Establishing Basic Skill Sets for Students with Autism and Other Complex Needs

This training is designed for students with autism or other complex needs who have limited or absent communication skills, including minimal tacting (labeling) and manding (requesting). Participants will learn conceptual foundations, protocols, and instructional methods for developing early social interactions, teaching functional communication, and implementing an object sort program for intensive teaching and data collection. Mand training procedures—including sign, vocal, and AAC-based requesting—and related data systems will also be covered.Days 1–3 will be in person and focus on core content. On Day 4, participants will meet virtually to share non-identifying assessment results for their target student. On Day 5, they will virtually present the implementation results of their object sort program using a provided PowerPoint template. Before Days 4 and 5, participants must complete two brief coaching sessions with a TASN coach: one prior to conducting the assessment and one before implementing the object sort program (approximately 20 minutes each). Participants who attend and share on Day 4 will receive a certificate of completion. Those who present implementation results on Day 5 will be invited to join a Train-the-Trainer cohort to support agency- or district-wide capacity building.

Training Requirements: Fee:  Free Registration Link:

Read two articles prior to training 

Bring 2” binder and 8 count tabs

Coaching support before training days 4 and 5 for implementation support

Optional online modules (4-5 hours)

Learning Objectives – Participants will:

1. State and demonstrate basic concepts and methods of assessing students with complex needs related to establishing early cooperative responding and instructional control, identifying instructional targets, and promoting response variability.   
2. Demonstrate teaching acquisition of procedures for establishing cooperative responding and context-controlled responses.
3. Be able to state verbal operants, prompting procedures. errorless teaching procedure and error correction procedure. 
4. Demonstrate a run through with object sort, mand, and emerging verbal operant skills utilizing errorless teaching procedure and error correction procedures.  
5. Identify the basic steps of a mand trial and the two types of mand transfer trials.
6. Demonstrate a mand training session that involves targets.
7. Demonstrate mand data collection procedures.
8. Demonstrate data collection procedures related to assessment and skill acquisition.
9. Using the Function-based thinking framework, analyze scenarios to identify appropriate steps to reducing problem behavior.
10. Create a plan to design a balanced instructional program related to establishing a basic skill set for critical social-communicative behavior. 

This training addresses the Kansans Can state goals in the area of social emotional growth and Kindergarten readiness by building earliest communication skill repertoires.

If you have questions, please contact:  nicholeh@tasnatbs.org

Professional development credit or CEUs are available for participants who attend the entire 5-day event.  No credit will be provided for partial attendance. 

Approved for 18  continuing education clock hours for Kansas licensed Speech-Language Pathologists by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, LTS S1318 

This event is approved for 18 ACE Learning, (Previously Type 2) continuing education units for BCaBAs and BCBAs by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Synchronous Learning 

The BACB does not warrant, endorse, sponsor, or approve or partner with the event, organization, or instructor. 

18 CEUs will be awarded for completion of all requirements. The content for this event is considered intermediate.

There is no fee.  For further information, contact Pam Scharping, pams@tasnatbs.org.