The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

This presentation will educate the attendees "soup to nuts" on how to develop, plan, implement and fund a family peer-based recreational program. Whether indoor or out, sports, arts, or strictly social skills development, we will explore options for service delivery, outcomes for the participants, and outcomes to each family member.This session is based on a paper written by the presenter that can be found at http://nyfac.org/programs/. Children with autism and related disorders have the unique ability to model both behaviors and actions. This has been observed at almost every level of functioning, across a wide variety of environments, and with a wide variety of people. Many children diagnosed with autism display “echolalia”(repeating or parroting). This in itself can be hampering to positive development but if used appropriately can be very instructive and educational to the student or individual. For example, A child is watching a television program and repeats everything he/she hears. This may go on for weeks; the child has instant recall of a list of characters or credits that they heard on a show. At any given time the child might blurt out this information, at the dinner table, while in school, or wherever the impulse strikes. If we work to develop a very specialized teaching environment , based on a certain amount of peer interaction, with familiar people we can utilize echolalia in a positive way. For example, we took one child to a basketball game. He was encouraged to root for the home team by shouting “Lets Go Team!” by the middle of the game the child was independently using this cheer in an appropriate manner. Of course this does not apply to all children with autism. Well it is the same with actions. Children with autism seem to develop the unique ability to watch and copy.  NYFAC has sought to build on these inner talents by utilizing a family based approach within its’ recreational programming.

All NYFAC recreational programming are considered a “family affair”. Typically developing siblings, and other family members, including  parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts are encouraged to participate in all areas of the program. In this way we can teach, support and encourage positive behaviors, actions, and verbalizations from the child affected by autism.