This course will be available beginning July 1, 2025.

This course aims to increase administrator capacity to support educators as they meet students' needs in their learning environments, including autistic students. It will cover topics including evidence-based strategies, engaging learning environments, and behavioral topics pertaining to FAPE. Once the whole course is completed you will earn 4 hours of TASL credit.

Target Audience
LEA administrators in Tennessee who support educators who directly serve autistic students in a Pre-K through 12 setting

Learning Objectives

• Investigate characteristics of autism and how evidence-based practices (EBPs) improve outcomes for autistic learners.
• Increase awareness of common evidence-based practices and discover resources for learning more and to share with educators they support.

Training Topics

• Characteristics of autism
• Learning as a behavior
• Supporting instructional practices
• Overview of evidence-based practices
• Environmental arrangement
• Schedules and task analyses
• Prompting
• Reinforcement
• And much more!   

Once enrolled into the course participants will have three months to complete all the content and assignments within it. Once the whole coursework is completed participants will receive a certificate documenting their participation in the asynchronous coursework and 4 hours of TASL credit.

This course will be available beginning July 1, 2025.

The purpose of this course is to help facilitate effective transition planning for autistic students. It includes seven lessons to be used in transition planning activities in schools and school systems. Participants are encouraged to download the Implementation Planning Guide to create an individualized plan for incorporating these tools and strategies into their transition work. Once the whole coursework is completed participants will receive a certificate documenting their participation.

Target Audience
LEA faculty and staff in Tennessee who work in the middle or high school setting

Learning Objectives

• Identify and define seven transition areas to be integrated into the transition planning process for students with autism
• Provide strategies, tools, and resources to support effective transition planning
• Equip users with a planning guide for implementation of strategies for the transition planning process

Training Topics

• Person-Centered Planning
• Finances
• Employment
• Postsecondary Education
• Independent Living
• Employment and Community First (ECF) Choices program
• Student Role in Transition

Once enrolled into the course participants will have three months to complete all the content and assignments within it. Once the whole coursework is completed participants will receive a certificate documenting their participation.

This course will be available beginning July 1, 2025.

The “Communication and Autism Online Course” is a self-paced, fully asynchronous course curated to help educators build familiarity with autism and communication. This professional development program offers educators a flexible alternative to accommodate busy schedules. It also provides monthly opportunities to meet with TRIAD consultants and other educators enrolled in the course. This course can be completed in 2 hours.

Target Audience
Educators, Paraprofessionals, Related Service Providers, and Administrators in Tennessee who directly serve autistic students in a Pre-K through 12 setting

Learning Objectives

• Discuss characteristics of autism and how they impact communication skills.
• Use the ABCs of learning to build a conceptual framework for teaching communication.
• Define augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and explain how it provides students with the ability to spontaneously communicate.
• Summarize a variety of strategies to promote communication for autistic learners: following a student’s lead, expansion, choices, sabotage, novelty, and forgetfulness.
• Reflect upon strategies to promote communication and plan for application with students in your own learning environment.

Training Topics

• Characteristics of autism
• Understanding and describing communication
• Teaching communication
• Following a student’s lead
• Strategies to promote communication
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Training Format

• Interactive online course sequence with online modules, tip sheets, and implementation guides
• Required reflection surveys to be completed by participants at the end of each section
• Optional 1:1 remote consultation sessions with TRIAD consultants to adjust implementation, request additional support, or seek further resources are available upon request

Once enrolled into the course participants will have three months to complete all content and assignments. Once the whole coursework is completed participants will receive a certificate documenting their participation.

This course will be available beginning July 1, 2025.

The purpose of this course is to help educators build familiarity with autism and research-supported instructional practices to increase learning. Once all materials are completed earn PD hours.

Target Audience
LEA faculty and staff in Tennessee who directly serve autistic students in a K-12 setting

Learning Objectives

• Investigate characteristics of autism and how evidence-based practices (EBPs) improve outcomes for autistic learners.
• Summarize a variety of evidence-based practices for autistic learners: environmental arrangement, schedules, prompting, reinforcement, class-wide systems of reinforcement, and task analysis.
• Reflect upon EBPs to promote success for autistic learners and plan for application with students in your own learning environment.

Training Topics

• Characteristics of autism
• Learning as a behavior
• Overview of evidence-based practices
• Environmental arrangement
• Schedules
• Prompting
• Reinforcement
• Class-wide reinforcement systems
• Task analysis

Training Format

• Interactive online course sequence containing seven sections with online modules, tip sheets, and implementation guides
• Required reflection surveys to be completed by participants at the end of each section (seven total)
• Optional 1:1 remote consultation sessions with TRIAD consultants to adjust implementation, request additional support, or seek further resources are available upon request

Once enrolled into the course participants will have three months to complete all the content and assignments within it. Once the whole coursework is completed participants will receive a certificate documenting their participation.

This course will be available July 1, 2025.

In this course are a collection of modules designed specifically for paraeducators who serve students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other disabilities, in kindergarten through high school. The purpose of these modules is to expand paraeducator's knowledge and strategies to increase confidence when working in the classroom.

