Which group looks like they are learning more?
Professional Coaching
Our Approach
At Autism Coaching, we recognize that professionals can have a significant and lasting impact on children and families. However, we also recognize that many staff training programs may not focus directly on strengthening the relationship and interactions between professionals and the children/parents they serve.
We have spent the last 30 years working with autistic children and adolescents and their families and training providers, and here’s what we’ve learned:
Professionals work extremely hard (often over many hours, weeks, months, and years) to teach specific behaviors or skills, yet often with very limited results beyond treatment sessions or classroom activities.
Professionals are trying their absolute best to help children and teens learn and develop. They don’t need to be “fixed” or “trained” to be “better”. They don’t need to be pushed to “comply” with a program or set of techniques they don’t understand, or that don’t feel right or helpful to them.
Every single professional has strengths, skills, talents, and capabilities that are too often overlooked and underutilized by well-meaning trainers/consultants
For non-autistic providers in particular, interactions and activities with autistic children can feel confusing and stressful (regardless of the amount of experience & training).
So, what do autism professionals most need? Professionals often hear that they must receive many hours of (and many thousands of dollars of) training in specific “evidence-based autism treatment approaches.”
At Autism Coaching, although we recognize that training in (some) well-researched autism treatment methods and techniques can be helpful, we’ve learned this simply isn’t enough. Many autism staff training approaches present specific curriculum and teaching techniques (developed by non-autistic professionals) in an effort to enhance staff and student performance. However, without vital information and guidance from autistic people, neuroscience, child & human development and psychology/mental health combined with supportive feedback, such training efforts are unlikely to have a long-term, positive impact on staff or their students or clients.
Autism Coaching’s approach is actually quite straightforward - we use video of typical interactions during sessions or learning activities to bring out the very best in professionals and their students/clients. We do this by helping professionals:
Recognize and build on the strengths, skills, talents, and capabilities they already have
Understand each child/student/client, their unique abilities and challenges, and what they most need to be successful
Strengthen communication and trust with clients/students, building the relationships necessary to enhance motivation and engagement
Identify how and when to try out or practice new strategies, and how to make adjustments to enhance active participation
So how does Autism Coaching actually work?
A key component of our approach is the recording, review and discussion of video of staff interactions with students/clients in everyday activities. Research shows that videos of professionals and children or clients interacting together can reveal powerful insights and strategies that greatly strengthen communication and interaction. Over the years, we’ve found that reviewing video is a uniquely effective tool to help teachers/therapists see for themselves how they and their students/clients communicate most successfully with one another.
Professionals find that watching videos with an Autism Coach who has total confidence in their ability to communicate and connect with their student is indeed a “game changer”. Professionals often shift from feeling “stuck”, frustrated and discouraged to experiencing a new sense of confidence, hope and possibility in their everyday interactions and relationship with their students/clients.
What results can professionals expect from Autism Coaching?
Greater understanding of student’s/client’s strengths and challenges
Increased awareness of one’s own unique strengths and capabilities
Interactions with students/clients feel easier, more successful and enjoyable
Students/clients interact more often and for longer periods of time with staff
Greater trust and confidence in staff’s ability to support client’s/student’s communication and social emotional development
Ability to respond with greater ease & effectiveness to challenging moments and situations with students/clients
Students/clients are more engaged during classroom activities or sessions
Less stress, frustration, discouragement and burnout
Renewed hope in student’s/client’s ability to learn and develop
Improved client/student progress and generalization; better long-term outcomes
