Building Rapport and Creating the Right Environment for Children with Neurodivergence

Overview

Creating the right therapeutic environment and building strong rapport are essential when working with neurodivergent children. Often, returning to foundational principles of environmental setup and relationship-building can help reset engagement, establish instructional control, and improve therapeutic outcomes. In this course, experienced behavior consultant Bonnie McIll, moderated by the Pediatric Division of the CPA, explores practical and evidence-informed strategies grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). This session helps clinicians better understand how environmental factors, rapport, and communication styles influence behavior, participation, and learning in children with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodivergent presentations.

The course focuses on helping clinicians apply ABA principles in real-world pediatric practice, emphasizing positive reinforcement, individualized motivation, relationship building, and effective communication strategies. Bonnie challenges common misconceptions around behavior management—such as confusing reinforcement with bribery—and provides practical strategies for promoting meaningful skill development and behavioral generalization across settings.

Through clinical examples and case-based teaching, participants learn how to conduct preference assessments, build rapport and psychological safety, implement visual supports, manage attention-seeking behaviors, and collaborate effectively with parents and caregivers. The webinar also addresses common clinical barriers, including managing high-energy children and adapting interventions to meet clinician physical limitations.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Explain core principles of Applied Behavior Analysis and the relationship between environment and behavior

2. Differentiate between reinforcement and bribery and apply reinforcement ethically and effectively

3. Conduct preference assessments to identify individualized motivators for children

4. Implement strategies to support skill generalization across environments

5. Apply rapport-building techniques to improve engagement and psychological safety

6. Utilize visual supports and structured choice-making to enhance communication and compliance

7. Recognize attention-seeking behaviors as functional communication and apply appropriate response strategies

8. Strengthen collaboration with parents through structured guidance and supportive communication

9. Adapt behavior management strategies for clinicians working with physically active children

Audience

This course is designed for healthcare and rehabilitation professionals who work with pediatric populations, including:

• Physiotherapists

• Occupational Therapists

• Speech-Language Pathologists

• Behavior Therapists

• Therapy Assistants

• Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinicians

• Early Intervention Providers

• Healthcare professionals supporting neurodivergent children and their families

Why This Course Matters

Neurodivergent children frequently experience challenges related to communication, sensory processing, emotional regulation, and behavioral engagement. Many rehabilitation professionals receive limited formal training in behavior management, yet behavior directly impacts treatment success, participation, and functional outcomes.

This course bridges that gap by translating ABA principles into clinically practical, relationship-centered strategies that can be implemented across pediatric therapy settings. It emphasizes that behavior is communication and encourages clinicians to approach intervention with empathy, individualized care, and scientific rigor.

Participants gain actionable tools to:

• Improve therapy participation and engagement

• Enhance skill retention and generalization

• Strengthen therapeutic relationships

• Reduce frustration for clinicians, children, and families

• Support more effective parent involvement and carryover at home

About the Presenter

Bonnie McGill, M.Ed.

Bonnie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University. Her work is grounded in the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and she specializes in educating, training, and mentoring parents and clinicians to foster healthy, meaningful relationships with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodivergences.