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Engaging Autistic Students in General Education Classrooms is a Course

Engaging Autistic Students in General Education Classrooms

Ended Jun 8, 2021

Sorry! The enrollment period is currently closed. Please check back soon.

Full course description

Workshop Information

Dates: Tuesdays, May 25, June 1, and June 8

Time: 4:30 - 6:00 pm EST

Location: Online (Zoom) 

Who Should Enroll?
The online workshop series has been designed as a professional development opportunity for K-12 educators.

Workshop Description:

Consistent with federal mandates favoring inclusion, autistic students are increasingly educated in general education classrooms. While this arrangement has potential benefits for autistic students including access to the general education curriculum, social opportunities, and decreased stigmatization, many general educators feel unequipped to adequately engage autistic students in their classrooms. It is important that autistic children are provided meaningful opportunities to engage with their classroom peers, and that they are provided instruction from educators with specific training in designing instruction to meet their unique learning profiles. This three-session workshop is designed to increase general educators’ ability to design and implement instruction that is accessible for autistic students and promotes their engagement.

Program Benefits:

After participating in this session, educators will:

  • Learn to work with paraprofessionals and special education staff to plan classroom instruction that increases autistic students’ engagement with: (a) instructional activities (b) the general educator, and (c) classroom peers.
  • Learn strategies that are embedded in best practices, including multi-tiered systems of support and universal design for learning. 
  • Leave with a customized ‘action plan’ to implement with specific students in their classroom who may benefit from decreased paraprofessional support, and increased classroom engagement. 

Certification of Completion:

The Lynch School is a state-approved provider of Professional Development Points. 10 PDPs will be provided upon completion of the workshop sessions. 

Please note that all participants from outside Boston College will not receive academic credit nor a transcript documenting their participation in this workshop series. However, all participants will be awarded a certificate of completion and Professional Development points to apply to their professional development plans. 

Fees & Policies:
Tuition includes all instructional materials. Participants receive a certificate of participation and professional development points. 

Registration closes May 25th at 4:30pm. Refunds will only be granted up until the start of the first workshop at 4:30pm on May 25th. No refunds will be granted for registration or technical errors on the participant's part (such as incorrect name/email, login failure, etc.).

Additional offerings from the Lynch School Professional & Continuing Education Office can be found on our website

Workshop Presenter

Kristen Bottema-Beutal
Kristen Bottema-Beutel, PhD

Kristen Bottema-Beutel brings to the Lynch School expertise in a complex topic gaining increasing public attention: autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Her research into ASD includes social interaction dynamics in children and adolescents, educational interventions to promote peer interaction and social development, social communication development in students, and decision-making processes regarding peer inclusion.

Kristen employs her acute expertise in social, emotional, and cognitive development, disabilities, and special education to impart a better understanding of the complexities of social disorders, especially in youth.