REGISTER NOW for our March BI Workshop, beginning March 1st
Friday, February 13, 2026 · 8:45am - 4:00pm PDT
Building Foundations for Kindergarten: Essential Skills and Strategies
Proactive Planning for Safety and Connection
Format: Fully virtual
Audience: Educators and professionals supporting young learners ages 3–7
Pricing: Designed with Educational Assistants (EAs) and Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) in mind
Group Rates: Discounts available, with flat-rate options for larger groups upon request
Certificate of Completion with professional development hours included
What to Expect: Join us online for a full day of professional learning focused on neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, and practical strategies for the classroom and learning environments. Workshops are led by licensed Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBAs) and include dedicated Q&A periods.
Early in communication development, adults are often focused on sounds and words, and how to promote them. But how many words a child can say is not actually the strongest predictor of their future language growth! In this talk we explore the concept of joint engagement and how we can best support early communication in young autistic children.
Professional Development Hours: 1.5
Presented By:
Dr Kate Ballem Chase
BCBA, SLP
Founder & Director of
Nurture Society for Learning
Dr Kate Ballem Chase, SLP, BCBA, Founder and Director of Nurture Society for Learning
Dr. Kate Ballem Chase is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist and a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. She is a certified therapist in both JASPER and the Early Start Denver Model. She is also the proud mom of a neurodiverse daughter. After pursuing undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria, Kate studied at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, where she completed her doctorate in Experimental Psychology in 2004, with a focus on early language and cognitive development. After returning from Oxford, Kate completed her clinical training as a speech-language pathologist at the University of British Columbia in 2006. Kate worked briefly at the BC Centre for Ability before joining Loyst and Associates Autism Services, where she led the team in the Richmond area from 2007-2013. Kate is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Audiology and Speech Science at the University of British Columbia. When she isn’t playing with clients and their parents, Kate can be found playing outside with her husband, two children, and their dog!
Group learning environments like daycares and preschools offer powerful opportunities for social connection, communication, growth, and fun for all children. Children with developmental differences like autism and ADHD can thrive in these environments when supported with the right strategies.
This presentation will review practical, evidence-based methods for designing and facilitating meaningful inclusion, as well as an overview of effective group intervention models.
The session combines theory and real world examples with practical, actionable strategies to support educators and professionals with the tools to strengthen participation and support every child’s learning.
Learning Outcomes
● The difference between inclusion and therapy and why we need both
● Why different environments may be challenging for autistic children and what to do about it
● How to manage barriers in group contexts
● Group based therapy models that can be applied in early childhood contexts
Professional Development Hours: 1.5
Presented By:
Maria Sample
MA, BCBA
Director of Programming
UP Early Intervention Clinic
This presentation discusses skills that are considered valuable by early elementary educators for children transitioning into kindergarten. It explores practical methods for teaching these skills to young children in their preschool and early intervention programming and will discuss strategies elementary educators can implement to foster ongoing development of these skills once students are in kindergarten.
Learning Objectives:
1. Gain an understanding of specific skills that elementary educators value in students entering kindergarten.
2. Be able to identify and utilize effective ways to practice these essential skills with young children.
3. Be able to identify the benefits of emphasizing cooperation compared to independence in the preparation process.
Professional Development Hours: 1.5
Presented By:
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Angie Ho
M.Ed., BCBA
Director of Operations and Director of Transition Program, First Connections, Semiahmoo Behaviour Analysts, Inc.
Jennifer Vellenoweth
M.Sc., BCBA
Director of Student Services, First Connections, Semiahmoo Behaviour Analysts, Inc.
Gillian and Tyla will review recent research and best practices about proactive strategies that promote safety and connection in the school environment. Topics will include neuroscience, building and maintaining relationships, using language to encourage cooperation, and how to avoid power struggles. You will leave this presentation with concrete strategies to implement tomorrow that foster positive relationships with your students characterized by connection, cooperation, and safety.
Professional Development Hours: 1.5
Presented By:
Dr Tyla Frewing
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Gillian Campbell
Learning Services Teacher
AUTISM SUPPORT NETWORK BC
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