Upcoming Workshops

ICPN team members have been providing onsite-learning opportunities since the inception of the program. In 2015, ICPN launched the Professional Development Initiative to benefit members of the community and provider agencies. Since this time, both members of ICPN and outside speakers have offered Professional Development Workshops and Learning Experiences throughout the state of Illinois. All topics are based on observed trends in the field in an effort to provide support to staff and community members working with adults and children with challenging behaviors and/or medical difficulties. Goals of this initiative include increasing the education to those who take care of and provide services, providing relevant tools, and attempting to shift the focus of treatment away from crisis, and work towards prevention.
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Prader Willi Syndrome: A Basic Overview

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Prader Willi Syndrome is a genetic disorder that not only affects a person’s physical development but impacts a person’s cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric functioning. This webinar will provide participants with an overview regarding Prader Willi Syndrome and will discuss how the syndrome is diagnosed. In addition to this, common internal and external features of the syndrome will be identified. The webinar will conclude with a discussion regarding treatment considerations and resources to provide further education regarding the topic.
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Building Therapeutic Environments

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Therapeutic environments are the basis of ensuring everyone is safe and well cared for in any setting. But to take a step further, this concept encompasses understanding the impact our daily interactions have on providing psychosocial support to people with intellectual disabilities. By not engaging in thoughtful interactions, we can inadvertently create invalidating environments. During this workshop, we will discuss how we can provide simple strategies that will assist in supporting the physical, social, and psychological domains of one’s life through environmental interactions. The goal of this training is to enable the people we support to live their best lives while being fully supported by the environment around them. This can help eliminate unnecessary stressors for all, while making your agency more supportive by creating a culture of caring for not only persons with disabilities, but for staff, families, and the community.
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Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Tuesday,  December 7, 2021

This learning opportunity will educate participants regarding the cause, diagnostic criteria, and life-long effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) on the person and their families. The primary and secondary behaviors associated with FASD and co-occurring mental health disorders will be identified. The implications for social service providers will be discussed during this live zoom session.
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Differential Diagnosis of Genetic Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

This presentation will compare and contrast Autism Spectrum Disorder with the most prevalent Genetic Disorders. Specifically, we will compare the physical characteristics, co-morbid medical conditions, and issues, along with the behavioral presentations of ASD with these syndromes. The presentation will emphasize the unique characteristics and issues associated with each condition that may assist in the differential diagnosis of these conditions. Case studies will be presented to exemplify the similarities and differences between these conditions. The presentation will also review current treatment recommendations for different genetic disorders and highlight current research on promising treatments for those disorders. Participants will receive a tool to aid in the differential diagnosis of genetic disorders along with links to resources for support.
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Trauma Informed Care: Supporting Individuals with Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

A person’s behavior is shaped and learned through their experiences and interactions with others in their environments. Challenging behaviors that are difficult to manage may emerge when that person’s behavior has been shaped by traumatic experiences. For people with developmental disabilities traumatic experiences may be hidden and only show signs of existence when challenging behavior emerges. This training will discuss trauma and how it may present in people diagnosed with developmental disabilities. Moreover, this training will discuss strategies for supporting people touched by traumatic experiences including current and relevant situations such as natural disasters and pandemics.
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Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Thursday, January 6, 2022

This presentation will compare and contrast Autism Spectrum Disorder with the most prevalent Genetic Disorders. Specifically, we will compare the physical characteristics, co-morbid medical conditions, and issues, along with the behavioral presentations of ASD with these syndromes. The presentation will emphasize the unique characteristics and issues associated with each condition that may assist in the differential diagnosis of these conditions. Case studies will be presented to exemplify the similarities and differences between these conditions. The presentation will also review current treatment recommendations for different genetic disorders and highlight current research on promising treatments for those disorders. Participants will receive a tool to aid in the differential diagnosis of genetic disorders along with links to resources for support.
Register Here
Part 1

Behavior Framework: An Overview fo te Basic of Applied Behavior Analysis

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Using Applied Behavior Analysis as a foundation in understanding and minimizing maladaptive behaviors when working with children and adults with intellectual /developmental disabilities has proven to be effective. During this presentation, Amie and Katherine hope to leave you with an understanding of the advantages of utilizing ABA strategies.  This session is perfect for middle management who wish to learn more about ABA. 
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Part 2

Building a Plan

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

As a continuation of Part I, Amie and Katherine will dive into the steps of completing functional assessments, analyzing data, and incorporating appropriate function-based interventions into agency behavior plans.  This session was created for staff responsible for writing and implementing agency behavior plans.
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Part 3

Building an IDT: using Various Skillsets and Team Players to Promote Cohesion

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

We all have a unique skill set to bring to the table. However, we often struggle as members of an interdisciplinary team in both the planning stage as well as when acting in times of crisis.  We are all faced with challenging situations that often require us to “think outside the box.”  Amie and Mike have two completely different treatment approaches, yet mesh together perfectly, promoting understanding and utilizing each other’s skill set. During this workshop, Amie and Mike will explain case consultation from the mind of a behavior analyst and a clinician. Their mix of humor and expertise is refreshing and provides a great lesson about utilizing the unique skill sets already possessed by staff within your agency.