FALL 2007 Workshops for Teachers:Thursday evenings September 20 - October 25, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at SNCARC, 789 Clapboardtree St., Westwood MA. Teachers, Teacher Aides and other school personnel are welcome! The cost is $120 for the series or $20/session. Please make checks payable to SNCARC/Family Autism Center.

To register and reserve your place, call 781-762-4001 x214 or email: nborr@sncarc.org

We have contracted with Melmark, Inc., an agency that specializes in conducting training workshops and arranged for their staff to be the presenters. We are working with them to develop programs suited to FAC – based on what teachers and parents tell us will be helpful to them. A similar series for parents will be held in the spring.

Teacher Training topics will include: general overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders, introduction to ABA for teachers, social skills programs, inclusion strategies, and common medications. The final session will be a parent panel discussion. Be sure to let the teachers and teacher aides in your school know about these programs. They need to pre-register by calling SNCARC at 781-762-4001.

Education credits are available. You must attend at least five of the sessions to receive PDPs. Each 2-hour session provides 2 PDPs, so you will receive 10 for attending the required 5 sessions and 12 PDPs if you attend all 6 sessions. You can choose to attend individual sessions. Certificates of attendance will be awarded.

CURRICULUM

Thursday, September 20, 1007: General Overview of Pervasive Developmental Disorders
This training provides an overview of the defining characteristics of individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorders and the ways in which these characteristics may be manifested. it also focuses on common learning styles of individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Information on the differences between different diagnoses (e.g., Autism vs. Asperger's) will also be presented.

Thursday, September 27, 2007: Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Many professionals have a misunderstanding or misconception of what Applied Behavior Analysis entails. This training will provide a description of the defining characteristics of Applied Behavior Analysis and the various principles and strategies that fall under the umbrella of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Thursday, October 4, 2007: Effectively Including Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
More and more children on the Autism spectrum are being included in regular education classrooms. The intent of this training is to provide a variety of strategies that may be useful in effectively supporting these students in regular education environments, including a variety of ways to incorporate visual supports.

Thursday, October 11, 2007: Social Skills
Impairment in the area of social skills is one of the defining criteria of a diagnosis of a Pervasive Development Disorder. Many professionals working with children with autism struggle with trying to help these children to develop appropriate social skills. This training focuses on general strategies for assessing and teaching social skills to students with autism in public school settings.

Thursday, October 18, 2007: Common Medications and What to Expect
Take a closer look at the common medications children and young adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder are prescribed. Detailed information on what to expect in the way of behavior(s) and potential side effects for the children on these medicines will be reviewed.

Thursday, October 25, 2007: Parent Panel/Participant Discussion
These parents will discuss their personal experiences of having a child diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. The underlying theme of the discussions will be, "What I Wish Every Classroom Teacher Knew: How Can We Make School a Better Experience for Our Children?" This workshop will be sharing of information, ideas, and opportunities to provide feedback to help make this a positive, educational experience for all participants.

South Norfolk County Arc
789 Clapboardtree St.
Westwood, MA  02090
Email: DWOOD@SNCARC.ORG
Phone: 781-762-4001 Fax: 781-461-5950
South Norfolk County Arc is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.