Free Pre-Recorded SpEd Hacks Webinars Available On-Demand

 To kick off the year, we are featuring our pre-recorded SpEd Hacks webinars that can be viewed for free at your leisure. 

These sessions are about 75 minutes in length and focus on the following topics:

• Classroom Layout and Environment
• Team Building with Paraprofessionals
• Scheduling
• Planning for Instruction

They are a great fit for new or veteran teachers in a self-contained or cross-categorical classroom looking to get a handle on classroom organization and procedures to start the year off right!

Click the image below for access to the flyer which contains the registration links for each session. Once you register, you will be provided with the webinar recording link. 

Please note, due to the "on-demand" format of these sessions, we are unable to offer professional development hours from ACT, however many of our districts have issued their own certificates to provide CEUs to their staff for viewing our on-demand sessions. Please reach out to your district contact to coordinate this.

Feel free to share with colleagues and friends!

On-Demand Training: Pre-Recorded Modules and Facilitated Modules

 Our team is excited to provide a new training offering for the 2024-2025 school year! We will be offering pre-recorded modules for self-paced professional development within your district! 

We have two offerings available: 

• Facilitated Modules: There are 10 different module offerings and each module includes unlimited access for one calendar year to a pre-recorded 1-2 hour module with a one-time 30-minute live facilitated Q&A session with members of the MCESC Autism & Low-Incidence Coaching Team following your district’s module viewing.

• Pre-Recorded Modules: We are also providing the option for districts to purchase 5 of our modules as a completely self-paced offering which includes unlimited access for one calendar year to a pre-recorded 1-2 hour module without the live facilitated Q&A session. 

These are a great option for new hires, paraprofessionals, or district professional development days!

See the images below for more information and/or click to download the flyers. 

FAQs:

• How long do we have access to the modules?
  
• From the time of purchase, you have access for a full calendar year. For example, if you purchase a module in November 2024 you will continue to have access through November 2025. 
• How long are the modules?
  
• Each module is between 1-2 hours in length with the exception of Comprehensive Literacy Instruction for Students with Complex needs which is a 5-part series. 
• How do we access the modules?
• We are excited to be partnering with Teacher Campus which is an online professional development platform. Each staff member that is registered will have their own log-in in order to self-pace their learning.
• How many staff members can watch the module?
  
• There is no limit to the number of staff members that can access the modules. Also, additional staff members can be added to the roster at any time throughout the year-long access timeframe by contacting Mary Fryman at mary.fryman@mcesc.org. In the case of a facilitated module, if additional staff members are added after the scheduled facilitated discussion, then they will 
• Are CEUs available?
• YES! This is a popular request and we are thrilled to announce that through our partnership with Teacher Campus each participant will receive a certificate upon completion of their module. In the case of a facilitated module, attendees for the live Q&A session will receive an additional certificate for the 30-minute session. These certificates are for general CEUs and are not discipline-specific. 
• Can we use a module during a staff-wide in-service day?
• Absolutely! If you want staff to access the module individually for self-paced instruction, you will follow the standard procedures for registering each participant. Or a single staff member can register for the module and then play it to a group of participants. However, if playing the module for a group, you will not have automatic access to individual CEU certificates for each staff member, therefore your district is responsible for providing these. Additionally, if you decide to play the module for a group, ACT would love a total headcount of participants so that we know how many people our training impacts each year! This is appreciated but not required. 
  
• What is the process for purchasing a module?
  
• Please contact Mary Fryman at mary.fryman@mcesc.org for a Training Request Form. Once you submit the form, our team will work with you for invoicing, completing your registrant roster, and scheduling the facilitated discussion (when applicable). 

Regulation Rendezvous: Meeting The Interoceptive Needs Of Individuals With Autism And Other Low-Incidence Disabilities

When working on developing an individual’s interoceptive awareness, individuals engage in activities that focus on inner feelings, which can make it easier to recognize, make sense of, and manage their own personal internal experiences. During our coaching process, our OT, Lynn DeMange often collaborates with other OTs and educational teams who need help supporting a student’s interoceptive awareness. In today’s Regulation Rendezvous, Lynn shared ideas for Meeting The Interoceptive Needs Of Individuals With Autism And Other Low-Incidence Disabilities. 

