ACCC conferences address dealing with behaviors

Registrations are now being accepted for two seminars at Anne Carlsen Center for Children this summer addressing challenging behaviors and ways to effectively help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Both conferences will benefit families, educators, employment support staff, therapists and care staff working with individuals who have behavior related disorders.

On June 1-2, presenter Cindy Haworth will focus on "The Power of Positive Behavioral Supports."

"Addressing Challenging Behaviors Using Visual Supports" is the emphasis of the next session, Aug. 14-15, presented by Susan Stokes, MA, CCC-SLP.

Continuing education credit for both seminars has been approved by University of North Dakota. Contact hours are approved through North Dakota associations for social workers, nurses, and speech language pathologists.

For more detailed information about these seminars and the
presenters or to register online, visit www.annecenter.org, or contact Dean Giedt at 1-800-568-5175, ext. 205.

Haworth’s seminar attacks challenging behaviors from a number of perspectives.
• Why do power struggles occur and what can be done to prevent them
• Personal needs for control and ways to help educate others regarding misuse of power and control
• Methods of assessing “connectivity,” subsequent analysis and strategies for enhancement
• Effective planning to avoid behavioral incidents
• Implementation of optimistic and positive therapeutic supports

Haworth has extensive experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities as a direct care provider, clinician, and administrator of both day and residential programs.

In August, Stokes will provide participants with a foundation to effectively program for students with autism spectrum disorder using visual support strategies as a basis.

”Research supports what has become fairly common knowledge amongst the autism community,” said Stokes, “that people with autism spectrum disorder tend to learn and understand best when given information through their visual processing channel.”

The use of visual support strategies, she says, has become a best practice approach for teaching people with ASD in all areas of functioning and to help them better understand environmental expectations.

Stokes will share many strategies for immediate use as well as ways to engineer the physical environment to provide the visual structure needed by learners with ASD to increase their comprehension and understanding.

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