Friday November 21, 2025 ONLINE
This workshop helps teachers, support staff, and clinicians learn proven ways to improve self-control, thinking skills, and social communication in elementary students. These skills are important for learning, social life, and emotional health. Attendees will understand how these skills develop, spot problems in class, and get practical tools and methods for use with individuals or groups. The session includes real examples, videos, hands-on activities, and teamwork to ensure participants gain useful strategies they can use right away.
*Each of the workshops in the Functional Skills series will be presented from a Neurodiversity affirming lens.
Workshop Outcomes:
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
Explain self-regulation, executive function, and social communication, and how they connect in elementary-aged children.
Identify common signs of struggles in these areas and understand what might cause them in students.
Use age-appropriate methods to teach and support self-regulation, including emotional awareness and coping skills.
Apply practical tools to help with executive function, like visual schedules, breaking tasks into steps, organizing tools, and managing time.
Promote social communication skills through guided peer activities, clear teaching of conversation rules, and examples of effective language use.
Include skill-building in daily routines and lessons using an inclusive approach and layered support system (MTSS).
Work well with families and other professionals to provide consistent help across different environments.
Friday December 19, 2025 ONLINE
Adolescence brings more school challenges, complex social situations, and a growing need for independence. This workshop is for educators, counselors, support staff, and special education providers working with middle and high school students who have trouble with self-control, planning, and social skills. Participants will learn how these skills grow and affect learning, behavior, and friendships in these years. Using brain science, practical tips, and real examples, professionals will get tools to help students become more self-aware, manage emotions, organize tasks, and handle social situations. The workshop focuses on a strengths-based, trauma-aware approach and provides classroom, small-group, and individual support ideas suited to secondary students’ growth.
*Each of the workshops in the Functional Skills series will be presented from a Neurodiversity affirming lens.
Workshop Outcomes:
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
Identify key challenges and strengths in self-control, executive skills, and social communication in teens.
Understand how these challenges show up in middle and high school settings—academically, behaviorally, and socially.
Use proven strategies to teach self-control, like naming emotions, mindfulness, and self-check tools for teens.
Support executive skills with planners, time management, digital tools, and goal-setting methods.
Help improve real social communication, including perspective-taking, resolving conflicts, managing conversations, and online communication manners.
Tailor support for a variety of learners using MTSS or RTI approaches.
Work with students to encourage self-advocacy and independence for success in school, social life, and work.
WILL GATHER INTEREST AND THEN DECIDE TIMING
(Exact location TBD- general location, Montpelier VT)
This practical workshop is for educators, therapists, and school staff ready to apply strategies in real situations. It focuses on helping students from early elementary to high school with self-regulation, executive functioning, and social communication skills.
Participants will work together using case studies and planning tools to find problems and solutions. The workshop teaches how to spot skill gaps, choose the right supports, and handle challenges in classrooms, therapy, or during breaks and transitions.
Whether working with a young child who has emotional outbursts or a teen who struggles with social cues or deadlines, you’ll learn flexible, proven methods you can use right away.
*Each of the workshops in the Functional Skills series will be presented from a Neurodiversity affirming lens.
By the end, you will be able to:
Identify student strengths and challenges in self-regulation, executive function, and social skills for all ages.
Use real examples to choose the best interventions.
Create age-appropriate supports that fit school and social needs.
Apply strategies during lessons, transitions, group work, and peer time.
Adjust interventions quickly based on student feedback and behavior.
Work with teams and families to keep support consistent across settings.
Help students take charge of their skill growth by checking their progress, thinking about their learning, and setting goals.
Spring, 2026. Dates/Times TBD
After taking one of the functional skills online days, participants are invited to participate in this virtual consultation series.
This consultative workshop series is designed to provide educators, therapists, and school support staff with ongoing, personalized support in developing and implementing effective strategies for teaching self-regulation, executive function, and social communication skills to students of all ages. This series moves beyond traditional one-time workshops, offering continuous professional development through hands-on consulting, feedback, and real-world application.
Each session will focus on a key area of skill development—whether it's improving emotional regulation, teaching time management, or supporting social communication in the classroom—and will include opportunities for participants to discuss challenges, share successes, and work through specific case scenarios from their own work with students. Through interactive problem-solving and collaborative discussion, participants will receive tailored advice, actionable strategies, and tools to address the unique needs of their students.
The series is ideal for professionals seeking more in-depth, long-term support in their practice, as well as those looking to refine and adapt their teaching approaches in real-time.
