Mar 20, 2024 - 4:30 PM to 7:45 PM
Erinkelly Connell, MSEd., LBA, BCBA
Elementary, Middle School, High School
Teacher, BCBA, Speech Pathologist, BCaBA, LMHC, Psychologist – Licensed, Psychologist – School, School Leader, Level III Teaching Asst., Social Worker
Adolescence is the emotional and social transition between childhood and adulthood that takes place between the ages of 10-24. During this time, youngsters experience hormonal and biological developments in the body that can lead to emotional and behavioral changes. Navigating this with children with special needs can be especially challenging to school personnel and parents.
This session will address students with mild to severe developmental disorders such as autism, cognitive delays, and communication deficits. Participants will learn strategies to increase self-care and hygiene in children going through puberty. They will learn how to teach students the following in both classroom/ related service settings:
understanding behaviors that are appropriate in public vs. private settings (e.g., time and place)
stranger-danger
understanding romantic feelings, relationships, and relationship boundaries
the right to say “NO”
prerequisite skills for students to be able to articulate their feelings and needs in this regard (e.g., body part identification, pain attenuation, reporting inappropriate interactions)
self-regulation strategies: how to generalize into other settings and help parents to implement at home will also be discussed.
The session will also cover strategies for managing challenging behaviors that transpire during puberty and how to increase self-esteem. Case scenarios will be presented and discussed.