MN Statewide ASD Newsletter

This newsletter is designed to provide all MN educators the necessary resources to increase their skills in teaching students with ASD. Special education teachers, related service providers, administrators, and paraprofessionals alike are encouraged to subscribe to this monthly newsletter. The MN Low Incidence Project is here to support you!

If you did not see our November Newsletter, there is a link at the bottom to view it!

Welcome back, everyone! We were thrilled to see that our first monthly newsletter in November got over 1,100 views from MN educators! I had many emails requesting to subscribe! You can subscribe yourself by clicking on "Follow Tami Childs" on the right side of your screen.

Please read and share this newsletter far and wide so that all MN educators have the opportunity to read it and access the excellent resources.

I know we are all looking forward to winter break and some time to recharge! Wishing you all a happy holiday season and see you in the new year!

Tami Childs

Statewide ASD Specialist

Metro ECSU

• Monthly Featured Highlight!
• MN ASD Upcoming Events and Opportunities
• MN ASD Updates
• ASD Teacher and Related Service Provider Resources
  
• New Teacher/Educator Support & Training (NEST)
  
• STAR/LINKS
• MDE News and Resources
• Assistive Technology Tip of the Month
• ASD RESOURCE REPOSITORY

• Designed to guide new ASD evaluators as well as provide comprehensive resources for experienced evaluators.
• Reviews of all areas of assessment as well as information about formal assessment tools is included.
• Also featured is a compilation of a variety of informal tools as well as sample write ups.

Everything you need in one place!

Click here for more information

Click here for a link to the NEW ASD Assessment Guide

Time Management Webinar by Sarah Ward - Teaching children how to see and sense the passage of time, to accurately estimate how long tasks will take, to change and maintain their pace, plan ahead and carry out routines and tasks within allotted timeframes. Concrete strategies to help students self-initiate on tasks and to also stop performing a task when they need to move on to the next task of higher priority.

The SWWC Service Cooperative is sponsoring this webinar. Out of region participants pay $30 for registration.

Click here for more information about this event.

These FREE webinars are open to all MN educators who are using or planning to use the STAR curriculum. In these quarterly webinars, we will provide guidance on the steps of implementing STAR as well as share resources and answer individual questions.

Join us VIRTUALLY on February 2, 2022 from 12:30 - 3:30 pm for the STAR/ LINKS Midyear Training! This training is free of charge and open to all MN educators interested in or currently implementing STAR or LINKS.

Save the Date: Save the date! The 2022 Minnesota Autism Conference will be held April 27-29, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency in Bloomington, Minn. For more information: https://ausm.org/events/state-autism-conference/

The STAR Online Learning System (including the STAR Media Center) is FREE To anyone in MN for the 2021-2022 School year!

Click here for more information about these tools

I'm sure you agree the MN ASD Mailing List is a great resource. Do your colleagues know about it? Email them to let them know about it and include the following instructions so they know how to subscribe.

In order to join or make changes to your subscription to the ASD MN Mailing List:

· Go to this link https://www.mailmanlists.us/mailman/listinfo/mn.asd

· Scroll down and add your email, name and password.

· To make changes to your subscription options, or to unsubscribe at any time, use the above link.

· Email Sarah Bergstrom if you have questions: sarah.m.bergstrom@gmail.com

The Statewide ASD Updates presentation is updated two times per year and available to all MN educators. This is the current state updates presentation from November 2021. Please feel free to share this presentation with your staff.

https://www.mnlowincidenceprojects.org/documents/asd/Fall_2021_ASD_State_Updates.pdf

For those teachers looking to build on their practices for teaching students with autism and other developmental disabilities, the following resources are excellent and free of charge.

This 1.5 hour training video is an essential training for ALL educators working with students with ASD. Consider having your paraprofessionals or others who are new to working with students with ASD watch this video for professional development. This training includes insight and information directly from individuals with ASD.

Click here to view

These interventions support all learners, including those with ASD. Completed and blank templates are free and available to download. Each intervention has a how-to explanation so it can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual you support.

Click here to view

This repository will include all evidence based practice resources that have been shared in the newsletter. 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!

Don't forget about the other FREE resources Autism Internet Modules and AFIRM Modules. Information on these resources is available in the ASD RESOURCES REPOSITORY at the end of this newsletter.

The NEST is designed specifically for all of you teachers out there who are new to working with students with ASD. Feeling overwhelmed? We get it and want to help!

If you are new to working with students with ASD, a great place to start is to watch the 1.5 hour training "The Many Faces of Autism". This presentation includes the perspective of individuals with autism and how educators can help meet their educational needs. Here is the link: https://autismcertificationcenter.org/course-guide/many-faces-autism

Also, plan to join us on Feb 2, 2022 from 12:30-3:30pm for the STAR/LINKS Mid Year Training where we will feature sessions at the beginner to intermediate level. Come learn strategies that you can take back to use in your classroom! See the registration information for this training in the MN ASD Upcoming Events & Opportunities section of this newsletter.

MN has a STAR/LINKS Resource webpage available to assist educators in implementing these programs. Check it out at https://www.mnlowincidenceprojects.org/Projects/star/index.html

Additionally, there are opportunities for educators to receive training, coaching, and free resources for STAR/LINKS implementation. For more information, contact Tami Childs at tami.childs@metroecsu.org

Minnesota Access Center Open Office Hours December 7, 2021 AND January 4 and 18, 2022

Purpose of MAC Open Office Hours:

The purpose of MAC Open Office Hours is to provide an opportunity for individuals to ask questions, discuss issues, and connect with specialists, colleagues, and vendors.

Click here for more information for each date.

MDE will be hosting an informational meeting in January for MTAS Test Administrators and Special Education staff related to upcoming changes to the MTAS in the spring of 2022.

Click here for more information and registration links

November 2021

Tami Childs, MN ASD Statewide Specialist

Gail Jankowski, MN Low Incidence Project Support

Email: tami.childs@metroecsu.org
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

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!

The Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules (AFIRM) are free, self paced modules on evidence based practice strategies for individuals with ASD. These modules include step-by-step guidance on each of the EBPs from the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence & Practice (formerly NPDC-ASD). These modules include activities, case examples, and videos as well as resources such as an implementation checklist and data collection sheets.

Click here to view

The Autism Internet Modules (AIM) include 50 free, self paced modules on evidence based practice strategies for individuals with ASD. They include case studies, instructional videos, discussion questions, activities and more.

Check out the modules that are labeled “Autism in the Classroom”!

Click here to view