Day 1
No More Meltdowns: Handling Challenging Behaviors & Teaching Social Skills, with Jed Baker, Ph.D.

Students on the autism spectrum often present with difficulty regulating their feelings and
interacting socially. This workshop describes how to handle meltdowns and design effective
behavior plans to prevent these moments and reduce frustration and anxiety. The second part
of the presentation details strategies to motivate students to learn, ways to teach social skills,
how to generalize skills into the natural setting and increase acceptance and tolerance from
peers. Information will be imparted though lecture, interactive exercises, and video clips.

Learning objectives for participants:
-To understand the reasons for social skill deficits and disruptive behaviors.
-To learn strategies to deal effectively with meltdowns and be able to put together an effective
behavior plan to prevent frustrations.
-To understand how to put together a social skills training program in schools or at home.
-To learn ways to motivate verbal and non-verbal students to want to socialize.
-To learn several strategies for teaching and generalizing skills.
-To learn how to create programs for typical peers to accept students with disabilities and
model positive behaviors.

 

Day 2:
Mental Illness in Children, with Christopher Okiishi, M.D.

Childhood is a time of many changes, challenges and, at times, confusion. This is even more
so for children with psychiatric disorders. In this seminar, we will overview the most common
childhood psychiatric conditions. At the end of the day, we will look at real world examples of
behaviors a child may exhibit in the classroom, community or home and understand the
possible mental health underpinnings of these behaviors.

Dr. Okiishi will be addressing:
Mood disorders: Depression, bipolar, adjustment disorders, grief
Anxiety disorders: Generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety disorder
Disruptive behavior disorders: ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, reactive attachment disorder
Tic disorders: Tourette Syndrome
Cognitive disorders: Mental disabilities, learning disorders
Psychotic disorders: Schizophrenia

Learning objectives for each group of disorders:
-Diagnostic strategies
-Symptoms and 'hallmark' behaviors
-Predisposing factors
-Co-morbid disorders and disorder comparisons
-Impact of symptoms on individual, family and friends
-Skills training for parents/teachers
-Statistics and prevalence of disorders
-Reasons to treat
-How to treat, including medications, therapy and other interventions
-When it gets dangerous, and things to avoid

Day 3:
Special Parent Day with the Illinois Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project

IATTAP focuses on educating and supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
and their families. This organization will be holding a day of training for the parents of
children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The following workshops will be presented:

1. Consistency throughout the Day: Home, School and Community
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders do best when supports and expectations are
consistent across environments. A support or strategy may look different at home than in
school but still serve the same function. Learn about the importance of supports and how to
adapt them to the environments and activities in which your child needs them.

2. Self-Determination: How Do We Get There?
Parents of children with autism often wonder what the future will bring and how to best
prepare their children for it. Regardless of ability level or age, all children can work on the
skills needed to live a self-determined adult life. Self-determination skills, including
self-awareness, problem-solving, and self-advocacy will maximize opportunities and
satisfaction in life. We will look at the many skills that go into self-determination and how to
teach those skills to children of differing ages and abilities.

3. Autism is a Family Affair
Autism affects more than just the individual. This session looks at the different challenges
faced by families of children with autism and explores positive and productive ways of
meeting the unique challenges and demands we face. Topics include family stress,
extended family issues, sibling issues, myths about marriage/divorce in the autism
community, and more.

4. When the Political becomes Personal: Autism Legislation & Advocacy in Illinois
What happens in Springfield has a direct impact on the lives of thousands of children and
adults with autism and other developmental disabilities in Illinois, as well as their families and
loved ones. Political action is a critical component of securing support and opportunities for
individuals and families affected by autism. This session will look at what is currently
happening in Illinois and why we all need to be aware of legislative efforts.

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CEUs
Autism Spectrum Disorders and Mental Illness in Children is approved for up to 1.8 CEUs.

To register for CEUs, click on the link below to download the Session Attendance Report Form, complete the form, and save the file using this file name model:

2009-Autism-Mundelein-Lastname-Firstname.xls.

Then send the file as an email attachment to ceus@aacinstitute.org. This is a spreadsheet file (.xls). If any difficulty is encountered in using this form, write to ceus@aacinstitute.org to request an alternative file format.

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Evaluation and Learning Assessment
Please take a moment to download, complete, and return the Evaluation and Learning Outcomes Form. After completing the form, save it, attach it to an email message, and send it to ceus@aacinstitute.org.

Download Evaluation and Learning Assessment Form now.

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CEU Certificates will be sent to those submitting all forms.