Easter Seals Disability Services

Assistive Technology Workshops for People with Autism

Thanks to a grant from the Comcast Foundation, Easter Seals is offering two
workshops that will help increase independence for people with autism. 

See details below of the workshops:

Using the iPad to Improve Communication in Children with Autism

 and

Managing School, Work and Social Interactions: Apps for Individuals with High-Functioning ASD

Using the iPad to Improve Communication in Children with Autism

This workshop will include discussion and demonstrations of ways to enhance children’s communication skills through full-featured augmentative and alternative communication, as well as Choice Board and Topic Board applications for the iPad.  Our two presenters will demonstrate the following, and participants can try their hand at programming:

• Proloquo2Go
• GoTalkNow
• Touch Chat
• Tap Speak series
• Assistive Chat
• StoryKit

This workshop will be held at:

January 16, 2013     6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

                Brockton Area Arc
                Carchidi Center for Wellness
                1250 West Chestnut St.
                Brockton 02301
              
              Advance registration is required.  To register, contact:  Kathleen Kerwin Brockton ARC  (508) 583-8034.

About the presenters:

Laura Hutt is an Augmentative Communication Specialist with Easter Seals Massachusetts.  She is a speech and language pathologist and a board-certified behavior analyst.  Laura has worked with children with autism for more than 20 years in both public and private school settings.

Jamie Mobed is a speech-language pathologist with five years of experience in augmentative and alternative communication.  At Easter Seals, she provides augmentative communication evaluations and consultative services to children and adults in a variety of settings.

Managing School, Work and Social Interactions: Apps for Individuals with High-Functioning ASD

This workshop shows how carefully chosen apps can be used to help older children and adults on the autism spectrum with organization and personal management.  Our two presenters will demonstrate the apps and discuss how they can be used on a regular basis to help individuals be more organized in school, work and their personal lives. The apps we present will address the following areas:  visual supports, calendars, timers, communication and social interactions.

This workshop will be held in two locations:

February 4, 2013 6:30 – 8:30 pm

                Brockton Area Arc                
                Carchidi Center for Wellness                
                1250 West Chestnut St.                
                Brockton 02301              

              Advance registration is required.  To register, contact:  Kathleen Kerwin Brockton ARC  (508) 583-8034.

                 March 12, 2013 – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Morse Institute Library
14 East Central Street
Natick, MA  01760

Advance registration is required.  To register, contact Allison Daigle at the Autism Alliance of Metrowest, 508-652-9900

About the presenters:

Kristi Peak-Oliveira is a speech-language pathologist and one of the coordinators of the MassMATCH-sponsored Easter Seals Assistive Technology Regional Center in Boston.  She helps people with disabilities, their families and educators learn about the iPad and appropriate apps through one-on-one demonstrations, workshops and training sessions.

Katrina Caracol-Parker is an Easter Seals Assistive Technology Specialist who has seen the impact that the iPad has on individuals with a wide variety of abilities and needs.  Through evaluation, one-on-one training and in workshops she has conducted, she has learned to configure these devices to meet each individual's specific needs.