Creating Connections with Kids with Autism
Event Date: 01/17/2023
Event Time: 11:30 AM - 01:00 PM
Event Type: Live Virtual
Total CE Credits: 1.5
General Admission: $0 CE Cost: $10
This webinar has already ended.
Description
It’s almost guaranteed we all know or work with someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While everyone is different, there are evidence-based and practical strategies to support people with ASD and their families. Adapting commonly used therapeutic strategies for those with ASD could also help the general population – some easy examples are helping to organize thoughts and processes. We recognize that ensuring people with ASD and their families access appropriate services and connections for support is vitally important and the way people with ASD think and process information is something from which we can all learn.
Training Objectives:
- Identify key features of ASD and strategies for supporting individuals and families who are affected by ASD.
- Identify common co-occurring mental health issues and learn strategies for treatment.
- Learn ways to tailor strategies to individuals with ASD.
Speakers & Bios
Andrea McCoy, MS
Ms. McCoy has over 15 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities in community mental health and the State of Alabama. She has a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and is working to become a Licensed Professional Counselor to continue serving individuals with disabilities in rural Alabama. I have experience as a Mental Illness and ID/DD Case Manager, Child and Adolescent Therapist, Multi-Needs Child Facilitation Team Chairperson, and Residential Coordinator/Therapist. She has worked with individuals with Learning Disabilities in the college setting to assist them with accomplishing their educational and career goals as well. Working with individuals with disabilities has become a passion she enjoys every day.
Anna McConnell, LICSW, MPH
Ms. McConnell is the State Autism Coordinator, working with and coordinating the Alabama Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (AIACC), working with the Regional Autism Network (RAN), and assisting in developing and implementing Autism Services with the Alabama Department of Mental Health. Her early work in an education and advocacy organization for those with ASD and their families provided a solid foundation to understand how systems impact families and why systems improvement is so important.
Cody Farmer, M.Ed.
Mr. Farmer has been serving individuals and families affected by autism for 10 years in various capacities through camps, residential homes, clinics and school-based settings. He currently serves as the Regional Autism Coordinator for Jefferson County and surrounding areas under ADMH Autism Services.
Kelly Goff, MS, BCBA, LBA
Ms. Goff is a licensed, Board Certified Behavior Analyst who serves as Regional Autism Coordinator for the Alabama Department of Mental Health: Office of Autism Services. Kelly has 15+ years of experience in the fields of autism, IDD, and mental health; working with individuals and families across settings and the lifespan. In her current role, Kelly is helping build a new system of care to improve services for previously underserved populations in Alabama.
Shirah Arnold-Suttles, MS
Ms. Arnold-Suttles earned B.S. in Psychology from Alabama State University in 2011 and an M.S. in 2013 from Auburn University in Montgomery. She is currently enrolled at Troy University, pursuing an M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis. She is married with three beautiful kids and a Yorkie. Academic interests include psychometry, autism spectrum disorders, and organizational behavior management.
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