All trainings provided by the MAEP are free to Montana Public School Educators and Service Providers.

6 Week Virtual Behavior Academy

Behavior is complex. Knowing what to do with it is even harder. Join us for our Virtual Behavior Academy. Become adept at knowing what to do before, during, and after behavior. Participants will explore competing pathways model, function-based strategies, preference assessments, behavior support plan templates, response strategies, treatment integrity, and more.

School personnel should walk away from this course prepared to be effective mentors in teaching models for behavior intervention strategies to their colleagues.

Wednesdays, 3:00-4:00 | September 24, 2025- October 29, 2025

ASD Recognition, Response & Risk Management for law enforcement, first responders, and school administrators.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Recognition, Response & Risk Management: High Risk Contacts with Autistic Individuals is designed for law enforcement, first responders, and school administrators. This training is sponsored by the Montana Office of Public Instruction Montana Autism Education Project and is free of charge to attendees; though registration is required and space is limited.  

Dennis Debbaudt is a globally recognized expert in autism and law enforcement interactions, with over 30 years of experience training professionals across public safety, criminal justice, education, and emergency response. As both a former investigative journalist and father to a son diagnosed with autism in 1987, Debbaudt brings a unique blend of personal insight and professional expertise to his work. His engaging and practical training sessions are tailored for law enforcement, 911 dispatchers, correctional officers, educators, and behavioral health professionals.

Debbaudt has consulted and trained agencies including the FBI, NYPD, Homeland Security’s FLETC, Chicago PD, Detroit PD, Houston PD, and departments throughout the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and beyond. His contributions include curriculum development for the NYPD, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Maryland Police Training Commission, as well as numerous publications such as Autism, Advocates, and Law Enforcement Professionals and a 2024 Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders study. He has been featured by HBO, ABC 20/20, The New York Times, People Magazine, and WIRED, and his work is widely respected for improving safety, awareness, and communication between law enforcement and autistic individuals.

James Marble is a 26-year law enforcement veteran, who has served in capacities from patrolman through Chief of Police, and has been a certified law enforcement instructor in Montana for 16 years. James has specialized in various disciplines of instruction including firearms, use of force, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) recognition, communication strategies, and de-escalation techniques. Along with completing Dennis Debbaudt’s Autism Risk and Safety Management Law Enforcement Instructor Course, James brings a unique combination of law enforcement and personal experience. James was diagnosed with ASD in 2020. James’s unique experience of a law enforcement professional and an adult with ASD allows for him to speak intelligently from both perspectives. James is dedicated to advocating for law enforcement, and people with ASD and their families, in order to bridge the gap between both communities.

Stickers to Paychecks

Utilizing elements of The Pyramid Approach, a framework for effective learning environments, we explore challenges with transitioning from adolescence to adulthood specifically related to vocational and leisure skills. Using examples, the audience will be guided to discover questions to ask and strategies to use for effective and expanded opportunities.

September 29, 2025 3:30-5:00

Teacher's Guide to Organizing the Classroom

This dynamic presentation provides educators with many practical ideas and examples for creating an effective classroom for students with autism and/or other developmental disabilities. We begin with a description of functional activities, targeting various age groups, and guide you in designing an education environment using the elements of the Pyramid Approach to Education. We help you identify ways to increase student communication throughout the day and show you how common individual goals can be incorporated into various lessons and activities. We also share ideas for setting up your classroom, including organizing materials for activities, incorporating reinforcement systems, and streamlining data collection as well as providing tips for student and staff routines and schedules. You will leave this training with new confidence and a collection of strategies you can immediately implement to improve any educational environment. 

October 10, 2025 8:00-4:00

It's No Use If You Can't Reach It! Attaching AT to Environmental Supports

Participants will explore different mounting solutions that allow students to access assistive technologies in multiple positions across environments. Focus will be on mounting options for speech generating devices, tablets, phones, and low-tech options to allow for inclusion and participation. In addition to paraprofessionals and teachers, this session is an excellent fit for therapists working in the public-school setting.

October 30, 2025 3:30-5:00

STAR Autism Support Two Day Comprehensive Workshop | Missoula

This workshop provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of the evidence-based practices included in the STAR Program and entry level knowledge to implement all three levels of STAR with basic fidelity. Using video examples, modeling, discussion, and hands-on practice, this workshop focuses on teaching new behaviors and building independence across school, home, and community settings through the use of basic behavioral strategies, Discrete Trial Training (DT), Pivotal Response Training (PRT), Functional Routines (FR), and other evidence-based practices. Participants will learn how to assess students, select and teach lessons across all curricular areas, collect data, and set up their classrooms for success for using the program. This workshop also includes a deep dive into the tools and resources available through the STAR Media Center.

What You Will Gain:

• Hands-on training in Discrete Trial Training, Pivotal Response Training, and Functional Routines
• Practical strategies to address behavior and write FBAs
• Structured lesson plans, scope and sequence with classroom videos, demonstrations and interactive practice.

November 3-4, 2025 | Missoula- venue TBD

Data Collection for Progress Monitoring

Data collection and progress monitoring are key skills in treatment efficacy. Knowing where you started, where you are, and where you are going is the best way to support learning. These smarter, not harder, strategies will have you collecting data with ease and, better yet, will provide you with student learning outcomes!

November 10, 3:00-5:00

How to Say No and Live to Tell About It.

We have taught our learners to request and now they request all the time- even when what they want is not available! Parents and professionals sometimes struggle with indicating “no” and may even avoid doing so to prevent a meltdown. You may have been tempted to delete buttons from Speech Generating Device or pictures from communication books, but these actions are not ethical. During this live webinar we focus on how to teach our learners to calmly respond to “no.” Participants will leave with planning and implementation worksheets to create ethical, practical, and effective strategies for saying “no,” “not now", and “wait” independent of the learner’s expressive modality.

What you will learn

• State the critical communication skill that must be in place prior to teaching the skills discussed
• List three different strategies for visually representing “no” / “not now”
• Contrast how two of these strategies could be used with a learner who can read/write and those who cannot
• Describe the rationale for teaching a learner to tolerate a delay or denial of access to preferred items/activities

November 12, 3:30-5:00

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition, Refresher Training

This training is for professionals working in MT public schools who have completed the intitial 2 day training and who are regularly administering the ADOS2 as part of a school based comprehensive assessment for autism. ADOS2 administrators should complete a refresher training annually to ensure fidelity in administration and coding. If you have not administered an ADOS2 in the last year, it is recommended that you complete the initial training again.

November 17, 8:00-4:00

The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.