Supporting Special Populations:

Building Relationships and Maximizing Instruction

A Webinar Series for Para Educators during COVID-19 

This webinar series is currently available to districts who have a contract with the Psychological and Behavioral Consultation division of EASTCONN.  

Please contact your administrator with questions or for support. If you are an educator or administrator looking for more information on supporting paraeducator training with this series, please contact Dr. Ravit Stein at rstein@eastconn.org.

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About the 10 Sessions

Each session includes a 90 minute video, guided notes worksheet, and materials for application.

Function-Based Thinking to Improve Student Outcomes:
An Introduction

Presented By: Erin Crosby, MA, BCBA; Erin Dunn, PhD; Tonya Lefevre

Convincing students to “behave” is rarely an effective strategy for students with special needs.  In their experience, sometimes problem behaviors are the best way to avoid difficult tasks, get time with adults, get offered a different activity or snack, or even self-sooth.  This session will help you to understand why students do what they do and begin to make the changes necessary to support the behaviors we want to see more often.

Every Kid Needs a Champion:
Building Relationships with Challenging Students

Presented By: Jacquelyn DuBois, PhD, NCSP; Taylor Koriakin, MA

Do you ever find it hard to connect with challenging students? This session presents several evidence-based strategies to help you build positive relationships with the most challenging of students – while improving student behavior along the way.

Keep Calm & Corrective:
Strategies for Responding to Challenging Behaviors

Presented By: Christopher Barclay, PhD, BCBA; Erin Dunn, PhD

Defiant, disruptive, and disrespectful behaviors can push our buttons, especially when traditional discipline techniques don’t seem to work. This session will help you identify your hot buttons, rethink the way you look at challenging behaviors, and give you strategies to keep calm and respond in ways that teach students positive social and emotional skills.

Proactive Strategies for Engaging Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Presented By: Erin Crosby, MA, BCBA; Rachel Bailey, MA; Tonya Lefevre

Does responding to problem behavior sometimes leave you feeling ineffective, frustrated, or overwhelmed?  In this session, we  will take a closer look at evidence-based strategies that can help prevent students with Autism Spectrum Disorders from engaging in problem behavior in the first place!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:
Using a Variety of Visual Supports for Students

Presented By: Jessica Miglio, MEd, BCBA; Melinda Judson; Brianna Keegan

What do you hear yourself saying over and over? What do you hear students asking over and over? Give yourself a breather, maximize instructional time, increase structure and predictability in your setting, and support improved organization and achievement among all students by integrating visual supports!

Applying a Trauma Sensitive Lens to De-escalation:
Cultivating Safe and Supportive Schools

Presented By: Ravit Stein, PhD, BCBA; Erin Dunn, PhD

We often hear experts in the field talk about trauma and its impact on students, but what does that really mean and what can I do about it in my role as a paraeducator? This session will not only provide you with an understanding of what trauma is and how it impacts student behavior, but will also give you practical ideas for how to interact with students who, because of trauma, may be more likely to escalate and engage in serious problem behaviors.

Documentation that Makes a Difference:
Effective Data Collection

Presented By: Erin Crosby, MA, BCBA; Ravit Stein, PhD, BCBA; Kimberly Reynolds

Have you ever worked with a student with a complex behavior intervention plan and wondered, “How will we know if all of this effort is making a difference?”.  Data is the key to ensuring that we spend our time and energy on the very best interventions for our students.  In this session, we will focus on methods for effective & feasible data collection, so that we can be confident that we have the best information to make informed decisions for our students’ programming.

Intentional Steps to Independence:
Using the Prompting Hierarchy

Presented By: Jennifer Connolly, PhD, BCBA; Rachel Bailey, MA; Jacquelyn Dubois, PhD; Taylor Koriakin, MA

When working with students, do you ever pause and wonder if you should do something for a student or have them do it on their own? Or are you unsure if you are providing too much support or too little? This session will discuss the use of prompts to support skill development and promote independence for learners of all ages.

Turning Evidence-Based Practices into Everyday Routines: Working Smarter, Not Harder

Presented By: Christopher Barclay, PhD, BCBA; Erin Dunn, PhD; Ravit Stein, PhD, BCBA

Ever walked away from a workshop, excited to use new strategies, only to feel like things just fell back to ‘normal’ after? It’s not your fault! Tune into this session to learn how to stop blaming yourself and start using a scientific approach that can instantly multiply your chances of converting your new ideas from mental goals into daily habits!

Neuropsychology of Dyslexia:
An Introduction to Key Features and Intervention

Presented By: Eva Troyb, PhD; Erin Dunn, PhD

Would you like to learn more about why some students struggle with reading? Have you wondered what the difference is between dyslexia and learning disability in reading? This workshop will include an overview of the neurological basis of reading difficulties, describe differences between dyslexia and learning disability in reading, and provide you with suggestions for how to work best with students struggling to read.

About Us

Where is our team?

We serve Northeastern Connecticut with assessment, consultation, and professional development to support districts, programs, and individual needs in maximizing student academic and behavioral outcomes. Click here to learn about our services!

Who are we? 

We are a team of consultants and interventionists with backgrounds in special education, school psychology, behavior analysis, and neuropsychology!
Click here to learn more about our team!