MN Statewide ASD Newsletter
Fall 2023
The MN Low Incidence Project is here to support you!
MN Educators,
Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year! It is always such a tough transition from summer but we hope you had some relaxing, fun, don’t-wake-up-at-the-break-of-dawn days!
Thanks to all who have provided us feedback on this newsletter and other resources/opportunities that we are putting together to support you! Please continue to let us know what you need.
Also based on your feedback, we have updated the newsletter format to be more user-friendly including:
- a table of contents with direct links to each section of the newsletter
- the entire newsletter can be printed by right clicking on the screen and clicking on "print"
Please be sure to take a look at the upcoming webinars we are hosting that will help you work effectively with paraprofessionals as well as help you set up centers in your classroom. These are coming up in October! See below for details and registration!
Happy Fall,
Tami Childs
ASD Evidence Based Practices (EBP) Webinar #1: Training Paraprofessionals to Facilitate Individualized Instruction
Date/Time: October 3rd, 2023 from 3:00-4:30 PM
Where: Virtual
Cost: Free
Description: Join us for the first ASD EBP Webinar (formally known as STAR Webinars) of the 2023-2024 school year! During this webinar, we will discuss strategies to train paraprofessionals to facilitate individualized instruction in the classroom. Topics will include creating training time, creating paraprofessional schedules, and training paraprofessionals to run centers/stations. 1.5 CEUs will be provided.
Save the Dates! Charting the C's 2024 In-Person Conference
The Charting the Cs Conference is a statewide professional development event featuring Minnesota practitioners who implement evidence-based practices, practical strategies and innovative instruction to meet the unique needs of students with low incidence disabilities.
Day 1: Monday, April 15, 2024, In-Person, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Day 2: Tuesday, April 16, 2024, In-Person, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Day 3: Wednesday, April 17, 2024, In-Person, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Download Charting the Cs Conference 2024 Flyer (PDF file format)
Stay tuned for more information!
Questions?
Send an email to: chartingthecs@brightworksmn.org
Website: Charting the Cs Conference
Welcome to the Communication Corner and a new school year! My name is Leah Hicks, and I am an ASHA Certified Speech-Language Pathologist. I have worked in the education setting for ten years. What I love most about working in a school is the level of access you have to students, which equates to stronger connections and increased communication support.
In our last issue, we focused on Augmentative & Alternative Communication. Many requested additional information on supporting students who use AAC in the classroom. Today, I want to leave you with some tips for collaboration between the ASD teacher and SLP so you can create a language-rich environment by embedding communication opportunities throughout the school day, which is beneficial for our AAC users and beyond.
When I first started my career in a school setting, I reluctantly admitted to the ASD teacher that I didn’t quite know what to do when I pushed into her classroom. I was more comfortable 1:1 in a quiet room with limited distractions, but I knew that wasn’t where generalization was going to happen. Fast forward a few years, we taught each other so much during the collaboration process. On top of that, our students were communicating more regularly throughout their day. The trick to more chatter was embedding language opportunities into every routine we could.
If you’re wondering where to start the collaboration process, try this:
- Step 1: Simply go in and observe. Take the time to determine when and how you can support the students and teacher.
- Step 2: Meet with the ASD teacher to discuss classroom routines and student communication needs. Then determine a suitable time you can push-in. I would suggest morning meetings, during center rotations or a regularly scheduled class (e.g., science, art, reading).
- Step 3: Begin supporting students during classroom routines or by leading a station. Show paras how to edit AAC devices and model HOW TO MODEL through aided language stimulation.
- Step 4: Start creating your own lesson plans and lead the class or small groups (with support of the teacher). This is a great opportunity to demonstrate for teachers and paras the various ways we cue to elicit communication from students, how to recast to expand utterances and how to use the prompting hierarchy to provide more support or fade for more independence.
- Step 5: Continue collaboration to create and maintain a language-rich environment by embedding language opportunities into as many daily routines as possible. Work with the teacher to create visual supports and teach necessary communication skills for the students to be successful.
Click on the handout above to learn more about embedding language opportunities into daily classroom routines. You will also find a suggestion for a fun back-to-school activity to get your students communicating while learning to navigate the classroom and school!
The STAR Media Center is a FREE resource available to all Minnesota educators! It includes everything you need to run a structured and engaging classroom. Including resources to support routines, play, language, and behavior. It also includes an updated Themes First! These themed units include original songs, books, and activities that support students’ skill development and generalization with content that’s fun, accessible, and theme-based. These monthly units now include an expanded Social Studies suite, containing fun, theme-related activities that reinforce cultural engagement. Included in all Themes First! units are lessons, activities, and worksheets for group and independent work at a wide range of levels.
Watch the updated demonstration below to find out how to access visuals and resources for routines and monthly thematic units. As well as how to use these resources during your center rotations.
Autism Center Grab and Go Resource Gallery of Interventions
MN Autism Resource Portal
MN Low Incidence Projects Autism Assessment Resources Guide ‐ 2021
Contact Us
Tami Childs, MN ASD Statewide Specialist
Jen Guettler, MNLIP ASD EBP Coach
Gail Jankowski, MN Low Incidence Project Support
Website: https://www.mnlowincidenceprojects.org/Projects/asd/index.html
Location: 2 Pine Tree Drive, Arden Hills, MN, USA
Phone: 612-638-1527
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/525786611465791