Get Ready for Back to School! Supporting Students with ASD at School

PEPSA - Get Ready for Back to School! -Supporting Students with ASD at School

Date:

August 6, 2025

8:30 am – 11:30 am

Location:

Virtual. Zoom link will be sent to participants 1 week before workshop

Presenter: Chris Abildgaard, Ed.D., NCSP, LPC, NCC

Hosted by: UM-NSU CARD

About the Presenter:

Dr. Abildgaard is the owner and director of the Social Learning Center, LLC, in Cheshire, CT. He received his Doctor of Education in School Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Chris is nationally certified in School Psychology and Counseling (NCSP, NCC) and holds a CT license as a Licensed Professional Counselor, with a specialization in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Neurodiverse learners. Additionally, he has a Graduate Certificate in Behavioral Interventions in Autism from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Beyond his leadership at the SLC, Dr. Abildgaard serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor and 2025-2026 Jackie McLean Fellow in the Psychology Department at the University of Hartford. He is set to develop curriculum for Special Topics courses on ASD, Neurodiversity, and Mental Health Issues in Education starting in fall 2025. Previously, he made significant contributions as an Adjunct Professor in the Special Education Department at the University of St. Joseph (USJ), enhancing their Master’s program in Autism and Neurodiversity.

Dr. Abildgaard is preparing to publish a book with Routledge Publishing in 2025, titled "Effective Counseling Techniques When Working with People with ASD & Their Families" as part of his fellowship year at the University of Hartford. This publication will support his clinical, consultative, and supervisory roles at the SLC, as well as his teaching duties at the University of Hartford.

Speaker website: www.sociallearningcenter.org

Training Description

Target Audience: Educators, Administrators, Psychologists, School Psychologists, SLPs, OTs & Family Members

This half-day seminar will establish an educational understanding for working effectively with students who are neurodivergent, including those with ASD. Evidence-based practices and clinical examples will be provided to empower educators to best support a student’s natural style of learning by focusing on:

Supporting ASD Students in the Classroom: This workshop is designed for both general and special education teachers and focuses on creating supportive classroom environments, implementing effective communication strategies, and addressing challenging behaviors all through evidence based practices.

Executive Functioning Strategies for Teachers: This workshop focuses on practical strategies for supporting students with ASD in the general education setting. The talk will focus on topics such as organization, time management, inhibition, cognitive shifting and planning, with a focus on how to adapt strategies for different learning styles of our neurodivergent students.

Training Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Identify current research and developments in autism spectrum disorders issues and support.

• Describe the social, communication, and executive learning styles of children with ASD and other neurodiverse learners

• Develop skills in modifying and adapting instructional and related materials to support students with ASD and other neurodivergent learning styles

For more information contact:

CARD@miami.edu or (305) 284-6563