The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive



8914 Reflecting on the Journey: 20 Years of a Parent Weekend Retreat


Friday, July 15, 2016: 1:15 PM-2:30 PM
Studio 9 (New Orleans Marriott)
Our annual weekend retreat for parents of family members with autism will be described in detail. The evolution of the retreat, and evaluative feedback indicating why it is an effective and innovative model of support will be presented, as will video and slide examples of activities.
This presentation will provide detailed information about “Reflecting on the Journey”, our weekend parent retreat which we have conducted for the past 20 years, for parents of children or family members with ASD. The retreat has been designed to provide a relaxing and supportive environment for parents to reflect on, explore, and share the rewards and challenges of raising a child with ASD. There are opportunities for relaxation, discussion, social support networking, making new friends and learning from other parents in a beautiful country setting. The format is that of a retreat, and is different from a conference or short support meetings. Feedback we have received from professionals and parents who have attended, or who know of the retreat indicate that this is a unique model, and possibly the only one of its kind nationally. For parents, the atmosphere is relaxed and casual, in stark contrast to the everyday stresses of raising a child with ASD, and formal educational conferences.

The retreat draws 60 parents annually. The agenda follows a specified, but flexible format offering 12-15 concurrent sessions of semi-structured, small discussion groups on issues related to challenges and joys of having an autistic family member. Examples of topics include the impact of autism on marriages, developing positive parent-professional relationships, creating balance in family life, taking care of yourself and more than 20 other topics that we alternate year-to-year. We also have fun, relaxing activities (i.e. hiking, canoeing, music, a bonfire) to create an atmosphere that allows for relaxation and reflection. Parents who have attended have children ranging in age from 2-3 years of age (recently diagnosed) to adulthood, and many “veteran” parents with adult children play an active role in facilitating discussion groups. (Elaine Hall, one of the parents who has attended the retreat is one of co-presenters of this session). Some parents return to the retreat for repeat visits, while others attend for fewer retreats or only once. Eighty percent of the actual costs of the retreat are subsidized for the majority of parents, while full scholarships are offered to parents with financial limitations. The “Reflecting on the Journey” Parent Retreat Model is a cost-effective model that has been demonstrated to mitigate the unique stressors associated with autism on marriages and family life, by equipping parents with the knowledge-base and coping strategies to deal with these stressors. It also provides parents to share the unique joys and opportunities for growth related to having autism in the family. Video and slide examples of activities will illustrate innovative and essential activities of the retreat.

The presentation is organized as follows:

I.     The Initial Inspiration

II.    Need for a retreat: Major stressors experienced by parents of autistic family members

III.   What do parents find helpful?

IV.    How the idea of a retreat evolved

V.     Typical Range of supports available (how the retreat differs from other supports)

VI.    Atmosphere we create at the retreat

VII.   The Retreat Program

VIII.  Features of the retreat that foster social and emotional support

IX.    Funding Issues

Learning Objectives:

  • 1. Identify three goals of the retreat weekend that address major stressors for parents identified by research
  • 2.Describe the three strands of topics for the discussion groups that are crucial in providing support to parents
  • 3. Summarize 3 benefits of the retreat experence as identified by parents in the retreat evaluations

Track: Lifespan 4 - Adulthood

Content Area: Family and Caregiver Support

Presenters:

Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Childhood Communication Services

Dr. Barry Prizant is Adjunct Professor at Brown University and Director at Childhood Communication Services in Cranston, RI. For 40 years, Barry has served as an international scholar, researcher and consultant to autistic individuals, and has published more than 130 articles, chapters and 4 books.

Elaine C. Meyer, Ph.D., R.N.
Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Elaine Meyer, Ph.D., R.N. - Director, Institute for Professionalism & Ethical Practice at Children’s Hospital-Boston and Associate Professor of Psychology-Harvard Medical School. Elaine is a Nurse and Clinical Psychologist with 30 years of experience working with children with developmental disabilities and families. She has published widely and presents internationally.

Elaine Hall
The Miracle Project

International Workshop leader and Keynote Speaker; Media Personality; Pioneer in the field of Inclusion, Autism and the Arts; Consultant to and featured speaker at The United Nations; Created the groundbreaking program Inclusion from WithIn (I Win) for faith-based communities; Founder of The Miracle Project.