Autism Symposium IV

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AUTISM SYMPOSIUM 

Discovery Therapy Network’s Autism Symposium will empower parents and professionals with information and functional strategies on neurodivergent interventions to promote progress with children diagnosed with Autism, Asperger's, ADHD, ADD, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.  Our mission, as a non-profit organization, is to provide services for children diagnosed with Autism and other special needs, as well as education on therapeutic advancements to parents and professionals.   

Given today’s advancements in research, evidence-based practice, publications and technology, there is a need to deliver relevant and practical information for home and school settings.  Our panel of experts will provide evidence-based information to enhance student engagement, learning, and retention of information.  The panel will include an occupational therapist, speech therapist, board certified behavior analysis, and a special educator.  The professional speakers will provide information and facilitate engaging presentations about strategic therapeutic advancements that can be applied at school and home.  

Our symposium is designed with topics that are relevant and pertinent to current research for evidence-based information.  We encourage and mobilize parents and professionals towards discovering new possibilities.  This includes developing language, effective communications, sensory processing skills, attention to tasks, fine/gross motor skills, education/learning advancement and behavior management. Our guest speakers will be making contributions to improve functional outcomes while aiding parents and professionals, in an impactful way.    Non-Financial Disclosure: All presenters have no financial disclosure or conflict of interest with the material in this presentation.

Cost: Autism Symposium Bundle for 5 sessions: 69.00.  Individual Sessions: 14.99 - 25.99.  Cost for each course is listed below
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AUTISM SYMPOSIUM IV BROCHURE

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Dr. Harriet LaChelle Walker-Dumas

Dr. Harriett Walker-Dumas is the founder and executive director of Discovery Therapy Network, a non-profit organization.  Our mission is to provide education and services on therapeutic advancements to empower students, educators, administrators, parents, and professionals.  Our focus is helping children diagnosed with Autism and other special needs to learn new skills. We provide professional training, workshops, webinars, summer camps, educational opportunities, therapeutic activities, and social skill training.   As a pediatric occupational therapist with over 27 years of experience, her passion is promoting therapeutic gains with patients and students.  She has directed and co-coordinated camps for children with special needs for seven years.  Previously, Dr. Walker-Dumas has owned and operated three pediatric therapy facilities, provided school based contracting services, Authored The Wonder Paper – Handwriting Development System, and patented The Upper Extremity Stroke Apparatus.  Dr. Walker-Dumas recognizes the potential in children’s abilities and strives for optimal achievement of their highest functional skill levels.  Non-Financial Disclosure: The current presenter has no financial disclosure or conflict of interest with the material in this presentation.
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Course: Introduction to Neurodivergent Treatment Interventions for Children
Course Level: Introductory
Course Objectives:
• Define Neurodivergent

• Identify diagnosis commonly characterized as neurodivergent

• Understand Autism as a Neurodivergent Classification

• Understand Neurodiversity v/s Neurodivergent

• Discuss Neurodiverse Treatment Therapy Options

• Identify Neurodiverse Interventions



Course Description: 
Participants will learn the definition of a neurodivergent person as it relates to students learning new skills at school and home.  An understanding of brain centers commonly affected in neurodivergent individual is discussed with relevancy to completion of daily activities at home and school.  The presenter will discuss how neurodivergent reflects different ways of being that are normal human experiences with variation in learning, processing, and perceiving information.  How Interventions can be uniquely designed to be functionally applied at school and home to meet specific needs as identified by the child’s strengths and weaknesses to obtain optimal functioning.  Participants will gain insight to interventions to stimulate learning using multi-sensory activities.  Course attendees will understand the difference between Neurodivergent and interventions to support children versus the Neurodiversity’s infinite cognitive variability to be applied in society. Neurodiversity affirming therapy is defined and discuss.

Dr. Harriet LaChelle Walker-Dumas

Course: Sensory Processing Treatment Interventions at Home and School


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Course: Description: Participants will learn introductory information about sensory processing skills. The link between the central nervous system and how sensory information is received is discussed. The peripheral nervous system will be presented for an understanding of sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) responses which results in behavioral outburst, tantrums, screaming, and running. Functional strategies to promote sensory calming activities at home and school are presented. 

Course Level: Introductory
Course Objectives:
• Identify sensory activities to calm a child’ s fight or flight responses at home and school

• Identify the role of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in sensory self-regulation

• Recognize how neurochemical messages are communicated in the body that affects sensory self-regulation

• Define the goal of sensory processing interventions for the parasympathetic nervous system in the classroom





Mrs. Misty Thompson

Mrs. Thompson is a dedicated special education teacher committed to her students.  She currently attends Georgia Southern University and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.  She has worked in school districts in Georgia with elementary aged children.  As a professional committed to her students’ learning, she has worked to assist students diagnosed with Autism, Aspergers, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Emotional Behavior Disorder, and several other diagnoses. Mrs. Thompson utilizes a variety of executive functioning techniques to increase focus and attention in the classroom.  This includes classroom management strategies and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) strategies.  Her focus is to engage the student using visual behavior communication techniques, cognitive behavior visual tools for students to initiate work, sensory processing activities and PBIS strategies to reward completion of assignments.  Mrs. Thompson is married and enjoys spending time with her family. Non-Financial Disclosure: The current presenter has no financial disclosure or conflict of interest with the material in this presentation.
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Course Description: Participants will define executive functioning and its importance as a neurodivergent intervention strategy to support children at school and home. Examples of executive functioning activities and support activities will be observed. This presentation will increase the participants’ understanding of cognitive behavior training visuals to use to improve a student’s task initiation, focus, sustained attention, and task completion. Positive behavior intervention and support activities are presented with examples of positive language are presented.    

