Using Functional Communication Training to Reduce Self-Injurious Behavior

Staff at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism has published an article on functional communication and how it relates to self-injurious behavior. It discusses why some of this behavior happens and offers advice on reducing it.

To read the entire article, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/using-functional-communication-training-to-reduce-self-injurious-behavior

Respite Providers in Indiana

Staff at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have put together a listing of providers in Indiana that offer respite services for families of individuals with disabilities. The list includes counties served and contact information when available. Take a look at:

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/respite-provider-agencies-in-indiana

The Augmentative/Alternative Communication Spectrum

Have you thought of Augmentative/Alternative Communication as a spectrum? There is a whole range of options from low/no tech to high tech solutions to empowering individuals with speech impairments. The folks at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have put together an article covering the spectrum of AAC.

To view the article, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/the-augmentative-alternative-communication-spectrum

How and Where to Obtain a Diagnosis/Assessment in Indiana

Staff at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have updated their article on obtaining a autism diagnosis in Indiana. A quick excerpt follows:

"When an individual is suspected of having an autism spectrum disorder, obtaining an accurate diagnosis can be a time consuming, costly, and confusing process. However, the process can be made easier when qualified personnel are located who can thoroughly assess the individual to determine if they meet the diagnostic criteria for an autism spectrum disorder."

To read the rest of the article and view the resources available, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/how-and-where-to-obtain-a-diagnosis-assessment-in-indiana

Making the Most of the Holidays

Staff at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have put together a handy list of tips for helping your family make the most of the upcoming holiday season. The tips were developed with input from the National Autism Society, the Autism Society of Indiana, Riley Child Development Center, Easter Seals Crossroads, LOGAN Autism Learning Centers, and the Indiana Autism Leadership Network and are updated annually.

To read the article, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/making-the-most-of-the-holidays-for-your-family-and-your-son-daughter

Upcoming Events @ IRCA

Wondering what trainings are coming up from the Indiana Resource Center for Autism? IRCA staff have put together a list to make answering that question easy--from parent group meetings to workshops, they've got you covered.

To view the list, please visit IRCA's page at:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/available-workshops

Camp Yes And: An Improv Camp for Teens with ASD and Teachers

Staff at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have published an article on the success of the summer camp co-supported by IRCA and the Center for Education and Lifelong Learning. Camp Yes, And is a one-week session that offers the use of improvisational techniques to help improve the communication skills of teenagers on the autism spectrum.

To read the article, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/camp-yes-and-an-improv-camp-for-teens-with-asd-and-teachers

Local district leaders

 

The Indiana Resource Center for Autism has published a listing of local district autism leaders, coaches, and mentors throughout the state. These individuals have been selected to play a role in leadership in their district with regard to students on the autism spectrum.

Find the list at:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/local-district-autism-leaders-mentors-coaches

Upcoming Events in IRCA

The Indiana Resource Center for Autism at Indiana University's Indiana Institute on Disability and Community is pleased to announce numerous training opportunities for the 2016-2017 school year. Details of workshop and training opportunities are distributed through the IRCA e-newsletter, the Reporter.

To subscribe to the Reporter, scroll to bottom of the screen, "Sign up for the IRCA Reporter"contact Pam Anderson at pamander@indiana.edu or call (812) 855-6508.

Workshop Dates and Locations Announced

Understanding and Managing 

Challenging Behaviors

Presented by 

Dr. Cathy Pratt, BCBA-D 

Director, Indiana Resource Center for Autism

Sponsored by the Indiana Resource Center for Autism

If you work with students who have challenging or difficult behaviors (regardless of their diagnostic label), this workshop may be relevant to you.

The goal of this full-day workshop is to provide affordable and localized training for those working with students who engage in challenging behaviors. It is relevant for certified and non-certified staff, including general and special educators, paraprofessionals, school psychologists, behavior consultants and interested others. Content is practical, based on ongoing experience in the field, and addresses students with various disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders and across grade levels. The hope is that those attending can walk away with ideas that can be implemented immediately and that are evidence-based. Many of these strategies work with students without disabilities as well.

For more information including dates and locations of this workshop, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/understanding-and-managing-challenging-behaviors-workshop

Training, Coaching, Program Evaluation and Consultation Options

Ever wonder in what ways the Indiana Resource Center for Autism can work with your organization? An article has been posted on their website detailing the services they offer. Customizing the professional development options IRCA has to offer gives your organization exactly what it needs.

To learn more, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/irca-training-coaching-program-evaluation-and-consultation-options

Sustainable Change through Professional Development

The Indiana Resource Center for Autism has published an article discussing the benefits of professional development for educators working with students on the spectrum.

"The numerous evidence-based strategies that have been developed and identified [for working with students with ASD] are irrelevant if educators do not know how to implement these strategies in their classroom or are not doing so in an appropriate way. Therefore, an essential piece of translating research to practice is the training and coaching of teachers in these particular strategies."

To read the entire article, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/a-model-for-sustainable-change-in-asd-school-programming-through-professional-development-the-indiana-resource-center-for-autism

Upcoming Training and Events 2016-2017 School Year

Want to know what workshops are upcoming from the Indiana Resource Center for Autism? IRCA has put together a listing with a quick overview of each one. Check it out at:

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/IRCA/UpcomingWorkshops-SaveTheDate.pdf

Free Parent Group Meetings

These parent support group meetings are free and open to the public. However, the content will be geared toward family members of individuals who have a diagnosis along the autism spectrum. The information will not be geared toward professionals. If you are a professional and know of family members in your area that may benefit from such a meeting, you are encouraged to forward the relevant information.

