Supporting Students with ASD: Webinars for School Personnel and Parents
ALL WEBINARS ARE OFFERED LIVESTREAM VIA ZOOM. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR EACH PARTICIPANT. EACH PARTICIPANT MUST USE THEIR INDIVIDUAL EMAIL ADDRESS TO REGISTER AND LOG-IN. ZOOM LINKS MUST NOT BE SHARED, AS THIS WILL PREVENT YOU FROM RECEIVING CREDIT FOR ATTENDANCE.
Target Audience: Practitioners, educators, and parents/caregivers of children with autism
Fall 2025 Offerings
Friday, September 19, 2025
8:00-9:15am
Structuring for Success: Using Objects to Build Understanding
Presenter: Christine Murray, MS, CCC-SLP
This livestream webinar will provide an overview of object-based strategies to support autistic children. Emphasis will be on use of meaningful structure to promote understanding and engagement across a variety of contexts. Strengths commonly associated with autism will also be discussed. Please note, strategies included in this webinar are meant to be accessible to all, including very young children and older children with co-occurring intellectual disability.
Objectives:
1. Participants will be able to describe strengths commonly associated with autism
2. Participants will be able to explain the benefits of using visual structure to support autistic learners
3. Participants will be able connect object-based strategies to their underlying purposes
1.25 contact hours available for CTLE, NYS LMHC, NASP, NYS SW, and NYS Psychologist
.10 ASHA CEUs available
Time Ordered Agenda
- 5 minutes – Introduction and Disclosures
- 15 minutes – Common Strengths in ASD
- 10 minutes – Overview of Visual Supports
- 30 minutes – Object-Based Strategies
- 5 minutes – Summary
- 10 minutes - Q&A
Friday, September 26, 2025
8:00am-9:15am
Structuring for Success: Using Pictures and Words to Promote Engagement
Presenter: Christine Murray, MS, CCC-SLP
This livestream webinar will provide an overview of picture- and word-based strategies to support autistic children. Emphasis will be on use of meaningful structure to promote understanding and engagement across a variety of contexts. Strengths commonly associated with autism will also be discussed. Please note, strategies included in this webinar are meant for children with current understanding of pictures and/or written words; please see Using Objects to Build Understanding of this series for object-based alternatives.
Objectives:
1. Participants will be able to describe strengths commonly associated with autism
2. Participants will be able to explain the benefits of using visual structure to support autistic learners
3. Participants will be able to connect picture- and word-based strategies to their underlying purposes
1.25 contact hours available for CTLE, NYS LMHC, NASP, NYS SW, and NYS Psychologist
.10 ASHA CEUs available
Time Ordered Agenda
- 5 minutes – Introduction and Disclosures
- 15 minutes – Common Strengths in ASD
- 10 minutes – Overview of Visual Supports
- 30 minutes – Picture- and Word-Based Strategies
- 5 minutes – Summary
- 10 minutes – Q&A
Friday, October 3, 2025
8:30-9:45am
Function Based Decision Making, Part 1: Addressing Plans Through a “Function” Lens
Presenter: Deirdre M. Muldoon, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LBA
As a clinician or an educator, do you put behavior plans in place for autistic children with language or behavior challenges, but the plans don’t appear to work? This presentation will address why plans don’t always work and offer a different perspective and practical strategies for replacing difficult behavior by helping educators and clinicians think about the - often - immediate and environmental reasons (function) for difficult behavior.
The presenter will address a) attribution of behavior and b) resulting common functions for behaviors that are often applied but are a misfit for the target behavior. In understanding the true reason for a child’s behavior, clinicians and educators can then select strategies and supports for more instructional time with the student.
Objectives:
1. Participants will identify data-based assessment tools (up to two) for identifying the function for difficult behavior
2. Participants will identify a hypothesis about the function for the behavior
3. Participants will select a strategy that will meet the same function of the difficult behavior but that is more socially valid and/or acceptable than the difficult behavior
1.25 contact hours available for CTLE, NYS LMHC, NASP, NYS SW, and NYS Psychologist
1.5 contact hours available for BCBA
.10 ASHA CEUs available
Time ordered agenda
- 5 minutes - introduction and disclosures
- 10 minutes – attribution and causal attribution
- 15 minutes – data-based assessment tools
- 15 minutes – creating a hypothesis for the reason (function) of behaviors
- 15 minutes – selecting a strategy for functionally equivalent behavior, including communicative strategies.
- 5 minutes – summary and closing
- 10 minutes – Q & A
Friday, October 10, 2025
8:30-9:45am
Function Based Decision Making, Part 2: Functional Communication
Presenter: Deirdre M. Muldoon, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LBA
This talk will cover the area of functional communication and is designed as a follow up to Function Based Decision Making, Part 1. The presenter will cover what functional communication is, the evidence to support it, and how to find the correct communication replacement for difficult behavior based on the assessed function of the behavior. Participants will be encouraged to find example instances of functional communication in their homes/schools/classrooms and apply the FCT principles to their example.
