Training in
Working, Surrey, England

September 26-29, 2006

Creating Parent-Directed Treatment
for Children with Autism Spectrum
Disorders

Presented by Steven & Kaitryn Wertz

This is a training program for parents and professionals working with children who have Autism, Pervasive Developmental Delay, Asperger’s Syndrome and related conditions. This training provides skills to increase your child’s motivation and cooperation, to improve his or her communication and social interaction, to assess progress, to set appropriate social and developmental goals and to incorporate effective teaching methods to achieve those goals.

The program is designed and presented by Steven and Kaitryn Wertz, based on twenty-three years of experience in training over one thousand parents and their children with autism-spectrum disorders. Central to the Growing Minds approach is the belief that it is possible for some children to recover from Autism, Pervasive Developmental Delay (PDD-NOS) and Asperger’s Syndrome when their unique developmental needs are met. Even children with the most severe forms of autism have the capacity to improve intimacy and communication and to learn skills that enrich their quality of life.

Children on the autism spectrum develop most successfully and rapidly when their special social, educational and biomedical needs are met within an individualized program. Rather than trying to fit the child to the program, we tailor the program to the child’s unique strengths, difficulties, interests and abilities. The Growing Minds Autism Program integrates educational methods, play-based methods, relationship-oriented methods, biomedical methods and sensory strategies.

This program is recommended for:

  • Parents who currently teach their child at home (either full or part time).
  • Parents interested in working with their child at home, either full-time or after school.
  • Family members, volunteers and staff who support parents with a home-based program.
  • Autism professionals who are interested in training to customize learning for individual children with ASD.

The Growing Minds Program can improve your success with other approaches to autism treatment:

  • Those using Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA, Lovaas and Verbal Behavior) will gain skills to build greater rapport with your child and help him or her increase assertiveness, initiate communication and enjoy social interaction.
  • Those using The Son-Rise Program or with Floor Time (Greenspan) will gain skills to help your child accept direction, increase cooperation, improve attention and acquire the skills necessary to benefit from any school environment.
  • Those using biomedical or sensory approaches will learn to support your child’s physiological changes with a strong relational and educational program.

Topics Include:

Improving communication and connection/rapport
We’ll provide specific techniques to help you increase your child’s attentiveness and rapport. In addition, you’ll learn methods to encourage your child to initiate communication and to strengthen your child’s motivation and ability to interact with you. These are practical techniques that you can immediately put into practice with your child.

Handling challenging behavior
Strategies and attitudes that will help you to minimize your child’s challenging behaviors and to make it less likely that problem behavior will emerge in the future.

Assessing your child
In order to set teach effectively, it is very helpful to correctly assess your child’s abilities and progress. The session will focus on identifying appropriate social and developmental goals for your child.

Teaching methods
An overview of various teaching methods currently in use for children with autism and related conditions, including play-based methods (Intensive Interaction, Son-Rise and Floor Time), Discrete Trial Teaching (also known as ABA, Lovaas and Verbal Behavior) Structured Teaching (also known as TEACCH). This will provide a foundation for developing and synthesizing your own teaching style, and for customizing your program to your child’s unique needs.

Creating custom learning experiences
Using specific learning and curriculum goals, we will assist you to design customized learning experiences that will help you and your child to accomplish your objectives. Includes instruction on how to match your goals to your child’s interests.

Teaching children with executive function difficulties
Many children on the autism spectrum have unidentified difficulties with executive function, which includes impulse control, attention, organization, transitioning, sustaining effort, emotional control and motor planning. For these children, programs focusing primarily on social interaction are insufficient for continuing progress. A special session will enable you to determine if executive function difficulties are undermining your child’s progress and discuss teaching methods which will help.

Teaching children with motor difficulties (dyspraxia)
Many children with autism have obvious or hidden motor difficulties. These children progress more rapidly when the teaching strategies are adapted to their specific needs. This segment provides information and discussion on identifying motor difficulties and designing appropriate learning strategies.

Attitudinal training
The attitude of parents and teachers is instrumental in creating positive behavior change in children. This segment explores how attitudes, thoughts and feelings may influence your ability to teach your child, and how to harness the power of a positive attitude to encourage your child’s motivation and communication.