Studies indicate that practicing becoming more aware of one's internal signals can lead to less anxiety, make it easier to understand and talk about one’s emotions, and improve one’s ability to handle their feelings.

http://missjennyot.com 

Meeting an individual’s interoceptive needs helps them gain a deeper understanding of themselves. When developing interoceptive awareness, activities should focus on guiding individuals through a process of self-discovery. As Kelly Mahler recommends, this can be achieved through:

1. Paying attention to what one’s body is telling them.

2. Figuring out what those body signals mean.

3. Learning what one can do to change how their body feels

Helping individuals learn about their own unique interoception works much better than past methods that try to tell someone what they "should" be feeling. It's not accurate to say that everyone feels anxiety or hunger in the exact same way. It's different for each of us, so we need to approach it in a way that's tailored to the individual.

Autistic individuals and those with low-incidence disabilities often go through life with their inner feelings being misunderstood, labeled incorrectly, or even dismissed. They can end up feeling internally confused. Plus, the pressure to comply and fit in teaches them to ignore or hide what they're truly feeling just to please others.

So, when we work on interoception with autistic individuals or individuals with a low-incidence disability, often we need to "unlearn" some things before we can really start. This means helping each person feel calm and secure enough to start noticing, reconnecting with, and trusting what their body is telling them again. It's really important to use an approach that understands trauma and focuses on regulation when guiding someone through interoception activities. We need to constantly reassure them that there's no right or wrong way to feel, and that their own inner experience is always real and valid.

Developing interoceptive awareness can work well even for people who don't communicate verbally. To best support non-speaking individuals in understanding their interoceptive awareness, some key first steps include:

• Help them feel calm and secure: Make sure the individual feels safe and regulated, both internally and with your support, so they can tune into their body.

• Keep things consistent: Make the exercises predictable, use similar elements each time, and try to make them a regular part of their routine.

• Use their communication methods: Adapt to how the individual communicates. This might involve using pictures or AAC devices to help them express themselves.

• Believe in their ability: When interoception activities are presented in a way that fits how someone learns, they can do really well. Sometimes things won't go as expected, and that's alright. When that happens, it's better to think it's something about how we taught it, not about the individual's ability to learn.

• Listen to non-speaking voices: Look for resources created by non-speaking individuals to really understand their experiences and how to best support them.

Want to learn more about interoception? Check out these resources:

Interoception Websites and Blog Posts

• https://www.kelly-mahler.com/

• What is Interoception and Why is it Important?

• Regulation Rendezvous-- Interoception

Interoception Journal Articles

• The Emerging Science of Interoception: Sensing, Integrating, Interpreting, and Regulating Signals within the Self

• Interoception and Mental Health: A Roadmap

• Making Sense of Interoception

• Towards a comprehensive assessment of interoception in a multi-dimensional framework

• Interventions and Manipulations of Interoception 

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Pre-Recorded Modules

Our team is excited to offer pre-recorded modules for self-paced professional development within your district! 

We have two offerings available: 

• Facilitated Modules: There are 10 different module offerings and each module includes unlimited access for one calendar year to a pre-recorded 1-2 hour module with a one-time 30-minute live facilitated Q&A session with members of the MCESC Autism & Low-Incidence Coaching Team following your district’s module viewing.

• Pre-Recorded Modules: We are also providing the option for districts to purchase 5 of our modules as a completely self-paced offering which includes unlimited access for one calendar year to a pre-recorded 1-2 hour module without the live facilitated Q&A session. 

These are a great option for new hires, paraprofessionals, or district professional development days!

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about our module offerings:

• What modules are available? 
• Visit our ACT Trainings tab for flyers for our Facilitated Discussion and Pre-Recorded Module offerings.

• How long do we have access to the modules?
• From the time of purchase, you have access for a full calendar year. For example, if you purchase a module in November 2024 you will continue to have access through November 2025. 

• How long are the modules?
• Each module is between 1-2 hours in length with the exception of Comprehensive Literacy Instruction for Students with Complex needs which is a 5-part series. 

• How do we access the modules?
• We are excited to be partnering with Teacher Campus which is an online professional development platform. Each staff member that is registered will have their own log-in in order to self-pace their learning.

