REGISTRATION IS OPEN!  DOWNLOAD A CONFERENCE BROCHURE HERE.

The 2011 ASD State Conference will feature over 25 breakout sessions. Topics and themes include: Assistive Technology, Evidence Based Practices, Positive Approaches to Problem Behaviors, Social Thinking, Communication Interventions, and much more.  This is going to be a great conference so register soon to make sure you get a seat!

A Parent Breakout Strand will be offered throughout the conference with topics specifically designed for parents and family members. This strand is sponsored in part by the Autism Society of Nebraska.

A Panel of Individuals on the Autism Spectrum will discuss their experiences in middle school, high school, college and beyond.

New to the conference this year will be Networking Sessions which will include informal meeting and collaboration rooms for Parents, Support Group Leaders, Ziggurat Model Users, Best Practices in Assessment, STEPS/District Leadership Participants, and Assistive Technology.

Childcare will be provided by the Autism Society of Nebraska during the Thursday evening dinner/keynote presentation.

Scholarships for family members and individuals with ASD are available through the Autism Society of Nebraska.  Learn more about our scholarship program HERE. 

Handwriting Without Tears
Saturday, February 5, 2011 (Registration deadline January 27, 2011)
8:30 am – 12:00pm
Cost: $20

At the end of the Handwriting Without Tears Pre–K Workshop, attendees will be able to:

Plan new activities to teach body awareness and other school readiness skills
Understand how to use music to prepare children for school
Identify developmental stages in writing readiness
Understand how to use multisensory, hands-on manipulatives to prepare children for handwriting
Teach a correct and effective grip and other fine motor skills
Teach counting, drawing, shape recognition, and letter/number formations to children at the Pre-K level

The Handwriting Without Tears Program has been found to be successful for many children with ASD.   

Download a flyer HERE.

February 28th, 2011

ESU 6, Milford, NE
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Cost: Free (Lunch will be provided)

Do you work with a student that struggles with organization, assignment completion, following direction, displays poor time management skills, and keeps losing things? If so, this workshop is for you! Come and learn about executive functioning skills and how they affect school performance.

Intended Audience:
This workshop is intended for Regular Education Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Parents, Administrators and other Professionals working with students on the Autism Spectrum or other Neurological Disabilities.

Download a flyer HERE.

Developing Social Communication, Play Skills and Theory of Mind in Young Children on the Autism Spectrum based on Fern Sussman’s More Than Words and TalkAbility

February 18, 2011

Registration 8:00 am, Workshop 8:30 am-3:30 pm

ESU 10, 76 Plaza Blvd, Kearney, NE

Presented by:

Judy Lauby, M.S., CCC-Speech/Language Pathologist; Karen Verraneault, Early Childhood Special Educator

This workshop is intended for parents, early childhood teachers, speech/language pathologists, resource specialists, classroom teachers, paraeducators, occupational and physical therapists and community providers seeking information about young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and/or other developmental delays.

Where: Educational Service Unit 10, 76 Plaza Blvd, Kearney, NE

When: February 18, 2011

8:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m.—Registration

8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.—Workshop

Cost: $10 (Lunch and Handouts included)

Deadline: February 11, 2011

Please download their flyer HERE.   If you have questions about registration, please contact Polly Hays at 308-237-5927. Polly is available Tuesday-Friday from 8:00-3:30.

Teaching Language to Children with Autism

Presenters:
Deb Rauner, Behavior Specialist from Lincoln Public Schools
Teresa Schultz, Private Practice SLP/Autism Consultant/UNL Project EXCEED-SLP

February 28th and March 1st, 2011, ESU 7, 2657 44th Ave., Columbus, NE
8:00am-4:00 pm

Verbal Behavior is based on the teaching principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis.  Understanding Verbal Behavior strategies are key to developing and implementing a language-based curriculum for children with autism. Verbal behavior is a way of understanding the different purposes of language (e.g., a child may use language to ask for things, or to label things in his environment). We will be learning about echoicvocal imitation, tact-labels, intraverbals- answers to questions, mands-requests and listener behavior-following instructions.

Intended Audience:
This workshop is intended for Regular Education Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Parents, Administrators and other professionals working with students with autism.

Please email Angie Stankoski at astankos@esu7.org , or call (402) 564-0815 ext 1017.  Download a flyer HERE.