Target Audience
Paraprofessionals who directly serve autistic students in a K-12 setting

Learning Objectives

• Name the two characteristics of autism and how those characteristics impact behavior and learning.
• Recognize and select evidence based practices to use when teaching autistic learners.
• Identify appropriate reinforcers to increase student motivation

Training Topics

• Characteristics of ASD
• Impact of ASD on learning and the school environment
• Introduction to applied behavior analysis (ABA)
• How to help students learn using the A-B-C model of behavior
• Evidence-based practices (EBPs) for teaching students with ASD
• Creation of useful tools to use upon returning to school

Training Format

• Over 25 interactive learning modules on Evidence-Based Practices and application.
• Optional 1:1 remote consultation session with TRIAD consultants to adjust implementation, request additional support, or seek further resources are available upon request.

Once enrolled, participants will have three months to complete the course. Participants will be able to access all course packages after watching the introductory explanation video. Each package is centered around topic areas in order to expand participant knowledge in that subject. Note-some of the same modules exist within multiple packages to provide foundational information.

A certificate of completion with professional development hours will be available at the conclusion of each package. This ranges from 2 hours to a total of 8 hours if you were to complete all packages.

This course will be available beginning July 1, 2025.

The purpose of this course is to support school teams in designing the infrastructure to efficiently implement and monitor tier II interventions for social and personal competencies. This online course includes six modules to support school teams in planning, designing, implementing, and monitoring social skills intervention groups within a tiered system of supports.

Target Audience
Select members of school-wide tiered supports, behavior, or academic (RTI2A and RTI2B) teams that are responsible for developing and implementing tier II interventions.

Learning Objectives

• Investigate the key components of a tiered social skills intervention program.
• Design the core components of a tiered social skills intervention program for your school.
• Evaluate your school’s tiered social skills lessons and progress monitoring system using the resources provided in the modules.

Training Topics

• Introduction to social skills intervention
• Tier II social skills intervention logistics
• Identifying students for intervention groups
• Determining your social skills curriculum
• Implementing social skills intervention groups
• Progress monitoring social skills interventions

Training Format
Interactive online course sequence containing seven sections with six online modules, workbook activities, and supplemental resources aligned with module content.

Once enrolled into the course participants will have three months to complete all the content within it. Once the whole coursework is completed participants will receive a certificate documenting their participation.

This course will be available beginning July 1, 2025.

The “Executive Functioning and Autism Online Course” is a self-paced, fully asynchronous course curated to help educators build familiarity with autism and executive functioning skills. This professional development program offers educators a flexible alternative to accommodate busy schedules. It also provides those enrolled in the course opportunities to reflect and plan for applying the content to their work. This course can be completed in 3 hours.

Target Audience
Educators, Related Service Providers, Paraprofessionals, and Administrators who directly serve autistic students in a K through 12 settings.

Learning Objectives

• Discuss characteristics of autism and how they might impact executive functioning skills for autistic individuals.
• Analyze how executive functioning skill difficulties might impact learning and engagement in home and school settings
• Define the steps in the backwards planning strategy.
• Reflect upon best practice strategies for teaching backwards planning to individuals.
• Define the steps in a best practice approach to teaching flexibility.

Training Topics

• Characteristics of autism
• Understanding executive functioning skills
• Executive functioning strategy of backwards planning
• Best practices for teaching backwards planning
• Strategies for teaching individuals flexibility

Training Format
Interactive online course sequence with online modules, tip sheets, and reflection guides

Once enrolled into the course participants will have three months to complete all the content within it. Once the whole coursework is completed participants will receive a certificate documenting their participation.

The “Building Social Connections Course” is a self-paced, fully asynchronous course curated to help educators build build familiarity with autism and social and personal competencies, specifically focused on the areas of social awareness and relationship skills for supporting student social connections. This professional development program offers educators a flexible alternative to accommodate busy schedules. It also provides those enrolled in the course opportunities to reflect and plan for applying the content to their work. This course can be completed in 3 hours.

Target Audience
Educators, Related Service Providers, Paraprofessionals, and Administrators who directly serve autistic students in a K through 12 settings.

Learning Objectives

Learning objectives for the introduction section include:

• develop an understanding of autism spectrum disorder, 
• examine our understanding of Social and Personal Competencies (SPCs) and why they matter, 
• design social and personal competency support to be autistic-inclusive, and 
• formulate long-term goals and overall success for students of all neurotypes through social and personal competency support. 

Learning objectives for the assessment section include:

• connect student’s strengths and areas of needs with social and personal competence (SPC) standards, 
• assess Present Levels of Performance in Five Core Social and Personal Competencies (self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills),  
• write effective and meaningful IEP goals related to social and personal competencies, and 
• evaluate methods to assess and monitor progress towards IEP goals related to social and personal competencies. 

Learning objectives for the intervention section include:

• plan educational programs to support students with IEP goals related to social and personal competencies, 
• design instruction based on students’ goals related to social and personal competencies, and 
• assess students’ progress and adjust support(s) related to social and personal competencies. 

Training Topics

• Characteristics of autism 
• Social and personal competencies for autistic students 
• Assessment of social and personal competencies 
• Developing effective and meaningful social and personal competency IEP goals 
• Assessing and monitoring progress of IEP goals 
• Developing social and personal competency group-based interventions 
• Intervention environmental components 
• Intervention instructional components 
• Customizing your intervention instruction 

Training Format

Interactive online course sequence with online modules, tip sheets, and reflection guides

Once enrolled into the course participants will have three months to complete all the content within it. Once the whole coursework is completed participants will receive a certificate documenting their participation.