Toolkit
Cognitive Behavioral/Instructional Strategies (CBIS) are interventions based on the simple principle that thinking (internal behavior) impacts emotions/feelings and controls overt actions (external behavior). These are interventions used to teach learners to support their self-awareness and self-management skills.
These two new toolkits provide helpful suggestions on how to integrate CBIS to support mental health for elementary-age and adolescent autistic students. Educators play a very important role in the social and emotional growth of the children they serve. We hope this information will increase confidence around the much-needed support educators can provide to neurodivergent students.
Cognitive Behavioral Strategies for Autistic Students (Elementary)
This toolkit is intended for educators and school teams in elementary school settings. This could include teachers, school staff, administrators, paraeducators, school psychologists, and others working with autistic students and students with developmental disabilities. Click here to access a free PDF of the toolkit.
Cognitive Behavioral Strategies for Autistic Students (Adolescent)
This toolkit is intended for educators and school teams working with adolescent students. This could include teachers, school staff, administrators, paraeducators, school psychologists, and others working with autistic students and students with developmental disabilities. Click here to access a free PDF of the toolkit.
Course
More strategies and resources can be found in the Building Social Connections in Schools self-paced online course. Make a free account at triad.vkclearning.org, then to the “School-Age Services” folder. If you already have an account, log in here.
This educational resource was created by the VKC’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorder (VKC TRIAD) and Vanderbilt Consortium LEND Training Program.
Top photo by Adobe Stock
[April 2025]