Introduction to Autism Interventions and Supports - Session A
Description
Introduction to Autism Diagnosis, Interventions, and Support in North Carolina Webinar Series - Part 2: Introduction to Autism Interventions and Supports (Session A)
September 24, 2026, 6:30 - 7:45 p.m.
Autism supports are not one-size-fits-all. The second and third webinars will introduce several established approaches and help participants understand their purposes, principles, and differences.
Each session will provide an accessible overview of the PLAY Project, the Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-Based model (commonly known as DIR or Floortime), the TEACCH approach, the Early Start Denver Model, Applied Behavior Analysis, the Cortica Model, and other approaches. The two sessions will be different so it will be best to join both of them.
Parents and professionals will gain information to help them ask informed questions and consider which supports may align with an individual’s needs. Policymakers will learn why families need access to a range of evidence-informed options.
Topics covered:
- Understanding the range of autism support models
- The PLAY Project
- DIR/Floortime
- The TEACCH approach
- The Cortica model
- Occupational therapy and related therapies
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Understanding and responding to challenging behaviors
- Coordinating supports around individual and family needs
Panelists:
- Dr. Richard (Rick) Solomon – Founder, The Play Project
- Dr. Suzanne Goh – Author of Magnificent Minds; Co‑Founder & Chief Medical Officer, Cortica
- Dr. Daniel Liles – Clinical Director, Greenville TEACCH Center; Clinical Instructor (Expert Practitioner), UNC Department of Psychiatry
- Janet Price Ferrell – Executive Director, FIRSTwnc
- Perspectives of individuals with autism.
About this Webinar Series
The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities is hosting a series of webinars on autism in September and October via Zoom on Thursday evenings. Presenters will include professionals, clinicians, researchers, self-advocates, and subject matter experts in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), offering diverse perspectives on diagnosis, interventions, supports, and lived experience.
The goal is to educate families and the larger community, including medical professionals and state leaders, on how a family obtains a potential diagnosis, steps to take after an autism diagnosis, and the variety of interventions and supports that exist.
Join us for one webinar or the complete three-part series. Together, these sessions will help families and professionals better understand available autism supports while giving policymakers a clearer view of the service systems, access barriers, and community resources that affect people with autism and their families.