Best Blog Posts for Executive Functioning

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Blog Posts for Executive Functioning. 

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Resources for Assessing and Teaching Executive Functioning Skills

• Establishing Routines to Support Executive Functioning

• Planning and Organization

• MORE Planning and Organization

• Attention and Impulse Control

• Focus

• Memory

• Flexible Thinking

• Problem-Solving

• Initiation

• Time Management

• Metacognition

• Perseverance

Best Blog Posts for the Different Types of Breaks

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Blog Posts for one of our most popular training topics... the three different types of breaks!

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Types of Breaks

• Reinforcement Systems

• More Reinforcement Systems

• Managing Reinforcement Break Time

• Proactively Scheduled Breaks

• Tips for Implementing Sensory Breaks

• Sensory Routines and Choices

• Class-wide & Individual Proactively Scheduled Sensory Breaks

• In The Moment Breaks

• Calm Down Strategies

Best Blog Posts for Self-Management

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Blog Posts for Self-Management

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Self-Management

• Superflex

• Zones of Regulation

• Top 3 Tips for Generalizing the Zones of Regulation

• Steps to Successful Implementation of The Zones of Regulation

• Incredible 5-Point Scale in Action

• Interoception

• Mindfulness for Children

• Mindfulness for Teens & Adults

• Breathing to Relax

• Emotional Regulation

• More Emotional Regulation

• Top 5 Tips for Teaching Emotional Regulation

Join us at OCALICONLINE 2024

We are excited to announce that our proposals have been accepted for OCALICONLINE 2024 this year!

What is OCALICONLINE?

OCALICONLINE 2024 is the premier autism and disabilities conference presented by OCALI (Ohio Center for Autism & Low-Incidence Disabilities).

The online event features breakout and networking sessions by state, national and international leaders and experts on important topics and issues across disabilities and across the lifespan.

Join colleagues and peers from Ohio, across the U.S., and around the world to learn, connect, and share research, best practices, and resources to support the needs of all learners and lifelong challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities.

When is OCALICONLINE?

Join us virtually from November 19-22, 2024.

What are ACT's sessions this year?

Check out our session descriptions for more information on our sessions.

Tools to Communicate with Paraprofessionals for Smooth Sailing in Your Classroom

Thursday, November 21st from 10:00am-11:00am

Are you a teacher who manages one or more paraprofessionals in your classroom? This session will provide tools and strategies to help your team work smoothly in and out of the classroom. Effective communication is crucial when managing paraprofessionals. Develop a positive and supportive relationship with your paraprofessionals to help them effectively support your students. Paraprofessionals are encouraged to collaborate with their teacher or take materials back to share with their colleagues.

Give Me A Break: Troubleshooting Common Challenges During Breaks To Increase Transition Success

Friday, November 22nd from 10:00-11:00am

During previous OCALICON sessions we have emphasized the importance of structuring the different types of breaks throughout a student's day to differentiate between reinforcement, sensory, and in-the-moment breaks. We often hear from school teams that the hardest part of implementing breaks is structuring the breaks in a way that makes it easy to transition students back to scheduled activities, especially work times. In this session, we will address some of the common management challenges during breaks and provide some practical examples for addressing those challenges.

Where can I register?

To learn more and to register to attend, visit the OCALICONLINE website: https://conference.ocali.org/ 

Best Blog Posts for Sensory Supports

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Blog Posts for Sensory Supports!

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Sensory Systems Overview

• Sensory Tips and Tricks

• Sensory Activities at Home

• Heavy Work

• Incorporating Heavy Work into Daily Routines for Resistant Students

• Incorporating Proprioceptive Input

• Hallway Paths

• More Hallway Paths

• Purposeful Walk

• Purposeful Walks and Sensory Jobs

• Exercise

• More Exercise

• S’cool Moves

• Motor Room

• Active and Passive Sensory Rooms

• Mini Calming Sensory Rooms

Resources for Puberty and Sex Ed for Students with Special Needs

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 Resources for Puberty and Sex Ed for Students with Special Needs:

Information for Parents/Caregivers and Educators

• Webinar: Learn Strategies for Addressing Puberty and Sexuality
• Presentation: Sexuality and Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Parent’s Guide to Puberty and Adolescence for Children with Autism
• Autism Society: Puberty and Children on the Autism Spectrum
• Masturbation and ASD – A Part of Healthy Sexuality

Lessons & Instructional Materials (Free and Paid Options)

• The Healthy Bodies Toolkit
• Sex Ed Mart
• Teaching Sexual Health for Differing Abilities
• OCALI Lending Library: Puberty Resources
• Appropriate Behavior Social Stories

Upcoming Training Sessions: Give Me a Break and The Role of Paraprofessional as Independence Facilitator

We are excited to share with you our upcoming training sessions:

• Give Me a Break In Action!: Choosing the Right Type of Break for Your Students' Needs (Morning Session)

• The Role of Paraprofessional as Independence Facilitator (Afternoon Session)

These trainings will be held at the MCESC Regional Center on Monday, October 28th, 2024 and is free of charge to all of our contracted districts. 

For more information about the content of these sessions as well as registration information please see the flyer below (click to download).

Best Blog Posts for Academic Tasks & Taskboxes

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Blog Posts for Academic Tasks & Taskboxes!

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Focus Walls

• Supporting Content Instruction

• Back to School Themed Taskboxes

• Animal Themed Taskboxes

• Seasonal Taskboxes

• Phonics

• Reading

• Systematically Teaching Functional Sight Words

• Writing

• Predictable Chart Writing

• Literacy Tasks

• Math

• Math Tasks

• More Math Tasks

• Structured Work Math Tasks

• One-to-One Correspondence Tasks at Home

Don't miss our next post on taskboxes and functional tasks that can be used in your classroom structured work systems!

Best Blog Posts for Structured Work Systems

To start this school year, our team is compiling some of our best examples of supports we have seen in our districts and featured in previous blog posts. Today we are highlighting all of the Best Blog Posts for one of our favorite student supports... Structured Work Systems!

Click on the hyperlink under each heading below to be taken to the related post on that topic.

• Structured Work and Teaching

• Structured Work System Myths and Mistakes

• More Structured Work Systems

• Even More Structured Work Systems

• Individualized Structured Work Systems

Stay tuned over the next few weeks for ideas for taskboxes, academic tasks, and functional tasks that can be used in your classroom structured work systems!