Building Connection and Community in Middle and High School Settings

School connectedness is linked to positive and meaningful outcomes for middle and high school students. Many autistic youth report feeling disconnected from their school communities, often due to a lack of understanding of autism from staff and peers, few opportunities to build relationships in the classroom and beyond, and limited engagement in extracurricular activities. In this webinar we will share both personal perspectives on navigating these settings, as well as evidence-based practices (EBPs) that can be used to enhance connections and community building, and support priority outcomes for students. Easily accessible online resources will be shared, as well as personal, classroom, and school-based examples.

Presented by Kara Hume, PhD and Victoria Waters, MEd

Victoria Waters, MEd, an Educational Consultant at UNC’s FPG Child Development Institute, has over 10 years of experience in autism and developmental disabilities and over 20 in early childhood intervention. She coordinates autism projects as well as develops evidence-based practice modules and resources for autistic learners. She also works at STEMIE, a center dedicated to cultivating STEM learning for young children with and without disabilities, developing resources and outreach content.

Kara Hume, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Hume has worked with and learned from autistic children and young adults for almost 35 years in a variety of capacities, including a home program therapist, teacher, trainer, consultant, fitness coach, and researcher. She serves as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI on several studies with children, adolescents, and adults on the autism spectrum. Her research focuses on increasing access for individuals with developmental disabilities to high quality community-based supports.