Course content

The course is based on up-to-date international evidence, adapted to meet the needs of New Zealand children, the New Zealand curriculum, teachers and classrooms and is fully consistent with The New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline.

Each session follows a set pattern: 

• a ‘chalk and talk’ presented by a facilitator, which gives key information for the topic
  
• team activity to focus on assessing each individual child’s strengths and needs in this area
  
• demonstration of evidence-based strategies and supports
  
• team activity to plan a goal for the child using the strategies.
  

Course content includes:

• learning about ASD (sensory, communication, social and emotional regulation challenges) and how they affect your particular child/student
  
• walking a few steps in the shoes of a young person with ASD to understand how it feels
  
• making specific assessments of the needs and challenges for the young person you support
  
• a range of resources for each challenge which will be individualised to be relevant to your young person
  
• setting long-term and short-term sensory, communication, social and emotional regulation goals which will enhance the ability of your young person to participate in their home, school and community settings
  
• developing specific interventions in a plan (IEP) which can be immediately implemented after the course
  
• learning some functional behaviour analysis and problem-solving techniques
  
• preparing an emotional regulation plan to help your child/student better meet the challenges of home, school and community situations