Learn About the Warning Signs of Autism

Nantucket Autism Speaks Resource Center
News and Press Releases

Learn About the Warning Signs of Autism

The Nantucket Autism Resource Center, the Nantucket Public Schools and the Community Network for Children will provide a presentation for parents, childcare providers and community members, Indicators of Autism: What to Know, How to Reach Out, How to Connect,6:30 pm, Tuesday, March 25th in the Nantucket Elementary School Library. Kim Albertson, Early Educator and Pathways Preschool Teacher will present. Jody Newman, Early Educator/Speech Pathologist and Pathways Preschool Teacher will also be available to answer questions.

This presentation, which is free, will specifically address the indicators: communication, social and behavioral concerns; when to ask for an evaluation; communicating and helping to facilitate communication with children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); and promoting social interaction. The workshop will allow time for questions and answers.

Ms. Albertson trained at the May Center for Children in Chatham, working with significant autistic children prior to working at the New England Center for Autism as a teacher and teacher trainer. When Kim relocated to Nantucket 15 years ago, she joined the Nantucket Public Schools as Pathways Preschool Teacher, where she works with children with global needs and credits the parents, therapists, and clinicians, who have helped her build her knowledge base. Ms. Albertson values her role as part of the Outreach and Screening teams, which have helped to identify children in our community who are at-risk or diagnosed with a disability, implement early intervention strategies and provide support for teachers, parents and children in their natural environment.

The mission of the Nantucket Autism Resource Center, sponsored by Autism Speaks, is to provide current information and comprehensive resources for families, professionals and the community for the purpose of educating and increasing awareness of ASD. The Resource Center is dedicated to empowering families and individuals impacted by autism to make informed decisions by providing resource information that covers all aspects of autism and ASD, from birth through adult care.

Upcoming workshops, sponsored by the Nantucket Autism Resource Center, include An Overview of Sensory Integration, co-sponsored by the Special Needs Advisory Council and presented by Renee Gamberoni, Occupational Therapist for Nantucket Public Schools, on April 15th; and Nutrition and Diet for Children with Autism, presented by Pam Ferro, Nutritional Consultant and Director of Hopewell Associates, Mattapoisett, Mass., in May. Plans are currently in the works for family activities and speakers this summer.

About Autism
Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by extreme behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 150 children in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.

About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. It was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Bob Wright is Vice Chairman, General Electric, and served as chairman and chief executive officer of NBC Universal for more than twenty years. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org [1].