2024 Pre-Conference Schedule - February 22

All Pre-Conference sessions will be located in the Sorensen Student Center at Utah Valley University.

Pre-Conference Morning Address

9:00 - 10:15 am

Review of the Research on Employment for Autistic Youth and Adults

Carol Schall

Room: Ballroom

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Achieving competitive integrated employment continues to be a challenge facing autistic youth. Nevertheless, there has been research that demonstrates successful support for individuals with autism. In this session, Carol Schall, Ph.D., will present research on the impact of internships, supported employment and customized employment on employment outcomes for autistic youth. She will also include a discussion of the behavioral methods used to support youth and young adults with ASD in the transition from school to work.

Pre-Conference Morning Concurrent Sessions

10:30 - 11:30 am

Transition Practices That Work

Carol Schall

Room: Ballroom

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In this breakout session, Dr. Schall will present the evidence-based transition practices that are most associated with preparing autistic youth for college or employment. This session will describe essential elements of transition programs and provide participants with a way to consider their own transition programs and how to improve them. During this session, Dr. Schall will discuss how to help students move through the transition process from early high school when students are exploring their strengths, interests, and preferences through skill acquisition to college and career planning. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the session to their own transition programs

Marketing Your Organization

Jennifer McDonough

Room: Centre Stage

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To effectively market your organization, it is critical that you understand what your organization has to offer to your customers and who your customers are! In this session, we will consider a charity versus human resources mindset and how that will impact the approach and success of your interactions. In addition, we will review marketing materials and businesses that have engaged in hiring individuals with disabilities and what they say they want from the rehabilitation community.

Understanding the Employment Support Needs of Autistic and Neurodivergent Employees

Alissa Brooke

Room: Ragan Theatre

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During this session we will discuss what autism at work can look like. We will discuss the role of the employment specialist in supporting autistic adults in obtaining and maintaining employment. This will be illustrated through case studies that discuss making a match, educating the employer, communicating with the vocational rehabilitation counselor, and helping the family make the transition to employment.

Lunch

11:30 - 12:45 pm - Lunch-vouchers will be provided

 

Pre-Conference Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

12:45 - 1:45 pm

Supporting Youth with Significant Needs in Pre-ETS Services

Carol Schall

Room: Ballroom

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This breakout session will provide more in-depth information regarding the specific types of support used to increase the inclusion of autistic youth in Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and High School Community Based Employment Training (CBET). Work-related behavior and social skills are critical to employment success yet can be challenging for youth with significant impact from their disabilities. Dr. Schall will demonstrate how evidence-based strategies can be used to increase social skills and improve competitive, integrated employment outcomes. This session she will describe the "nuts and bolts" of providing evidence-based instructional and behavioral strategies in Pre-ETS and CBET.

Getting to Know Your Business Community: Partnering with Local Businesses

Jennifer McDonough

Room: Centre Stage

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How do you connect with businesses in your community? What tools are you using? During this session, we will look at the best practices for building relationships with businesses in your community and how to use your network and the network of others to make connections. We will also look at how to prioritize business interactions so that is not overwhelming for an employment specialist.

Behavior Supports that Work

Alissa Brooke

Room: Ragan Theatre

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Executing appropriate social skills in real work settings is key to maintaining employment. During this session we will review examples of behavior support strategies, and strategies for implementation in the workplace, as well as the importance of educating businesses on how to work best with their new employees.

2:00 - 3:00 pm

From Pre-ETS to Employment: Transition Teaming

Carol Schall

Room: Ballroom

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One of the most difficult aspects of transition planning is working in the context of an interdisciplinary team. In this session, participants will learn how to create effective teams and practice strategies to engage in interdisciplinary problem solving. Finally, participants will discuss how to communicate across disciplines to ensure better outcomes for students.

Balancing Business Needs and Employee Supports

Jennifer McDonough

Room: Centre Stage

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To match job seekers to jobs, the employment specialist will need to understand both the needs of the business and the skills, interests, and abilities of the job seeker. To do this, a relationship will need to be built with both parties and the right questions will need to be asked. During this session, we will discuss how to understand the needs of both customers and what questions will need to be asked (and answered) to make the best job match. When employment specialists make good matches between the two, both parties are happy, and the result is a long-term employment relationship.

Building Independence at Work

Alissa Brooke

Room: Ragan Theatre

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Systematic instruction and having an organized job site training plan can ensure that instruction is being provided according to the employees learning style, while also meting the business needs of the job that they are hired for. During this session we will share a number of visual supports that have been implemented in real work settings to increase independence on the job for autistic adults as they learn the hard skills required for their job.

Pre-Conference Closing Session

3:15 pm

How to Actually Get (and Keep) a Job While Autistic: Employment and Autism Panel Discussion

Facilitated by Samantha Easter

Room: Ballroom

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N/A

2024 Conference Schedule - February 23

All Conference sessions will be located in the Sorensen Student Center at Utah Valley University.

