The SCERTS® Collaborators recognize the need for ongoing educational and training activities designed to support educators, clinicians, and family members in their efforts to implement programs guided by the principles and curriculum of the SCERTS® Model. Therefore, ongoing efforts are underway to provide educational activities that will foster greater success with implementing the model. We also have identified a number of factors that likely to contribute to successful implementation of the SCERTS® Model. These include:

• Team collaboration (e.g., among educational staff, home/school communication, and members of the community)
• Administrative support and commitment to program quality improvement (e.g., planning time, team meeting time, ongoing professional development, resources for the development of learning supports - visual/augmentative and assistive technology)
• Key personnel / assigned "point person" with responsibility to support service providers in program implementation,
• Child- and family-centered attitudes and beliefs about ASD and how children with ASD learn (including experience and familiarity with a range of approaches for supporting children with ASD and families),
• Mechanisms for family support and family investment in the program,
• Commitment to assessing and educating children in natural routines and activities (e.g., home, school, and community settings),
• Ongoing participation in SCERTS® educational activities (e.g., the SCERTS® two-volume manual, training opportunities offered by SCERTS® collaborators see below).

In addition to the clinical manuals here, there are several educational training opportunities currently being offered, or that will be offered by the SCERTS® collaborators to support the efforts of educational teams, clinicians, and family members.

These include:

1. Introduction to SCERTS® (1 or 2-day format; small or large group setting)
2. SCERTS® Implementation Team Training (2-day format; limited to less than 30 participants)
3. SCERTS® Implementation Training (2-day format; large group)
4. "SCERTS® in Action" across Activities, Contexts & Partners (1 or 2 day format; small or large group)
5. Special Topical Seminars/Workshops: In-depth consideration of specific issues in practice and research (descriptions forthcoming)

 

I. Introduction to SCERTS® (1 or 2-day format; small or large group setting)

This training is most appropriate for:

• Professionals, service providers, and family members who are seeking an introduction to philosophy and practice in the SCERTS® Model
• Administrators and researchers who are considering implementing programming consistent with the SCERTS® Model philosophy in their school system or agency

Learning objectives / content areas:

Participants will be able to:

1. Describe essential components of a comprehensive educational program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
2. Describe core challenges in social-communication and emotional regulation faced by children with ASD at different stages of development.
3. Describe the SCERTS® assessment process for prioritizing learning objectives for children with ASD.
4. Describe the SCERTS® program planning process and strategies for implementing appropriate learning and educational accommodations for children with ASD.

For more information on this educational activity, please contact:

www.barryprizant.com

II. SCERTS® Implementation Team Training (2-day format; limited to less than 30 participants)

This training is most appropriate for:

• Established educational/therapeutic teams, administrators, and family members who have attended an introduction to the SCERTS™ Model by the SCERTS™ collaborators
• Research teams who would like to implement the SCERTS™ curriculum-based assessment and develop educational programs consistent with the SCERTS Model as part of a research protocol*
• Team members who have reviewed the SCERTS™ two-volume manual
• Team members who are seeking guidelines for implementing the SCERTS™ curriculum-based assessment and developing educational programs consistent with the SCERTS™ Model
• Teams looking for individualized instruction, guidance, and practice
• Organizations interested in hosting implementation training for their staff.

More intensive trainings may be available for research teams to address issues such as fidelity of intervention.

Learning objectives / content areas:

Teams will be able to:

1. Describe how the SCERTS® Assessment Process (SAP) meets state and federal requirements for providing a comprehensive, ongoing assessment of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or challenges in social communication and/or emotional regulation
2. Identify how the SAP differs from traditional educational assessment approaches by:
   • measuring children's abilities using observational, authentic assessment procedures in meaningful, natural environments
   • collaborating with family members as partners in the assessment process
   • establishing children's profiles of developmental strengths and needs
   • establishing partners' profile of strengths and needs with regards to interpersonal and learning supports
   • linking assessment findings to educational objectives and learning supports for children and partners in early intervention and educational setting
   • documenting children's and partners' progress over time.
3. Delineate the steps for administering the SAP and the procedures for conducting quarterly assessments to measure progress over time
4. Identify how the SCERTS® curriculum-based assessment can be used to guide the development of objectives in social communication and emotional regulation.
5. Design and implement educational programming to meet goals & objectives, including examples of strategies used.
6. Identify essential practices for effective implementation of a team approach for the most effective implementation of the SCERTS® model.

For more information on this educational activity, please contact:

www.barryprizant.com or www.commxroads.com.

III. SCERTS® Implementation Training (2-day format; large group)

This training is most appropriate for:

• Educational/therapeutic professionals, direct service providers, administrators, and family members who have attended an introduction to the SCERTS® Model by the SCERTS® collaborators
• Individuals or teams who have reviewed the SCERTS® two-volume manual
• Individuals or teams who are seeking guidelines for implementing the SCERTS® curriculum-based assessment and developing educational programs consistent with the SCERTS® Model
• Researchers who are interested in gaining information about the SCERTS® curriculum-based assessment and developing educational programs consistent with the SCERTS® Model.

Learning objectives / content areas:

Participants will be able to:

1. Describe how the SCERTS® Assessment Process (SAP) meets state and federal requirements for providing a comprehensive, ongoing assessment of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or challenges in social communication and/or emotional regulation
2. Identify how the SAP differs from traditional educational assessment approaches by:

• measuring children's abilities using observational, authentic assessment procedures in meaningful, natural environments
• collaborating with family members as partners in the assessment process
• establishing children's profiles of developmental strengths and needs
• establishing partners' profile of strengths and needs with regards to interpersonal and learning supports
• linking assessment findings to educational objectives and learning supports for children and partners in early intervention and educational settings
• documenting children's and partners' progress over time.

1. Delineate the steps for administering the SAP and the procedures for conducting quarterly assessments to measure progress over time
2. Identify how the SCERTS® curriculum-based assessment can be used to guide the development of objectives in social communication and emotional regulation.
3. Design and implement educational programming to meet goals & objectives, including examples of strategies used.

For more information on this educational activity, please contact:

www.barryprizant.com or www.commxroads.com.

IV. "SCERTS® in Action" across Activities, Contexts & Partners (1 or 2 day format; small or large group)

This training is most appropriate for:

• Educational/therapeutic professionals, direct service providers, administrators, and family members who have attended an introduction to the SCERTS® Model by the SCERTS® collaborators
• Individuals or teams who have reviewed the SCERTS® two-volume manual
• Individuals, teams, or researchers who are seeking specific guidelines for infusing transactional supports that are consistent with SCERTS® program quality indicators into their programs.

Learning objectives / content areas:

To be determined; please re-visit this site periodically to check for updates.