For parents who want to become more successful at managing difficult behavior.
Join us for this Free Parent-Training Forum
Tuesday June 16, 2009, Ulster-Greene ARC, 471 Albany Avenue Kingston, New York
Come and be part of what we hope to be an enlightening and productive forum!
Please let us know if you need family care for the evening. We will provide Respite Services on site. However, your RSVP for this care is required ahead of time.
RSVP by June 5, 2009
Phone: 845-331-4300 x259
E-Mail:
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Training Information
Parenting, under any circumstances, can be a challenge, as children and young adults often present behaviors that are difficult to manage. These challenges can be particularly difficult when the child or young adult also has an intellectual or other developmental disability, such as autism.
As part of our effort to support families, Ulster-Greene ARC is conducting a training session for families who want to achieve a higher level of success in coping with and managing difficult behaviors. This training will be aimed at providing practical, concrete, and clear advice on how you can be all that you want to be – a highly effective parent.
Our skilled Psychology Department professionals will be leading this training. They will present principles of behavior management and address specific questions and problems offered by those who attend. (In order to preserve privacy, questions and problem situations can be submitted anonymously prior to the start of the session.)
A light supper will be provided, as well as an opportunity for networking with other families and learning about relevant services and supports offered by Ulster-Greene ARC.
Trainer Information
Sudi Kash earned her PhD in psychology from Alient International University, San Diego, CA in 1992. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of NY. Currently, she is the Director of Behavioral Health at Ulster-Greene ARC, which serves nearly 1200 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has been an adjunct professor at the State University of New York at New Paltz since 2005 and various other universities. She previously worked as senior outreach consultant for the State of Kansas through Parsons State Hospital for 4 years. Her experience in program development dates back to 1988. Two of her most recent accomplishments include leading teams to create controlled multi-sensory stimulation rooms and a specialized ASD Program, The Renaissance Program. Sudi has worked exclusively with children and adults with developmental disabilities since 1997 and was trained at the University of Michigan to conduct diagnostic evaluations.
Nancy Dib holds two Master’s degrees (MA and MPhil), both in Psychology, with a specialization in developmental disabilities from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and Queens College, where she is currently working on her dissertation research. Nancy is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has extensive experience working with adults and children with developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders, and running Applied Behavior Analysis programs. She has a strong research background, primarily in applied settings, and has published two manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. She has experience developing staff-training procedures based on student behavior, as demonstrated in her published research on children with autism. Nancy also has much experience teaching at the college level and has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate psychology courses at both Queens and Marist Colleges. She currently works as an Applied Behavioral Science Specialist at Ulster-Greene ARC.
WHO?
Parents/Guardians/Families of individuals with developmental disabilities, aged 9 to adult.
WHAT?
A Parent’s Forum/Training to help families cope with difficult behavior.
A light dinner will be served.
WHERE?
Ulster-Greene ARC
471 Albany Avenue
Kingston, NY 12401
WHEN?
Tuesday June 16, 2009
6:30pm to 8:30pm
WHY?
To become a more effective parent, to network with other families, and to learn about relevant services offered by Ulster-Greene ARC.
OMRDD Announces a series of Public Forums for the Statewide Comprehensive Plan: 2009 – 2013
OMRDD will incorporate the ideas, suggestions, and comments received through these Public Forums to update the 2008 Statewide Comprehensive Plan to cover the upcoming five year period 2009 through 2013. The 2008 Plan documented OMRDD’s strategic mission and vision. As a result, OMRDD developed many activities and initiatives that reflect its mission statement, “We help people with developmental disabilities live richer lives” and its vision to assist people to enjoy meaningful relationships, experience health and growth, live in the home of their choice, and fully participate in their communities. The 2008 Comprehensive Plan, corresponding Strategic Framework and subsequent Interim Report can be reviewed on the OMRDD web site at http://www.omr.state.ny.us/507plan/index.jsp.
Now OMRDD wants to hear from self-advocates, parents of people with developmental disabilities, other family members, non-profit providers, professionals, advocates, and other interested parties about how well our system of services and supports is achieving its mission, and how the system can further improve. OMRDD is particularly interested in hearing about the following themes, but commentary is not limited solely to these themes.
Given the current fiscal downturn the federal and state governments are experiencing, what are the most important needs we should be addressing?
Tell us about what is working well across the state. What should we be trying to do more of?
What steps can we take to make the developmental disabilities service system more person centered and individualized? How can we make change happen?
How can we support more people with developmental disabilities to be employed?
How do we achieve quality delivery of services while maximizing cost effectiveness and efficiency?
If you are a person with a developmental disability, what supports do you most need to live the life you want?
Speakers will be asked to register in advance of the forum, limit their comments to no more than three (3) minutes, and bring two (2) copies of the testimony. Written testimony can also be submitted to Cynthia Redshaw at OMRDD, 44 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12229.
Speakers will be asked to register in advance of the forum, limit their comments to no more than three (3) minutes, and bring two (2) copies of the testimony. Written testimony can also be submitted to Cynthia Redshaw at OMRDD, 44 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12229.