Conference Morning Address

9:00 - 10:30 am

Living and Loving with ASD

James and Chrissy Williams

Room: Ballroom

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Relationships form in the most-interesting ways, and they don't always make sense, but having autism spectrum disorder makes them even more of a puzzle. Join the presenters as they discuss how their lives and experiences brought them together. They will discuss how their relationship and daily lives are challenged yet strengthened by James' diagnosis of autism. In addition, they will present tips and resources for teaching relationship social skills to high-functioning individuals with ASD. Lastly, this session will further prove, that no matter what, an ASD will never be stronger than love.

10:45-11:45 am

Giving the Dignity of Risk

Jared Stewart

Room: Ballroom

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It is completely understandable for parents and professionals to want to protect vulnerable individuals with neurodiversities such as autism. But that same urge to protect can sometimes go to extremes that actually end up dis-abling those individuals and robbing them of the opportunities and autonomy that could have led to greater success and independence in adulthood. Join Jared Stewart, the Autistic BCBA, to gain valuable insight into how best to balance our responsibility to care with the universal right to make personal choices and (sometimes) to fail.

Preparing Students with Disabilities for Postschool Success

Crystal Emery and Deanna Taylor

Room: Centre Stage

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This session will provide information and resources for educators, youth, and families who are preparing for the transition to adulthood. We will discuss the positive predictors of postschool success as well as specific skills students need to thrive in postschool settings in education, employment, and independent living. We will identify resources to help stakeholders navigate the postsecondary transition process in productive and meaningful ways.

Mental Health and Job Preparation: The Importance of Training Your Mind for the World of Work

Amy Wadsworth

Room: SC 206 A, B, C

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In this presentation, we will discuss the importance of training your mind for the world of work. We are so concerned about learning how to do specific tasks, how to get experience, and how to create an eye-catching resume, but lack training in the most important skill we need for work in the community--self-management. Employers must also focus on supporting mental health to create necessary inclusive culture and retain good employees.

Creating and Using Digital Activity Schedules

Kassidy Reinert
*BCBA CEU available

Room: SC 213 A & B

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Photographic activity schedules have been demonstrated to be effective in helping individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities learn how to complete both simple and complex sequences of activities without prompting from adults. In the current presentation, we provide a task analysis for creating both simple and complex digital activity schedules using Google Slides, a freely available, web-based technology that operates on a variety of digital platforms. We also provide suggestions for how behavior analysts can train parents to use this technology with their children using telehealth procedures.

Lunch

11:45 -12:45 pm - Vouchers will be provided

Conference Concurrent Afternoon Sessions

12:45 - 1:45 pm

Quality of Life Across the Spectrum: The Autistic Perspective: A Panel Discussion

Facilitated by Michael Davies

Room: Ballroom

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Quality of Life is subjective to the individual. For years, people have been trying to find a way to objectively define and assess it. Do these definitions and assessments align with the thoughts and feelings of the individual? In this session, we will learn from four Autistic folks in our community - their perspectives on Quality of Life and their personal strengths, stories, and experiences that create it.

The Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid During Postsecondary Transition Planning/Evaluation

James Williams

Room: Centre Stage

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This session will focus on identifying, understanding, and avoiding the top ten mistakes made during post-secondary transition planning and evaluation based upon research and practitioner experience. An emphasis will be placed on using vocational evaluation and student involvement to foster self-determined choices and empower families, schools, and students to make the best possible decisions regarding post-secondary employment, education, and independent living.

Working Together for Success: Collaboration Techniques for Parents and Educators

Jennifer Call

Room: SC 206 A, B, C

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In today’s educational landscape, successful schools thrive on strong partnerships. This presentation delves into the critical role of collaboration within school environments, emphasizing two key aspects: parent involvement and cultural sensitivity. We explore strategies of collaboration between schools and parents as active participants in their child’s education. Additionally, we delve into the nuances of cultural diversity, recognizing that each student brings a unique background and perspective. By fostering open dialogue, mutual respect, and understanding, educators can create inclusive spaces where every student feels valued and supported.

Evidence-based Strategies for Promoting Variable Behavior in Children on the Autism Spectrum

Tom Higbee
*BCBA CEU available

Room: SC 213 A & B

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Some individuals on the autism spectrum have the tendency to engage in repetitive or rigid verbal and play behavior, which may limit current and future social opportunities. In the current presentation, recent research documenting effective strategies for teaching children on the spectrum to play and communicate in more variable and flexible ways will be described. We will also discuss how increasing variable responding may have positive impacts on the quality of life of individuals on the autism spectrum.

2:00 - 3:00 pm

Suicidality in Autism: Brief Review of Research and Insights from Clinical Practice. Why We Should Be Concerned and How to Make a Meaningful Difference.

