Autism Navigator About Autism in Toddlers

About the Course

About Autism in Toddlers is our first web-based course free to the public for families, professionals, and anyone interested in learning about autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This self-paced course has video clips of over a dozen toddlers with ASD at 18 to 24 months of age.

Simply register and login to learn about:

• Core diagnostic features of autism
• Critical importance of early detection and early intervention
• Current information on prevalence and causes of autism

You can select from a list of bite-sized questions in any order or complete the course from start to finish at your own pace. It takes about 3 hours to complete the entire course, but you can spend a few minutes and visit again as often as you’d like.

About Autism in Toddlers offers just the right information families need when they first learn their child may have autism. Watching our videos can help families understand their child’s behaviors and provide the catalyst they need to act early. Family members will learn how to support their toddler’s needs and tell the difference between typical toddler behavior and something more concerning. They will also learn that everyday activities are important teachable moments, and see how these parent-child interactions supported by early intervention can significantly improve outcomes for children detected early.

Families play a critical role in early detection of ASD and improving the outcome of their children. Primary care, early intervention, and child care providers are in a critical position to invite families to this valuable resource. About Autism in Toddlers can help support families to act sooner and offer hope.

Unique Features of Autism Navigator

About Autism in Toddlers offers a unique library of video clips, glossary of terms, print materials in English and Spanish (with more languages coming), links to recommended websites, and much more. The course uses interactive slides with narration, closed captioning, and embedded video clips. You can start by finding answers to commonly asked questions in single slides or explore the course at your own pace. Once in the course, a slide index and slide viewer help you easily navigate to specific slides.

The specially designed media player allows you to watch single, paired, and multiple video clips to compare and contrast behaviors across children or contexts. You are guided by narration to introduce the video clip, point out what to watch for, and call attention to certain behaviors. If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine what a video is worth.

What is Autism Navigator?

Autism Navigator is a unique collection of web-based courses and tools developed to bridge the gap between science and community practice. We have integrated the most current research into a highly interactive web platform with extensive video footage illustrating effective evidence-based practice. Each course is designed to increase the capacity of healthcare providers, early intervention providers, educators, and families to improve outcomes of young children with ASD. Our goal is to help foster learning and development in children with ASD as early as possible. Our dream is to help create an integrated, cost-efficient, community-viable system of service delivery to improve outcomes of children with ASD.

The Autism Navigator Collection of Courses and Resources for Professionals

About Autism in Toddlers is the perfect introductory pre-service or in-service course for professionals who want to learn about ASD in young children. Professionals can earn continuing education units (CEUs) for completing this course for a small fee and by passing a learner assessment. For professionals interested in learning more about autism and obtaining a certificate of completion and continuing medical education (CME) credits or CEUs, go to AutismNavigator.LearnerCommunity.com.

Autism Navigator for Primary Care is for physicians and other healthcare providers in primary care, service coordinators and team members in early intervention systems making decisions about eligibility, and child development specialists in early learning environments who screen and make referrals. This 8-hour course integrates current research with video illustrations of over two-dozen toddlers with ASD and families participating in early screening, diagnosis, and intervention. Users can get CMEs or other continuing education units. Users who complete the course can begin screening children with the Early Screening for Autism and Communication Disorders (ESAC), an innovative new screener for children 12 to 36 months of age that is based on parent report and utilizes “smart” technology. Providers can invite families to our family portal where they will have unlimited access to the best web-based courses, tools, and resources in our Seamless Path for Families.

Seamless Path for Families

For all families:

• 16 by 16™ Lookbook Series helps families learn about critical social communication skills their child should reach by 16 months to launch language and literacy.
• Social Communication Growth Charts for families to explore and chart social communication milestones developing from 9 to 24 months and learn how to support their child’s development during everyday activities.

For families with a positive screen for autism:

• About Autism in Toddlers for families to learn about early signs of autism with videos of over a dozen toddlers with ASD at 18 to 24 months and see early intervention in action.
• ASD Video Glossary is perfect as families want more information—there are hundreds of video clips illustrating diagnostic features and treatment options to fit their needs.
• How-To Guide for Families is a 12-hour course—families can get started learning evidence-based intervention strategies to use in activities they are already doing to support their child’s learning and development, and see meaningful changes.

Autism Navigator for Early Intervention Providers is designed to increase the capacity of early intervention providers to coach families of young children with or at risk for ASD. The 30-hour self-paced course at the Knowledge and Skills level integrates current research with extensive video illustrations covering five topics:

1. Improving Early Detection
2. Collaborating with Families
3. Developmental Perspectives
4. Evidence-based Intervention Strategies
5. Addressing Challenging Behaviors.

The Mastery level course is for those who have completed the 30-hour course. It contains extensive libraries of video clips and self-guided lessons to provide opportunities to practice and implement concepts learned and to access more video examples to better serve families. Providers are invited to monthly interactive webinars for each course level to be part of a larger Autism Navigator learner community.