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University of Missouri
205 Portland Street
Columbia, MO 65211
573-884-6052
University of Missouri
205 Portland Street
Columbia, MO 65211
573-884-6052
The Thompson Center is proud to offer more than 20 FREE virtual training opportunities to professionals working with individuals with autism through our Train Experts in Autism for Missouri (TEAM) initiative. Session information as well as registration links can be found below. You may register for multiple topics and some topics are offered more than once for your convenience.
Sessions are live via the Zoom platform and will not be recorded. Zoom is an easy to use online meeting space and can be accessed from any computer, smart phone, or tablet using high-speed internet.
If you have questions or require additional assistance, please contact Jaclyn Benigno at benignoj@health.missouri.edu.
Audience | Early Intervention Professionals Daycare Providers |
Session Description | This session will provide information on recognizing the early signs of autism to help guide referral decision making. Additional information will be provided about autism characteristics in young children and methods for screening and referring to diagnostic and support services when autism is suspected. This session contains some overlapping information with the Overview of Autism session. |
Date & Time | September 6, 2023 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
| January 24, 2024 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Community |
Session Description | This session will dive into the concept of neurodiversity and how subtle or nuanced symptoms of neurodevelopment conditions are all around you. |
Date & Time | September 8, 2023 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Educators Case Managers Administrators Early Intervention Professionals |
Session Description | This session will identify strategies for building effective school-based teams with paraprofessionals and examine how to take data and effectively plan for paraprofessional support. This session is most applicable for those who are supervising paraprofessionals. |
Date & Time | September 21, 2023 | 4:00-5:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
| January 25, 2024 | 4:00-5:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Psychologists Social Workers Counselors Other mental health professionals working with individuals with autism |
Session Description | This session will review the latest research on the most effective mental health strategies and interventions for individuals on the autism spectrum. *This session qualifies for APA CEs. |
Date & Time | September 22, 2023 | 1:00-2:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
February 23, 2024 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Educators Early Intervention Professionals Any professional working with students with problem bx |
Session Description | This session will provide educational professionals with an overview of strategies to promote appropriate behavior in the classroom setting. The content will include functional information on why problem behavior may occur. Strategies to address the environment as well as teach/reinforce new behavior will be discussed. We recommend you also attend the Functional Behavior Assessment webinar. Note: This session is not intended for BCBAs. |
Date & Time | September 25, 2023 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
April 8, 2024 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
| Audience | Speech Language Pathologists Early Intervention Professionals |
Session Description | This session will highlight the importance of play development. Strategies to engage students in play and to expand students’ play schemes will be presented. Additionally, strategies to facilitate emergent engagement with peers will be discussed. |
Date & Time | October 4, 2023 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Educators Speech Language Pathologists Early Childhood Providers |
Session Description | This session will identify the benefits of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) implementation, describe various AAC strategies and tools, and provide practical insights for fostering inclusive communication strategies. Whether you’re a caregiver, educator, or simply interested in AAC, this session will inspire you to embrace the diversity of communication methods and help support individuals with communication challenges. |
Date & Time | October 10, 2023 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
January 30, 2024 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Community |
Session Description | This session will identify the impact of neurodiversity on social skills and support. |
Date & Time | October 13, 2023 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Educators School Psychologists Professionals working with students with problem bx |
Session Description | This session will provide an overview of the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) process for professionals working in a school setting. Participants will learn how to collect multiple forms of data, and how to analyze that data to identify possible reasons for the target behavior occurring. The content of this presentation will focus on the relationship between the environment and appropriate behavior. This session will also provide resources for education professionals to access as they move forward with using FBAs. Although not required, we recommend you attend the Supporting Appropriate Behavior webinar prior to attending this one. This session is not intended for BCBAs. |
Date & Time | October 16, 2023 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
April 22, 2024 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Educators Speech Language Pathologists Early Childhood Providers |
Session Description | Think about effective augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention as 20% hardware and 80% follow through. Once a system or device is chosen and purchased, the real work begins for educators, speech-language pathologists, families, and students. Adequate support and training is needed to decrease the chances of device or system abandonment. During this webinar, we will review strategies, resources, and supports demonstrated to be effective for successful AAC intervention and outcomes. We suggest you also attend the Introduction to Alternative Communication webinar. |
