Parent and Family Training is the heart of the Living With Autism Program (LWA). Our training is founded on the practical, and based on techniques that have been proven to work. Training through LWA is based in the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), within a social exchange framework. Families and professionals need specialized training to work effectively with children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Parent and Family Training
There is no instructional book on how to parent a child with autism. In fact, what usually works with “typical” children doesn’t work with children with autism spectrum disorders. While Parent and Family Training may take many forms, parents and their child with an autism spectrum disorder will typically come to LWA for an intensive three-week training program that merges classroom instruction with guided observation, one-on-one sessions with their child, and coaching. Parent and Family Training is not just about teaching skills to a child, but teaching the parents how to best understand their child and the nature of his or her disability. Parent and Family Training teaches strategies that parents can use to become more effective in parenting their child with an autism spectrum disorder. Perhaps most importantly, Parent and Family Training teaches a new “thinking set” through which effective strategies can be applied.

Following the intensive three-week training program, home based consultation services and evaluations are set up with the family. LWA consultation consists of home-based observation followed by parent consultation with LWA staff. Consultation may emphasize instruction in the nature of autism spectrum disorders, progress and effectiveness within social exchanges and evaluation goals. Consultation may illustrate how the individual with the spectrum disorder presents with the disorder. Consultation may also emphasize the instruction of effective strategies for instruction of persons with autism spectrum disorders. Consultations are successful in strengthening continuity across various programs and settings.

• Parent and Family Training (Evening and Weekend)
• Professional Training