Programs & Services
| Raleigh TEACCH |
|---|
| Additional Info |
Raleigh TEACCH Center
Services Available
- Preschool-Elementary Age Children and their Families
- Adolescents and their Families
- Adults and their Families
- What is TEACCH?
Preschool-Elementary Age Children and their Families
Diagnostic Evaluation
This is a process during which the child is tested with appropriate developmental and/or behavioral measures to primarily help with the clarification of diagnosis and to assist the family with understanding their child and future planning. Parents are also interviewed and an interpretive conference concludes the day. This evaluation is most suitable for children and parents for whom a diagnosis has not been previously given.
Individual Parent Training Sessions
These sessions provide an opportunity for parents to learn ways of teaching their child at home and to help deal with behavior problems, self-help and other skills. Sessions are individualized and scheduled once a week, typically for 5 sessions. The sessions are focused on short-term, parent education and not therapy for the child. This teaching program is best suited for parents who are interested and have time to teach their child at home or who are looking for help with providing structure for their child.
Group Parent Training Sessions
Six one-hour to 75-minute sessions held every other week provide opportunity for four families to receive training sessions as a group. Parents participate in a group workshop format setting with a parent consultant while the child or children participate in training sessions with a child therapist. Focus of training is on characteristics of autism/HFA and how it impacts communication, social development, behavior management, and school services. Families are selected for group sessions based upon interest in group support services and individual needs.
Parent Problem Solving Sessions
The Parent Problem Solving Sessions are designed as an advanced option for parents that have already attended either the TEACCH individual training sessions or the group training sessions. Groups of 10 to 20 family members meet with TEACCH staff members for 5 to 6 monthly sessions on Wednesday evenings to problem solve around issues raised by group members.
Parent Support Groups
There are two groups run by the Center: a mothers’ support group which meets once a month on Thursday mornings and a fathers’ support group which meets monthly for dinner. The mothers’ group has a specific topic for each session; the fathers’ group is more informal and is run by the Chapel Hill TEACCH Center. These groups are useful for parents who are interested in meeting and talking with other parents in a supportive setting.
School Consultation
The Raleigh TEACCH staff provides consultation to classrooms designated as "self-contained autism" classrooms within our catchment’s area. Classroom consultation may also be available to children who have been previously referred to TEACCH and who are placed in regular, resource or other self-contained classrooms. This consultation, provided on a limited basis depending on availability of staff time, can be arranged upon request of the teacher or other relevant school personnel and is conducted in collaboration with school system personnel. This service is useful for children where a diagnosis has been previously made, where both parents and teachers are interested, and where TEACCH staff recommendations will be utilized.
Parent Course and Workshop
The Chapel Hill and Raleigh TEACCH Centers collaborate to provide a number of one-day workshops designed for parents throughout the year. One workshop entitled "Basics of Autism for Parents" is offered twice a year in Chapel Hill and once a year in Raleigh. Information regarding the characteristics of autism, communication, using structure with young children, and behavior management is presented. Another workshop entitled "High Functioning Autism for Parents" is offered twice a year, once in Chapel Hill and once in Raleigh. Similar topics regarding children who read well enough to make use of written information are covered. These activities are helpful for parents looking for basic information and who enjoy learning in a group setting.
Other Workshops
The Center conducts several two-day workshops during the year including one on Fundamentals of Structured Teaching and one on High Functioning Autism. Although the workshops are generally geared toward teachers and other professionals, parents are welcome to attend. These workshops can be useful for parents who are interested in learning in this type of setting and comfortable participating alongside professionals.
TEACCH Staff
Raleigh TEACCH Center
RaleighTEACCH@med.unc.edu
