Autism Society Western New York

Navigating Neurodiversity – Strategies For Success In The Classroom And Beyond (In-person event)
2024-04-10 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | ARC Erie County, 777 Maryvale Dr., Buffalo, NY, 14225, United States
This FREE workshop is presented by: The Early Childhood Inclusion Committee of DDAWNY
PRESENTERS:

Adriana Ragland , LMSW – Founder of Neurdiversity Network of WNY AND
Lori Ciesielski – Occupational Therapist at Liberty POST

TOPICS:

Embracing and Understanding Neurodiversity: General Overview

Strategies for Support and Inclusion

Neurodiversity Matters: Building Inclusive and Safe Learning Environments

REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

How To Protect My Child’s Future Through Guardianship, Wills & Trusts via Zoom
2024-04-10 18:00 - 20:00
Planning for the future is especially important when you have a child with a disability.
This workshop provides parents or caregivers with an overview of things to think about: guardianship, wills, and trusts. The workshop will help you to understand your options as you begin to think about plans for your special needs child.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

EI To CPSE Transition For Parents via Zoom
2024-04-11 14:00 - 16:00
In this training families and caregivers will learn about the role of the Early Intervention Program, Committee on Preschool Special Education and the important role of parents in the transition process.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER TODAY! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

Power2Relate (Formerly Nurtured Heart Approach) Four Week Series
2024-04-15 17:30 - 20:00 | Clarence Public Library, 3 Town Place, Clarence, NY, 14031, United States
Power2Relate – Building Upon The Nurtured Heart Approach

Are you feeling powerless in relating to and managing your children’s behavior?
Do you want to feel more connection to your loved ones?
Are your experiencing a sense of Thriving in Life?

This course will help answer these questions!
POWER2RELATE is a dynamic practice that unleashes your natural ability to be and feel connected. By bringing together rational emotional, positive psychology and behavioral evidence-based practices, our goal is to support you to thrive and empower yourself, your family, and others. Language is the vehicle of change. Thus, we build upon the Nurtured Heart Approach, which is a language-based approach that helps you regain power and rebuild the love you want in your home.
You will begin to learn and discover:

How to integrate 6 sources of Power, providing a life-long shift in how you relate to the challenges you face.
The Behavioral Key to why your current parenting methods are not producing the results you wish.
The emotional foundations which may be keeping you from experiencing the connections and success you desire.

This approach is valid for all ages and types of relationships. It is effective for behaviorally and emotionally challenged children (ADHD, ODD, ASD, Attachment, etc.) as well as typically developing children. You will leave this series with clear techniques and strategies to face the emotional & behavioral challenges that brought you in.
WHEN
Monday, April 15 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Monday, April 22 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Monday, May 13 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Monday, May 20 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
WHERE
Clarence Public Library, 3 Town Place, Clarence, NY 14031
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

Understanding the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Part 200 Students with Disabilities - webinar
2024-04-17 11:00 - 12:30
Please join Parent to Parent of NYS, Tina Beauparlant for this in-depth presentation on Understanding the Regulation of the Commissioner of Education Part 200 Students with Disabilities. This training will take you through the NYS Special Education Regulations step by step. Parents will learn the role they play on the CSE, learn the chain of command regarding the CSE, learn how to request information regarding your child’s IEP and gain an understanding how to communicate with your child’s teachers & administrators. After this webinar parents will have more knowledge about the educational laws to advocate for their child/children.
REGISTER HERE!

Autism and Sleep – Research Updates (webinar)
2024-04-17 13:00 - 14:00
Learn research updates on co-occurring sleep disturbances and autism.
SPEAKER
Dara S. Manoach, PhD, Paul B. and Sandra M. Edgerley MGH Research Scholar 2019-2024 is a Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She is a neuropsychologist who received her Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard University. She completed a clinical psychology internship at McLean Hospital and a fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Behavioral Neurology Unit of Beth Israel Hospital. She is in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and is a Faculty Associate at the Lurie Center for Autism. She is based at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging where she directs the Sleep, Cognition, and Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) Lab.
REGISTER HERE.

