For more than 50 years, ARI has dedicated its efforts to pioneering groundbreaking research and sharing free educational resources with people around the world. One of our main channels for distributing this information is through our free online webinars featuring highly qualified, expert presenters. Check out the five most-watched ARI webinars of 2020.

2020 autism webinars

Anxiety, Autism: Five Prime Suspects

In this webinar, Christopher Lynch, Ph.D., examines the key factors that contribute to high levels of anxiety seen in autism, including cognitive rigidity, sensory sensitivities, social demands, language demands, and task frustration. He covers why it’s essential to deal with the root causes of anxiety, strategies to address these causes, and ways to identify when an individual is experiencing anxiety. Dr. Lynch also mentions how to deal with heightened anxiety as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Lynch is a child psychologist specializing in stress and anxiety management for children and teens on the Autism Spectrum.

Take our knowledge quiz to get a free certificate after watching this talk.

2020 autism webinars

Promoting play and social skills at recess

Dr. Matthew Brock is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at The Ohio State University and a faculty associate at the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy. He studies the effects of practitioner training on implementing evidence-based practice and outcomes for students with significant disabilities and avenues for supporting students with significant disabilities in general education classrooms. In this webinar, he explains why peer networks at recess can be beneficial for some individuals. Dr. Brock also covers the research behind peer networks and how to implement them at your school.

Take our knowledge quiz to get a free certificate after watching this talk.

2020 autism webinars

Support for Individuals with ASD: Coping with Family and Virtual Interactions During COVID-19

In this webinar, Dr. Aarti Nair talks about guidelines for increased virtual social interactions due to the pandemic. She also covers topics such as talking to your child about the pandemic, handling changes with school, steps to address mental health, developing routines at home, and how to address challenging behaviors and disagreements. Dr. Nair is a postdoctoral scholar in the Dapretto Lab at the Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center.

Take our knowledge quiz to get a free certificate after watching this talk.

2020 autism webinars

Coronavirus Impact: Talking to Kids About Changing Schedules, Altered Plans, and Disruption

Amanda Tami, MA, BCBA, LBA, LPC, teaches how to manage feelings of disappointment caused by pandemic disruptions. She starts the presentation by addressing the biological reasons that cause us to feel strongly about certain situations. She also discusses ways to prevent individuals from becoming emotionally overloaded during these challenging times. Amanda comes from a unique position in her education and background to understand the challenges that clients and their families face – developmentally, behaviorally, emotionally, and systematically – to see the patterns and teach the skills needed to improve quality and functioning aspects of life.

Take our knowledge quiz to get a free certificate after watching this talk.

Social Skills and ASD

Our speaker, Jed Baker, Ph.D., is the Social Skills Training Project director, a private organization serving individuals with autism and social communication problems. In this webinar, he shares his map of social skills training. He dives into assessing behaviors, targeting skills, addressing motivation, sensitivity training, measuring outcomes, and more. He also covers typical triggers for challenging behaviors and explains common intervention frameworks. Dr. Baker’s work has been featured on ABC World News, Nightline, the CBS Early Show, and the Discovery Health Channel.

Take our knowledge quiz to get a free certificate after watching this talk.

TMS and Autism – 2021 Research Updates

April 27th, 2021|Health, Webinar|

Manuel Casanova, MD, discusses Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and its potential for treating autism. He details the cerebral cortex development and notes revealed differences in mini-columnar morphology and gamma oscillations in individuals with autism. Casanova