Rochester Regional Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder (RRCASD) Offers Free Webinars to Support Individuals with ASD (NY UCEDD)

February 8, 2016

The Rochester Regional Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder (RRCASD), part of Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities UCEDD at the University of Rochester Medical Center is 1 of 6 regional centers for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in New York State.

The work of RRCASD is focused on the development and promotion of region-wide resources to better meet the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). RRCASD has expertise in providing community education, training, and technical assistance activities. The use of webinars has been a primary medium of reaching individuals on the spectrum, their families and professionals. Last year alone, more than 500 professionals and parents from across NYS participated in educational webinars offered the RRCASD.

The webinar series offered through RRCASD is developed after a thorough collection and review of community needs and feedback. For example, pica is a common tendency a child or adult with autism can have. Often parents are unsure of how to address this issue and can become embarrassed talking about it. Community feedback led to free interactive webinar this past December focusing on pica in which over 70 people participated. New webinars are slated to take place in March, May, and June. These webinars will focus on body changes & hygiene, bullying & intervention strategies, as well as feeding concerns and challenges.

The RRCASD website is continuously updated with the latest information on ASD-related topics, as well as local and state events. Consumers can visit the site periodically for new listings and resources, including the most recent edition of the RRCASD Newsletter at scdd.urmc.edu  website.

For additional information about RRCASD services and webinar education series, contact Valerie Smith at (585) 275-6752 or e-mail [email protected].