Effective and Collaborative Implementation of Family Engagement Resources via Zoom
2024-04-17 17:30 - 19:00
Participants will:

Explore meaningful and equitable training resources/tools to support effective family engagement and communication.
Explore the use of critical thinking skills to deepen connection and understanding of the resources to support equitable family engagement.

*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

What Is a NY ABLE Account? via Zoom
2024-04-17 19:00 - 20:00
The NY ABLE Program is a tax-advantaged savings program for individuals with disabilities and their families to save for their current or long term needs while maintaining their ability to benefit from federal benefits programs such as SSI, SSDI and Medicaid.
Our program offers multiple investment options including a checking account and debit card option allowing individuals with disabilities to maintain their independence and have quick and easy access to their own money.
Presenter: Jenna McClosky, Outreach Coordinator NY ABLE and 529 College Savings Program, Office of the State Comptroller
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyera

Explicit Vocabulary For Parents
2024-04-18 10:00 - 12:00
Children learn and develop vocabulary best when the discovery of new words and their meaning is introduced both at home and in school.
Through this training, families and education professionals will learn about the importance of vocabulary instruction in language development and reading skills for elementary school grades.
Participants will leave with a set of practical tips, strategies, and resources that help foster a natural curiosity about unfamiliar words, and how to encourage vocabulary development in a child’s daily life experiences and interactions.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER TODAY! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

White Matter Development and Language in Autism - webinar
2024-04-24 13:00 - 14:15
Learn about emerging research on white matter development and language abilities during infancy in autism.
The speaker:

Tyler McFayden, PhD, is a NICHD T32 Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Prior to her T32 position, she received her bachelor’s in science from Davidson College and PhD in Developmental and Clinical Psychology from Virginia Tech. She completed her APA-accredited internship at UNC’s Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. Dr. McFayden currently works with Dr. Clare Harrop (Health Sciences) and Dr. Mike O’Shea (Pediatrics), researching social communication profiles of autistic youth and sex differences in neurodevelopmental trajectories. Dr. McFayden also works closely with Dr. Jessica Girault, PhD, a member of the IBIS group at UNC, studying neuro-behavior relations in high-likelihood infant samples. The April presentation will feature results and discussions from their recent paper highlighting a novel white matter-language connection in the right arcuate fasciculus in infants who later are diagnosed with autism at 24 months.
Register here.

Supporting Your Child In Work-Based Learning (WBL) Experiences via Zoom
2024-04-29 18:00 - 19:30
Work-Based Learning (WBL) experiences are a way for students to develop skills and knowledge in the world of work.
Join us and gain foundational information of WBL, program options, who are the partners in WBL, and increase career awareness in home and community
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

Self Directed Budgets… What Do We Do With Those?! via Zoom
2024-05-01 18:30 - 20:00
Have you been wondering about Self-Directed Services?
Come learn the basics of self-directed services that are an option for families with OPWDD. This will include a discussion about what types of supports and services can be included in a self-direction budget.
Presenter: Bonnie Doyle
Bonnie Doyle has worked with Parent Network since 2021 as a Family Support Specialist; she is passionate about supporting families to secure all the benefits and services to help them reach their goals. In 2022 Bonnie became in independent broker for individuals who want to self-direct their OPWDD services. Bonnie is a NYS credentialed Peer Support Specialist as well as a NYS credentialed Family Peer Advocate; she is also the parent of a child with multiple diagnoses including ADHD and anxiety.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

Abuse prevention for people with disabilities.
2024-05-01 19:00 - 20:30
Parent to Parent of NYS is offering a special presentation: Individuals with disabilities experience violence and abuse at an alarmingly high rate. The NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) and NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) invite you to join a conversation about abuse prevention for people with disabilities.
This webinar will offer the opportunity for an open discussion about barriers to accessing services and to identify training/resource needs for all.
Register here.

