Autism Consulting Service   

School/Community Inservices

Adapted to meet your particular needs

1.  Autism Handle with Care: 2 or 3 Day Workshop

 

Day One: An introduction to autism beginning with a look at the understanding of autism from participants, the medical community, and from people who actually have autism and continuing on with a discussion of the process of the development of the brain. The impact of the stages of anxiety experienced by people with autism; the coping behaviors which are used to deal with this anxiety, and the sources of this anxiety. The importance of safety and protection for individuals within the spectrum of autistic disorders and the coping techniques they use to create the sense of safety. Questions from the audience will be taken at the end of each section.

  

Day Two: A thorough look at the sensory system,

•  how it is different for people with autism,

•  what this means to their experience,

•  how we can recognize which of their sensory systems are being affected,

•  how we can provide an environment in which they can succeed in spite of their sensory differences.

 

A discussion on recent scientific evidence which is pointing to a variety of different ‘causes’ of autism. Questions from the audience will be taken at the end of each section.

 

12 hour session (6 hours per day)

 

Day Three: Review of different treatment programs available, attitudes towards autism, and a variety of choices that we can make which will affect their ability to reach their highest potential. Questions from the audience will be taken at the end of each section.

 

18 hour session (6 hours per day)

 

Note: a 2 day workshop is a shortened version of all three days.

 

2.   Understanding Autism

      An overview of the current knowledge of the spectrum of autistic disorders (autism, Asperger’s, Rhett’s Syndrome and PDD-NOS). 3 hour session. Includes:

• the definition of each diagnosis

• a brief history of this spectrum

• a list of the common characteristics with autism beyond the core symptoms which teachers can use to help these children learn in the classroom.

• a discussion on the various populations and how to recognize which children you are dealing with

• a brief overview of treatments developed to date.

 

3. Understanding Asperger’s Disorder

      An overview of the current knowledge of Asperger’s Disorder. 3 hour session. Includes

• a history of the development of this diagnosis

• how Asperger’s is similar to and different from autism

• the common characteristics of people with Asperger’s which can be used by teachers to create a positive learning environment in the classroom for these children.

• the importance of using Social Stories for children with Asperger’s

• the power of acceptance/rejection

 

4.  Working with the Sensory System

 

Begins with a brief over view of autism and the reasons why it is so important to understand how the sensory system is working differently for these children. 6 hour session. Overview of the five senses includes

• how to recognize problems with each system

• what the repetitive behaviors indicate

• how you can make a difference for these children

• how to develop an individual program for each child based on their own unique reactions.

 

5.   Developing an Autism Friendly Classroom Environment (or Group home, or Day Service)

 

      An inservice which deals directly with the classroom setting and how it affects the learning potential of children with autism. Discussion of what causes problems, why this affects the children, and how things can be changed to enhance the environment to make it easier for both the children and the teachers. 3 hour session. Best when presented in an actual classroom situation.

 

6.   Making Inclusion Work for Children with Autism/Asperger’s/PDD-NOS

 

An inservice which outlines the important of including children with autism in a regular classroom setting with their age peers and describes how to make this experience positive for the child with autism , the other students and the teaching staff. Includes actual case studies from real classroom situations, including those in rural Alberta. 3 hour session.

 

 7.  Visual Learning Techniques

 

Many children with autism appear to learn best through their visual systems. Classrooms are normally set up to present material through the auditory system, which means that these children may have difficulty accessing and understanding the material. This inservice outlines a variety of techniques which can be used to help these children learn what is being presented to them. 3 hour session.

 

8.  A Super Sensory Experience

 

A workshop which allows participants to experience trying to learn when you have autism. The first hour of the workshop is set up in a classroom situation where participants are expected to learn new material while their sensory systems are being bombarded with input. This experiences provides the best understanding of autism available to date as each participant reacts to the amount of stimulation with what is termed autistic behavior. The second hour focuses on discussion of how this experience affected each participant and how it can be used to understand what people with autism are experiencing. 2 hour session plus one hour to set up and take down the equipment for a total of three hours. Maximum of 20 participants at a time. Not available to anyone who has a diagnosis of autism or Asperger’s or who experiences epileptic seizures. All equipment provided by us.

   

 

 

9. The Power of Presumed Competence

 

An inservice which explores the power of our expectations on children with autism. Uses historical cases to show how choices made by schools and parents affected the lives of various people with autism. Allows the participants to explore their own levels of expectations for children with autism, and see how these expectations impact what is happening in the classroom. 3 hour session.

 

10. Introduction to Autism for Students

 

An inservice which goes into the school or classroom of a child with autism who is included with their regular peers. This inservice provides a brief overview of what autism is, and how it affects the particular child, concentrating on abilities rather than disability. It also provides a variety of examples on how children can make things easier for the child with autism/Asperger’s when interacting with them. 1 hour session.

 

11. Using the SCIO to Understand Autism

     An introduction to the use of quantum physics via the SCIO to open a door of understanding of autism in a way that nothing else has to date. The SCIO uses energy to assess the bio terrain of the body and then introduce energy frequencies which allows the body to begin the process to heal itself. This workshop discusses reasons for using the SCIO, how it works, and what results we have seen to date for those on the spectrum, It will also give you the chance to see the SCIO in action and ask any questions you want answered. 2 hour session.

 

Any workshop can be booked through exgr@shaw.ca