The Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders offers ECHO Autism clinics for primary care providers, diagnostic and treatment specialists, and educators and early care providers. Learn about each clinic below.
Primary Care Providers Clinic
Dates/times: 12-1 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from Jan. 14 through June 24, 2022 (join any time)
Free CE hours: Earn up to 2 hours monthly
View clinic flyer.
Curriculum
- ASD 101: Red flags, variability in presentation; understanding sensory processing disorder
- Identification and Management of Comorbid Medical Problems: such as sleep, eating, toileting; genetic and neurological conditions
- Screening: AAP guidelines, Level 1 and 2 screening tools; how to manage results; responding to concerns
- Treatment Overview: Review evidenced based practices including ABA; role of providers & parents
- Supporting a Family While they Wait: Staying engaged, tracking progress, connecting to resources
- Psychotropic Medications: Review of stimulants, risperidone, aripiprazole and other psychiatric medications used in children with ASD
- ASD Evaluation 101: Time to evaluation, diagnostic process and tools, multidisciplinary teams
- Systems Navigation: Entry points and services in different systems of care; IFSP/IEP process; barriers
- How to Talk to Families About ASD: Including fielding common questions from parents like, “What do I do now?” “What does the future look like?” and “When should I tell my child?”
- Alternative Medicine Approaches: Use of supplements, cannabis; how to support families
- Supporting Medical Visits: Accommodating sensory, executive, and social communication deficits through environmental modifications, visual supports, use of technology and direct instruction on what to expect
- Supporting Transition to Adult Healthcare: Risks, coordination needs, role of healthcare providers, independence-related decision making
Diagnostic and Treatment Specialists Clinic
This clinic will repeat in 2022 - details below.
View clinic flyer.
Time: 12-1:30 p.m. EST on the following dates (join any time):
- July 15 and 22
- August 5 and 19
- September 16 and 30
- October 7 and 21
- November 4 and 18
- December 2 and 16
Free CE hours: Earn up to three hours monthly.
Curriculum
- ASD 101: Red flags, common profiles including strengths of people with autism
- Treatment Planning in Autism: Includes telemedicine-based interventions
- Screening: Best practices and “current state” adaptations during Covid-19 restrictions
- Recommendations for School Supports: In classroom and virtual settings
- Diagnostic Tools: Includes experimental measures used in telemedicine settings
- Community Resources/Referral Processes: Entry points and services in different systems of care; navigating systems; barriers
- Interdisciplinary Evaluations: Roles and functions across disciplines
- How to Support Positive Outcomes: Includes supporting skill building, self-esteem, learning and family resilience
- Differential Diagnosis/Comorbidities
- Supporting Families/Parents as Partners
- Delivering the Diagnosis: Includes fielding common questions from parents like, “What do I do now?” “What does the future look like?” and “When should I tell my child?”
- Treatment Focus: Behavioral, speech/language communication techniques
Educators and Early Care Providers Clinic
Dates/times: 5-6:30 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month beginning Jan. 6, 2022 (join any time)
Free CE hours: Earn up to 3 hours monthly
View clinic flyer.
Curriculum
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 101: Red flags, common profiles including strengths of people with autism
- Educational Planning Considerations in ASD: Placement decisions, IFSP/IEP goal development, classroom accommodations
- Targeting Social Communication in Intervention and Classroom Settings: Defining concepts, speech/language communication techniques
- Toolkit for Screening and Evaluation of ASD: Best-practice measures and procedures, COVID-19 related considerations
- Targeting Higher-order Language Weaknesses in Intervention and Classroom Settings: Defining concepts; speech/language communication techniques
- How to Talk to Families about ASD: Fielding common questions from parents like, “What do I do now?” “What does the future look like?” and “When should I tell my child?”
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for Educators: Individualizing systems, communication technique
- Supporting Parents as Partners: Review planning tools to help families identify needed supports and resources
- Behavioral Strategies for Working with Kids with ASD: Behavioral, speech/language communication techniques
- Transition Needs in Adolescents and Young Adults with ASD: Risks, coordination needs, role of school teams
- Understanding and Supporting Executive Function Deficits in ASD: Defining concepts, educational impact, strategies
- Maximizing Educational Outcomes in Children with ASD: Supporting skill building, self-esteem, learning and family resilience