Autism Co-occurring Disorders Lesson Plan

Equip Your Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) With Practical Knowledge to Better Support Individuals with autism and co-occurring disorders

Help your staff build confidence, understanding, and practical skills with this comprehensive Lesson Plan, designed specifically for trainers, educators, and professionals working in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) field**. This ready-to-use training resource provides an engaging and structured way to teach DSPs about Autism Co-occurring Disorders, its unique characteristics, and effective person-centered support strategies. Trainers can use the lesson plan for staff orientation, in-service training, professional development, or continuing education sessions.

What Trainers Will Learn Participants will explore: -

1.    Define Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

2.    Identify common characteristics of autism.

3.    Recognize common co-occurring disorders associated with autism.

4.    Describe how co-occurring disorders affect behavior, communication, and daily living.

5.    Demonstrate person-centered support strategies.

6.    Apply positive behavior supports and trauma-informed care.

7.    Recognize medical and behavioral concerns requiring documentation and reporting.

8.    Promote safety, independence, dignity, and inclusion. 

The importance of following individualized care and support plans -

Effective communication and person-centered support strategies -

How to promote independence, dignity, choice, and quality of life -

Strategies for responding to challenging situations with compassion and consistency -

The DSP's role in supporting individuals with a pica disorder