A Neurodevelopmental and Neurodiversity-Informed Approach to Supporting Children and Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum

Course Description 

This 2-day, 12-hour course, will help professionals expand their understanding of autism and neurodiversity-informed practice. The course will help professionals identify specific therapeutic and educational practices that can be used to help children and adolescents develop and learn, whether the children are diagnosed with autism or are experiencing other developmental challenges. Although behaviorists will typically present autism as a behavioral disorder, by definition in the DSM-5 diagnostic manual, it is a neurodevelopmental disorder (or difference). Understanding autism as a neurodevelopmental difference necessitates that therapists and educators work from a neurodevelopmental perspective. Neurodevelopmental approaches are also well aligned with good quality neurodiversity-informed practices. Professionals will learn how differences in language development, sensory processing, motor processing and other individual differences can impact development. Finally, the course will introduce DIR® (also known as DIRFloortime®) principles and strategies that can be infused into a therapist's or educator's current practices to improve outcomes and support the development and learning of children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. This course also meets the prerequisite requirements for professionals to enter the DIRFloortime® Professional Certificate Program.

Learning Objectives 

• Participants successfully completing this course will identify at least three neurodevelopmental features of autism.

• Participants will be able to identify at least three common problematic assumptions of therapists that often lead to practices that are not conducive to neurodiversity-informed care.

• Participants will be able to identify at least three therapeutic practices that support neurodiversity-informed practice.

• Participants will be able to identify at least one of their own professional practices that they will consider changing or altering based on newly learned information from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network Toolkit on Ethical Considerations in Autism Related Services and Supports.

• Participants successfully completing this course will describe six core social emotional developmental capacities that typically begin to develop in childhood.

• Participants successfully completing this course will be able to describe at least three ways the therapeutic relationship can support positive therapeutic outcomes.

• Participants successfully completing this course will describe at least three ways language development, sensory development, motor development, and other unique individual differences for each person can impact social emotional development.

• Students successfully completing this course will demonstrate the ability to identify at least three key principles and basic strategies of DIRFloortime used to promote development.

instructors

Jeffrey J. Guenzel, MA, LPC

Gretchen Kamke, MS, OTR/L

PROFESSIONAL CONTINUING EDUCATION

All participants can request a Certificate of Attendance documenting hours of participation and available professional continuing education credits at the time of registration. Please note that continuing education credit is only provided for direct seat time. Participants must attend the entire course to get CE credit. Partial credit is not an option.  

Please CLICK HERE for Instructor Disclosures

The course content is focused on a specific product or service (DIRFloortime®) and there will be no mention of other products or services. ICDL does not receive any commercial support for the DIRFloortime certificate courses. If any commercial support is provided for a conference or event, it will be disclosed on the promotional material or webpage for that specific event.

Continuing Education Questions?  E-mail ceu@icdl.com

Speech and Language Pathologists

This course is offered for 1.2 ASHA CEUs (Various levels, Professional area)

Non-Credit Onsite Events: Continuing education credit is not offered for breakfast, luncheon, and dinner functions nor breaks, board and committee meetings, and networking events.

Skills Level: This Training is appropriate for occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, educators, and mental health treating professionals of all skill levels.

Important Information for Speech and Language Pathologists:

We request that all participants complete a course evaluation form that can be found on your Floortime.org course page. This course evaluation is for ICDL and is used to help improve all aspects of our training program. Your feedback is valuable and we thank you for your time!

If you have any questions about this process please email us at ceu@icdl.com.

DIR 130: A Neurodevelopmental and Neurodiversity-Informed Approach to Supporting Children and Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum

ICDL is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Provider approval ID # 6778. This in person course is approved for 1.2 CEUs, introductory level, professional area. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

Non-Credit Onsite Events: Continuing education credit is not offered for breakfast, luncheon, dinner functions, or breaks; board and committee meetings, networking events.

Skill Level: This Training is appropriate for occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, educators, and mental health treating professionals of all skill levels.

Participants must attend the full session to successfully complete the course 

Please complete the course evaluation form that can be found on your Floortime.org course page. This course evaluation is for ICDL and is used to help us improve our course offerings. We thank you for your time.

Counselors

Social Workers

NEW YORK STATE SOCIAL WORKERS:

International Council on Development and Learning, Inc., SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0371.  This course is offered for 12 contact hours of credit.  

Art Therapists

According to the ATR-BC Recertification Standards, ICDL training programs that are approved by one of the other national continuing education boards listed on this page, may be eligible for Art Therapy continuing education credit. These standards state, "CECs will be accepted for all courses or events that fit in the ATCB Eligible Content Areas and that are presented or approved by any of the following art therapy, mental health, or behavioral sciences entities: state licensing authority, national professional organization, or national credentialing body for continuing education credit." It is the responsibility of each participant to determine if an ICDL program qualifies or not. ICDL is not an approved ATR-BC continuing education provider and as such can not award ATR-BC continuing education credits directly. However, we are approved by organizations like NBCC which may meet the above-quoted standard. 

music therapists

MT-BCs can claim credits for the course under the Other Continuing Education Opportunities category for recertification. Please refer to the Recertification Manual for additional details