TRIAD Families First Program
Project Description:
The Ann and Monroe Carell Jr. Families First Program is a free monthly workshop series for parents of children (ages 2-5) diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Each workshop begins with an orientation followed by a workshop focused on the core deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorders including social interaction, communication and adaptive behavior.
Through the workshop series parents will learn how to encourage social reciprocity and joint attention, create opportunities to increase communication, develop imitation and play routines, and to understand and change their child's behavior. Emphasis is placed on helping parents determine meaningful goals for their child and scaffold their child's development during daily routines. Parents utilize individualized worksheets to answer questions about their child's skills in order to formulate goals for their child. Parents then determine which strategies and instructional materials will help them meet their goals for their child. They create and take these materials home with them, ready for implementation.
The monthly workshops include large and small group instruction and feature talks by leading clinicians, researchers, and advocates from Vanderbilt and the surrounding community. Small breakout groups are moderated by Vanderbilt professionals who assist parents with individualizing the instructional materials based on that family's needs.
Breakfast and lunch are provided.
Keyword(s):
autism, early diagnosis, families
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Quality of Life
Target Audience:
Family Members/Caregivers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Other
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Regional
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
