Autism Community Relationship Building Webinar

The New Jersey State Library, in partnership with LibraryLinkNJ, is pleased offer the first of 2 free webinars on autism for public and school youth services librarians, their administrators and other staff affiliated with the library.

Partnerships for Community Inclusion and Friendships  

Autism Spectrum Disorder affects many facets of the community including education, recreation, self advocacy, family relationships, healthcare, employment, life planning, and social connections. Libraries serve as the hub of collaboration among community partners to facilitate a network for resource sharing, community building, and social supports.  Library-supported partnerships support the rights of children and adults with and without disabilities to participate in all aspects of their communities.  

Join Adrienne P. Robertiello, Autism Educator at Children's Specialized Hospital, as she provides resources to facilitate community partnerships. Make Friends with Autism, a community outreach initiative of Children’s Specialized Hospital, is designed to educate community partners about autism and provide the tools necessary to support positive alliances. The webinar will also provide information about Friends Like You. Friends Like Me., a program that offers valuable resources and materials to build awareness and encourage inclusion, respect, and friendship between children and teens of all abilities. Strategies for friendship facilitation will be discussed.  These initiatives have been made possible by the Kohl's KidsAbilities program at Children's Specialized Hospital through the generosity of the Kohl's Cares program.

After attending this webinar, participants will:

• Become more educated about autism and provided with the tools necessary to support positive alliances that foster community partnerships to facilitate resource sharing, community building, and social supports.
• Become familiar with the Make Friends with Autism initiative that offers tools, guides, and resources to encourage the successful inclusion of people with autism and their families in the community.
• Be provided with information about several programs that offer valuable resources and materials to build awareness and encourage inclusion, respect, and friendship between children and teens of all abilities.
• Be provided with strategies for friendship facilitation between children of all ages and abilities.

Registration Deadline is July 15, 2011

Adrienne P. Robertiello, Autism Educator at Children's Specialized Hospital, is a parent of a son on the autism spectrum. She is a strong community advocate, steering collaborative initiatives to facilitate the participation of individuals with autism and their families within community settings. Her involvement has included numerous community service projects including educating and communicating resources in such areas as community awareness and inclusion, safety and emergency preparedness, and inclusive ministries.