Date & Time | October 17, 2023 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
February 6, 2024 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Educators Paraprofessionals Professionals working with students with autism |
Session Description | This session will identify effective strategies to address independence and transition from high school to young adulthood for students with autism. This session will also discuss common barriers to creating a smooth transition and how to address these. Additional resources will be provided to participants. |
Date & Time | October 24, 2023 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
February 13, 2024 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Educators Paraprofessionals |
Session Description | This session will identify effective instructional strategies to address independence and promote expected behavior for students with autism. This session will discuss common barriers to independence and how to address these including the use of antecedent strategies and environmental modification. Additional resources will be provided to participants. |
Date & Time | November 2, 2023 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
March 7, 2024 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Educators Early Childhood Providers |
Session Description | This session will explore the power of Peer-Mediated Interventions (PMI) in fostering inclusive connections for individuals with autism. Discover practical strategies, success stories, and ethical considerations, empowering you to create supportive environments that nurture social skills and promote lasting positive change. |
Date & Time | November 7, 2023 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
| February 20, 2024 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Psychologists Social Workers Counselors Other professionals working with individuals with autism |
Session Description | This session will define the core characteristics of an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis in adolescents and young adults and identify subtle symptoms of autism that are often missed or mis-categorized. It will also cover “gold standard” evaluation components and why they are needed. *This session qualifies for APA CEs. |
Date & Time | November 17, 2023 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
| April 5, 2024 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Psychologists Social Workers Counselors Other professionals working with individuals with autism |
| Session Description | This training will explore common co-occurring diagnoses. Attendees will be able to identify mental health conditions that are frequently associated with autism as well as analyze symptom overlap and how characteristics of various diagnoses interact. This session qualifies for APA CEs. |
Date & Time | December 1, 2023 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
| April 26, 2024 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Vocational Rehabilitation professionals Other adult care providers (residential staff, job coaches, day programs) |
Session Description | This session will identify the three barriers to successful transition as well as three domains to focus on for transition planning. Three references and tools to help make the transition process smoother will be given. |
Date & Time | January 29, 2024 | 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Community |
Session Description | This session will describe the impact of neurodevelopmental differences on the brain’s ability to plan and execute tasks. |
Date & Time | February 9, 2024 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Vocational Rehabilitation professionals Other adult care providers (residential staff, job coaches, day programs) |
Session Description | This session will identify the four steps in Behavior Skills Training to teach employment skills as well as the three ways to fade on the job supports. It will also reference 3 resources for teaching independence in the workplace. |
Date & Time | February 26, 2024 | 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Speech Language Pathologists Early Intervention Professionals |
Session Description | This session will provide strategies for increasing communication and engagement for children with emergent language skills using evidenced based intervention for improving social-communication, play, and adaptive skills. |
Date & Time | February 27, 2024 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Community |
Session Description | This session will describe the impact of neurodiversity on communication skills in children. |
Date & Time | March 8, 2024 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Audience | Vocational Rehabilitation professionals Other adult care providers (residential staff, job coaches, day programs) |
Session Description | This session will identify three barriers in the college setting for students with ASD as well as three types of accommodations students can request. References and resources for teaching problem solving and goal setting will also be discussed. |
Date & Time | March 18, 2024 | 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
| Audience | Individuals with autism |
Session Description | This session will identify strategies for creating a professional resume, preparing for interviews, searching for employment, etc. |
Date & Time | April 9, 2024 | 5:00-6:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
| Audience | Individuals with autism |
Session Description | This session will identify strategies for communicating with others using technology including professional and casual emails, texts, leaving voicemail messages, etc. |
Date & Time | April 16, 2024 | 5:00-6:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
| Audience | Individuals with autism |
Session Description | This session will identify strategies to better understand social norms, values, and beliefs. |
Date & Time | April 23, 2024 | 5:00-6:00 p.m. CST Click here to register for this session |
Interested in additional training? Check out our asynchronous training videos with topics including Overview of Autism, Comprehensive Evaluations, toileting, and more! We strongly suggest watching Overview of Autism before attending the webinars above.