INFORMATION FOR Teachers

While most students on the autism spectrum are placed in general education classrooms, the vast majority of general education teachers report wanting more support to work with autistic students. In fact, only 8% of general education teachers have had the opportunity to access professional training in autism (Feldman et al., 2022).

With Smooth Sailing, teachers receive training that not only gives them practical, applied, hands-on strategies that they can use in the classroom, but they also receive a neurodiversity-informed, affirming perspective on autism. Smooth Sailing was developed with extensive input from autistic collaborators, and centers the first-person perspectives of autistic people in program content and strategies. After all, 60% of autistic youth report that “having a teacher who understands autism” is the main factor that would make school better for them (APPGA, 2017).

The Structure of the Smooth Sailing PD Program

Our aim is to equip general education teachers with information and strategies to build strong relationships with their students on the autism spectrum and support these students’ academic engagement.

Program strategies and content were developed in partnership with teachers to ensure their feasibility and relevance to teachers.

Smooth Sailing is a four-week, 12-hour PD program.

The program supports teachers to build strong student-teacher relationships with their autistic students as a means of fostering classroom engagement. Through eight self-paced online learning modules, three one-on-one coaching sessions over Zoom, and in-class practice activities, teachers apply relationship-building strategies to strengthen their interactions with students, foster the students’ inclusion, and build effective collaboration with the student’s parent(s).

Teachers can expect to dedicate about 12 hours total to the PD program (including the self-paced modules and coaching as well as completing surveys, and scheduling in-class observations) and 3 hours total providing research study data. Teachers receive $300 for their assistance with the research and PDPs (for MA teachers) or CEs (for California teachers).

Who is Eligible?

Eligible teachers are those who work in Massachusetts or California, in general education or integrated/inclusive classrooms, teaching grades kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade. Teachers of all experience levels are welcome, including those with and without prior autism experience.

To participate, teachers must have one student in their class who has an autism diagnosis or possible/suspected autism, and whose parent gives permission to participate. This paired approach enables teachers to focus on this student for their practice of program strategies, and to work on strengthening your interactions with this student.

If you are interested in enrolling, we encourage you to reach out to us even if you are unsure of the parent’s interest; our staff will then provide you with material you can share with the student’s parent. We are also happy to communicate directly with parents about the program or to support you if you are unsure of how to raise the topic. Only one student is enrolled per teacher; If you have more than one student on the autism spectrum, we will work with you to invite one to participate.

Timing of the Program

Enrollment is occurring NOW, and teachers will take part in the 4-week PD program during the 2024-2025 school year (please contact smoothsailingstudy@gmail.com to enroll or for more information).
Once enrolled, teachers will complete initial surveys in November or December. Half of the enrolled teachers will then be randomly assigned to receive the 4-week program in Winter 2024, while the other half of enrolled teachers will receive the program in Spring 2025.

Summary of Program:

  • The program is aimed at equipping general education teachers with information and evidence-based strategies for building strong relationships with their students on the autism spectrum.
  • The program includes:
    • 4-weeks of self-paced, interactive, online learning modules (1.5 hours/week) on autism
    • Three one-on-one coaching sessions with a coach over Zoom, scheduled around your needs. Coaches also provide ongoing, written feedback throughout the program around applying the program to students’ needs.
  • Practice components include:
    • Teacher-Caregiver Collaboration: Teachers are asked to hold one meeting with the parent of the participating autistic student (known as the “Teacher as Interviewer” session) to strengthen collaboration and to learn more about the student.
    • Teacher-Student Interactions: Teachers find time for regular, in-class, brief one-on-one interactions with the participating student during the course of everyday classroom activities, to practice sthe trategies they learned for building strong relationships.

Research Component of the Program

As part of our research study to evaluate the program’s effectiveness, we ask participating teachers to complete surveys four times during the year (November/December, February, April, May) and to allow research staff to conduct classroom observations and brief, one-on-one child interviews with parent consent.

