MN Statewide ASD Newsletter

The MN Low Incidence Project is here to support you!

We’re excited to welcome you back for another school year! This MN Statewide ASD Newsletter is your go-to place for autism resources in Minnesota for educators, including professional development, training opportunities, practical resources, and evidence-based practices. We are glad you are here!

STAR Media Center

The STAR Media Center has been updated and is still FREE for all Minnesota educators! Be sure to check out the latest resources as you begin the new school year.

Tuesday Tips & Tricks

We’ve been hearing from so many educators about how helpful our Tuesday Tips & Tricks weekly series has been—and we’re excited to continue it this year!

Many of our resources are targeted to new teachers, providing practical ideas and strategies you can use right away. This year, we’ll also be offering an Advanced Topics Series with Dr. Megan Helmen for educators looking to take their learning a step further.

We hope this newsletter helps you stay connected to resources, learning opportunities, and support throughout the year.

Over 50% of our subscribers heard about this newsletter from a colleague! So please share this newsletter with your colleagues so they can take advantage of these resources, too!

Wishing you a wonderful school year!

Tami Childs

MN Statewide ASD Specialist | BrightWorks

tami.childs@brightworksmn.org

• Quarterly Featured Highlight
• Spotlight on Excellence
• Communication Corner
• Free Resources
• MN ASD Upcoming Opportunities
• MDE Updates
• ASD RESOURCE REPOSITORY

This quarter, we’re excited to highlight Cadie Fairchild and Sharna Johnson, autism educators at Red Lake Elementary, for their collaboration, leadership, and willingness to try something new to support their students.

Cadie and Sharna worked with researchers to study whether point-of-view video modeling could help autistic students become more independent when moving from one place or activity to another at school.

So, what does that mean? They helped create short videos that showed students exactly what a transition would look like from the student’s point of view. Students could watch the video before making the transition, giving them a chance to see what to expect and what to do.

Cadie and Sharna helped use these videos with their students and collect information about whether students became more independent with their transitions.

What we love about this work is the collaboration behind it. Teachers and researchers worked together to identify a classroom need, try a strategy, collect data, and learn from the results. This is a great example of what evidence-based practice can look like in our schools!

And their work didn’t stay in the classroom!

Cadie and Sharna had the opportunity to help present the research at the DADD Conference in Long Beach, California! They shared what they learned, the results of the study, and ideas for how this work could be used in the future.

Pictured top left: Dr. Sean Wachsmuth, Sharna Johnson, Cadie Fairchild, Dr. Karen Eastman. Pictured top right: Sharna Johnson and Cadie Fairchild.

We’re thrilled to announce a new feature in the newsletter: showcasing one of our incredible ASD educators! If you or someone you know would like to be highlighted, please complete the form below. We’ll review the submissions and select a Featured Teacher for the upcoming winter edition. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the amazing work happening in ASD classrooms across the state!

Welcome to the Communication Corner! My name is Leah Hicks, and I am a Speech-Language Pathologist with over 10 years of experience in the educational setting. Here, you’ll find everything from tips and strategies to insights on embedding communication opportunities and facilitating meaningful interactions in your classroom or therapy room.

Making Language Accessible

Communication boards aren’t just for students who use AAC—they can be a helpful support for all learners. Having key words and visuals available during classroom activities gives students another way to participate, make choices, ask for help, share ideas, and connect with others. And now, AI makes it easier than ever to create boards tailored to a specific lesson, activity, or even a student’s favorite interest. No fancy materials or hours of prep required! Click below to see examples, practical tips, and a simple AI prompt you can use to create your own communication board in seconds.

👉 Check out this quarter’s Communication Corner: AI + Communication Boards

The University of Minnesota Autism Diagnostics Training Program is offering several autism assessment training opportunities in 2026, led by trainers Robin Rumsey, PhD, LP and Amy Esler, PhD, LP.

To review session details, prerequisites, and registration information, visit the Autism Assessment Trainings page on the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) website.

Join us for a professional development series designed for educators who are ready to deepen their understanding of autism and explore practical, neurodiversity-affirming approaches for supporting diverse learners.

Each session will focus on an emerging or advanced topic and provide opportunities to connect current understanding with classroom practice.

This series is intended for educators who have foundational knowledge of autism and are looking to expand their understanding and strengthen their ability to support neurodivergent learners in meaningful and individualized ways.

Date: October 30, 2026

Time: 1:30- 3:00 PM
Presented by: Dr. Megan Helmen, Pediatric Neuropsychologist, Developmental Discoveries
Pricing: $25
Location: Held virtually

Description: Explore how autism may present differently in girls and other students who may mask or camouflage their autistic characteristics. This session will examine identification, lived experiences, and implications for educational support.

