Students with severe autism or school readiness challenges require instructional strategies with high levels of engagement, reinforcement, and structure to help them gain and maintain skills that set the foundation to learn more advanced skills. As students develop the foundational skills, they will have increased opportunities for independence, employment, and quality of life by developing functional academic skills. During this series, participants will learn 1) the skills necessary for beginning learners, 2) how to structure instruction and support learning, 3) how to use reinforcement and engagement strategies to increase skill acquisition, 4) “why” functional academic instruction is essential for students with severe autism, 5) what functional academic instruction looks like, and 6) how to facilitate the generalization of skills for increased inclusion and post-graduate opportunities. Session and materials partially funded by state and/or federal grants.