Please also note that for the first time, OMRDD is collecting information for the Plan through a very brief survey of priorities that can be accessed at its website www.omr.state.ny.us. Please take a few minutes to complete that anonymous survey, especially if you cannot participate in the Forums or do not wish to submit written testimony.
A schedule of the Public Forum dates, times and locations is listed below. Please register using the following contact information. Speaker opportunities are limited; the DDSO will confirm individuals and times prior to the Forum. A video synopsis of the forums can be viewed online at www.omr.state.ny.us following the events.
For general information about the Public Forums, please contact OMRDD’s Bureau of Planning: Phone: (518) 474-4904 Fax: (518) 473-0054 E-mail:
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Our Palmer location will be getting new expanded facilities for which the groundwork has just started.
More information coming soon :-)
The Renaissance Program at 139 Cornell Street in Kingston gives Ulster-Greene ARC clients a new opportunity to develop various artistic talents and life skills through a hands-on and personalized approach to learning. Recreation and enrichment classes are dedicated to exploration and discovery where clients tailor a personal program unique to their own desires and needs. Along with the opportunity to study art and music, the Renaissance Program also teaches life skills in a mock apartment where clients learn independent living and cooking.
See the images from the new Art Studio above, (also known as the Imhotep Room) and a selection of artwork, in the Autism section, created by Renaissance students.
There is also a clay and ceramics studio with brand new firing kiln and instruction beginning the first week of June.
The Fellowship for Autism Assistance and Research (FAAR), an Ulster-Greene ARC committee for specialized services presented a seminar by William Stillman on 5/18/09. The event was sponsored by Life Services at Ugarc, Hudson Valley Autism Society, and supported by WDST 1001.
The seminar was a complete success. Stillman's style is captivating and his message is tantalizingly simple yet seriously complicated.He is asking all to "presume intellect" in dealing with another human beings, particularly those who carry letters before or after their names signifying not their academic degrees but their DSM-IV diagnosis. The simplicity of his message is obvious, but the complexity surfaces when you attempt to adhere to it. Only then you encounter multiple thick layers of resistance. Some of that resistance is in our inability to let go of concepts that were central to institutionalization. Other issues confronted are embeded in our Darwinian need of categorizing and separating. Yet some other layers are inherent in our systems of social welfare. So should we ignore the message?
Absolutely not, because it works!!
Stillman's presentation was an unsolicited affirmation of what we are doing at the Renaissance program at UGARC. In one month's time, transitioning 3 nonverbal individuals on the spectrum form a different setup to the Renaissance program we are delightfully surprised everyday by how they respond to an approach that places communication, respect, meaning, and choices as non-negotiable tenets of the program. In this short time and even before the transition is competed ( transition being the most challenging endeavor for spectrum people), we are witnessing the emergence of the great personalities, capabilities, and the souls of pioneer participants.
Mr. Stillman's impassioned presentation affirmed our approach, strengthened our resolve, and energized all participants toward a relentless advocacy for the complicatingly simple idea of "presume intellect".
Sudi Kash, Ph.D.
Director of Behavioral Health Services Ulster-Greene ARC 139 Cornell Street Kingston, NY, 12401 (845)338- 1234 x.732
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William Stillman promised in the beginning of the conference that everyone present would leave the conference with a fundamentally new perspective. He kept his promise and fundamentally touched our understanding of ourselves, Neurotypicals and Autistic persons. We learned to see the world from the perspective of people who live within the Autistic world. We discovered the Autism in each of ourselves. We especially learned that a lot of our assumptions are dead wrong. William Stillman gave us tools to reflect on our actions and interactions. He proved over and over that Autistic people are inherently gentle and excuisitely sensitive. Hopefully William allows us to repeat his seven golden rules
Stillmans 7 Golden Rules
Presume intellect
People have good reasons for doing what they are doing.
People do the very best they can do
I need to feel safe and in control
I can't stand anything unpredictable
There is safety in sameness
When I know what to expect of the environment I may better adopt to it.
William Stillman let us experience directly what it can mean to have to live up to expectations that are not understood because they have not been explained. He showed vivedly that experiences the world of some autistic people for less than two minutes feels like a nightmare. He left no taboo standing and described what we see often see as behaviours as attempts to communicate or as communication.
William showed us that we should recognise compulsions as passion and that when we do so the persons with Autism can really shine. He is a witness to that.
Willam showed us that the team that is there to help the Autistic person often needs to be directed and guided much more than the autistic person him or herself. he gave us strong tools to work with so we can get to the answers we need to help ourselves and the Autistic persons around us. And yes his golden rules apply for everyone Autistic, Neurotypical or anything else.
Most specially and personally he shared his deep painful personal history that left me with tears in the eyes. And when I told him that, he had tears too. Yes Autistic people are inherently gentle and excuisitely sensitive.
Thank you William Stillman and a big thank you all who organised the conference.