• How many staff members can watch the module?
• There is no limit to the number of staff members that can access the modules. Also, additional staff members can be added to the roster at any time throughout the year-long access timeframe by contacting Mary Fryman at mary.fryman@mcesc.org. In the case of a facilitated module, if additional staff members are added after the scheduled facilitated discussion, then they will not have access to this portion of the training. 

• Are CEUs available?
• YES! This is a popular request and we are thrilled to announce that through our partnership with Teacher Campus each participant will receive a certificate upon completion of their module. In the case of a facilitated module, attendees for the live Q&A session will receive an additional certificate for the 30-minute session. These certificates are for general CEUs and are not discipline-specific. 

• Can we use a module during a staff-wide in-service day?
• Absolutely! If you want staff to access the module individually for self-paced instruction, you will follow the standard procedures for registering each participant. Or a single staff member can register for the module and then play it to a group of participants. However, if playing the module for a group, you will not have automatic access to individual CEU certificates for each staff member, therefore your district is responsible for providing these. Additionally, if you decide to play the module for a group, ACT would love a total headcount of participants so that we know how many people our training impacts each year! This is appreciated but not required. 

• What is the process for purchasing a module?
• Please contact Mary Fryman at mary.fryman@mcesc.org for a Training Request Form. Once you submit the form, our team will work with you for invoicing, completing your registrant roster, and scheduling the facilitated discussion (when applicable). 

Sensational Social Skills: Cartooning

Have you ever used the cartooning strategy?

Cartooning is an effective strategy that provides the use of drawings, thought bubbles, and speech bubbles to add visuals when processing social situations with your students. Research shows that cartoon techniques, such as thought and speech bubbles, enable individuals with autism to get a sense of social interactions and the hidden rules that govern behaviors (Kerr & Durkin, 2004). Think about how often you verbally try to process social situations with your students. You try to explain what they did wrong or try to help them understand the intentions of others. It is well known that students with autism or other neurological differences may struggle with auditory information. They need to see it to understand it. They need help making sense of the behaviors of others and all of those unwritten social rules. Cartooning can help. In today's Sensational Social Skills post, ACT team Speech and Language Pathologist Carol Dittoe will provide more information about this great strategy!

Who does Cartooning Benefit?

Cartooning can benefit students who:

• can read
• benefit from the use of visuals
• struggle with anxiety and social skills
• do not understand the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of others
• become escalated or shut down when you try to verbally process challenging social situations

How can I use Cartooning with my students?

Cartooning can be used to:

• teach conversation skills
• prime for upcoming social situations
• process past social situations and understand the intentions or feelings of others
• engage in social problem solving

What can Cartooning be used to illustrate?

Cartooning can illustrate:

• where you are
• who is with you
• what you or others are doing
• what you or others are saying

What types of social skills can be taught using Cartooning?

Cartooning allows you to reflect on:

• what you/others might be feeling or thinking
• the possible intentions
• identified problems and solutions
• how to do it differently next time

Here is an example of a cartoon created when talking to a student about running in track. The student wanted to quit because he thought his peers were being mean and yelling at him. In reality, they were cheering him on and encouraging him to run faster. Rather than just verbally explaining this to him, a cartoon was used to illustrate the situation. This helped the student understand the intention of his peers, and he felt encouraged to keep running. He was able to take the cartoon home to review with his parents, and it was used to prime him before the next track meet.

Next is an example of a cartoon that describes the events of an upcoming field trip. Keep in mind that your student may take information very literally. While you want to be clear about what the student can expect, you don’t want to include very specific details that may not be accurate. Instead, use general terms or provide possible variations. Create a cartoon that helps the student feel prepared and aware of the general order of events. When drawing the cartoon and talking to your student, use this time to answer any questions or talk about any concerns the student may have. Reassuring options can be included in the cartoon. The student can take the cartoon home, and you can make a copy to keep at school to review before the field trip.

When using cartooning to teach conversation skills, you can help the student practice greetings, turn-taking, and ending the conversation. Drawing the conversation can be a safe way to plan and practice what to say and how to act. You can include body language and facial expressions in your drawings.


Comic Strip Conversations is a book by Carol Gray that describes how to introduce the strategy of cartooning and provides a Conversation Symbol Dictionary to show conversation behaviors such as:

Interrupting, listening, talking, thinking, volume, and the use of colors to illustrate emotions

Comic Strip Conversations

How to get started with cartooning:

Materials needed:

• Use paper and pencil with an eraser. This allows you to make changes or corrections while drawing, and have a finished product you can keep.

