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!

During Autism Acceptance Month, let’s continue to emphasize the importance of listening to students with ASD and their preferences! Many autistic people prefer “autistic person” over “person with autism”. As educators, it is important that we know our students preferences so we can support and value them. Read more about this in the ASD Teacher and Related Services section of this newsletter.

Note: In this newsletter we are using the terminology “students with ASD” because the educational eligibility is not a diagnosis and not all students who qualify for ASD meet the medical diagnosis or identify as autistic.

Thank you for your continued work of putting students first!

Tami Childs, Statewide ASD Specialist

Metro ECSU

tami.childs@metroecsu.org

• Monthly Featured Highlight!
• MN ASD Upcoming Events
• MN ASD Upcoming 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

Thank you Autism Society of Minnesota for your support of MN educators!

It is with great pleasure that we highlight The Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) in this month’s newsletter! For over half a century, AuSM has helped families and individuals with autism build a community that acts without judgment, searches for new possibilities, and connects us to each other. AuSM serves Minnesotans, throughout their lives, with a fundamental commitment to advocacy, education, support, collaboration, and community building.

Click here to learn more about the collaboration between AuSM and MN Educators

Date: April 21, 2022

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Fee: $25.00

FLYER

An Introductory ADOS-2 Training is being offered by the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. For more information on all ADOS-2 and ADI-R trainings: https://med.umn.edu/pediatrics/divisions/clinical-behavioral-neuroscience/education/autism-training

Date: May 22, 2022

Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cost: Free

Venue: Como Lakeside Pavilion1360 Lexington Pkwy N

St. Paul, MN 55103 United States + Google Map

Join us for the 22nd annual Steps for Autism in Minnesota from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Sunday, May 22 at the Como Lakeside Pavilion. AuSM will offer participants a walk route, fun activities, an autism resource fair, and opportunities for community connections.

OCALICONLINE 2022 registration is FREE between April 18-30.

*On May 1, the regular registration rates begin – $200 for professionals, and $50 for parents, students, and self-advocates.

Help Spread the Word! Registration is FREE through April 30!

Join us for our final STAR webinar of the school year. We will be sharing what we learned this year as well as making plans for next school year to implement STAR in MN. STAR training and coaching is being planned for the 2022-2023 school year.

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

Are you interested in a FUN, FREE & MEANINGFUL way to earn some CEUs this summer?

Camp MNprov is an awesome way to learn how to use applied improv games to support your students' social, emotional, and communication growth. This engaging professional development opportunity will allow you to learn with other educators and then interact with a neurodivergent group of students using your new applied improv skills.

Click here for more information about this opportunity.

The SMART Center at the University of Washington is conducting a study that offers free training and consultation on a recess-based intervention for autistic elementary-aged children. This project will occur in the 2022-2023 school year.

Click here for more information about this opportunity.

AuSM is currently hiring for their Cabin Support Person position at Camp Discovery. Working at an AuSM summer camp is a unique opportunity for paraprofessionals, teachers and other related service providers who want to support the autism community in a fun and recreation-focused setting while also gaining valuable hands-one experience using structure, environmental supports and other evidence-based practices.

Click here for more information about this opportunity.

Summer Engagement Opportunities: This webinar provides information about creative ways to keep children engaged and maintain skills during summer break from school. The training will highlight virtual and in-person activities across Minnesota to help children, youth and young adults with ASD stay engaged, build social skills and meet sensory needs, including resources to support the transition back to school. Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 3-4 p.m.

Register for Summer Engagement Opportunities

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.

New statewide update and current ASD Child Count Numbers coming May 2022

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

Do you know that many individuals with ASD prefer “autistic person” over “person with autism”? That many autistic people knew they were different from a young age and feel like learning about their autism had a positive impact on them?

By listening to students and adults with ASD, we are learning more about what is important to them. Knowing what is important for each student is essential for an educator so they can provide appropriate support as well as for their own growth as an educator.

We encourage you and your teams to spend time thinking about how to increase our person-centered thinking as educators of students with ASD. The most important thing to remember is that many autistic people see their autism as a fundamental part of who they are, so it’s important to use positive language. Make sure to talk with families about individual preferences so you can increase your use of person-centered practices!

Here is one person-centered practice tool we started training on here in MN: The One Page Profile. The student and their team create a one-page description of the student using the framework of what people like and admire about the person, what is important to the person, and how to best support the person.

A One Page Profile is intended to offer a summary that people in the person’s life can use to get to know them quickly or ensure that they are providing consistent support in the way the person wants. Check out https://oregonisp.org/1ppa/ for great examples and “how to’s” of creating a One Page Profile for your student.

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

Are you planning on attending the AuSM conference at the end of April? If so, please stop by The NEST (New Educator Support and Tools) Exhibit for free resources and to register for a chance to win a reinforcer kit for your classroom. Not coming to the conference? No worries – just email tami.childs@metroecsu.org and we will mail you the free resources and sign you up for the drawing as well!

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

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. Collaborative work across agencies

· Register for Open Office Hours for the Minnesota Access Center

• April 19, 2022 - Desmos
  
• May 3, 2022 - RS Games
• May 17, 2022 - Summer Program Options

November 2021

December 2021

January 2022

February 2022

March 2022

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!