Special Education 101: A Parent Member
2024-05-03 15:00 - 16:00
Learn about the Special Education Process and the Individualized Education Program!

Gain understanding about procedures, NYS regulations, and strategies to promote a parent’s understanding and participation in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting.
This course is required to receive a Parent Member Certificate to support a parent of a child with a disability in an IEP meeting.

*Please note that this is a 2-part training! Part 1 must be completed online in order to receive the zoom link for this session.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

GO, DOG. GO! - A Sensory-Friendly Performance at Theatre of Youth
2024-05-05 10:00 - 11:10 | Theatre of Youth, Buffalo, New York
GO, DOG. GO! – P.D. Eastman’s classic children’s book comes to life on stage in an exploration of movement, color and space. The dogs delve into life with gusto, creating a visual spectacle for the audience to feast upon. A big and little musical world of doggy fun. Like a pop-up book that comes to life – and never stops.
Theatre of Youth (TOY) welcomes you to enjoy a performance in a sensory-friendly environment. Your children can sit where they are most comfortable and move around as they need, all while enjoying the magic of live theatre. These tickets are made available for children and families who desire a sensory-friendly environment.
This performance incorporates special modifications to accommodate audiences with sensory needs, including, changes to the performance:
?Increased lighting in the seating area and house throughout the performance.
?Lower sound levels.
?Lowered seating capacities to allow for more space and movement between patrons.
*Dates and titles subject to change.
Ticket Code to Order: SENSORY23
SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE on Sunday, May 5 at 10AM
Purchase tickets here.

What Does Advocacy Mean in Special Education - webinar
2024-05-07 18:00 - 19:15
Please join Namita Modasra for this training on What Does Advocacy Mean in Special Education. Not everyone starts out by being a good advocate. Many parents, guardians and grandparents have faced challenges in getting their child’s education needs met. Parents, guardians, grandparents, must learn the skills they need to become good advocates for their children. Participants will learn that communicate effectively with teachers and other school personnel is one of the best ways to ensure that your child’s school is creating a good learning environment for your child, and to ensure that your child’s school is providing your child with the services or programs that he or she needs to succeed in school. If you are a Parent, Grandparent, Family Member or just interested in this topic then this training is for you!
REGISTER HERE!

Motor Skills and Executive Function in Autism - webinar
2024-05-08 13:00 - 14:15
Learn about emerging research on the relationship between the development of motor skills and executive function in autistic children.
The Speakers
Megan MacDonald, PhD is a professor of kinesiology, the early childhood research core director at the Hallie E. Ford Center for Children and Families and the OSU IMPACT for Life faculty scholar – all housed within the College of Health and. Her vision is that every child is active and accepted.
Megan McClelland, PhD, is the Katherine E. Smith Professor of Healthy Children and Families at Oregon State University (OSU) where she serves as Endowed Director at the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families. Her research focuses on optimizing children’s development, especially as it relates to children’s self-regulation, early learning, and school success. Her recent work has examined links between self-regulation and long-term outcomes from early childhood to adulthood, recent advances in measuring self-regulation, and intervention efforts to improve these skills in young children. She works with colleagues and collaborators around the world and is currently involved with a number of national and international projects to develop measures of self-regulation and improve school success in young children.
Register here.

