Project ACCESS provides training in use of autism evidence-based practices, functional behavior assessment, eligibility determination in the category of autism, essential features of defensible programs, verbal behavior, para-educator training, and behavior support. In addition, we will help educators develop a personal professional development plan and a curated training pathway.
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Enroll in in-person courses by accessing Project ACCESS self-enrollment system.
If you are an administrator planning in-person professional development, you can view our offerings for in-person autism training for schools, or you can call us or email us with your custom training ideas (471-836-6657 or projectaccess@missouristate.edu.
We encourage you to consider our online training in the essential features of an effective autism program as it will help you analyze your school's strengths and challenges in order to inform your professional development targets. -
Follow this link to access the Project ACCESS catalog of online professional develop.
Project ACCESS provides professional development opportunities through an online, asynchronous format delivered through a web-based learning management system for school districts that are unable to send educators to in-person training and for educators that need the flexibility of self-paced anytime, anywhere learning. These professional development opportunities cover core principles of educating students with autism, functional behavior assessment, implementing evidence-based strategies, structuring autism learning environments, and training para-educators and support staff. Online workshops have recorded content, interactive exercises, case studies, and knowledge and skill-building activities. Feedback and coaching from a live autism resource specialist is provided for participants.
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Project ACCESS offers in-person learning opportunities for Missouri educators to experience visiting experts. More information about these opportunities is on our invited speakers webpage.
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Verbal Behavior and Language Instruction Training
Social-communication is one of two categories of diagnostic criteria for autism in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. As many as one-fourth of children with the diagnosis have no or limited functional vocal communication. Research data indicates that many interfering behaviors are the result of children trying to get wants and needs met but without an effective communication repertoire. Applied behavior analysis offers two primary methods of teaching functional language: intensive teaching using discrete trial teaching and natural environment training. Project ACCESS offers in-person workshops in four areas of Missouri across four quarters of the fiscal year. Training will be offered in a six day sequence that will include instruction in the verbal operants/intensive teaching (3 days), natural environment training/basic skills (2 days), and Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) training (1 day).
To learn more and to register, visit our invited speakers webpage.
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Functional Behavior Assessment Training
Pursuant to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirement that Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) be performed in some disciplinary procedures involving students with autism and the fact that most program plans for students with autism are informed by function-based thinking, Project ACCESS will provide FBA training to educators through a consultation model that involves conducting an authentic FBA that is coached to fidelity by best practice standards. This activity is designed to produce competent building level personnel who possess the appropriate training in applied behavior analysis to conduct FBAs as specified in the IDEA. This activity presents didactic components asynchronously via a learning management system and includes individualized e-coaching via Zoom™.
To learn more or to register, visit the Project ACCESS Learning Portal
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Missouri Special Education Eligibility Determinations in the Category of Autism Training for Team Leaders
Pursuant to the Missouri State Compliance Plan that specifies that there be a team member with special expertise in autism on multidisciplinary teams responsible for evaluating students for special education services in the category of autism, Project ACCESS will provide instruction on the components of autism special education eligibility determinations including the domains of assessment, common assessments tools, how to interpret and use assessment data, making behavioral observations, and making decisions that are consistent with the state plan. This activity is designed to prepare school personnel to sit on or lead special education eligibility teams that assess students for services in the category of autism. Didactic content will be delivered asynchronous via a learning management system and e-coaching is delivered via Zoom to participants.
To sel-enroll in the autism eligibility workshop, please visit this Autism Eligibility self-enrollment link on Project ACCESS Learning Portal.
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Essential Features of a Defensible Autism Program Instruction
Project ACCESS provides instruction on essential features of a defensible autism program for buildings, programs, or districts. This activity trains district personnel to assess the district's strengths and challenges to inform a district’s autism program improvement plan. An outcome of this activity is that it enables districts to plan systematic programs of in-services that target challenges indicated by the assessment.
To sel-enroll in the autism eligibility workshop, please visit this Essential Features of a Defensible Autism Program on Project ACCESS Learning Portal.
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Intensive Behavior Support Training Including Registered Behavior Technician Training (RBT)
Project ACCESS provides a free online, 40-hour Behavior Technician training program that aligns with the BACB task list for Registered Behavior Technicians. Project ACCESS only provides the curriculum and is unable to certify candidates to sit for the BACB examination required for licensure. Thus, there are two ways to participate:
- Participants who don't need the license and who just want to learn the basics of a applied behavior analysis can enroll in the online asychronous behavior technician non-license workshop designed for this purpose.
- Participants who are seeking someone to certifify them so they can sit for the exam and become a licensed Registered Behavior Technician will need to work through a school district-based, clinic-based or freel-lance BCBA who can provide supervision and skill certification that is required by the BACB for test candidates. This role is known as Responsible Trainer and is not provided by Project ACCESS. However, Project ACCESS can provide a custom copy of this curriculum to the Responsible Trainer to use (which is customizable--the responsible trainer is the instructor in this course). Interested districts or BCBAs can contact Project ACCESS at projectaccess@missouristate.edu.
This curriculum is designed to expand the skill repertoire of para-educators, special education teachers, general education teachers, behavior intervention specialists, and administrators by teaching the basics of using techniques from the field of applied behavior analysis to shape positive behaviors and reduce behaviors that interfere with educational progress, thereby leading to better classroom management and more effective interventions for behaviors.
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Para-educator Bootcamp and other trainings for paras.
Project ACCESS offers the Para Bootcamp "course" which is a bundle of four courses. Enrolling in it will add learners to these four subcourses: Autism 101, Para 101, Behavior 101 for Paras, and De-escalation of Problem Behavior. It takes most people about 10 hours to complete the series. The direct self-enrollment link to the Paraeducator Bootcamp is here.
It is also possible to enroll in the courses individually. To do so, go to Project ACCESS' Para-educator course portal where there are additional courses the Project ACCESS believes fit perfectly in the para repertoire.
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Educator Mentoring and Curated Personal Professional Development Plans
Through mentoring and coaching, Project ACCESS will guide educators through the process of analysis of strengths and challenges to assist them with planning personal growth in acquisition of knowledge and skills needed to effectively serve students with autism. Project ACCESS will assist participating educators in developing an effective sequence of training that meets their immediate individual needs.
Multiple schema for creating and organizing personal growth plans include Project ACCESS Autism Credential Pathways program and Project ACCESS In-district Autism Consultant program (IDAC). Project ACCESS offers 5 core professional develpment sequences including Evidence-based Practice in Autism, Verbal Behavior, Intensive Behavior Support, Essential Features of Autism Programs, Eligibility Determinations in the Category of Autism, and Functional Behavior Assessment.
Graduate course credit and opportunities for earning a transcripted certificate in autism will be offered through a collaboration with Missouri State University.