Autism Workshops for Parents in Illinois

Navigating the journey of parenting a child with autism can be both rewarding and challenging. Our autism workshops provided online via Zoom, are designed to support and empower parents across Illinois with evidence-based strategies and expert guidance.

These workshops are available exclusively to Illinois residents and are funded in part by The Autism Program of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Human Services, ensuring accessibility and quality. Let us help you build a stronger foundation for your child’s growth and success in a caring and inclusive environment.

Upcoming Workshops

No new workshops are currently scheduled.  Please check back 

Recordings of Previous Workshops

Understanding Your Child With Autism

This installment of our autism workshops will help viewers understand the key aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including its prevalence, signs, and symptoms. This presentation will explain the differences between high-functioning and low-functioning ASD, offering insight into communication strategies, such as PECS and AAC devices. Attendees will also learn effective approaches for supporting social skills development and managing behaviors to help children thrive in various environments.

This workshop was recorded on December 10, 2024

Building Rapport

Join us in learning practical strategies for building rapport with individuals, particularly children with autism. Key topics include being present and attentive, following the individual’s lead, and showing genuine interest by engaging with their responses. It highlights the importance of respecting personal space, identifying common interests, and using positive reinforcement to encourage confidence. The session also emphasizes the need for patience, flexibility, and consistency in interactions to strengthen trust. Additionally, it covers the use of humor, sensory preferences, and providing opportunities for self-expression to strengthen connections with caregivers and peers. The goal is to create supportive, engaging, and meaningful interactions.  

This workshop was recorded on February 11, 2025

Promoting Independence

Part of our Autism Workshops series that focuses on promoting independence in children with autism to boost self-esteem, confidence, and prepare for adult life. We’ll explore setting short- and long-term goals that align with the child’s desires and the family’s vision. Key areas include daily living skills like self-care, household tasks, and decision-making, along with pivotal behaviors and behavioral cusps that open doors to new learning opportunities. Teaching strategies will cover task analysis, visual supports, encouraging choice-making, and problem-solving. Emphasis will be placed on practicing skills across different environments and people, including adults and peers.

Verbal Operants

This presentation covers essential skills (under different verbal operants) that support early development. By learning about these verbal operants, you will gain more knowledge on possible goals put in place for your child, allowing you to implement more teaching time in the home and community. The verbal operants listed below focus on building communication and social skills, opening doors for further learning and development: 

• Mand: Request for items or attention, a crucial skill that provides the individual access to wanted/needed objects 
• Tact: Label objects during teaching sessions or in the natural environment to enhance identification 
• Echoic: Repeating sounds modeled by the instructor to increase communication or work on enunciation  
• Intraverbals: Responding to questions, engaging in conversation, or fill-in-the-blanks 
• Listener Responding (LR) and Receptive Identification (RID): Following instructions (LR) or identifying materials (RID) 
• Imitation: Copying actions, which promotes social opportunities and peer interactions/play 
• Matching (VPMTS): Matching tasks that improve recognition and cognitive skills (i.e., shape sorters, puzzles) 

This workshop is FREE and open to residents of Illinois only.