Social Supports

For an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the transition from adolescence to young adulthood can create new challenges, as there is a continuing need for support, often with limited available resources. Listening to those who are on the autism spectrum can help professionals be more sensitive to their goals, needs, concerns, wishes, and preferences. The objective of the panel is to allow professionals to acquire knowledge of how to serve such a diverse population by hearing voices.

This webinar will provide an overview of the PEERS for Adults: Social Skills Training. Particpants will be able to identify social skills deficits among adults; recognize the importance of improving and developing friendships, limitations of existing interventions and research, and an overview of how to get started with the PEERS curriculum for adults.

This webinar will provide an overview of the PEERS Social Skills program for Adolescents. It will include information to help participants understand the following: How to recognize the importance of improving friendships; Consider limitations of existing social skills interventions; Explore research findings related to social skills instruction; and Learn how to implement the PEERS social skill curriculum for adolescents.

This webinar will explore the evidence-base for Circle of Friends. Participants will learn circle of friends implementation basics and compare different CoF models.

Through a Circle of Friends program, typically developing peers are taught important information about classmates with social challenges, and are invited and encouraged to befriend them. This presentation will discuss the specifics of implementing a circle of friends program. The webinar will include information on how to set up your group, how to address peer awareness and training about autism, teaching social skills, and developing relevant CoF lesson plans.

Participants will describe the importance of involving peers in efforts to expand social relationships and learning, identify how peer support and peer network interventions can benefit students with and without disabilities, and will learn practical strategies for recruiting students, developing effective intervention plans, orienting students to their roles, and supporting them as they work together.

This webinar will provide an overview of the social deficits and consequences of peer rejection in autism spectrum disorder, and a discsussion of the limitations of existing social skills programs. The webinar will discuss effective methods of social skills instruction and provide an overview of the PEERS® curriculum and research findings.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be familiar with strategies to address teasing, strategies to address physical bullying, cyberbullying and minimize rumors and gossip.

In this 2-part webinar series, the importance of considering evidence-based practices within a framework that is sensitive to the social and emotional priorities for the student will be discussed. What we determine as the student’s targeted educational objectives should be as important as how we are providing accommodations. Providing evidence-based educational programming for students on the Autism Spectrum relies on a careful selection of focused approaches that have been shown to promote the acquisition of specific skills or the reduction of behaviors that are interfering with learning and social engagement in the classroom.

Providing evidence-based educational programming for students on the Autism Spectrum relies on a careful selection of focused approaches that have been shown to promote the acquisition of specific skills or the reduction of behaviors that are interfering with learning and social engagement in the classroom. Based upon current systematic reviews, nearly three-dozen approaches are considered effective at promoting such positive outcomes.

Part 4 of this 4-part series will discuss how to identify several types of visual supports to use with secondary students with ASD. Specific supports to enhance the areas of Social skills, Communication, and Behavior will be covered.

Social skills instruction should be a critical part of EACH and EVERY day for students with ASD. Part 1 of this 3-part series will discuss how curriculum and activities have to be planned and implemented with as much consideration, if not more than math, literacy and every other area.

In part 2 of this 3-part series, participants will determine the needs of their students by utilizing the appropriate social skills assessment tools. The participants will be able to describe strengths and needs of students with emerging social communication skills. The participants will be able to explain the impact that social skills have on student access to relationships, education, different environments and quality of life. Participants will be able to design individualized social skills instruction across all environments.

Part 3 of this 3-part series will discuss how to determine the needs of their students by utilizing the appropriate social skills assessment tools, describe strengths and needs of students with conversational social communication challenges, explain the impact that social skills have on student access to relationships, education, different environments and quality of life, and design individualized social skills instruction across all environments.