Structuring your program
Suggestions on a variety of practical topics, such as: how many hours to run your program, what types of activities to use, how to sequence activities, how to vary your child’s day, how much directed teaching to provide and how to adapt your program to meet your family’s needs.

Teaching independent play
You’ll learn ways of teaching and encouraging independent play activities as an alternative to self-stimulation. This can help you assist your child to overcome the need for constant adult attention. We recommend this during small portions of the day when it is developmentally appropriate for the child’s age and capabilities.

Taking care of yourself while you help your child
Directing a home-based program for your child can be challenging and demanding. This segment includes ways to remain inspired, optimistic, motivated and balanced.

Question and answer sessions
Time for questions about your specific circumstances and concerns.

Special features of this program:

  • Growing Minds is a comprehensive program, which balances your child’s need for social development with his or her need to acquire skills and to grow academically. You do not need to compromise one area of your child’s development for another.
  • Presenter Steven Wertz is, to our knowledge, the only individual in the field of autism treatment to have earned certification in both Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and in the Son-Rise program, making him uniquely qualified to access and integrate the best of both educational and relational approaches. Steven has personally worked with over 1,000 children with autism spectrum disorders in his twenty-three year career. (Read Steven’s biography).
  • Video-guided instruction: Each participant is invited to bring a brief video of their child and has an opportunity to show the video to the group. Because we “observe” each child briefly through these videos, we are able to give more specific and informed answers to individual questions and concerns throughout the program.
  • You’ll receive a detailed training manual containing all methods taught in the program along with extensive background materials for your continued learning.
  • You’ll have opportunities to network with and learn from other parents and professionals using a similar approach.
  • We are specialists in making learning fun. We use humor, interaction, experiential learning, creativity, audio-visual presentations and real life examples to provide a relaxing, energizing and enjoyable learning environment.
  • The Growing Minds staff work carefully with our local sponsors to make these programs as affordable as possible, in an effort to provide participants with an exceptional educational experience at a reasonable cost.

Program schedule
Registration and arrival are scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday, September 26, with an opening session at 7:30pm. Sessions will be held in the morning, afternoon and evening on Wednesday and Thursday. The program ends at 4:00pm on Friday, September 29.

Please note that this is a training seminar designed for adult participants (parents, relatives, professionals, support workers) attending without children.

Location





H G Wells Conference Centre, Church St East, Woking, Surrey GU21 6H1. Visit their web site at:
www.hgwells.co.uk

 

 


Accommodations and travel
Those attending the course are responsible for arranging their own accommodation. See hotel recommendations below. Woking is within easy reach of Central London by British Rail, making commuting a viable option. Preferential day-rate for car parking will be available. The car park is one minute walk from the conference centre.

Meals
The conference cost includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

Fees: £580 inclusive. With a deposit of £150 to reserve a place.
£525 for registration prior to July 1, 2006.

Cancellation Policy
Over 8 weeks: Full refund
5 - 8 weeks: Full refund minus £25 admin fee
3- 4 weeks: 50% refund.
2 weeks or less : No refund unless your place can be filled from our waiting list.

This program is sponsored by the True Group
For information about True, please visit
www.trueparenting.co.uk

How to Register

Print and mail the registration form
or
Contact:
Eileen Chiverton
The TRUE Group
7 Martin Road
Guildford GU2 9NX
Surrey
UK
01483 565358
Email: info@trueparenting.co.uk
Phone: 01483 565358

This program will also be offered in Switzerland with translation into French (September 2006) and also in Amsterdam with translation into Dutch (September 2007).

Hotel Recommendations
There are numerous hotels within a short distance of the conference site. Visit the TRUE website for full hotel information. http://trueparenting.co.uk

The Conference Centre has links with the Holiday Inn which is only 1 minute (across the road) away. The Holiday Inn is offering TRUE delegates a special rate of £x single and £x double if you mention TRUE . You may be able to get a better rate on the Internet. Shop around!

Holiday Inn Woking
Victoria Way
Woking, Surrey
GU21 1EW
Phone +44 (0) 1483 221000
Fax +44 (0) 1483 221021
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com


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