This workshop is designed to help inform and uplift parents, teachers, and caregivers who work with individuals that are within the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The focus of this workshop will be on teaching various life skills to help our children better cope with the world around them. We will also discuss strategies, such as building community support systems and vocational planning that we can implement to improve their odds for success.
We are privileged to have Mark Setnik, Buyer for The University of Texas at Dallas, as a guest speaker and panelist during the workshop. Mark is an individual with Autism who will be speaking about his experiences and will share the techniques that helped him become an independent and successful person, despite his Autism. During the panel discussion, workshop participants will have the opportunity to ask Mark questions to further understand his obstacles and successes. Some specific areas of focus for this workshop are:
- How to limit the impact the illness has on the family unit.
- How to shape socially acceptable behaviors
- Understanding what sets your child off and how to avoid it.
- Building effective support structures in school, home, and community
- How to address puberty and maturity issues
- Vocational planning and training
- Participants will gain invaluable insight about how an individual with Autism/PDD feels about everyday experiences and the different aspects of their personal development.
- Opportunity to listen and interact with an individual that has learned to be successful in spite of having Autism.
The diagnosis of Autism/PDD is a devastating one, primarily because of the impact it has on the individual being diagnosed, and the impact that the disability has on the family as a whole. The key to helping a child with Autism is developing a unified approach toward the syndrome and an approach that focuses on the family as a unit. The ultimate goal should be to help our children live a more independent and productive life.
