Education

The Autism Resource Center offers a number of educational programs for parents and professionals.

Parent/Professional Workshops

Specialists are invited many times throughout the school year to address a variety of topics. These sessions are held in the evening and are open to parents, professionals, and college students.

Conferences

Conferences are open to both families and professionals along with others who are interested in learning more about enhancing the lives of those who have been diagnosed with Autism, PDD NOS or Asperger's.

Autism 101

This six part series is offered twice a year for parents of newly diagnosed children. It covers an overview of Pervasive Developmental Disorders, an overview of supports offered by state agencies; educational rights workshop, an introduction to behavioral methods, biological interventions, and an organization workshop. Families may opt to attend all sessions or a single session, details can be found in the calendar and registration is required.

ABA for Parents

This 12 hour training course on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is designed for for parents of children with Autism. ABA is a researched based approach that has been shown to be effective in the education and treatment of children.

Parents who attend will gain an understanding of the basic concepts and principles of ABA, and how these are applied in the treatment and education of children with autism. Topics include:

What is ABA?

ABA and Effective Treatment Programs

Basic Concepts and Principle of ABA

Using ABA to teach

Using ABA to address problematic behavior

The class format is intended to provide parents with ample opportunity to discuss and apply what they are learning to their child, and to assist them in understanding how they can be effective in doing so. The course is taught by Board Certified Behavior Analysts from HMEA’s Children’s division Participants are provided with a copy of . Autism 24/7 A Family Guide to Learning at Home and in The Community as part of their registration fee. Details on dates and locations can be found in the calendar, space is limited and registration is required

Floortime for Parents

The Autism Resource Center, in conjunction with the Astra Foundation offers a course on DIR® /Floortime for Parents , twice a year DIR® is an abbreviation for Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-based. DIR® is a model,,a framework,or thinking about a child’s complete development, from infancy into whole joyful personhood. While DIR® can be a helpful way to think about any child’s development, it is particularly useful in working with children with developmental delays. In this course, parents learn the basic principles of DIR®, and learn about Floortime, a strategic, emotion-driven way of playing and interacting with a child that helps a child initiate and respond at higher and higher developmental levels. Included is an awareness of the importance of understanding each child’s unique sensory profile and how to incorporate this knowledge into Floortime sessions. Participants will be provided with a copy of The Child with Special Needs , as part of their registration fee. Details on dates and locations can be found in the calendar, space is limited and registration is required

Summer Institute

Teachers and paraprofessionals are given the opportunity to learn from professionals who specialize in the education of children within the Autism Spectrum. Sessions are held after school in late June.

Information Resource Library

An extensive library of books and DVD’s are available for families and professionals to borrow. A computer with board maker software is available for families to make communication boards.