Course Level: Introductory
Course Objectives:
• Define executive function

• Identify examples of executive functioning skills

• Understand when to use specific visual behavior tools for the classroom and home to teach task initiation, focus, attention, and task completion

• Understand how to incorporate positive language skills during functional activities

• Discuss examples of cognitive behavior training visual tools for first/then charts, visual schedules/routines, lanyards, work habits, and functional routine charts

• Identify task and routine transition strategies to assist students with completing daily task

• Define positive behavior intervention and support strategies

• Identify activities to incorporate positive language to motivate children



Ms. Rachel Davis, MA, SLP-CCC

Ms. Rachel Davis enjoys working with children and helping them to discover new possibilities as a speech language pathologist. Her focus is on maximum engagement during therapy sessions to advance speech, functional communications, and language skills. Ms. Davis obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education - Communication Disorders, and a Master of Education - Communication Disorders, from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia. Her professional speech therapy experience includes working with school districts as a special education team leader and providing services to students. In the education setting she has collaborated with special education teams, parents, general educators, and special educators to promote students’ academic achievement. Previously, she worked in acute care and inpatient services with adolescents and adults. Her current and past professional involvement includes memberships with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Arizona Speech-Language Hearing Association (mentorship program), and Georgia Speech-Language Hearing Association.
Non-Financial Disclosure: The current presenter has no financial disclosure or conflict of interest with the material in this presentation.

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Course Description: Participants will learn functional communication skills and interventions to implement at school and home. Strategies to stimulate, respond and enhance communications will be discussed. The three parts of language as form, content, and function will be presented with strategies to facilitate these skills. Learn several steps to expand functional communication forms of augmentative and alternative communication. Participants will identify content strategies to expand and support students with beginning communication skills.

Course Level: Introductory
Course Objectives:

• Define functional communications

• Identify the Three Parts of Language as form, content, and function

• Understand several forms of communication to use at school and home

• Review Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

• Identify content strategies to expand communications

• Learn to support a student with beginning communication skills

• Review context-dependent communication and strategies to expand skills

• Learn how to expand flexible core vocabulary

• Incorporate Modeling communication to expand content Review levels of cueing from least invasive to most dependent

• Improving joint attention, behavior regulation

• Review how to create opportunities for communication during daily functional activities



Mrs. Takisha Walls, MA, BCBA 

Mrs. Walls, MA, BCBA is an Atlanta Native and passionate about helping others overcome obstacles one goal at a time. She became certified as a Behavior Analyst in August 2021, and specializes in working with the early intervention population of children diagnosed with Autism (ages 2 - 7).
Mrs. Walls started her career after transitioning from the mental health field of marriage and family therapy, providing counseling and case management to families across Georgia. Given her foundation in trauma informed practice, she furthered her ability to make a difference with children by pursuing a degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She currently works with clients in home and school settings using naturalistic teaching, visual supports, and behavior-reduction strategies to guide her work to assist parents, teachers, and students in achieving the most positive outcomes.
Non-Financial Disclosure: The current presenter has no financial disclosure or conflict of interest with the material in this presentation.


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Course Description: 
The foundational practical skills to understand and improve behavior at school and home are presented. Participants will learn how to identify the ABCs of behavior. This will assist with how to observe the behavior, begin to understand it, break down the behaviors in components. The functions of behavior are presented and discussed for participants to learn how to identify core reasons of why the behavior is happening. The use of visuals to teach and train replacement behaviors will be presented. Differential reinforcement interventions will be discussed with strategies for rewarding positive behavior. Learn how to communicate clear expectations, build structure and helpful boundaries. Participants will understand the purpose of visual supports combined with language to provide structure, predictability, and to promote understanding of routines and social interactions.

Course Level: Introductory
Course Objectives:

• Define applied behavior analysis (ABA) and practical application strategies during daily routines

• Identify how ABA is effective during functional routines such as sports, social interactions, and daily living skills

• Review the Four Functions of Behavior

• Define Autism Spectrum Disorder and comorbid diagnoses that often accompany

• Identify Four Strategies to improve behavior outcomes

• Learn how to incorporate reactive and preventative interventions and strategies





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AOTA CEUs

Satisfactory course completion requirements for AOTA continuing education credit:
AOTA Approved Provider - CEU Information:
Discovery Therapy Network maintains records for a period of seven years for verification purposes. Our learning management system allows us to add a course and set the delivery format to live and in person. This will allow us to maintain the permanent record and have access to information for excel record keeping when needed. Each learner can log into the LMS and reprint the certificate that was issued at any time.

Discovery Therapy Network will provide the pre-test questions at the beginning of the learning activity. This will allow you to identify points of emphasis for the course. Requirements: Participants must attend and obtain a score of 80% on the post-test for satisfactory completion. The post-test and course evaluation is required to be completed, and then participants will obtain a certificate of completion with the CEU credit listed.