Autism and the Family-Proven Strategies to Treat Parents and Siblings of Children with ASD – Kathleen Nash

Salepage link: At HERE. Archive:

• Techniques to re-author the family story increasing parental attachment, patience and understanding
• Methods to assess and treat parental denial, guilt, depression, shame and grief/loss
• Communication assessment tool to improve marital and family conflict
• Sibling coping strategies to decrease frustration, anger and resentment
• In-home social-communication and sensory interventions to develop family cohesion

Are you able to fulfill the unique therapeutic needs of parents and siblings of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? Their emotional journey may begin with feelings of denial and injustice, but quickly turns to feeling overwhelmed and fear that their family is falling apart.

Join autism expert, Kathleen Nash, MFT, LMFT, and learn creative and practical family therapy techniques and strategies to help:

• Parents identify and resolve feelings of denial, guilt, depression, shame and grief
• Increase parental attachment, patience and understanding
• Sibling/s overcome anger, shame, resentment and guilt
• Improve marital conflict and family functioning
• Parents find financial resources and support

Kathleen will give you ready-to-use intervention handouts and forms to assess presenting issues and create effective treatment goals to improve parental balance and communication, positive sibling interactions and inspire extended family support. Role plays based on actual clients and ‘self of the therapist’ activities are employed in this experiential seminar.

1. Employ the DSM-5® criteria to illustrate real life child and family members’ experiences that influence family cohesion, coping and emotional narratives.
2. Recognize family members’ emotions, e.g., shame, guilt and resentment, and determine which interventions to use to improve family coping and cohesion.
3. Design treatment plans using interventions to strengthen positive relationships between parents, siblings, extended family and school personnel.
4. Identify sensory integration issues and employ individualized strategies that impact family inclusion, self-regulated behavior and emotional attachment.
5. Recognize how “self of the therapist” ability and disability narratives impact therapeutic relationships.
6. Demonstrate application of new interventions using an interactive case study and audio/visual demonstration.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Linking DSM-5® diagnostic criteria to real life issues
• Behavioral issues and sensory integration
• The Gift of ASD

Marital Conflict Interventions

• Communication assessment tool to measure skills and needs
• Self-care techniques to manage stress and ` build resilience
• Calming strategies for distress, conflict and depression
• Identify stages of grief and loss through
• Contextual Family Therapy
• Financial resources and supports

Parental Attachment Interventions

• Tools to measure parent/child attachment
• Narrative Therapy to re-author the family story
• Motivational Interviewing to explore emotions
• Promote attachment and increase family functioning
• Decrease conflict, resentment and exasperation

Sibling Attachment Interventions

• First person stories to identify jealousy, confusion and resentment
• Scripts, letters and art activities to increase sibling attachment
• Age-appropriate strategies to address confusion and social isolation

Family Cohesion Interventions

• Communication – Increase expressive/ receptive and verbal/nonverbal skills
• Social Pragmatics – Develop social language skills, expressing emotions and social skills
• Sensory – Sensory Integration behavior checklist
• FAQ form to address denial, insensitivity and abandonment
• “Ask Cards” to request specific help from extended family members

Navigating IDEA, IEPs and Teachers

• Special needs acts and laws
• Effective IEP goals and accommodations
• Guidelines of parental rights and advocacy
• Strategies to help parents advocate for their child
• Handout of area special needs attorneys and advocates

‘Self of the Therapist’ Experiential Activities

• Personal beliefs about ability and disability
• Disability awareness group activity

Interactive Case Study Based On Real Life Families

• Video demonstration of ASD family therapy interventions
• Ready-to-use treatment planning form