Time Commitment for Teachers

Spread out over four weeks, the PD program requires about three hours/week, including the self-paced online modules (about 1.5 hrs/week), the three one-on-one coaching sessions (about 1 hour each), and one meeting with the child’s parent to foster collaboration using program strategies (about 30-60 minutes). You will also be encouraged to practice program strategies in your interactions with the child during the course of your normal school day.
Total PD time = ~ 12 hours.

In addition, because this is a research study, we also ask you to fill out surveys at four time-points and to allow in-class observations and a brief child interview (with parental consent) during the school day on 3 occasions.
Total time providing data = ~3 hours.

I have so much gratitude for the program.

I am having a much smoother year with my autistic student because of all the great things I learned in the program.

~ 1st grade general education teacher with over 10 years of experience

Benefits to Teachers

  • Teachers will enhance their knowledge of autism and of neurodiversity-affirming practices
  • Teachers will walk away with an understanding of neurodiversity and a grasp on affirming practices for supporting autistic students that are informed by the first-person perspectives of autistic people.
  • Our past research shows that, after taking part in the program, teachers feel more prepared and confident teaching and interacting with their autistic students.
  • Teachers may strengthen their relationships with their autistic students and their families.
  • Students in turn may experience better social adjustment, emotional well-being in school, and academic engagement. Finally, teachers may have more positive, effective interactions with parents.
  • Teachers will also contribute to our scientific knowledge base about what PD activities are most helpful for future teachers.
  • Teachers in MA receive 12 Professional Development Points (PDPs); teachers in CA can earn Continuing Education credits
  • Teachers receive $300 for their time.

Benefits to Students and Parents

Our past research on the program shows that, compared to students whose teachers had not yet received the program, participating students experienced several benefits, including:

  • Significantly greater gains in their social adjustment, emotional wellbeing in school, and academic engagement in the classroom.
  • Closer relationships with their teachers, with less student-teacher conflict.
  • Parents had more positive relationships with the teachers and greater school involvement.
  • Caregivers receive $100 for their time in completing surveys.

What Do Past Teachers Have To Say About The Program?

In our last round of the program, we surveyed teachers about their opinions of the PD program. We learned that:

  • 100% of teachers strongly agreed that the program was a good way to learn about autistic students
  • 100% said the program was consistent with their school’s mission
  • 96% said their administrators would be supportive of their use of the program
  • 100% said the time required was manageable
  • 100% planned to conduct the program’s Time2Connect sessions with other children in the future

“This program has been extremely helpful in understanding how to reach [autistic] students and ways to communicate with them and build relationships.”

~ 2nd grade public school teacher with over 10 years of experience

Frequently Asked Questions

Recruitment is occurring NOW. Once enrolled, half of the enrolled teachers will be randomly assigned to receive the 4-week program in Winter 2024, while the other half of enrolled teachers will receive the program in Spring 2025.

Teachers can still participate if they have a student with suspected or possible autism. We recognize that, at this age, not all students who will eventually receive a diagnosis of autism will have one yet. In addition, many children, including those with similar social and communication needs to autism, may benefit from these strategies. We know that the referral, evaluation, and diagnostic process can be lengthy. Children who do not yet have a formal diagnosis of autism, but whose parents and/or teachers identify the potential of autism, can still take part in the program. 

We are happy to support teachers in having conversations with parents about how the program may benefit their child’s school experiences, and their child’s relationship with you, even in the absence of a formal diagnosis. 

 

Yes, there will be three synchronous (live) coaching sessions over zoom, approximately one hour each. These occur in weeks 2, 3, and 4 of the four-week PD program. If you choose to take part, we will schedule these around your availability. 

The program also includes self-paced, online didactic modules that are completed independently; each weekly set of modules requires about 1.5 hours. 