CANCELED - Effective And Collaborative Implementation Of Family Engagement Resources - via Zoom
2024-05-08 16:00 - 17:30

Know Your Rights: School Discipline and Special Education
2024-05-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Parent Network of Western New York, 1021 Broadway Street, Floor 4, Room 442, Buffalo, NY, 14212, United States
Know Your Rights: School Discipline and Special Education
Do you have a child with an IEP or 504 Plan?
School Discipline Project Supervising Attorney Sam White will discuss the protections for children with disabilities during school disciplinary matters!
In-Person Workshop or Attend Via Zoom
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

Specially Designed Instruction: A Guide For Families And Caregivers - via Zoom
2024-05-09 10:00 - 12:00
Participants will:

Understand the concepts of SDI
Understand that there is both federal and state regulations around SDI
Be able to examine what SDI might look like in the classroom and in the home
Understand their value as engaged meaningful parent

*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

Addressing Sleep Challenges for the Neurodivergent Child via Zoom
2024-05-09 15:00 - 16:00
Join Parent Network and Dr Amanda Hassinger for an informational workshop on addressing sleep issues in neurodivergent children. This could include those with diagnoses or suspected: ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Dyslexia, and more. While this workshop is specific to these needs, good sleep patterns can be disrupted in children for many different reasons, and this workshop may help support any family that has a child with significant sleep disturbances.
Presenter: After working a decade in pediatric critical care, Dr Hassinger went back into training and completed a Sleep Medicine Fellowship. She worked with UBMD Pediatrics to develop the only pediatric-dedicated Sleep Medicine Center in WNY which opened in 2020, which provides both inpatient and outpatient pediatric sleep medicine consultations on a variety of children’s sleep problems. The Center sees patients 0 to 25 years old and has begun partnerships with community providers for neuro-diverse children; developing a multi-faceted program to improve the sleep and CPAP use in children with special needs in WNY.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

Work-Based Learning (WBL) Updates & Collaboration
2024-05-10 12:30 - 14:30 | Erie 1 BOCES, 355 Harlem Road, West Seneca, NY, 14224, United States
Join us in-person for updates around Work-Based Learning!
We will be discussing the family’s role in WBL, updates from the new manual, and have round table discussions around work-based learning and schools.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

How to Prepare for a Successful CPSE/CSE Meeting - webinar
2024-05-14 13:00 - 14:15
Please join Parent to Parent of NYS, Tina Beauparlant, Regional Manager/Education Specialist, as she presents this wonderful presentation on How to Prepare for a Successful CSE Meeting. This training is to help parents, who approach IEP meetings with fear and dread. If this is, you attended this training then we have some suggestions to help you feel more at ease and participate as a full member of the team that plans your child’s special education program. If you are a Parent, Grandparent, Family Member, or guardian then this training is for you!
Register here.

Changes in Autism Symptoms Across Childhood - webinar
2024-05-15 13:00 - 14:15
Tune in to this presentation by Dr. Einat Waizbard-Bartov to learn about how autism symptoms change throughout child development.
The speaker: Dr. Einat Waizbard-Bartov is a post-doctoral researcher working with Dr. Ilan Dinstein at the Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research at Ben-Gurion University, Israel. Dr. Waizbard-Bartov completed her doctoral studies at the University of California, Davis, working with Dr. David Amaral at the UC Davis MIND Institute’s Autism Phenome Project. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist trained in autism assessment and play-based and cognitive-behavioral therapies with children. Dr. Waizbard-Bartov is especially interested in assessment and measurement of autism symptoms, developmental trajectories across the life span and how these translate into individual needs, and the female autism phenotype.
Register here.

Behavior as Communication: Addressing Neurodivergent Needs (In-person event)
2024-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Cloverbank Elementary School, 2761 Cloverbank Rd., Hamburg, NY, 14075, United States
Join Parent Network to learn about Behavior as Communication for Neurodivergent Needs. Children and young adults with diagnoses or suspected diagnoses that fall underneath the neurodivergence umbrella such as autism, ADHD, learning differences, and tic disorders, to name a few, typically need supports in additional ways. This may mean adjusting how parents and caregivers work with challenging behaviors. This workshop is appropriate for parents/caregivers and professionals!
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

Guidelines for Determining the Need for a One-to-One Aide
2024-05-16 18:30 - 19:45
Please join Namita Modasra, Education Advocate, Parent to Parent of NYS as she presents this wonderful webinar: Guidelines for Determining the Need for a One-to-One Aide Let’s explore what the IEP team needs to consider, supplemental aids, services and program modifications for all students with disabilities. A key question for the IEP team is to consider whether the student with a disability does or does not require one-to-one support to make meaningful progress toward annual goals in the IEP in the least restrictive environment (LRE).
REGISTER HERE.

