Integrative Parent Education Program for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Adelaid Gonzalez, M.Ed., BCBA & Caroline White, Ph.D.

Our Goal

Parents often find that they are overwhelmed and confused after their child receives an Autism Spectrum diagnosis. Specifically, parents have reported difficulty conceptualizing how the diagnosis is made and what it means, understanding what legal rights they and their children have, sifting through the myriad of available interventions, dealing with their child's challenging behaviors, helping their child to learn, and maintaining a sense of family normalcy. It is our goal to provide families with the support they need at such a sensitive and stressful time in their lives, and to educate them about the aforementioned issues. Our hope is that by providing parents with such an integrative educational package as this, the quality of life that families experience will be greatly enhanced.

Regional Center Parent Training

CARES is now a vendor through the San Diego Regional Center to provide parent training to meet the Regional Center's parent education requirement. Four workshops will be held twice each month, and will be offered at both morning and evening timeslots. All workshops will be led by a Master's or Doctoral level professional that is well versed in psychology, education, and the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders. To register for an upcoming class, please contact the front desk at (858)444-8823, x1200. This program is funded by the San Diego Regional Center.

Educación para padres en Espanol

CARES ahora ofrece el entrenamiento del padre para cumplir el requisito de la educación del padre del centro regional de San Diego en Espanol. Un total de cuatro módulos de educación para padres se han desarrollado para proporcionar a los padres y guardianes de ninos con autismo y trastornos del desarrollo, con un entrenamiento intensivo, la accesibilidad de recursos críticos que les ayudarán en la promoción de un desarrollo óptimo de sus hijos y ayudarán a mitigar el desarrollo de problemas de adaptación en el comportamiento. Todos los módulos incluirán presentaciones didácticas, videos, notas y distribuciones impresas, y ejercicios experimentales para promover el desarrollo de habilidades. Los cuatro módulos serán sostenidos una vez cada mes, y ofrecidos en los intervalos de tiempo de la manana y de la tarde. Todos los módulos serán ensenados por un profesional que esté bien informado en psicología, la educación, y el campo de los desordenes del espectro del autismo. Para colocarse para una clase próxima, entre en contacto con Adelaid González (858) 444-8823, x1223. Este programa está disponible por pago privado o a través del centro regional de San Diego.

Modules offered

• Module 1- An overview of Typical Child Development, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, and evidence-based ABA practices
• The goal of this workshop is to provide families with a more clear understanding of basic development and their child's diagnosis and needs, as well as how those needs can be best-met. Additionally, this class will introduce parents to the basic concepts of identifying behavioral challenges and understanding the various functions that maladaptive behavior serves. The group will discuss and practice how to operationalize target behaviors and collect data for each targeted behavior.
• Module 2- An Overview of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Behavior Management
• This workshop will build upon a parent's basic knowledge from Module 1, by introducing the various principles of reinforcement and the concept of antecedent/consequence manipulations. Additionally, parents will be taught how to develop behavior intervention plans based upon the perceived function of a behavior. The goal of this workshop is to help families understand the various functions of maladaptive behavior and teach them effective ways to manage challenging situations.
• Module 3- An Overview of Teaching Strategies and Supports
• This workshop will introduce a variety of ABA-based teaching strategies. Methods for facilitating social communication and increasing structure and predictability in the child's environment will de discussed as they pertain to reducing maladaptive behaviors. The goal of this workshop is to provide families with tangible ways to teach skills and manage inappropriate behaviors.
• Module 4- Moving Forward: Generalization, Maintenance, and Teaching Self-help Skills.
• This workshop will educate parents about the concepts of generalization and maintenance of skills across caregivers and environments. Additionally, families will be provided with an overview of helpful strategies to teach self-help skills. Furthermore, parents will be provided with the skills necessary to write their own Social Stories to foster appropriate social, self-help, and behavior management skills in their child.