In addition, we do ask you to schedule one live meeting with the participating student’s parent(s) of about 45 minutes, in order to foster collaboration using program strategies; this meeting can be virtual (e.g., zoom/facetime), phone, or in person. 

Finally, we encourage you to spend time practicing program strategies in your interactions with the participating student; these occur during the course of the normal school day.

Because the program requires involvement from the focal student and the student’s parent(s), we require parental consent in order for the teacher to enroll.

The parent’s involvement includes:

1) allowing their child to be the focus of the in-class interaction strategies you practice,

2) meeting with you once at a mutually agreeable time (via zoom, phone, or in person) for about 45 minutes to foster parent-teacher collaboration

3) filling out a survey about their child at three times during the school year,

4) allowing us to conduct a classroom observation and brief one-on-one interview with the child at three times during the school year.

Yes, in our last round of the program with 32 teachers, their focal students, and these students’ caregivers, 94% of caregivers reported better collaboration with their child’s teachers, 94.4% agreed that it helped the teacher get to know their child, and 94.4% agreed that it improved their own relationship with the teacher. Here’s what some caregivers have said:

“We are so happy that this program exists. Thank you to whoever is reading this and everyone you work with.” – parent of 1st grader whose teacher took part in Smooth Sailing

“[This program was helpful because] I enjoy speaking with my child’s teacher any chance I get. She’s so invested in our son’s success and it really shows every single day. She’s amazing!”- parent of 1st grader whose teacher took part in Smooth Sailing

“She’s amazing in all the effort she has placed to know my son.” – parent of 1st grader whose teacher took part in Smooth Sailing

 

We do require that each teacher has a participating student in the class, since the program requires you to practice the program strategies with one student. 

That said, if your student’s parent is unsure about participating, or you are not sure how to bring it up, we are happy to support you by providing information to supplement your conversations with parents, by speaking with parents ourselves, or by joining a conversation with you and the parent to answer their questions. Sometimes, teachers may be unsure how to bring up the topic with parents, and we are happy to talk with you about how to approach this. There are many reasons why parents may be hesitant to participate, and we are happy to support you in providing the specific information they need to decide.

 

Unfortunately, our program is not currently open to teachers who are working in separate special education classrooms. Our program is only open to teachers who are working in a general education or inclusion classroom. We are happy to provide you with other resources, though; feel free to email us at smoothsailingstudy@gmail.com

Please email us at smoothsailingstudy@gmail.com to let us know if you’d like us to hold onto your information to reach out next year. We will be offering the program annually over the next three years. Please also let us know if you’d like to be added to the mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter.

Smooth Sailing is designed to benefit general education teachers in several ways.

  1. Teachers will enhance their knowledge on autism and on neurodiversity- affirming practices through online learning modules, individualized coaching, and in vivo practice. Our past research shows that, after taking part in the program, teachers feel more prepared and confident teaching and interacting with their autistic students. This past research shows that teachers also experienced improved relationships with their students on the autism spectrum, with less conflict and higher closeness. The students in turn have better social adjustment, emotional wellbeing in school, and academic engagement. Finally, teachers’ report more positive, effective interactions with parents.
  2. Teachers are also contributing to our scientific knowledge base about what PD activities are most helpful for future teachers, while receiving $300 (via venmo, paypal, or check) for their involvement as well as 12 Professional Development Points (PDPs) for MA teachers or Continuing Education credits for CA teachers.
  3. More Info on Smooth Sailing’s past research can be found here.

Our past research on the program shows that, compared to students whose teachers had not yet received the program, participating students showed significantly greater gains in their social adjustment, emotional wellbeing in school, and academic engagement in the classroom. They also had closer, less conflictual relationships with their teachers. Their parents had more positive relationships with the teachers and greater school involvement. Parents receive $100 to thank them for their time in completing our research study surveys.

Ready to learn more about Smooth Sailing?

Please sign up for our mailing list below to learn about future participation opportunities.

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