Michelle Lane

Nightingale Montessori Presents:
Autism: A Montessori Approach
Aug 5,6,7, and 8 2008.

Autism: Montessori Approaches in the Home
September 12 - 15, 2008

Two training prgrams offered at Sheridan College this fall.

1. SOCS78001 Autism-A Montessori Approach
This training is for Certified Montessori Teachers on the blend of ABA and the Montessori curriculum. First class date is Monday April 28, 2008 and it runs for 11 sessions. Courses are at the Oakville campus Monday evenings from 7-10. Please click here or go to Sheridan's Continuing Education website for more information.

2. SOCS78000 Autism-Montessori Approaches in the Home
This training is for parents and/or caregivers for children with autism. Techniques on how to work with a child in a home setting is taught. First class date is Wednesday April 30, 2008 and it runs for 12 sessions. Courses are at the Oakville campus Wednesday evenings from 7-10. Please click here or go to Sheridan's Continuing Education website for more information. LINK

Michelle Lane will be training in the US in the summer of 2008. Details to follow.

These training programs are geared to Montessori professionals. Location and refreshments are the responsibility of the host of the school. For more information on travel costs and accommodations for schools outside of the Toronto area and/or to book a training program please contact Michelle Lane at montessoriautism@yahoo.com for details .

Behaviour Problems in Children with Autism
K. Michelle Lane B.A., A.M.S., (M.A.A.A.)
This course covers behaviour characteristics in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, how to recognize the cause and how to implement intervention strategies to support appropriate behaviours.

Characteristics of children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
What is ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) and IBI (Intensive Behavioural Intervention)
Task analysis
Prompts, what are they and how to fade them
What is a functional analysis
How is a functional analysis implemented to support a behaviour plan
Prevention techniques
ABC’s of Behaviour Therapy. (Antecedents, Behaviour and Consequence)
NET (Natural Environment Teaching)
Writing programs
Data Collection/Graphing
How behaviour is related to communication

3 hour course - $300 CDN

Communication Skills
K. Michelle Lane B.A., A.M.S., (M.A.A.A.)
Verbal and non-verbal communication strategies for children with ASD will be discussed with the use of PECS, sign language, and Verbal Behaviour. (This course is not a replacement for a Speech Language Pathologist.)

Barriers to communication
Receptive and Expressive language
Social impairments with language
Impaired sensory processing
Oral motor skills and oral motor planning
Augmentative communication systems
How motor planning can affect augmentative communication techniques
Eye contact
Hyperlexia
What other factors affect communication i.e. tone of voice, response time etc.
Developmental progressions of language
Visual symbols

2 hour course - $200 CDN

Sensory Processing
K. Michelle Lane B.A., A.M.S., (M.A.A.A.)
Many children with ASD have a variety of sensory issues. This course is an introduction to the different sensory processing systems in the body and how they affect a child’s behaviour. (This course is not a replacement for an Occupational Therapist.)

Defining Hyper and Hyposensitivity in the following systems:

Tactile
Visual
Auditory
Gustatory
Olfactory
Vestibular
Proprioceptive

How to observe a child with sensory processing difficulties
Sensory integration (SI)
Sensory diet

2 hour course - $200 CDN

Visual Schedule Workshop
K. Michelle Lane B.A., A.M.S., (M.A.A.A.)
Many children with autism are visual learners. Visual schedules are used to help a child deal with transitions during the day and can be used at home and/or at school. In this workshop you will learn how to make a visual schedule that will work in a Montessori environment and in the child’s home.

2 hour course - $200 CDN (includes materials for teacher’s to practice making schedules)

Play Skills / Social Skills
K. Michelle Lane B.A., A.M.S., (M.A.A.A.)
This course is designed for teachers who want to incorporate play and social skills for children with autism in the classroom environment.

Sensory motor play
Cause/effect play
Constructional play
Cognitive play
Imaginative play
Facial expressions
Understanding emotions (Theory of Mind)
Distinguishing what behaviours are appropriate in public and in private
Conversation checklist
Social scripts/social stories
How to teach a game playing skill
How to use the child’s strengths to promote interactions with others

3 hour course - $300 CDN

Anxiety – Coping techniques
K. Michelle Lane B.A., A.M.S., (M.A.A.A.)
Many children with autism and asperger’s syndrome have anxiety. This course is designed to help the teacher recognize why anxiety occurs and how to implement coping strategies for the child.

What is anxiety
Mild anxiety – intervention plan
Medium anxiety – intervention plan
High anxiety – intervention plan
Relaxation techniques

2 hour course - $200 CDN

Autism – A Montessori Approach
K. Michelle Lane B.A., A.M.S., (M.A.A.A.)
This is a four day course that describes the program blend of the Montessori curriculum and Applied Behaviour Analysis. It is geared for Montessori teachers on how to work with a child who has low to mid functioning autism. An overview of autism which includes behavioural problems, communication, sensory, anxiety, and play/social skills will be discussed. The use of appropriate teaching methods for children with autism, how to write programs and how to use the program tracking manual as well as other aids will be taught.

(Michelle Lane recently received a Premier’s Award for creating this program.)

Day 1: Defining Autism/Behaviour
Day 2: Communication/Play/Social Skills
Day 3: Sensory Processing/Anxiety
Day 4: Data Collection/Teaching techniques

32 hour course - $3200 CDN (includes a one hour lunch each day)

*Please note that taking this course does not automatically give you accreditation from MAAA. For more information on accreditation please click here.