On Demand Webinars
School administrators are seeking a deeper understanding and new strategies to serve a growing population of students with autism. An overburdened system and the Common Core's emphasis on language and communications skills has created a sense of urgency to find the best approaches to giving them appropriate access to the curriculum.
Providing services for children with autism is a growing challenge. Special educators and families are hungry for advice and encouragement. Autism is usually portrayed as a checklist of deficits: difficulties interacting with others, sensory challenges, and repetitive–sometimes disruptive– behaviors. Therapy has focused on eliminating “autistic” symptoms. Now there’s a different perspective and a new approach– a major shift in the…
Change agents — leaders in special education– are transforming ways to help older students cope with ASD, attention deficits and related problem behavior that interferes with learning. What does the latest brain research suggest about how we can individualize services, help these students pay closer attention to oral instruction, develop self-regulation skills, complete assignments on time and meet their educational…
With growing concerns about behavior issues that disrupt the learning environment, educators are seeking new evidence-based strategies to help students with challenges in social communication and emotional regulation. This webinar is an overview of The SCERTS Model, which helps create positive school climates. SCERTS prioritizes developmental areas of Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support — critical foundations for student…
Learn to see the invisible: gain insight about our growing population of students with hidden disabilities and how general and special educators can destigmatize them in order to improve student engagement and achievement. Two experts on hidden disabilities will inspire you with their stories and share evidence-based practices and case studies. You will realize the importance of a positive disability…
Educating the “whole child” is easier said than done. School administrators understand that academic growth is impacted by mental health and behavioral needs. Knowing what to do about it is a vastly different thing. We asked Dr. Isaiah Pickens to help outline a framework for supporting school-based mental health services. His mission is to help schools reconcile what they want…
Trying to modify behavior in the typical reactive mode has not proven effective. Students who need help the most benefit least from discipline as usual. It’s time to transform our thinking and our practices so at-risk students can achieve. The Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model does just that. Collaborative and Proactive Solutions are described by Dr. Ross Greene in…
We have overly relied on punitive, coercive approaches to solve the puzzle of disruptive behavior. But, aha! Creating a positive school and classroom climate is a needed change and the missing piece for encouraging better behavior and boosting student achievement. Join us as one of our nation’s most sought-after speakers will surprise you with new insights for big change. You’ll…
Problem behaviors are symptomatic of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Learning how to better manage disruptive behavior is a top priority for school administrators, educators, therapists and parents. During this webinar, one of SPED’s most sought-after experts on classroom behavior management strategies will present a “Bio-Psycho-Social” perspective on the interaction of physiological, cognitive and social-environmental issues.
How brains uniquely develop impacts learning, social-emotional well-being and relationships. Understanding neurodiversity is essential for educators to create a positive learning climate for all students. Special educators will gain new strategies that best “prime” every brain for engagement, keep the stress response in check, and keep executive functions active and awake. Educators’ brains are part of the equation, too, because…
The use of reactive disciplinary approaches such as seclusion, restraint, and out-of-school suspension has gained much attention recently, with numerous exposes, government reports, and proposed federal legislation. There is compelling evidence that these approaches are often dangerous for students and create a negative school climate. The challenge to schools seeking to reduce their use of these procedures is determining what…
Using data to make better decisions about student behavior is a cultural and environmental shift impacting special educators, administrators, and counselors alike. While we continue to observe and document cases related to behavior problems, there is a heightened need for easier and more reliable ways to determine the effectiveness of behavioral interventions. Now we can clearly define what influences a…
For the first time since its announcement of Results Driven Accountability (RDA), the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has rated states for compliance with IDEA and student achievement. Now, district leaders are asking a key question: “How does RDA affect me, my work, and my schools?” The answer? The focus is at the state level, but compliance with…
The Results Driven Accountability (RDA) initiative from OSEP has unfolded over the past several years. Now it’s time to take stock of the past, present, and future of this important new chapter in the history of special education in America. With RDA, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) catalyzed a nationwide shift from a focus centered on procedural compliance…
Bonus Q&A Podcast Your browser does not support the audio element. When it comes to legal topics, special education leaders and related services practitioners are always hungry for more! This summer, we’re unpacking a virtual picnic of meaty, legal topics like student behavior and mental health services. To carve up these hot topics into bite-sized nuggets, we have Julie Weatherly,…
School administrators know: blunders can and do occur in the development and implementation of educational programs for students with disabilities. Process- or content-related mistakes can be the basis for finding a school system has denied FAPE (free appropriate public education). All school personnel should be trained about the development and implementation of IEPs, especially with the expected impact of the…
Data confirms what all special educators experience. Our vision of inclusion has not been achieved, particularly for children of color. What can we do to reduce instances of inappropriate identification of minority students for special education services? How can we learn to use a cultural lens to examine our current attitudes and practices for our at-risk students? What new approaches…
Special educators are feeling the impact of a changing student population and the heightened emphasis on the results of our services. There are so many ways we can get off track and sometimes fail in education. Join your colleagues as we take a look at just five of these common pitfalls, and with humor, share new ideas and plenty of…
A one-size-fits all approach to teaching has been giving way to differentiation, but not without challenges to make it really work. While special educators appreciate the necessity for differentiation, they need help to create a vision for differentiation as an imperative and to understand second order change and how to use a yearly change plan to focus actions. We’ll suggest…
How do you structure a strong foundation for progress toward increasing academic outcomes and bettering school climate? How can you design a program that reduces referrals and minimizes the need for disciplinary action? Research and practice demonstrate that effective classroom management and student instruction in social, emotional, and behavioral self-management is a blueprint for success! Dr. Howie Knoff shares evidence-based…
A fundamental blueprint for student success in school and in life is the ability to read. Special educators especially appreciate the need for constructs that help students with disabilities acquire literacy skills early in their academic career. Yet, even with hundreds of elementary reading programs and interventions we still have persistent gaps. What type of learning architecture will stand the…
Transition challenges are top-of-mind for every special educator. How can we improve achievement for students with disabilities and prepare them to transition from high school to college and career? With heightened accountability, special educators are using a range of tools and methods that go beyond core academics and include non-academic skills, while considering student motivation and engagement. Now, there is…
How effective is RTI in supporting students with learning and behavioral needs? RTI and the Multi Tiered System and Support Framework (MTSS) promised to close the achievement gap even for students who struggle with disabilities. But a persistent shortfall in achievement outcomes is raising questions about the multi-tiered approach and whether special educators really understand the essential elements of MTSS.…
Helping at-risk students has become an increasingly complex job for special educators. Amidst the rigor of new curriculum standards and the ever-growing impact of technology, we are challenged to help all students be ready and eager to learn when they enter the classroom. Distractions, fears, and lack of social emotional competence especially impair minority students from gaining what they need…
Progress in creating literate learners is the cornerstone of education and a high-stakes yardstick by which academic performance is measured. Silos of school-based services are how we’ve traditionally helped students with special needs who are at-risk for reading failure. But now, there’s a new collaborative and results-oriented approach: parents and educators working together to provide individual early reading experiences that…
The need for better collaboration with parents has been recognized for years, yet SPED administrators have had little guidance on how to develop successful family-professional partnerships. Parents often report being more challenged by insensitive professionals and confusing systems of services than by their child’s disability, but the focus of special education has been implementing therapies and measuring progress. Lack of…
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