Time: 6pm Pacific (9pm Eastern)

Date: October 19, 2011

Speaker: Marla Root

Description:

With the increasing rates of autism it is so important to have accessible information for families and professionals that will direct families to organizations, schools, agencies, and advocates that will help them move forward in treatment as soon as possible.

The session structure will involve a power point presentation that will first focus on an overview of the different state departments and services and funding each provide. The session will then move into discussions about specific funding options such as waivers, Medicaid, education, private insurance and local funding.

Marla Root Bio:

Marla Root is the Director of Community Affairs and Advocacy with Step By Step Academy in Worthington, Ohio. She has worked with hundreds of individuals and families throughout state. She is the 2010 advocate of the year recipient awarded by The Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities. She has provided presentations for many organizations such as The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities, Franklin County Children Services, Autism Society Chapters, OCALI, Milestones, State Support Teams and the Ohio Center for the Deafblind Education. Marla has been advocating for funding and services since 1998 when her son was diagnosed with autism. Marla is currently a board member for the Autism Society of Ohio, Ohio Association of Behavior Analysis and Food For Good Thought. She is a member of the Ohio Association of Behavior Analysis. Marla has a Bachelor of Science Finance degree from Franklin University.

Date: Wednesday, September 28th
Time: 6pm Pacific (9pm Eastern)

What is the difference between teaching social skills and social thinking? This webinar will explore the answer to this question and why it is not enough to simply teach “social skills” to our students with near normal to way above normal verbal intelligence. Michelle Garcia Winner’s work in Social Thinking ® (www.socialthinking.com) will be used as a framework for learning.

Bio:
Kari Palmer, M.A., CCC-SLP, has worked for and trained directly with Michelle Garcia
Winner in San Jose, CA. At the clinic, her diverse caseload included preschool aged
children to young adults, all with varying levels of social cognitive challenges. Before
working with Michelle, Kari was a speech language pathologist in the public schools.
Kari now lives in Minnesota where she owns a private practice and works as a Social
Thinking ® consultant in local school districts. She is a peer reviewer for the American
Speech Language Hearing Association’s (ASHA) continuing education programs. As a
part of the Social Thinking ® Training Collaborative, Kari presents workshops on topics
related to Social Thinking ® to audiences year round.

Date: July 13, 2011

Time: 06:00pm Pacific Time

Topic: Autism Fitness: Making Physical Activity Fun for Anybody

Speaker: Eric Chessen, M.S., YCS

Description: This webinar presentation by Autism Fitness Founder Eric Chessen will focus on developing physical education and exercise programs for ASD and special needs populations. Through the unique lens of best practices approaches in both Exercise Science and education/behavior therapy, Eric will discuss the common myths and mistakes in providing fitness for individuals with autism, and how educators, professionals, and parents can develop ideal, individualized programs in the home, classroom, or fitness center. Eric will discuss the Autism Fitness PAC Profile approach to assessing ability, goal-planning, and making physical activity fun for anybody.

Date: June 27, 2011

Time: 6:00pm Pacific Time

Topic: Hidden Curriculum: Practical Solutions for Understanding Rules in Social Situations

Speaker: Brenda Smith-Myles, Ph.D.

Description:  The Hidden Curriculum refers to the set of rules or guidelines that are often not directly taught but are assumed to be known (Garrett, 1984; Hemmings, 2000; Jackson, 1968; Kanpol, 1989). This curriculum contains items that impact social interactions, school performance, and sometimes health and well-being. The curriculum also includes unspoken rules, slang, metaphors, body language etc. While this information may be intuitive for neurotypical individuals, but it is not those with autism or other special needs. This session includes practical tips for teaching these hidden social needs to children and to adults and stresses the importance of making these a part of everyday life. Objectives: At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• define the hidden curriculum
• explain the hidden curriculum’s applicability to school, community, and home
• identify hidden curriculum areas and items across preschool, middle school, high school, and adulthood

Date: Wednesday, March 9th

Time: 6PM Pacific (9pm Eastern)

Topic: Practical Ideas for  Decreasing Problematic Behaviors

Speaker: Cathy Pratt, Ph.D.

Description: When an individual engages in problematic behaviors, both families and the programs that support them are challenged.  This webinar will present practical ideas for examining the underlying cause of the behavior, the role of reactive programming, and strategies for decreasing problematic behaviors and teaching alternative prosocial skills.

Free Webinar

Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Time: 6PM

Topic: Comparing Intervention Approaches for Children with Autism:  A View from Inside the Autism Spectrum with Dr. Stephen Shore.

Speaker: Dr. Stephen Shore

Description: Stephen shares personal experiences on the autism spectrum as well as comparing promising interventions for for children on the autism spectrum with the goal of matching best practice to the needs of those with autism.

