NEW ORLEANS – The Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development at Ochsner Children’s is hosting a series of free educational webinars for parents and professionals in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month. While the observance takes place in April, the series began in March and will continue through May.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Autism Acceptance Month raises awareness about autism acceptance and promotes inclusion and connectedness for people with autism. Social and community support can help people with autism achieve optimal health and reach their full potential.
Knowing that guardians and family members are an important part of the care team for children with an autism spectrum disorder, this free webinar series offers opportunities for caretakers to hear from Ochsner Children’s professionals on topics such as toilet training, feeding tips & tricks, language development, behavior management and more.
“Our goal with this series is to provide insights and valuable information from child development experts for parents, family members and other medical professionals,” said Dr. Lacey Ellis, program director, Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development. “Caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder can bring unique challenges that may be new for many parents and caregivers. We are happy to provide this diverse set of free webinars as a resource for our community and to help promote autism acceptance.”
Several webinars are scheduled in the coming weeks, including:
| Date | Time | Education Session | Registration Link |
| March 26 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Toilet Training, with Addie Andrus, BCBA | Register |
| April 9 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Autism Language Development: Gestalt Language Processing, with Jessica Creed, CCC, SLP | Register |
| April 18 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Feeding Tips and Tricks, with Anne Elise Nicoladis, SLP and Margaret Powell, PhD | Register |
| April 22 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Behavioral Supports for Sleep, with Sally Guidry, BCBA | Register |
| April 25 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Communication Strategies: Augmentative and Alternative Communication, with Christie Jewell, CCC-SLP | Register |
| April 30 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Autism Medical Perspectives, with Bob Voigt, MD | Register |
| May 8 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Behavior Management 101, with Emily Mathis, PhD, BCBA-D | Register |
| May 14 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Talking Dating and Sexuality – A real life love on the spectrum, with Claire Burns, PhD, and Caroline Turner, LCSW | Register |
| May 20 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | ABA: Q&A, with Boh Center ABA Team | Register |
| May 21 | 12:00 – 12:45 PM | Vocational Social Skills for Teens, with Nicole Lasserre, PhD, BCBA-D | Register |
For more information on autism and the Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development, please visit www.ochsner.org/boh.
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