(PART OF THE OPENING DOORS TRAINING SERIES)

Time:             7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Fee: $15 for individual sessions of the series OR $100 for all 10 in the "Opening Doors Training Series"

Location:       The ELIJA School- 100 Periwinkle Road, Levittown, New York 11756

Info/directions:  jkaplan@elijaschool.org           

RSVP:         Jane Kaplan 516-216-5270

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SAVE THE DATE: April 30 2010

TOPIC: AUTISM & HOW IT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE FAMILY UNIT. HOW TO RECOGNIZE & HELP REMEDIATE QUALITY OF FAMILY LIFE ISSUES - FROM MARRIAGE,FREINDSHIPS TO SIBLINGS. CANT MISS THIS ONE!

TIME: 10 to 2

FEE: $20 Members|$40 Non Members/Late and Walk in

LOCATION: Levittown Community Hall

PRESENTERS: Dr. David Celiberti & Ruth Donlin

AM SESSION (10am to 12pm)

TOPIC DESCRIPTION & TITLE:What about me? Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Siblings of Children with Autism
The bond we share with our siblings is one of the longest, most important relationships of our lives. Unfortunately, many parents may struggle with concerns and questions related to their typically developing children. This workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of some common sibling challenges and address important topics such as the possible impact of autism on siblings, parent-sibling communication, siblings' understanding of autism and related disabilities, siblings’ relationships with their friends, self esteem, and balanced parenting.
LEARNER OBJECTIVES
Learner will identify several possible positive and negative effects of autism on the sibling.
Learner will describe strategies for communicating with the sibling about autism
Learner will describe strategies for helping the sibling manage questions from peers

PRESENTER BIO: Dr. David Celiberti received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Rutgers University in 1993 and obtained his BCBA in 2000. He is President of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (www.asatonline.org) and President and founder of the Parent Professional Partnership SIG of ABAI. He is also in private practice and provides consultation to schools and agencies in the U.S. and Canada. He has authored several articles in professional journals and presents frequently at regional, national, and international conferences. He has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and conducted research in the areas of applied behavior analysis, family intervention, and autism.

PM SESSION (12:30pm-2pm)
TOPIC DESCRIPTION & TITLE: AFTERNOON SESSION (12:30pm-2PM) *How to beat the statistics:
 Understanding and Addressing **: **How Autism Affects the Family Unit***

 Families can become consumed with improving the life of their child(ren)
 with autism. However, in becoming singular in their focus to make sure
they have done everything they can to help their child, they may
 overlook how to create a balanced family environment of love, peace, and
 stability which serves as the foundation by making the family
 relationships a priority and focus. There are purported statistics
 indicating that the divorce rate of families of children with autism is
 in the 80% range. Personal difficulties reported by parents of autistic
 children include increased stress; poor physical health; depression;
 excessive time demands; parental burnout; effect on family life, and
 future psychosocial problems. Parents also report decreased marital
 satisfaction and increased marital turmoil as a result of the daily
 tensions associated with raising an autistic child. This is an important
 observation considering that marital satisfaction seems to be a strong
 predictor of a parent’s ability to cope with his/her child's disability
 (Friedrich, 1979). This workshop will focus on employing strategies to
 build and strengthen the family unit.
 
 LEARNER OBJECTIVES:
 Learner will recognize common family stressors when raising a child with  autism.
 
 Learner will identify strategies for improving marital communication  toward a common goal.

 Learner will identify strategies to rectify these stressors and improve  the family unit.
 
PRESENTER BIO: Ruth Donlin is a consultant whose private practice is
based in New York. She provides consultation to schools, agencies, and
home programs that serve children and adults on the autism spectrum. She
has completed her course requirements for a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
at Pacifica Graduate Institute and is completing her dissertation. She
presents on a variety of topics such as challenging behaviors, classroom
management, using visual supports, team dynamics, and social skill
development at conferences regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Ms. Donlin is President of the Autism Special Interest Group (SIG) for
the Association of Behavior Analysis.

REGISTRATION BY MAIL/FAX:CLICK HERE

REGISTRATION VIA ONLINE CREDIT CARDCLICK HERE

PLEASE RSVP of YOUR INTEREST! EMAIL US TO RSVP TO THIS SPECIAL EVENT!