An online course created at UMass Medical School provides parents of children on the autism spectrum with the information they need to help them understand their needs and complex education regimens, according to a segment on the Fox 25 Morning News.
Kim Yee and her 7-year-old son Braeden joined UMMS’s Maura Buckley in the Fox 25 studio on Monday, April 28 to share how life has improved since taking the DiscoveringBehavioral Intervention online course.
“It’s given me some tools to help use what they’re doing at school and carry it over at home,” Yee said. “I just know more about what the functions of his behavior are. So If I understand the why behind his behaviors, I can address them more effectively.”
The course is offered by UDiscovering, an affiliate of UMMS’s Commonwealth Medicine division. It was created to give parents and caregivers a comprehensive knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis, a therapy used by both public and private school systems to teach children on the autism spectrum.
“What we’re really trying to do through UMass is to help parents and help professionals with the individuals who are diagnosed,” said Buckley, UDiscovering product manager.
“(This course) allows them to learn what they need to know about Applied Behavior Analysis and about advocating for their children, which is something that you have to do probably most of the time for the rest of their lives,” Buckley said. “They gain confidence so that they end up with a powerful voice to speak for their child.”
Developed by child development experts from UMMS’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center and in partnership with parents, the family-friendly online course is self-paced and interactive. Visit UDiscovering.org to find out more about the course.
Watch the full Fox 25 Morning News segment: UMass Medical School course offers help for parents in learning about autism.
Related links on UMassMedNow:
New online tool provides insight for parents of children with autism
UMMS researchers developing tools to help nonverbal children on the autism spectrum communicate
