Webinar: Autism, Parenting, and Self-Care
Take a few minutes for yourself and enjoy this recorded webinar in which Dr. Kristin Pleines helps parents develop a self-care plan and manage stress.
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Get the latest autism updates from SPARK, including information about genes and ASD research, webinars, and personal stories from our community.
Our ‘genes’ page provides short, easy-to-understand descriptions of genes linked to autism. Under ‘research’, you’ll find the latest updates from SPARK and other autism studies. In our ‘stories’ section, families, scientists and others share their journeys. In our monthly webinars, speakers from the autism community provide useful information for families and people with autism. All are welcome–invitation links are issued in our monthly newsletter. If you have suggestions for webinar topics, please email us at webinars@sparkforautism.org.
Self-Care for Parents of Children with Autism: A Q&A with Dr. Kristin Pleines
What’s self-care, and why is it important? Dr. Kristin Pleines answers questions for parents and caregivers of children with autism.
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Community Spotlight: Autism Advocate Rico Winston
The Marine Corps helped instill in Rico Winston a strong belief in duty. So when his son was diagnosed with autism, he knew what he must do. He immersed himself in learning about autism, and advocating for research and services to help others like his son.
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Community Spotlight: Advocate Elaine Hamilton
Elaine Hamilton spent years helping families of children with disabilities. So when she was asked to publicize SPARK, she decided to go a step further.
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A Genetic Diagnosis Illuminates a Troublesome Symptom
After enrolling in SPARK, the Meiles learned that their son has a change in the POGZ gene. The diagnosis helps explain a mysterious health issue.
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The Fight for Tony: A Mother’s Quest to Unravel a Mystery and Push Autism Research Forward
Sandra Sermone refused to wait. She had seen her son Tony through heart surgery, a feeding tube, brain scans, countless blood tests, and medical appointments. This little boy who struggled to eat, talk, and play was getting worse. Sermone had three things: a telephone, a computer, and an inability to be discouraged. She would find an answer for what was happening to her child.
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Supporting Parents in Early Autism Treatment
In this webinar, Melanie Pellecchia, Ph.D., NCSP, BCBA, discusses advances in early autism treatment and strategies to support parents in the implementation of early intervention techniques. This webinar is 60 minutes long.
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Stress and the Autism Parent
Researchers have taken notice of parental stress in families of children with autism. More than a few studies report that parents of children with autism experience more stress than parents of typical-developing children and parents of children with Down Syndrome.
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Caregiver Stress in Families of Children with Autism
In this webinar, Amy Keefer, Ph.D., ABPP, discusses parental stress and coping strategies in families of children with autism. This is a joint webinar with SSC@IAN (Simons Simplex Collection at the Interactive Autism Network). This webinar is 60 minutes long.
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How Learning to Cook Can Help Teens With Autism
Daily living skills, such as cooking, shopping and managing money, are a strong predictor of independence. The good news: these skills can be taught.
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