Kinship Live Virtual Webinar Training – “Understanding Autism Together: Guidance for Kinship Caregivers” (4/23/2026)

Building a foundation to help autistic children feel safe, supported, and connected.

Caring for an autistic child or adolescent may bring questions and challenges that kinship caregivers do not always feel prepared for. Join us as we explore autism together, from understanding core characteristics to learning about helpful resources and available supports in the community. This session is designed to help kinship caregivers better support their autistic loved one by expanding their understanding of behaviors, sensory needs, and communication differences.

Let us support your understanding, confidence, and connection with the autistic children you care for every day.

We’ll Cover:

• Key characteristics of autism and how differently they may present in autistic children and adolescents.
• Address sensory needs, communication, and behavior from a strength-based lens.
• Strategies to support kinship caregivers, establish routines and understand potential root cause(s) of behavior from an autistic perspective.
• Practical ways kinship caregivers can provide support at home
• Encouragement and resources for navigating the caregiving journey

Amy Smith MA, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a late diagnosed autistic woman and the mother of a young autistic adult. She has actively been involved in disability advocacy for over 18 years. After experiencing the challenges of advocating for her son to receive special education services, she went back to college and earned a BA in Teacher Education, specializing in English Language Arts and Special Education. Her desire to understand the science of learning and trauma-informed student support led her to pursue a master’s in educational psychology with a focus on Human Development and a master’s in education with a certification in School Counseling. Amy currently has a Rank I teaching certification and is finishing her Ph.D. in Leadership Education this summer. Her doctoral studies have focused on school leaderships’ influence on special education services through the lens of lived experts.

Amy’s advocacy efforts include serving as the Chair of the Commonwealth Council on Developmental Disabilities, Kentucky Partners in Policymaking graduate, and CIPL fellow with the Pritchard Committee. She is an active board member of the KY Advisory Council on Autism (KYACA) and the State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children (SAPEC). She founded a local autism group in Central Kentucky over 10 years ago, bringing together self-advocates and allies to share resources, information, and provide support through every phase of the journey. She also tutors students with specific learning disabilities and assists families as they navigate special education for their loved one.

Amy also works for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services as an Executive Advisor in the Department for Community Based Services. She is committed to providing programs, services, and supports that serve citizens throughout Kentucky, dedicated to ensuring that everyone can thrive in their community. Outside of her advocacy efforts, Amy loves gardening, reading, and woodworking. She and her son love traveling and spending on their small family farm in Georgia.

Please note: Although this LIVE webinar is designed to be an informative, educational, and helpful resource for kinship families caring for relative or fictive kin children, anyone is welcome to attend including foster parents, professionals, students, or community members.

It is our hope that by participating in this LIVE webinar, attendees will receive educational and helpful information. However, it is important to note that this webinar is not approved for foster parent training credit or CEU’s as attendance is not monitored during the webinar event.

Click Here to go to the registration page.