Monthly Webinar Update: May 2023
We have known for years that early intervention is key to the outcome of children with autism. Now we have new research findings — the earlier, the better the outcome. Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Florida State University (FSU), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have demonstrated through a randomized controlled study that starting early intervention just nine months earlier, at 18 months versus 27 months, makes a significant difference in the child’s progress.
Researchers used the Early Social Interaction (ESI) model, a parent-implemented intervention for toddlers diagnosed with autism that provides a framework to support a child’s development in social communication and active engagement. It also is a framework for parents as they receive both group education and individualized coaching to incorporate evidence-based strategies into everyday activities in the family’s natural environments. Read about our article.
This study highlights the importance of screening all children for autism by 18 months or earlier, and for professionals and families to learn what autism looks like at this age. This is critical to get started earlier with intervention.
We invite you to watch videos with us to learn what the early signs of autism look like in infants and toddlers. For professionals who screen in primary care, diagnose, or determine eligibility, we have two webinars for you to learn how to improve early detection of autism, so your families can start intervention earlier:
- Improving Early Detection of Autism with an Eye Toward Infancy — Join us on Tuesday, May 9th at 8:30pm ET. Learn more and register.
- Sharpen Your Observation Skills Using the SORF for Earlier Detection — Join us on Thursday, May 11th and 25th at 12:30pm ET. Learn more and register.
Now is the time to register for our two 6-week webinar series starting May 3rd. These are for professionals working with children and families in early intervention or early childhood education:
- The Social Communication Development in Infants and Toddlers (SC•DIT) 6-week summer webinar series starts on Wednesday, May 3rd from 1:00 to 2:30pm ET. Learn what it takes for children to learn to talk. We’ll present our social communication milestones — a critical window into the wellbeing of infants and toddlers, and the earliest signs of healthy development and school readiness. This gives you an opportunity to catch small delays early. Learn more and register.
- The Autism Navigator for Classroom Success in PreK through 2nd Grade 6-week summer webinar series starts on Wednesday, May 3rd from 4:00 to 5:30pm ET. Learn how our evidence-based framework for students with autism can help you prioritize goals using our lens of active engagement and layer cake of teaching strategies to promote learning and positive behavior. We’ll highlight the importance of teaching and learning across everyday classroom activities to achieve the intensity needed and promote generalization. Learn more and register.
Mark your calendars for our important upcoming Training Institute and webinar series in June:
- 2023 Summer Training Institute on Autism: Advances in Evidence-Based Practice for Autism Spectrum Disorder — this free, 3-day training institute on June 13th, 14th, and 15th is designed to prepare educators and service providers to understand the social communication, behavioral, and learning characteristics of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Training Institute will present new findings on evidence-based practices and offer practical strategies for implementing these practices for individuals with ASD in educational and community settings. Learn more and register.
- Coaching Families of Young Children with ASD Using the ESI Model — this 6-week, evidence-based summer webinar series starts on Wednesday, June 21st from 12 noon to 1:30pm ET. The Autism Navigator team will share the active ingredients to coach parents using the ESI model to support their child’s learning in everyday activities. Learn more and register.
For families who have children with social communication delays, challenging behavior, or suspect their child has autism, get started right away to support your child’s learning in everyday activities. We offer three family webinars in May:
- What does it take to learn to talk? Baby Navigator brings this free webinar to you at 1:00pm ET on Thursday, May 4th and 18th. Learn how simple interactions — in activities parents are already doing each day with their babies — create learning opportunities needed to support brain development. Learn more and register.
- About Autism in Toddlers — On the first Friday of each month at 12:00 noon ET, we offer our About Autism in Toddlers webinar, a companion to our signature course that is FREE for everyone. Join us on May 5th. Learn more and register.
- How-To Guide for Families — Join us on Tuesday, May 9th and 23rd at 1:00pm ET to get started right away if you suspect your child has autism. Learn evidence-based strategies to engage your child in everyday activities and help develop your child’s social communication skills. Learn more and register.
Visit our webinar page to learn about all 12 of our webinars. Use the calendar view to plan your schedule. Visit our courses page to learn more about Autism Navigator online courses that expand on the content of our webinars. All our webinars are FREE, but you must register.
Please help us spread the word by sharing this email with professionals, families, and friends in your social networks. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming courses and webinars.