APRIL 16, 2025 | 8:00 AM - 4:15 PM
BISHOP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER
3601 SW 31st St., Topeka, KS 66614
Join Easterseals Midwest and experts in the disability field for this special summit expanding our understanding of autism. Gain resources, skills, and techniques to implement as a caregiver, parent, or professional.
SCHEDULE
Registration 8:00 am – 8:30 am
Welcome Address 8:30 am – 8:35 am
Keynote Speaker | Alec Bernstein 8:35 am – 10:00 am
Managing Meltdowns without Melting Down Ourselves presented by Alec Bernstein, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA
Meltdowns. Tantrums. Outbursts. Call them what you want. They all are stressful to manage and affect everyone around. Common strategies for addressing these events can take a long time to work if they work at all. These strategies also do not always work for every child. We will discuss a framework to better understand these difficult events. In this keynote session, we will use that framework to decide when to use common strategies and when to use other strategies, and tips for how to use both.
Break 10:00 am – 10:15 am
Session 1 | Bria Coale 10:15 am – 11:45 am
Visual Supports: Reduce Frustration, Increase Communication, and Set Clear Expectations presented by Bria Coale, MS Ed, BCBA, LBA
Individuals with autism, especially children, are strong visual learners. Visual supports help caregivers provide choices, set expectations, and promote independence. They aid communication, daily tasks, and behavior management, improving the quality of life for individuals and their caregivers. This session offers practical resources and research-based strategies for implementing visual supports across all ages, from early learning tools to adult schedules.
Complimentary Lunch 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
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Session 2 | Kelley Pujol 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Listen, Create, Move: How Rhythm and Music Can Help Maintain Neurological Order presented by Kelley Pujol M Ed, MM, MT-BC
This presentation will utilize music therapy research to recommend activities that can be implemented by parents, teachers, and other professionals. In this session, we will engage in creative music making to practice potential strategies. How these specific interventions aid neurological organization in various brain structures will also be addressed.
Break 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm
Session 3 | Lucas Evans 2:45 pm – 4:15 pm
An Introduction to the Constructional Approach, or It’s Not Really About the Nail presented by Lucas Evans, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA
Too often, we focus on problems: problem behavior and problem situations. This leads us to get stuck admiring the problem — that is, we can’t see past it. In this presentation, we will shift our focus to looking for what is already working and what is missing. When you leverage the strengths of an existing situation or person’s skills and then build missing skills and supports that meet a need, you often find that you indirectly solve the problem.
CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEU)
Behavior Analysts are eligible for up to three Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) CEUs by attending this Autism Summit. CEUs will be provided at no charge.
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IMAGE AND/OR VIDEO CONSENT
Please be advised that Easterseals Midwest may have photographers and media on hand at this event. Photographic images and video taken during this event are property of Easterseals Midwest and may be used for promotional purposes. By submitting your order to attend this event, you irrevocably consent to allow Easterseals Midwest to use any photos and video containing your image and/or the images of those you have registered to attend this event without impunity.
REGISTRATION CANCELLATION OR TRANSFER
All registrations and payments must be received by April 4. If you must cancel your registration, please notify Casey Melancon at casey.melancon@esmw.org in writing by April 4, 2025 to receive a refund. No refunds will be made after April 4. Registrations may be transferred to another individual without penalty. No refunds will be provided to those unable to attend the conference.
