One hundred people attended The Birchtree Center’s first annual Summer Autism Workshops at The Community Campus in Portsmouth on August 25 and 26. Parents, educators, and caregivers traveled from as far as Bangor, Maine, to participate in these day-long seminars.
On the first day, five of Birchtree’s autism specialists and one Birchtree parent spoke about how to help children with autism achieve full and productive lives at home and in the community. Parents, guardians, and caregivers learned strategies for managing challenging behaviors, teaching self-help skills, fostering effective communication, and more.
Day two focused on helping students with autism succeed in the classroom. Teachers, therapists, para-educators, and early childhood professionals from seventeen school districts and agencies in New Hampshire and Maine attended. After the workshop, one attendee wrote that the presentations “offered something new to bring back to my classroom.” Another praised the “expertise and professionalism” of the Birchtree staff, who are “passionate about what they do in their work with children on the autism spectrum.”
Executive Director Dr. Christine Guarino began each workshop with an overview of current autism research and diagnostic perspectives. “We were delighted to have the opportunity to share our knowledge and ideas with so many dedicated parents, teachers, and caregivers,” said Dr. Guarino. “Partnering with families and community agencies will help us transform the lives of children with autism.”
The Birchtree Center offers autism programs to schools and agencies throughout the year and is planning to continue the summer autism workshop again in 2011. To learn about upcoming events, you can subscribe to Birchtree's occasional e-newsletter.
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