Parent to Parent: Autism Workshop Series

Parent to Parent is a unique training series where parent coaches bring their experiences and education to support families who are raising a child with autism.Families will gain a deeper understanding of ASD and learn how to create a supportive environment for their child to be successful. October 7 : Understanding ASD Parents will gain an understanding of 3 core areas affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders and how it impacts our child’s abilities in communication, self-regulation and learning. October 21: Communication Communication challenges impact individuals with ASD.  We will discuss the various forms of communication (verbal and nonverbal) and how best to support our children as their ability to communicate develops. November 4:  Visual Supports Individuals with ASD are visual learners.  Visual supports promote communication and independence.  Families will learn how to implement these tools at home and in the community. The group will have an opportunity to “make and take” a schedule with them to begin using at home. November 18: Visual Supports in Practice As we continue to learn and experience the importance of visual supports, families will be taught how to teach “wait”, “help” and how to ask for a break, using visual supports.  We will also learn about Carol Gray’s strategy of using social stories to explain a given situation and what our child can do.  Lastly, we will learn about how to use a countdown timer to structure the passing of time to promote successful transitions. December 9: Positive Advocacy Having a child with special needs often means we need to learn a whole new language.  We will discuss how to form a positive team of professionals around you and your child and how to be an effective communicator.  Families will learn about special education law, IDEA, what an IEP and 504 plans are, and how they benefit our children.