Training with The Autism Project©
Providing training and workshops enables The Autism Project to carry out our mission. These trainings are based on innovative and emerging theories, interventions, and approaches. Our workshops provide professionals, parents, and community members the information needed to impactfully support people on the autism spectrum (in school, at home, at work, and in the community).
The Autism Project offers a range of training opportunities, including individual workshops and multi-week series. Our team provides training both online and in person (we are located in Johnston, Rhode Island). For a printable summary of our trainings, please review the menu below.
Training Offerings For Schools/Organizations:
The following are examples of training and workshops delivered by our Training & Consultation team. Sessions and series for professionals provide professional development contact hours (email Ariana to inquire about CEUs). Please note that this list is not exhaustive - we continue to developed additional trainings that are not included here. We can also create a bespoke training upon request.
If you are interested in booking any trainings, please reach out to our Training Manager, Ariana DeAngelis at ADeAngelis1@lifespan.org.
I had been searching high and low for trainings for my team and I am so happy I came across The Autism Project. I am forever thankful for our paths crossing! …I feel you really gave [our team] a different way of thinking in a positive light!... I cannot say thank you enough!
Kayla Stewart, Program Coordinator, Total Education Solutions/TES Therapy, Fairlawn OH
Autism Thinking
“Autism Thinking” is designed to inform participants of the neurodevelopmental characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Topics include, but are not limited to: Executive Functioning, Context Blindness, Theory of Mind, Central Coherence, Joint Attention, and One-Channel Processing. An understanding of these characteristics and challenges arms participants with the knowledge required to support individuals with ASD in their daily lives (in the classroom, in the home, or in the community). This presentation ends with a discussion of the methods used to support individuals with ASD. These practical tools and strategies will help participants be proactive and confident in their efforts to support individuals with autism in a variety of settings.
Supporting Self-Regulation
How the body feels and experiences one’s emotions plays a vital role in daily quality of life, interpersonal interaction, and even communication. Participants explore the challenges that many autistic people face when working to maintain physical and emotional regulation. In addition, strategies to support a person before, during, and after a period of dysregulation will be discussed.
Visual Supports in Practice
This training provides an understanding on how to create and use visuals to better support individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities (DD) by increasing independence, promoting communication, and reducing challenging behaviors in the classroom and at home. Participants will learn how to teach, “wait”, “help” and how to ask for a “break” using visual supports. They will also learn about Social Narratives and other strategies used to explain a given situation and provide strategies to navigate it. Lastly, we will learn about how to use a countdown timer for successful transitions.
A Common Goal: Fostering Empathetic Relationships Within a Child’s Care Team
To deliver impactful care, a person’s team must work as a cohesive, trusting, and therapeutic network. Distrust, bias, frustration, miscommunication, cultural norms, opposing expectations, and trauma can all influence one’s approach to members of the team. These influences often lead to breakdowns in communication and can negatively impact the individual with ASD as a result. This presentation addresses, from both the family and professional perspective, causes of these communication breakdowns, and strategies for repairing and preventing them. Through an empathetic understanding of each person’s experience, a therapeutic and effective team will emerge.
Positive Behavior Supports
Challenging behaviors impact classroom learning, time in the community, and the family dynamic. The goal of this training is to provide basic information about a variety of positive behavior supports that can be used to teach key skills to students with autism. This training provides participants with information and tools to help parents and professionals view challenging behavior through a different lens. Discussion related to skill deficits, coexisting conditions, and possible motivation of behaviors will help professionals and parents create positive behavior supports to help build healthier interactions and a successful environment.
Toilet Training
Toilet training is challenging for most parents and caregivers. This 2-hour training discusses why toilet training a child with ASD can be especially challenging, and provides strategies and tools to begin the process. Though this training was originally designed for parents, many professionals have taken Toilet Training and used the strategies presented.
Introduction to Child Development
The Autism Project is invested in increasing parents' and caregivers' knowledge about developmental milestones so that developmental concerns are readily identified and addressed as soon as possible. We know that the sooner a child with developmental delays is referred to appropriate services, the better his/her/their opportunity for improved long-term outcomes (whether eventually diagnosed with ASD or not!).
This two-hour training developed with support from HRSA provides parents and caregivers with information about and tools to engage in developmental tracking, resources for parents and caregivers with concerns about their children's development, and a brief overview of the early signs of ASD and other developmental disabilities.
*Originally Called "Creating the Connections," this training has been adapted and delivered to over 2,000 frontline professionals since 2016. The training was a resource developed by The Autism Project's HRSA-funded, 3-year project of the same name.
Training Series:
Parent-to-Parent (5 weeks/ 1.5 Hours Per Week)
Parent to Parent is a good place to start for any parent, grandparent, caregiver, or family member who is starting their learning journey about ASD and how it impacts their child/children. It is a 5-week training program that provides a deeper understanding of the diagnosis and teaches evidence-based strategies that work at home, at school, and in the community. The Autism Project runs Parent to Parent twice per year in English and Spanish.
A Starting Point (9 weeks / 2 Hours Per Week)
The Autism Project's nine-week training series for professionals, parents, and caregivers focused on teaching and raising children with ASD. The series is presented by both a parent of a child with autism and a professional. Session topics include: an overview of ASD (Autism Thinking©), Visual Structure, Communication, Sensory Integration, Emotional Regulation, and Positive Behavior Supports.
2 Hour Pre-Recorded Webinars:
LIVE Training Webinars:
Please visit the "Public Workshops" tab.
Pre-Recorded Webinars (2 Hours Each)
Understanding ASD
"Understanding ASD" is a nonclinical training for professionals and caregivers looking to gain a better understanding of ASD. Participants will get a baseline understanding of the daily challenges of children and adults with communication and self-regulation challenges and begin to discuss how those challenges may lead to "behaviors." This webinar is $30.00 USD. Register here.
Positive Behavior Support
This training provides information and tools to help participants view challenging behavior through a different lens, addressing possible lagging skills, coexisting conditions, and motivation of behaviors. Learn to create positive and proactive interventions and supports. This webinar is $30.00 USD. Register here.