Meet Dr. Gabriel Anzueto from Dan L. Duncan Children’s Neurodevelopmental Clinic at the Children’s Learning Institute. Learn how Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts children and families, and explore ways to provide support!
Find out more about what ASD is and how it is diagnosed:
What is Autism?
This video from the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development explains what we know about autism and what many people get wrong about the neurodevelopmental condition.
What is Autism? For Elementary School Students
Discussing brain differences with children can reduce stigma and shame. Watch this video with elementary school kids to learn from Autism Grown Up about autism, common needs, individual differences, and how to be a supportive classmate.
Setting up for Success
Set your child up for success throughout the day using 3 specific strategies—providing structure, clear expectations, and choice—described in this video from the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) Families First Program.
What’s the Difference between a Medical Diagnosis and Educational Label?
The difference between a medical diagnosis and an educational category can be confusing. This video from the Multicultural Autism Action Network walks through the differences and offers advice on what families may need.
100 Day Kit for Families of Newly Diagnosed Young Children
For families of children ages 4 and younger, this toolkit offers practical guidance and resources for the first 100 days after a new autism diagnosis. Submit your email address to receive this free toolkit from Autism Speaks.
Eligibility versus Diagnosis of Autism in Schools
What is the difference between a medical diagnosis of autism and autism eligibility for special education services in Texas? The Texas Education Agency (TEA) explains the difference and addresses common educational needs to consider for children with autism.
Building a Skillset for Flexible Thinking
Children with autism depend on predictable routines to help them feel safe and stay on track, but routines inevitably change. This Sesame Street website has interactive games, videos, and activities to help children build flexible thinking when plans change.
How to Make Friends (Saying Hello)
Children with autism can face unique challenges when making new friends. Social skills resources from Sesame Street can help, and videos such as “Saying Hello” and “A Day in the Life of a Child with Autism” are great for peers or siblings to watch as well.
Topical Resources for Parents and Educators
Choose topics based on a child’s needs to learn practical strategies and science-based methods to navigate common challenges, provided by the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT).
Description of Service Providers
Individuals with autism often receive services from multidisciplinary teams. This list from the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT) includes descriptions of many of these service providers.
A Guide to Safety
This guide from the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) addresses ways to protect children with autism from safety threats that commonly arise. Select free and low-cost downloadable resources to add to your cart and check out; additional donation is not required.
The Healthy Bodies Toolkit
This toolkit from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center provides information about puberty, sex, and sexuality for teens and adults with autism, as well as for those who support them. It is available in several languages.
Resources for Educators
This comprehensive resource for educators covers autism, safety, inclusion, and peer acceptance. Select free and low-cost downloadable resources from the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) to add to your cart and check out; additional donation is not required.
A Guide for Transition to Adulthood
This guide helps families with autistic teens plan their transition to adulthood, covering work, living, and community involvement. Add this free, downloadable resource from the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) to your cart and check out; additional donation is not required.
Visual Supports
Need to create a visual schedule, choice board, first-then board, or social story for a child? The Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) Families First Program provides tip sheets and videos to create and use your own visual supports.
Emotion Identification
Teach children how to identify emotions, self-regulate, and use active calming strategies with these videos and resources from the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) Families First Program.
Autism Toolkit
Educators can find templates for data collection, visual supports, teaching strategies, and other helpful tools in this Autism Toolkit from the Texas Education Agency’s Texas SPED Support.
Fly Like an Eagle
In this activity for children ages 3 to 8, families can help their children practice movement and deep breathing in a fun way, which they can later use to calm their bodies. For more family activities from the Children’s Learning Institute, go to cliengagefamily.org.
Videos and Resources from the TRIAD Families First Program
TRIAD Families First, a program for caregivers of young children with autism, offers practical tools on topics such as effective home-school teams, challenging behaviors, neurodiversity and self-care.
Calming Our Brains and Bodies
Help children develop strategies to calm and regulate their brains and bodies. Log in to a free account at cliengage.org to view this pre-K/kindergarten classroom activity in the Circle Activity Collection from the Children’s Learning Institute.
Support Groups
The Autism Society of Texas provides community inclusion events, recreation, and virtual or face-to-face support groups across Texas that might be a fit for your family.
Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services
From respite care to home and community-based services, day habilitation, and drop-in programs, The Harris Center assists families by coordinating caring, compassionate support for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Special Needs Summer Camps in Texas
For more information on summer camps for kids with learning differences, select the state you live in and filter by program emphasis (autism) and camp type (residential/overnight, day camp, etc.).
Grants and Scholarship Information
The Foundation for Autism Care, Education and Services (FACES) has developed a list of grants and scholarships available for people with autism. Funding may be used for things like ABA, speech therapy, occupational therapy, medication, home safety devices, and more.
Online Courses and Webinars
Families of children ages 2-7, newly diagnosed with autism, can access free webinars, an online community group, and online trainings through the Treatment & Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders to learn strategies and planning ideas, and meet other families.
Brief Online Trainings (BOTS)
Brief Online Training Sessions (BOTS) from the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) provide access to evidence-based practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. An email address is required to log in, and trainings can be sorted by age range.