Three-Day Institute on Teaching Strategies for Autistic Children
underwritten by the Boylan Foundation, Carthage, Missouri
by Anne Shadwick
Three-Day Institute on Teaching Strategies for Autistic Children, underwritten by the Boylan Foundation, Carthage, Missouri (All three days for $75) Nationally known presenters!
Title: What Can I Do Now?: Supporting Students with Autism, Day
1
Topics: Curriculum; Instruction; Differentiation
Date: 7/22/2009
Time: 8:30 am—4:15 pm
Location: Southwest Center
Audience: All educators
Facilitator: Dr. Paula Kluth
Member Fee: $30, $75 series
Non-Member Fee: $80
Description: You’re Going to Love this Kid: Supporting Students
With Autism: 10 Ideas for Inclusive Classrooms--Many teaching
veterans understand how to include students with learning
disabilities, cognitive disabilities, emotional disabilities, and
physical disabilities in general education classrooms; but they
remain puzzled at how to support and teach students with autism in
these same environments and learning experiences. These tips are
designed for the teacher who is just beginning to work with a
student with autism or for any educator, therapist or
paraprofessional looking for new techniques and out-of-the-box
ideas. These simple ideas may work for a myriad of students but
they are particularly helpful for educating students with autism,
Asperger's syndrome, and other spectrum labels. They can help a
teacher of any grade level or subject area plan lessons and
engineer a safe and comfortable classroom for students with autism
and other unique learning characteristics. Just Give Him the Whale:
Using Strengths, Fascinations, & Areas of Expertise in the
Classroom -- Many individuals with autism have deep interest in one
or a variety of topics. Some interests are commonly seen across
individuals with autism (e.g., trains, weather), others seem more
unique to an individual person (e.g., white Christmas trees, root
beer bottles). Too often, these passions or favorites of students
with autism are seen as problematic. In this presentation, Dr.
Kluth will explore how honoring fascinations and using them as
tools can help teachers calm, comfort, teach, inspire, and connect
with their students with autism labels. Together with Dr. Kluth,
the audience will explore questions such as, “Can front loading
washing machines help a person learn to read?”; “How could a
cockroach help a student calm?” and “When should Patsy Cline be
used as a sensory support?”
Title: What Can I Do Now?: Supporting Students with Autism, Day
2
Topics: Curriculum; Instruction; Differentiation
Date: 7/23/2009
Time: 8:30 am—4:15 pm
Location: Southwest Center
Audience: All educators
Facilitator: Dr. Paula Kluth
Member Fee: $30, $75 series
Non-Member Fee: $80
Description: A Land We Can Share: Supporting the Literacy
Development of Students with Autism-- Too often students who do not
follow a typical developmental sequence of literacy are seen as
being unable to profit from academic instruction related to
reading, writing, speaking, and listening. When teachers expand
their understanding of literacy, however, they can facilitate the
development of a range of abilities, build on the skills that
students do have, and craft learning experiences that meet
students' unique needs and capitalize on their strengths.
Participants in this session will learn strategies for including
and supporting students with disabilities in reading, writing,
speaking, and listening activities. Ideas for “writing” without a
pencil will be offered and tips for enhancing skills in fluency and
vocabulary will be highlighted. Tell Me About the Story:
Comprehension Strategies for Students with Autism-- Many a teacher
has asked a student to “tell about the story” only to be met with a
blank stare. This may be particularly true for students with
autism. Some students with autism simply do not have the
communication skills to be able to answer the question, others
don't know how to communicate the information they do have, and
still others don't understand enough about the story to respond.
Students with autism may have problems making predictions;
visualizing the events of a text; and identifying a purpose for
reading. This session will provide strategies for helping these
students to comprehend more fully what they read and participants
in this session will have opportunities to try a handful of
techniques themselves including found poems, comprehension windows,
and “say something”.
Topics: Curriculum; Instruction; Differentiation
Date: 7/24/2009
Time: 8:30 am—4:15 pm
Location: Southwest Center
Audience: All educators
Facilitator: Dr. Patrick Schwarz
Member Fee: $30, $75 series
Non-Member Fee: $80
Description: FROM DISABILITY TO POSSIBILITY KEYNOTE--Using real life stories – from womb to tomb – of individuals with possibilities, Dr. Patrick Schwarz will illustrate what supports are successful and what else is needed for effectiveness in education and human services for all people. These compelling examples will motivate participants to re-imagine and support individuals in new and inventive ways. Be prepared for something fun and different! UNIVERSAL DESIGN, ACCOMMODATIONS AND DIFFERENTIATION--Universal design is having curriculum planning, strategy and materials in place in advance to meet the needs of all learners. Accommodations are technology, materials, sequences and procedures to help a learner be successful in the classroom. Differentiation is when all of these strategies are applied to the instruction for all learners in the classroom. In this session, planning processes and examples will be provided and applied to participants’ classrooms, teaching and learning situations. SUCCESSFUL CO-TEACHING--Promising practices of co-teaching will be explained and five different models will be illustrated that allow teachers, related service professionals and para-educators to work successfully together in all learning situations. The models will also be role-played for deeper understanding. Participants will be able to examine applications for their own classrooms, learning situations and teams. New.