• Add pre-drawn boxes to the paper to keep cartoons organized with a sequence of events.

• Consider providing a variety of colored pencils to add emotion to the drawings.

• Drawings can be collected in a folder or binder personalized by the student. These can be referred to later for review or priming.

• A dry-erase board can also be used for quick on-the-go drawings. If you decide you want to keep a drawing, you can take a picture of it before erasing it.

• I like to draw the cartoons in-the-moment. If you or your student prefer to use technology, here are some options:

• https://www.storyboardthat.com/comic-maker
• https://www.canva.com/create/comic-strips/
• https://makebeliefscomix.com/
• https://www.pixton.com/welcome

Steps to Cartooning: 

• First, introduce Cartooning in a non-personal way by drawing cartoons to illustrate social situations from books or movies.

• You can introduce cartooning in a personal way by drawing cartoons that illustrate positive social interactions and small talk. The goal is to teach the basics of cartooning without developing a negative association with the strategy.

• Once the basics of cartooning have been introduced, use this visual strategy when you need to process or plan a social situation and reflect on thoughts and feelings.

• Don’t worry about being good at drawing. This can be a quick in-the-moment strategy using simple stick figures.

• Draw while you are talking to the student so you can illustrate your words and include their input. If your student likes to draw, you can share the drawing process with the student. You can both add to the same drawing, or you can each draw your own perspective of the situation. This will allow you to better understand the student’s perspective.

So, if you find yourself needing to explain social situations, intentions, and expectations to your student, consider using the cartooning strategy to provide your student with a visual representation. This can help your student better understand the situation and reduce their frustration. Keep the cartoons for future reference when you prime your student for a similar situation. Remember, your students can do better when they know better!

For more information about Cartooning check out these resources: 

Understanding of Thought Bubbles as Mental Representations in Children with Autism: Implications for Theory of Mind

Comic Strip Conversations

A-LIST Induction 2025

Our team is thrilled to introduce one of our largest groups of new inductees into our Autism & Low-Incidence Coaching Team’s “A-LIST”. Our A-LIST stands for Autism-Low Incidence Support Team and is comprised of a regional network of select professionals who exhibit “best practices” in serving the needs of students who have autism or other complex, low-incidence disabilities. Our A-LIST began in 2012 in an effort to recognize outstanding individuals who had exceeded the high expectations of our coaching process, and who represented the best that our region had to offer to students with disabilities. Only a fraction of the educators we coach each year are nominated. The A-LIST truly represents the BEST professionals in our region.

The goal of the MCESC Autism & Low-Incidence Coaching Team is to build the capacity of our region’s administrators, teachers, intervention specialists, related service providers, and paraprofessionals to serve children with autism and other complex disabilities. The A-LIST serves a critical role in that mission by maintaining a multi-disciplinary network of outstanding practitioners across all 6 counties we serve. We often refer our coaching teams to our A-LIST members for practical, “in the trenches” perspectives, advice, and occasional modeling of best practices.

In today's A-LIST Spotlight we will be highlighting all EIGHTEEN wonderful new inductees!

Haley Embry

Hayley Embry is an intervention specialist working at the Milton Union Middle School through the Miami County ESC. Hayley was nominated because her classroom is full of evidence-based practices! On top of that, she is the queen of data collection and does such a great job of progress monitoring! What we admire most is Hayley’s ability to collaborate with her staff and the families you serve. She is always actively problem-solving and open to trying new ideas. Hayley clearly takes pride in supporting students in an individualized way, ensuring that their needs are being met. This is especially true with transition supports. Hayley does a great job of providing information and exploration of community-based supports for students and their families. Your leadership style and approach to teaching should be celebrated and deserves to be recognized!

Erin Lukas

Erin Lukas is the intervention specialist in a resource room at Smith Intermediate School in Vandalia. We were impressed with Erin’s ability to recognize the needs of some of her more challenging students and her flexibility in changing how she structured her classroom. She is implementing evidence-based strategies to support her students and has been a model for other teams we are coaching.

