Information, resources and research about work and disability issues
Find us on Facebook Upcoming Autism Webcasts
Planning your Student's Program Using the Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS) by
Shawn Henry
Date: 5/10/2011, 3:30 PM ET
This webcast will provide an overview of the Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS). CAPS is an easy-to-use system that allows educators to understand how and when to implement an instructional program for students with ASD. The CAPS model helps the educational team develop a plan to implement a student's IEP effectively. The CAPS model answers the questions (a) What supports does my student/child need in each class to be successful? (b) What goals is my student/child working on? and (c) Is there a thoughtful sequence to the student's/child's day for implementation of instruction? Dr. Henry will lead participants through the CAPS process to ensure student success as well as data collection to measure that success. Register Online
Research Based Intervention: Ensuring Program Quality for Students with ASD by
Sam Odom
Date: 6/14/2011, 3:30pm Eastern
It is critical for parents and professionals serving someone with ASD to utilize practices determined to be effective through research. This webcast will provide a comprehensive description of evidence-based practices for individuals with ASD. Dr. Odom will provide a definition and describe how a practice is determined to be evidence-based. A review of the current literature in ASD will be provided and those strategies currently identified as evidence-based will be discussed. Dr. Odom will talk about components of a quality program for students with ASD and outline contextual features that represent best practice. A focus will be placed on the findings of the National Autism Professional Development Center in ASD and the National Standards Project. Register Online
Facts Are Stubborn Things DVD
As a businessman and a researcher, Brian McMahon, Ph.D., has skillfully compiled relevant research on disability and employment, and messages it directly to employers in the DVD, "Facts Are Stubborn Things."
The two parts of this DVD: Employment & Disability for a New Century; and, Litigation, Accommodation, and Innovation are only 25 minutes each. The message is short, direct and clearly relevant to employers.
There is no charge for this DVD. Contact Cynthia Young: (804) 828-3875 | clyoung@vcu.edu for a copy of this DVD. View it on YouTube. Feel free to post this DVD to your website, or distribute it in any way.
VCU-ACE Factsheet
Autism Q and A: Reinforcement Assessment
Every day, people do things in order to gain access to things that they like. An individual goes to work to earn a paycheck. A student studies for a test to make a good grade. A child eats vegetables in order to have dessert. Most individuals are able to effectively communicate the things that they want and like as well as what they find reinforcing when completing daily activities. However, students with autism often face significant challenges in expressive language, and teachers may find it difficult to determine what to use as reinforcers. Some students may be perceived as simply "not motivated by anything," which often is not a true statement. The challenge is finding out what is reinforcing to each student. While this can seem like a daunting task, the use of a tool called a reinforcement assessment can guide a teacher in identifying and using reinforcers in the classroom. Read the factsheet
Summer Online Courses
Supported Employment for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (May 30 - June 27, 2011) - Early demonstration projects back in the late 1980's and 90's paved the way for using a supported employment approach for someone who has sustained traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although the principles and values associated with the individual approach to supported employment remain consistent, there are some different considerations an employment specialist should take into account when serving a person with a TBI. This course will offer participants an overview of TBI and the supported employment literature suggestions on specific strategies to use to get to know the job seeker, look at possible workplace supports with an emphasis on compensatory memory strategies and some insight into ways to provide pro-active job retention services. Register Online
Customized Employment (May 23 - June 20, 2011) - Customized employment is a process for individualizing the employment relationship between a job seeker and an employer in ways that meet the needs of both individuals. This course examines how to make this happen. Topics include: overview of customized employment, ways to get to know the job seeker, strategies to find jobs, and blending supports and funds. Earn 1.6 CEUs, 16 CRCs and a Certificate of Course Completion from VCU. Register Online
Overview of Self-Employment for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (May 16 - June 20, 2011) - The success rate of small business is surprisingly high, despite widely accepted folklore to the contrary. The U.S. Small Business Administration reports that over 79% of small businesses are still operating after the initial eight years. And, the long term trend in employment is smaller firms. Self employment and small business are a defining characteristic of America's economic landscape, and present a tremendous opportunity for those most challenged by the competitive labor market. Register Online