Julia Connelly
*Charlie Garlick Memorial Session

Room: Ballroom

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Research regarding suicidality in autism has consistently shown that autistic children and adults are much more likely to die by suicide than neurotypical individuals. Statistics vary but are consistently demonstrating suicide rates that are between two to eight times higher than expected given population statistics. What does that mean for clinicians and others supporting autistic individuals? What have we learned from clinical practice? What appear to be some do's and don'ts when it comes to the subject of suicidal thoughts? Come join us to explore this subject further, challenge our assumptions, and gather tools to feel better equipped to address this critical topic.

Identifying Signs of Risk in the Early Development of Autism: Current Challenges and New Research Proposals in Europe

Ricardo Canal-Bedia

Room: Centre Stage

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Early detection of autism has long been considered a priority issue. The rationale is that early detection increases the chances that treatments will achieve more relevant long-term outcomes for both the child and the family. However, despite the efforts of many researchers and organizations over more than three decades, we continue to detect only a fraction of the children who will receive a ASD diagnosis.

The presentation critically analyses the efforts made over the last 30 years and the reasons why we have not been able to make as much progress in early detection as expected. The presentation also outlines the approaches that underpin the different approaches aimed at improving detection, as well as the detection methods, their results and the conclusions that can be considered current certainties about the most effective strategies for detecting children with ASD or at risk of developing it.

Delivering Explicit Math Instruction through Point-of-View Video Modeling to Elementary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Jared Morris and Patsy Gibbs

Room: SC 206 A, B, C

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Point-of-view video modeling (POV-VM) is a method to teach academic skills. This multiple probe single-case design study used explicit instruction techniques to deliver point-of-view videos through an online platform to teach multiplication, division, and fraction skills to two elementary-aged students with an autism spectrum disorder. A visual analysis of the data showed that POV-VM using explicit techniques to deliver the videos is an effective intervention for autistic students.

Application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to Individuals with Autism

Caleb Stanley and Meagan Grasley
*BCBA CEU Available

Room: SC 213 A & B

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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a behavior-analytic oriented treatment that utilizes behavior change strategies, present moment awareness, and acceptance procedures to increase psychological flexibility. Research has demonstrated the potential ACT has in alleviating social and emotional challenges as well as improving psychological well-being across a wide range of populations. Given that many individuals with autism often experience social and emotional challenges throughout their daily lives, ACT can be a beneficial treatment that can used to help alleviate these challenges. The current talk will provide a brief overview of ACT and describe how it can be used in a clinical capacity to those with autism.

3:15 - 4:15 pm

Quality of Life Across the Spectrum: A Parent’s Perspective

Karen Fairchild and Cheryl Smith

Room: Ballroom

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Parenting a child with autism is a unique experience in each family situation. Karen Fairchild will lead a discussion with parents who have autistic children in their homes with varied needs and levels of support. Autism does not look the same in any two individuals, and neither does autism manifest the same in any two families. Come listen to the perspectives of parents who share their personal experiences and hope for a high quality of life for their children with a wide range of needs.

Bridging the Gap: Postsecondary, Employment and Education Strategies for Students with Disabilities

James Wililams

Room: Centre Stage

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Using an engaging and honest style, the presenter will discuss post-secondary employment and education strategies for students with disabilities. This information will be infused with the presenter’s unique professional and personal knowledge as a CEO, Vocational Expert, and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor & Advanced Autism Specialist diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. The presenter will also include information about current successful program models, the importance of vocational evaluation, and the findings of his dissertation which focused on understanding the relationship between successful employment outcomes and parent demographics, behaviors, and expectations. The attendees will leave the session with practical, research-based strategies, tools, and resources which they can use to better support the post-secondary employment and educational needs of students with disabilities. The attendees will leave the session with an understanding of the importance of high quality vocational assessment in the transition planning process for a student with a disability.

Evaluating a Peer-Modeling Intervention on the Acquisition and Maintenance of Social Skills for Adults with Autism in a Transition Setting

Jared Morris and Adam Hammond

Room: SC 206 A, B, C

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This presentation will discuss a recent study on video modeling and social skills for adults with ASD. This study aimed to evaluate the following research questions: - To what extent does a peer video prompting and modeling intervention affect whether adults with ASD in transition settings acquire social skills? - To what extent does the delivery of social skills instruction via peer video prompting and modeling lead to generalization and maintenance.

Challenging Behavior in the Classroom: Strategies that Work

Jane Carlson
*BCBA CEU available

Room: SC 213 A & B

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Strategies to address challenging behavior in schools often focus on de-escalation techniques or interventions to use when a challenging behavior has already happened. This session will focus on general classroom strategies to reduce the probability that challenging behavior will occur and effective, individualized strategies to help students with challenging behavior to be more successful in the school environment. Participants will learn to gather critical information through the FBA process and to use that information to develop behavior support plans that work.