Callie George

Callie George is the Speech Pathologist at East Elementary in Eaton. Over the years, we have been impressed with Callie’s ability to collaborate with teachers to support student needs in the classroom. This year, she amazed us with her development of communication lessons that focused on teaching core words in fun and engaging activities. We invited Callie to present with us at the national OCALICON conference in November alongside her teammate and fellow A-LISTer Deanna Hicks.

Rachael Anderson

Rachael Anderson is an outstanding paraprofessional in fellow A-LISTer Taylor Ruef’s classroom at Stevenson Elementary in Mad River. During our numerous A-LIST visits to their classroom, we have been so impressed with how Rachael demonstrates exceptional initiative, consistently stays ahead of student needs, and steps in wherever help is needed to ensure everything runs smoothly. She is an excellent model to others who have visited their classroom, and one of the most frequent and enthusiastic pieces of feedback we receive from visiting teams is about her remarkable ability to support both the students and the classroom environment so seamlessly.

Heather Venters & Linda Daniels

Heather Venters is an Occupational Therapist and Linda Daniels is an Physical Therapist from Montgomery County ESC serving students at Trotwood-Madison Early Learning Center. They are true team players who collaborate seamlessly with every team they are a part of. Heather’s use of structured work during treatment sessions is thoughtful and intentional, and it clearly supports student success. Linda’s treatment sessions are not only functional but also highly motivating for her students. She works closely with classroom staff to ensure that the skills and positioning strategies carry over into the classroom, creating consistency and maximizing student success. Heather and Linda have both been outstanding partners to our team—consistently communicating openly, attending meetings, delivering personalized tools, and modeling the implementation of the strategies and supports we’ve recommended.

Karen Lash

Karen Lash is a paraprofessional at Driscoll Elementary School in the Centerville City School District. Karen demonstrates an intuition with her students that is hard to "teach" because she just "knows" how to respond and meet their needs. Karen is a good "co-regulator" for the students she supports. She has a calm presence and always does a great job of interacting with the students she is working with in a supportive, nurturing way. She also knows when to provide boundaries and limits when those are needed as well. Karen is a team player and always willing to provide feedback or ask questions in team meetings. She also does a great job of managing *all* of the supports needed in the classrooms you have supported through the years. Karen is truly an invaluable member of the Driscoll MD team!

Morgan Brown, Joy Chenault, & Brianna Foster

Morgan Brown is a preschool teacher at Trotwood Early Learning Center and works beside paraprofessionals Joy Chenault and Brianna Foster. They work together seamlessly, truly exemplifying what it means to be a cohesive and effective team. They have created a truly positive and inclusive environment where all students can thrive. The structure and routine they’ve built has clearly boosted student engagement. The team is always fully engaged—modeling expectations, asking thoughtful questions during small groups, offering meaningful praise, and providing students with the individualized support they need to thrive. They are also wonderful co-regulators—no matter what is happening, they remain calm and centered, providing the steady support students need to de-escalate and re-engage.

Mindy Shelton

Mindy Shelton is an intervention specialist at Medlar View Elementary in Miamisburg. We have been impressed with Mindy’s ability to implement evidence-based strategies to meet the needs of students with significant behavioral challenges. She has remained professional and positive through some very difficult times and demonstrated the use of data collection and clear communication with her staff to support the problem-solving process.

Jessica Sanders

Jessica Sanders is an intervention specialist from Driscoll Elementary School in the Centerville City School District. We love going to Jessica’s self-contained classroom because we know we will see so many evidence-based practices in place! Jessica is always interested in coaching and willing to have support for her classroom. That's always the sign of a great teacher...one who is still willing to learn, collaborate, and try new things! What we admire most is her desire to help the "whole" child and also support their families. She is always actively problem-solving and she strives to meet her students' needs outside of the classroom, too. We love how Jessica provides community-based support and suggestions to her students' families as well. Her leadership style and approach to teaching should be celebrated and deserves to be recognized!

Celeste Ritzert

Mary “Celeste” Ritzert was nominated because she demonstrates an intuition with her students that is hard to "teach" because she just "knows". Celeste is a good "co-regulator" because of her calm presence and supportive, nurturing approach with her students. Celeste does an excellent job of providing wait time and ensuring that her students are regulated before having any other expectations for them. She also does a great job of making sure all students have access to communication and are able to express themselves. Celeste does a great job of managing *all* of the supports needed to help the students she is working with be successful. Celeste is truly an invaluable member of the MCESC Learning Center West team!

