YouthCare offers monthly parent workshops for parents of children with Asperger's Syndrome and related challenges. Each session covers the scheduled topic for approximately one hour then allows time for questions and discussion. The workshops take place in our Wellesley and Charlestown locations.

Winter-Spring 2009 Parent Workshop Schedule

Charlestown Location:

Making Life Simpler: Using Language & Visuals to make Everyday Routines Easier
Thursday, April 9 – Everyday routines like getting dressed or setting the table can be challenging. This hands–on workshop will present language– and visual–based strategies to make life easier for you, your child, and everyone else in the house, so your family’s routines can be as smooth as possible. Parents will leave the workshop with tangible tools to use immediately. Note Time of Workshop is: 6:00-8:00PM. Facilitated by Dr. Scott McLeod and Jennifer Harber, Ed.M.

Wellesley Location:

Playdate Management: How to Set up and Facilitate Successful Playdates
Wednesday, February 4 – Playdates offer elementary school children opportunities to have fun, extend friendships, and practice social skills, yet playdates are hard work! Learn about the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of successful playdates. Topics include: location and duration of playdates, parent roles in playdates, purposes of playdates, and disclosure of children’s needs to other parents. Facilitated by Dot Lucci, M.Ed., C.AG.S.

Social Skills Groups: Making the Most of your Child’s Involvement
Tuesday, March 3 – Learn about the structure and purpose of social skills groups based on a stage–based cognitive—developmental framework. Parents will learn ways to increase the b benefits their children get from social skills groups by helping prepare children for sessions and following up in specific ways. Facilitated by Al Cotugno, Ph.D.

Making Life Simpler: Using Language & Visuals to make Everyday Routines Easier
Tuesday, March 31 – Everyday routines like getting dressed or setting the table can be challenging. This hands–on workshop will present language– and visual–based strategies to make life easier for you, your child, and everyone else in the house, so your family’s routines can be as smooth as possible. Parents will leave the workshop with tangible tools to use immediately. Facilitated by Cheryl Gregg-Desautels, M.H.C.

Sensory Integration: Tools and Strategies for Everyday Life
Tuesday, May 12 – This workshop will present hands–on sensory integration tools that parents can put to use immediately. Parents will learn about the neurophysiology of sensory integration difficulties and ways to observe these challenges, which are often disguised as behavioral. The workshop will present strategies that can improve children’s attention, organization, and behavior. Facilitated by Mary Beth Kadlec, Sc.D., OTR/L.

Aspiring for Independence: Building your Teen’s Skills for Life
Wednesday, May 27 – Teens with social–cognitive challenges face many challenges in their development into independent young adults. This workshop is designed for parents of teens and pre–teens and will present strategies for increasing skills for independence in areas including time management, budgeting, and transportation planning. Facilitated by Kelley Challen–Wittmer, Ed.M., C.A.S. and Dot Lucci, M.Ed., C.A.G.S.

Workshop Information

*YouthCare affiliates are parents of children currently or formerly enrolled in our summer programs or social skills groups.

Registration

Please complete and mail the registration form (pdf) to the address below.

Contact Information

For more information or if there are topics that you would like to suggest please email us at the address below:

YouthCare, 73 High Street, Charlestown, MA 02129
Telephone: (617) 726-0060 / Fax: (617) 726-0064
mghyouthcare@partners.org

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