Blood-brain barrier dysfunction in Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Regulation
2024-05-29 13:00 - 14:15
Tune in to learn research updates on blood-brain barrier dysfunction in Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Regulation.

The speakers:
Noor A. Hussein, PhD is a pharmacology scientist.
“My experience as a researcher has taught me to seek out new perspectives for exploration and discovery. As a dedicated biological and pharmacological researcher with over 7 years of experience with models of diseases such as cancer both in vitro and in vivo. During my masters and Ph.D. studies, I mastered lots of molecular biology techniques, including cell culture, cytotoxicity assays, western blot, quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry. I utilized my skills to design experiments finding solutions to common problems in the biomedical field, especially cancer experimental and molecular therapeutics.”
Ayan Mondal, Ph.D. is a third-year post-doctoral research fellow in Prof Elizabeth Mellins’ laboratory at Dept of pediatrics, Stanford University. “I completed my graduation from University of Calcutta, India, in 2017. I have conducted 1.5 years of research on molecular medicine following graduation and joined as a post-doctoral researcher at the Arnold School of Public health, University of South Carolina, in the year 2019. During the training, I studied neuroimmune signaling mechanisms in the gut-liver-brain axes in mouse models of metabolic disorders and military-deployment-associated disorders. My studies elucidated the mechanism of neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction mediated by specific proteins that are elevated in blood during these disease conditions. In my post-doctoral research with Prof Mellins, I am studying changes in BBB function in PANS. I am focusing on elucidating the mechanisms of action of novel modulators of BBB that are relevant to homeostatic maintenance of the BBB and other novel modulators that increase BBB permeability during flares of PANS. My proposed experimental strategies include transcriptomic and proteomic approaches in cell types of the CNS neurovascular unit.”
Register here.

Middle to High School Transition (In-person event)
2024-05-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Clarence High School, 9625 Main St., Clarence, NY, 14031, United States
New building, new teachers, new responsibilities, new opportunities.
Let’s talk about the changes that come with Middle School. We will talk about how to prepare for the first day, discuss the challenges that we may see and some strategies to have transition success for students with disabilities.
*Certificate of completion available upon request*
REGISTER HERE! FREE EVENT!
Call: 716-332-4170 | Email: info@parentnetworkwny.org
Download Flyer

In collaboration with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), Parent to Parent of NYS presents “Introduction to the Roles of Direct Support Professionals for Families” - webinar
2024-05-29 18:30 - 20:00
n collaboration with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), Parent to Parent of NYS presents “Introduction to the Roles of Direct Support Professionals for Families” This webinar will discuss and describe the DSP code of ethics as it relates to the family. In addition, this webinar will help to define the specific role of the DSP not only in certified residences but in community-based settings as well as the family home. This discussion will also include the Standardized Occupational Classification which is hopefully forthcoming from the United States Department of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This classification will further elevate the value and role of direct support professionals. Direct Support Professionals are at the core of care for those with disabilities along with their families. This presentation aims to provide more understanding of each member’s role in supporting the individual receiving services and how all parties can work together to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Register here.

Parent to Parent of NYS presents: The role of Direct Support Professionals, an introduction for families - Via Zoom
2024-05-29 18:30 - 20:00
In collaboration with the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), this webinar will discuss and describe the DSP code of ethics as it relates to the family. In addition, we will discuss the specific role of the DSP not only in certified residences, but in community-based settings as well as the family home.
This presentation aims to provide more understanding of each member’s role in supporting the individual receiving services and how all parties can work together to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Register here for this free virtual event.
