Training for Parents: Project ImPACT in Sault Ste Marie

I found a copy of the registration form online for the August 25-26 workshop at the Walker Cisler Center at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste Maire.  The bad news is that it's not free.  The good news is that the workshop is designed specifially to train parents.  And if you are only attending so you can work with your own child, you only need to attend (and pay for) one day.  The second day of the workshop is for those who intend to go on and train other parents. 

I contacted the program developer to get a firmer grasp of who would benefit from this program.  The following is from her reply:  "The program is geared mostly for children whose language ranges from the preverbal stage (up to about 12 months language age) to the sentences stage (up to about  3 1/2 years language age).  It can be adapted for children with complex language who have difficulty with things like conversation, topic maintenance, speaking about past events, etc. with consultation with a good speech pathologist.  However, the information that will be presented at the training will focus more on the preverbal to sentences stages.  The program also focuses on improving play skills, including symbolic play, which many children with ASD who have good language skills continue to struggle with. Most of the children who have gone through the program have been 18 months to 6 years, although it has been used with older children who have significant language delays."

More information about Project ImPACT is available on their website:  http://psychology.msu.edu/AutismLab/Project%20Impact.html.