Course Schedule

• Tuesday Evening Classes: 5-7 pm
• First Tuesday of every month - Module 1
• Second Tuesday of every month - Module 2
• Third Tuesday of every month - Module 3
• Fourth Tuesday of every month - Module 4

• Wednesday Morning Classes: 9:30-11:30 am
• First Wednesday of every month - Module 1
• Second Wednesday of every month - Module 2
• Third Wednesday of every month - Module 3
• Fourth Wednesday of every month - Module 4

Parent Education Workshops

CARES offers a total of eight optional parent education workshops on eight different topics related to Autism and other developmental disabilities. Attendance to parent education workshops is not limited to only CARES clients, non-clients are also welcome. The various two- to three-hour workshops will be held numerous times throughout the month, and will be offered at rotating morning, afternoon, and evening timeslots. A calendar of scheduled workshops can be found here. At least three or more parents must be registered for workshops to take place. All workshops will be led by a Master's or Doctoral level professional that is well versed in psychology, education, and the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Additionally, as part of the educational program, parents will be asked to complete short quizzes regarding the material they have been presented. To register for an upcoming workshop, please contact the CARES office at (858)444-8823, x1200.

Available Parent Education Workshops

• An Overview of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Discrete Trial, and Behavior Management Strategies (Adelaid Gonzalez, M.Ed., BCBA)
• This workshop will provide families with a basic understanding of the theory and methodology behind empirically validated interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Furthermore, the goal of this workshop is to help families understand the various functions of maladaptive behavior, and teach them more effective ways to manage challenging situations.
• Autism and Family Stress (Caroline White, Ph.D.)
• This workshop will provide families with an overview of the current research literature on families of children with special needs. The goal of this seminar is to foster understanding and awareness between family members, and to provide strategies to buffer the family stress that often results from having a child diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Pivotal Response Training (Adelaid Gonzalez, M.Ed., BCBA)
• This workshop aims to provide families with a basic knowledge of the methodology behind Pivotal Response Training, and a foundation of skills necessary to help foster communication, play, and social skills in their child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Alternative Communication and Verbal Behavior (Adelaid Gonzalez, M.Ed., BCBA)
• This workshop aims to provide parents with a foundation of knowledge in Verbal Behavior Theory, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), augmentative communication devices, and the skills necessary to foster functional communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• Self-Help Skills: Toilet Training and Food Aversion and Autism (Caroline White, Ph.D.)
• The goal of this workshop is to provide families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders with an overview of helpful strategies to teach toilet training and work with children who are picky and/or resistant eaters.
• Social Stories and Social Skills Training (Caroline White, Ph.D.)
• This workshop will educate parents about Social Stories interventions and their use in teaching social skills and managing problem behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Furthermore, parents will be provided with the skills necessary to write their own Social Stories and foster appropriate social skills in their child.
• Inclusive Education for Children with Autism (Adelaid Gonzalez, M.Ed., BCBA)
• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that children with disabilities should be taught in the least restrictive environment. Students with disabilities are increasingly being educated in general education classrooms, as disability advocates and parents increasingly seek inclusive educational placements for children with disabilities. However, research indicates that successful inclusive education is difficult to implement. This presentation will address research related to inclusive education, controversies surrounding inclusion, and considerations and reservations concerning inclusion.
• Biomedical and Pharmacological Interventions in Autism (Caroline White, Ph.D.)
• This workshop will provide parents with a brief overview of the use of medication to manage the symptoms of Autism, the available biomedical interventions in the Autism community, and what research has to say about them.

Workshop Fees

CARES clients should call the office for a fee schedule or talk to their supervisor. For non-CARES clients, a fee of $40 per family will apply to each initial workshop that is attended. Subsequent workshops will be offered at a discount of $5 per workshop (for example, a second workshop will cost $35 and a third will cost $30). Non-CARES clients who choose to attend at least four or more workshops will be charged $25 per class. Payment for workshops will be due at the time of service on the first session.

** Please note: CARES maintains a cancellation policy that families must provide at least 24 hours notice if they are unable to make it to a parent education workshop. If 24 hours notice is not provided, hours will be deducted/billed from the total number of contracted hours regardless of attendance. Furthermore, families will be required to complete their mandatory training sessions at a later date, and will again be billed via contract hours accordingly.

If you have any further questions regarding Parent Education please contact Caroline White, Ph.D. at (858)444-8823, x1213.