Date: February 19, 2027

Time: 1:30-3:00 PM
Presented by: Dr. Megan Helmen, Pediatric Neuropsychologist, Developmental Discoveries
Pricing: $25
Location: Held virtually

Description: Explore the PDA profile and the ways anxiety, autonomy, and demand-related distress may influence a student's behavior and participation. Participants will consider supportive, relationship-based approaches that prioritize regulation, collaboration, flexibility, and autonomy.

Date: May 7, 2027

Time: 1:30- 3:00 PM
Presented by: Dr. Megan Helmen, Pediatric Neuropsychologist, Developmental Discoveries
Pricing: $25
Location: Held virtually

Description: Put learning into practice through case studies featuring neurodivergent students with diverse strengths, needs, and support profiles. Participants will explore how to identify barriers, build on strengths, and develop individualized strategies that promote engagement, independence, communication, and participation.

The STAR Media Center is a completely FREE resource available to all Minnesota educators! It offers everything needed to create a structured and engaging classroom, with resources that support routines, play, language, and behavior. The STAR Media Center also includes an updated Themes First! — a collection of monthly, theme-based units packed with original songs, books, and activities that foster skill development and content generalization in a fun and accessible way. This year, Themes First! includes an expanded ELA and Math suite with engaging activities!

Each Themes First! unit provides a range of lessons, activities, and worksheets for both group and independent work at varying levels to meet diverse student needs.

The redesigned Media Center is now live, bringing all your content together in one streamlined, easy-to-navigate destination. It also has a new STAR Activity Lab, with engaging interactive games and activities designed to reinforce key skills and extend learning in meaningful ways.

More resources. More engagement. More possibilities. Both the Media Center and Activity Labs are ready to explore and use now!

Use the link below to watch the demo on how to get started!

Passcode: 2z6$G21D

Check out the Fall in the Forest unit in Theme's First! Theme 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.

Need help accessing your STAR Media Center account? Contact tami.childs@brightworksmn.org

Need help utilizing this resource in your classroom? Contact jennifer.guettler@brightworksmn.org

Sign up for Tuesday Tips & Tricks to get weekly, evidence-based strategies you can use right away in your classroom! Our newest series, Building Independence from Day One, explores how small shifts can make a BIG difference—helping you step back, prompt with purpose, and give students more opportunities to shine independently.

Subscription to the Statewide ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) Mailing List is available to teachers who work with students who have ASD, as well as special education administrators and other interested educators. The Statewide ASD Mailing List allows users to share information and post questions to other members of the list. Some typical postings include requesting/sharing information about school services and supports, disability-specific information, professional development opportunities, resources, etc.

The Minnesota Executive Function Masterclass is full for the 2026-2027 school year and we are accepting names on a waiting list for a potential 2027-2028 Executive Function Masterclass cohort!

If you are interested in applying for next school year, please add your name to this list and we will contact you to apply in the spring/summer of 2027.

Are you a Minnesota teacher working with students with low-incidence disabilities? Apply to join MMP and get paired with an experienced mentor in your licensure area.

Who can apply?

• Tier 1–3 teachers who teach children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Blind/Visually Impaired (B/VI), Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH), Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD), or Physical/Health Disabilities (P/HD).

• Tier 4 teachers in remote areas or teaching with an out-of-field permission.

Why join?

• One-on-one support from a mentor in your field.

• Practical strategies for IEPs, evaluations, and classroom adaptations.

• Ongoing guidance to help you succeed and stay in the field.

Apply today and get the support you need to thrive as a special educator!

Jen Guettler, MN ASD EBP Coach, is available Fridays from 7:30-8:00AM and 3:00-3:30 PM to help with any questions or situations you might have in your classroom. Sign up below to schedule a Zoom meeting!

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Special Education Division enlisted experts from across the nation for a series of remote presentations. We have recorded these sessions for your review and use. The insights and resources here are valuable for all educators. All recordings are closed captioned and include links to accessible slide shows and other materials.

This repository will include all evidence based practice resources that are shared in the newsletter on a given month. This is your go-to place to access the tools that ASD educators need! We will add to this as we continue to roll out excellent resources!

Summer 2026

Winter 2025

Fall 2024

Summer 2024

Spring 2024

Winter 2023

Fall 2023

Summer 2023

Spring 2023

Winter 2022

Fall 2022

Summer 2022

April 2022

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

December 2021

November 2021

Tami Childs, MN ASD Statewide Specialist

Jen Guettler, MN ASD EBP Coach

Gail Jankowski, MN Low Incidence Project Support

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The contents of this newsletter do not necessarily represent the policy of the federal Department of Education or the state Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal or state government. Funding for this Newsletter is made possible with a grant from the MN Department of Education. The source of the funds is federal award Special Education – Grants to States, CFDA 84.027A.