Objectives:
1. Participants will be able to identify evidence-based practices in communicative behavior that are appropriate for students with autism
2. Participants will be able to identify occasions for functional communication and possible functional communication responses
3. Participants will be able to identify the maintaining consequences of a student’s behavior so as to increase or decrease a behavior (including verbal behaviors)
1.25 contact hours available for CTLE, NYS LMHC, NASP, NYS SW, and NYS Psychologist
1.5 contact hours available for BCBA
.10 ASHA CEUs available
Time ordered agenda
- 5 minutes - introduction and disclosures
- 10 minutes – Revisiting function and data-based assessment tools from Part 1.
- 15 minutes – What is FCT & the communication hypothesis
- 15 minutes – Recap of behavior principles and relating them to communication
- 15 minutes – selecting FC responses
- 5 minutes – summary and closing
- 10 minutes – Q & A
Presenter Disclosures:
Deirdre M. Muldoon, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Dr. Muldoon receives a salary from the Research Foundation for SUNY/Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, where she is a Senior Research Scientist.
Dr. Muldoon does not have a relevant non-financial relationship to report.
Christine Murray, MS, CCC-SLP
Ms. Murray receives a salary from the Research Foundation for SUNY/Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, where she is an Education Specialist. Christine is an adjunct clinical instructor for the University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program.
Ms. Murray does not have a relevant non-financial relationship to report.
Spring 2026 Offerings
The fall sessions will be repeated in the spring.
Registration will open in December
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
4:30pm-5:45pm
Structuring for Success: Using Objects to Build Understanding
Presenter: Christine Murray, MS, CCC-SLP
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
4:30pm-5:45pm
Structuring for Success: Using Pictures and Words to Promote Engagement
Presenter: Christine Murray, MS, CCC-SLP
Friday, March 6, 2026
8:30-9:45am
Function Based Decision Making, Part 1: Addressing Plans Through a “Function” Lens
Presenter: Deirdre M. Muldoon, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LBA
Friday, March 13, 2026
8:30-9:45am
Function Based Decision Making, Part 2: Functional Communication
Presenter: Deirdre M. Muldoon, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LBA
Registration:
These webinars are offered AT NO COST to participants living in New York State through a grant from the New York State Education Department. The funding is administered by The Research Foundation for SUNY. There is a $15 registration fee for out-of-state registrants.
After you register, you will automatically receive a confirmation email with your zoom link(s). If you don't receive the email within 24 hours, please contact us, as there may be an issue with your email address.
Policies:
Attendance policy: In order to receive a certificate of attendance or CEU certificate, participants must attend the entire session to receive credit. Attendance is tracked through your unique Zoom link. Partial credit will not be awarded. Upon competition of the entire session, attendees will receive an email with an evaluation form to complete. After the evaluation form is completed, attendees will receive a certificate of attendance via email. CEU certificates will be emailed within 48 hours of the webinar completion.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation must be made 24 hours before the start of the event to receive a refund. This includes CEU registration fees. Please send cancellation request to [email protected]. We do not allow same-day cancellations. In the unlikely event that we need to cancel the webinar, we would provide a refund to each participant.
Accommodation Requests: Accommodation requests can be sent to [email protected]. Please send requests at least two weeks before the webinar date, if possible.
Concerns or complaints: If you have any concerns or complaints regarding our CEUs or webinar, please contact Jerilyn Hans ([email protected]). Complaints and resolutions will be reviewed on an individual case basis.
Continuing Education:
There is a $5 registration fee for each CEU selected.
Each organization/entity uses their own calculation to determine the number of CEUs based on contact hours. As with all continuing education, the attendee should verify CEU requirements by their professional organization and/or state licensure board.
BEHAVIOR ANALYST CERTIFICATION BOARD: The University at Albany/CARD Albany is an authorized continuing education provider for BACB continuing education. Provider number: OP-22-0612
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS: CARD Albany is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer continuing education for school psychologists. CARD maintains responsibility for the program.
LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS: University at Albany, SUNY, Center for Autism and Related Disabilities is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0194.
NEW YORK STATE SOCIAL WORKERS: Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, SW CPE, is recognized by the New York State Education Department State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed master social workers # 0292.
CONTINUING TEACHER AND LEADER EDUCATION: CARD Albany is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s Office of Teaching Initiatives as an approved provider of CTLE for Professional Classroom Teachers, School Leaders and Level III Teaching Assistants.
NEW YORK STATE PSYCHOLOGISTS: Center for Autism and Related Disabilities is recognized by the New York State Education Department State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists in NYS #PSY-0083.
AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOCIATION: This course is available for .10 ASHA CEUs, no partial credit is available (Intermediate level). In addition to the attendance requirements above, those requesting ASHA CEUs must also complete an informal learning assessment one week following the webinar. Please visit ASHA's website for eligibility information.
