Even as awareness of autism grows along with the number of cases diagnosed, it remains a topic likely to raise more questions than answers. If you are a parent whose child is on the spectrum, or a school or health professional encountering increasing numbers of children with this mental health condition, you may have a host of concerns. Are there medications that can help? How much improvement in symptoms can be expected with good treatment? What are the best treatments? What can be done in the home and in general classroom settings to best support these children?

The NYU Child Study Center is pleased to announce a series of free workshops in which our expert clinicians and researchers will address these and other concerns. The Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinical and Research Program's 2012 Family Workshop Series is open to the public at no charge.

The workshops will take place at the CSC's location at 577 First Ave. (at 33rd St.), from 6 to 7:30 pm, including a period for questions and answers at the end of each presentation.

For more information and to register, please contact Sarah Kern at sarah.kern@nyumc.org, or call 212-263-2749. You can register in advance for individual workshops or the entire series.

Workshop dates and topics:

January 24th – Medicines and Autism Spectrum Disorders by Melissa Nishawala, M.D., Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinical and Research Program.

For parents, weighing the decision to use medication to treat symptoms that can occur in children with autism can be a difficult process. In this session, parents will learn when medication may be the right choice, which symptoms may respond to medication, how to use medications safely, and what the alternatives are.

February 28th – Navigating the Transition from Early Intervention to the Committee on Preschool Special Education Services by Sarah Kern, L.M.S.W., Family Services Coordinator of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinical and Research Program.

This workshop will address the steps families will take in navigating the transition from early intervention to the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) – from referral, evaluation, and learning about the continuum of special educational services, to the CPSE meeting and approval of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

March 27th – Social Skills for School-Aged Children on the Autism Spectrum by Jennifer Rodman, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience.

This presentation will provide an overview of social skills deficits typically experienced by children with autism spectrum disorders, as well as specific techniques and interventions for addressing these difficulties.

April 24th – Sleep Difficulties and Interventions by Emily Becker-Weidman, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow, Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinical and Research Program.

Families will be given an overview of sleep difficulties typical of children on the autism spectrum, and introduced to a variety of behavioral interventions that may be helpful. Examples will include schedules, social stories, specific types of reinforcement, and parental behavioral strategies.

May 22nd – Visual Supports for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Alexandra DeGeorge, M.Ed., Psy.D., Clinical Director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinical and Research Program, and Carolyn Kessler, Ph.D., Co-Director of Psychology Services, Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience.

In this session, families will be introduced to a variety of visual supports that are helpful for children on the autism spectrum. Examples will include timers, cue cards, picture and textual schedules, and social stories.