responsibility for measuring and evaluating his or her behaviors. Also, in order to accurately self-evaluate behaviors, the student must first learn the teacher's behavioral expectations. That ability of a child or youth to understand and internalize the behavioral expectations of others is a milestone in the development of social skills. Finally, student self-monitoring data is typically economical to collect, even in a busy classroom, and can often be used to document the success of a behavioral intervention.
There are many possible variations to student self-monitoring programs. In order to be most effective, however, self-monitoring programs will usually include the following 7 steps:
Read more here.
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