Attend The Event Here

Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Time: 6PM Pacific Time (9pm Eastern)

Topic: The Out-of-Sync Child: How Sensory Processing Disorder Affects Kids with ASD
Speaker: Carol Kranowitz

Description: Most children with autism are “out-of-sync,” withdrawing from physical contact, refusing to participate in everyday activities, or responding in unusual ways to sensations of touch, movement, sight and sound.   These children don’t behave as we expect — not because they WON’T, but because they CAN’T.   The underlying reason is Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), a developmental problem causing inefficient processing of sensory messages that come from their bodies and surroundings.  Parents, teachers, and other caregivers can provide fun sensory-motor experiences to address autistic children’s sensory needs and help them participate and communicate with their peers – in general education or special education classrooms, on the playground, and at home.

Date: Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Time: 6pm Pacific (9pm Eastern)

Speaker: Robert Naseef

Description:

The diagnosis of autism affects the entire family.  This unique presentation combines the personal and professional perspectives of a psychologist who has raised an adult child with autism. The presenter is internationally known and extensively published. Combining real life experience with scholarship and insight, this presentation will include coping strategies for the family unit. Specific strategies and coping skills for meeting the needs of typically developing siblings, while strengthening and enhancing the parents’ relationship will presented based upon current research and best clinical practices.

Robert Naseef is a psychologist in independent practice. Special Children, Challenged Parents: The Struggles and Rewards of Parenting a Child with a Disability, his first book, has received international recognition. He has lectured internationally and appeared on radio and television. He is the co-editor of Voices from the Spectrum: Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, People with Autism, and Professionals Share Their Wisdom (2006). Living Along the Autism Spectrum (2009) is a new DVD which features him along with Stephen Shore and Dan Gottlieb.
Dr. Naseef’s specialty is working with families of children with autism and other special needs. He has published many articles in scholarly journals and other publications. He has “a foot in each world” as the father of an adult child with autism. He has a special interest and expertise in the psychology of men and fatherhood. Through his experiences as a parent and as a professional, Robert is relates to both audiences and is a sought after speaker around the country.
Rabbi Harold Kushner, the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, endorsed Special Children, Challenged Parents.   In Rabbi Kushner’s words, “Writing with the wisdom of a mental health professional and the compassion of a loving father, Dr. Naseef has given us a book that will instruct and inspire us all.”
In 2008, Robert Naseef was honored by Variety, the Children’s Charity for his outstanding contributions over the past 20 years to the autism community. You can visit him on the web at  www.alternativechoices.com

Date: Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Time: 6pm Pacific (9pm Eastern)

Speaker: Dr. Janet Roberto

This webinar will discuss the importance of good nutrition for children on the spectrum. Specific diets and foods will be discussed in detail. Bring your note books for this one!

Bio:
JANET ROBERTO, M.D. has been practicing family medicine in Springfield, Ohio with her husband Mark for more than 20 years. She serves as the managing partner of their six-physician group. Dr. Roberto graduated from Wright State University School of Medicine in 1985, and remained in Dayton after graduation to complete her residency in Family Practice at Miami Hospital in 1988. In addition to her private practice, she serves as a member of the medical staff at the Springfield Regional Medical Center. She will share her “Prescription for a Healthier Life;” which she has presented to thousands across the country!

9 SIMPLE STEPS TO A HEALTHIER FAMILY DIET

“Dr. Bill“, WILLIAM SEARS, M.D., will share by audio, his9 simple steps to a healthier family diet. Dr. Sears is in private practice with his two oldest sons, Dr. Jim and Dr.
Bob. He has been advising busy parents how to raise healthier families for over 35 years. This will be an interactive workshop, providing relative tools for parents!

NUTRITION CHALLENGES IN AMERICA, AND PARTICULARLY
IN OUR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM & OTHER SPECIAL NEEDS

KIM NORMAN and husband, Chris, have two children, one of whom is on the autism spectrum and has a genetic disorder called Smith-Magenis Syndrome. Kim will share their journey through years of diagnoses and finally some answers, and also provide some insight into what she has learned about the importance of nutrition, and how it fits into the puzzle of Autism and related disorders/syndromes.

Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Time: 6pm Pacific (9 PM Eastern)

Speaker: Kim Stagliano

If you have a special needs child, the holidays can be stressful. Kim Stagliano will speak about how you can make your holiday a little less stressful. Here are some of the topics she will discuss:

• Holidays and special needs
• Religious participation
• Foods for the holidays and special diets
• Buying the same Elmo or Thomas the Tank Engine toys every year – and the sadness that can bring
• Favorite traditions
• How the economy has affected the holidays for American families
• Memories you like to share with your own kids
• Dealing with relatives who don’t respect your child’s needs

Bio