To view the entire list, please visit:
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/parent-group-meetings

How and Where to Obtain a Diagnosis/Assessment in Indiana

The Indiana Resource Center for Autism has recently updated its article on obtaining a diagnosis of autism. This extensive article has a resource list of providers who have experience diagnosing and assessing autism spectrum disorders not only in Indiana but the surrounding states as well.

To read the article, please visit:
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/how-and-where-to-obtain-a-diagnosis-assessment-in-indiana

IRCA director named to state bicentennial working group

Cathy Pratt, director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, has been "appointed by Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann to participate in an Indiana Bicentennial Legacy Project to develop a long-term vision for the future of Indiana around youth and education."

Read more of the press release at:
http://news.indiana.edu/releases/iu/2015/12/pratt-bicentennial-project.shtml

Increasing Independence in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Looking for ways to increase the independence of adults on the autism spectrum? The Indiana Resource Center for Autism has posted an article that can help. It begins:
"As adults, we all need to be able to carry out tasks independently whether this is in the area of work, college, daily living skills or leisure activities. This is no different for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). ‘To Do’ Lists (also known as Work Systems) have been shown to increase on task behavior, number of tasks completed and reduce instructor prompts required for both children and adults with ASD (Hume &Odom, 2007; Hume et al., 2009)."

To read the entire article, please visit:
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/increasing-independence-in-adults

Upcoming Workshops from IRCA

Primarily for Paraprofessionals - Teaching Students on the Autism Spectrum and Addressing Challenging Behaviors

Presenter:
Dr. Cathy Pratt, BCBA-D, Director, Indiana Resource Center for Autism
Cost: $65
Dates: 10/16/15 - Plymouth; 10/20/15 - Newburgh; 10/30/15 - North Vernon
Overview: The goal is to provide paraprofessionals and interested others with information about understanding and handling problematic behaviors. In addition, paraprofessionals will learn tools associated with both positive behavior support and applied behavior analysis. Practical ideas will be provided that can be quickly utilized in an instructional setting with a range of students.
For more information and registration: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/primarily-for-paraprofessionals-workshop
________________________________________
Structured TEACCH®ing Strategies - A Two Day Workshop

Presenter:
Catherine Davies, Educational Consultant, IRCA and TEACCH® Certified Advanced Consultant
Cost: $350
Dates: 10/28/15 & 10/29/15
Overview: This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of how and why to implement structured teaching strategies (as developed by the TEACCH® Autism Program,) such as visual schedules, work systems and deliberately designed work materials. The workshop will emphasize practical strategies that attendees can begin using immediately in their settings.
For more information and registration: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/structured-teacch-ing-strategies
________________________________________
Collaborative & Proactive Solutions: Understanding and Helping Students with Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Challenges

Presenter: Dr. Ross W. Greene
Cost: $125
Date: 11/5/15
Overview: This is the empirically supported model Dr. Ross Greene describes in his influential books The Explosive Child and Lost at School. The CPS model has transformed thinking and practices in countless schools, inpatient psychiatry units, and residential and juvenile detention facilities, and has been associated with dramatic reductions in disciplinary referrals, detentions, suspensions, seclusions, and physical, chemical and mechanical restraints. The model focuses on solving problems rather than on modifying behavior, emphasizes collaborative rather than unilateral solutions, encourages proactive rather than reactive intervention, de-emphasizes diagnostic categories, and provides practical, research-based tools for assessment and intervention. Participants in this workshop will leave with an understanding of the underpinnings of the model, along with practical assessment and intervention tools that can be brought back to and used in these diverse settings.
For more information and registration: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/ross-greene-workshop
________________________________________
Expanding Expression Tool Workshop

Presenter: Sara Smith, MS, CCC-SLP
Cost: $100
Dates: 11/17/15 - New Haven; 11/18/15 - Bloomington; 11/19/15 - Carmel;
11/20/15 - New Albany
Overview: This workshop will demonstrate a multi-sensory approach for oral and written expression for preschool through 12th grade that will facilitate improvement on vocabulary skills, the common core learning objectives, comprehension of curriculum material, report writing and expressive language.
For more information and registration: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/expanding-expression-tool-workshop
________________________________________
Free Parent Group Meetings

Presenters: IRCA Staff
Various dates, topics and locations
Overview: These parent group meetings are free and open to the public. The content will be geared toward family members of individuals who have a diagnosis along the autism spectrum.
For more information: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/parent-group-meetings

Linking Theories to Practice

The Indiana Resource Center for Autism has published an article discussing some of the theories that researchers have developed regarding autism spectrum disorders. Here is a snippet:

"The variation of cognitive impairments in individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents a challenge for developing unifying theories of the core weakness. Over the past twenty years, researchers in psychology have attempted to develop unifying theories of the central deficit present in individuals with ASD. While research into these areas is common, no one theory can truly explain all of the behaviors exhibited by any particular individual with ASD. However, teachers, parents, and individuals on the spectrum may find that viewing strengths and challenges through any one of these lenses provides some insight into appropriate interventions."

Want to read the entire article? Please visit:
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/linking-theories-to-practice

Looking for an ABA Provider?

Need information to help guide your decision-making process when choosing a provider for ABA therapy?  For a better understanding of what ABA is (and what it is not) and how to investigate providers or centers, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, in collaboration with others, has put together an article that will address this topic.

To read the full article, please visit:
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/irca/abaproviders2014.pdf