Topic: Working with Families

We asked Dr. Vincent Carbone about the types of activities that parents of children with autism can use to facilitate their child’s development.

Holiday time tends to be time that we spend with friends and loved ones. However, for the people we work with and their families, the holidays can be especially stressful. Often, working with these families can be very challenging.

This training can help to build skills as well as understanding and empathy. Building strong family-professional collaboration is key to developing respectful relationships. This training looks at what makes it challenging to work with a particular family member. It helps staff to understand the family’s perspective.

Siblings are often on the front lines of family support for people with developmental disabilities.  Their experience and long term involvement is critical for coordination with service providers. However, siblings, like other caregivers, need encouragement and support to maintain healthy and effective relationships.

Don Meyer is an internationally renowned expert on sibling issues. As the Director of the Sibling Support Project and creator of Sibshops, Don helps siblings, parents and service providers around the world address common concerns and opportunities for siblings. Learn more about support groups, resources and activities in this special interview with Don.

Jeff is a father of a young son with special needs.  He shares with us the challenges he faces as he prepares his son Alex for camp and family vacations, and offers some hints on how to make the process more manageable. 

This resource is not only wonderful for someone who is preparing to vacation or head out to camp, but it is also a great tool for providers to use with parents and care takers when discussing preparation for trips.

Working with members of families is a skill that can be hard to master. Often when working with individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, working with the individual’s family members is critical to providing quality care. Help your staff to prepare for these interactions.
This one page handout/review sheet is a perfect tool to use at a staff meeting to spark discussion about working with families. It highlights tips that everyone can use when interacting with family members.

This interactive training gives staff the opportunity to take a “walk in the shoes” of the families for whom they provide services.

The lesson highlights the unique challenges of raising a child with a disability which often include social isolation, additional fears for the child’s well-being and exhaustion from caregiving demands.  It examines what parents are looking for from professionals, including careful listening, understanding and good communication. 

For more background information on Don and the “SibShop” model, read “Siblings’ Unique Concerns and Opportunities” (click to view).

As the award-winning director of the Sibling Support Project, a Kindering Center program, speaker, author, and creator of the Sibshop model, Don Meyer has presented on issues facing families of children with special needs all over the world.

Learn how you can inspire caregiver involvement in the school community.  Find new ways to share problem solving for issues that arise. 

Suzanne and Margaret’s tips include creative ways for making caregivers feel comfortable, safe, and connected.

How do you make the most of holidays when you have a child with special needs? Jeff Stimpson describes the challenges of attending and hosting small and large family gatherings with a child with autism. He includes useful tips he’s employed with his own family including: finding a part of an activity to focus on, learning what to plan for from past disasters and coach for every activity that involves stimulation. With preparation and practice you can have a memorable holiday.