Kasey Hancock

Kasey Hancock is the intervention specialist at Harry Russell Elementary in West Carrollton. Over the years, we have been impressed with Kasey’s passion to create a classroom environment that meets the diverse needs of her students. She is organized and creative in the implementation of visual strategies and structured work systems. Kasey communicates well with others to promote effective teamwork. We are happy to have her as part of our A-LIST!

Shelly Cummins

Shelly Cummins is an intervention specialist at Camden Elementary School in the Preble Shawnee Local School District. Shelly was nominated because we love coming to her classroom and seeing so many evidence-based practices in place! She is always actively problem-solving and open to trying new ideas. We have also been impressed with her initiative to support students in an individualized way, ensuring that their needs are being met. Shelly is an excellent model for others, and she’s a good "co-regulator" for the students she supports. She has a calm presence and always does a great job of interacting with her students in a supportive, nurturing way. Shelly does a great job of setting goals for her students and wants to push them to make as much progress as possible. Her approach to teaching should be celebrated and deserves to be recognized!

Rachel Lech

Rachel Lech is a kindergarten teacher at Kleptz Early Learning Center in Northmont Schools. One of the keys to her success has been creating a positive, welcoming environment where ALL students feel valued and supported. Her collaboration with the large team of adults supporting her classroom is truly commendable. She consistently primes students with expectations and materials before each activity, and has engaging, attention-grabbing phrases that are both effective and fun. She provides individualized supports—flexible seating, fidgets, sensory tools, visual aids, and reinforcement—ensuring that every child has what they need to thrive. The structured and supportive environment she’s built is clearly contributing to her students’ success.

Aubrey Diane Ludlow

Aubrey Diane Ludlow is the intervention specialist in the Clark Co. ESC self-contained classroom serving students with significant behavior challenges. We were impressed with Aubrey’s insight into the why behind the behaviors and her flexibility in meeting biological and emotional needs to help students be more available for learning. She has created an engaging and warm environment for staff and students. We have already sent a teacher to her classroom to see effective strategies in action.

Jack Stephens

Jack Stephens is the Special Education Supervisor in Mad River Local Schools whose dedication to supporting teachers, advocating for best practices for students, and collaborating with our team is exceptional. Jack does well with guiding his staff toward the very tools and strategies we often recommend which creates a strong foundation of support across his district. Additionally, he has been proactive in his approach to meeting the unique needs of the growing number of students with autism and low-incidence disabilities within the district.

Congratulations to all of our new 2025 A-LIST Inductees! We are excited to have you as an extension of our team!

Resources for Families when Navigating Common Health Concerns for Autistic Individuals

 Did you know we have a Family Resources tab on our website? This is our go-to place for providing information to families and districts regarding helpful resources that can be accessed online or even locally in the Dayton Miami Valley region. 

When you click on the tab, there are several sections including:

• Online Resources (topics include: New Autism Diagnosis, Puberty & Sex Ed, Girls on the Spectrum, Wandering & Elopement, and Healthcare)
• Local Resources (topics include: Local Support Groups, Mental Health & Behavioral Support, Wrap Around Services & Case Management, Medical Support, County Boards of Developmental Disabilities, Recreation Programs, Social Skills Groups, and Childcare/Respite Care)
• Websites
• Online Courses

Today we are going to highlight some of the resources included in our Family Resources Tab for Health Resources:

Health Resources

• Autism Internet Modules (AIM) Medication List
• Autism and Health: A Special Report By Autism Speaks

• Sleep
• Autism Speaks Toolkit
• Cincinnati Children's DDBP Caregiver Webinar on Sleep Hygiene

• Autism Speaks Toolkits
• Pica
• Constipation
• Feeding Behavior
• Dental Hygiene
• Haircutting

• Sensory Friendly Clothing Guide

• Inclusive Dentistry
• Dr. Stephen Beetstra at Ohio State University’s Nisonger Center
• Five Rivers Health Centers

Do you know of other great local resources to share with families in the Dayton Miami Valley region? Contact Allison Officer at allison.officer@mcesc.org and we will add it to our tab!