Have Sibling Relationship Issues? BRING YOUR QUESTIONS TO DECEMBER 11 VIRTUAL EVENT |
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Are you wondering how to bring peace between your neurotypical and autistic children? Would you like some guidance on how to nurture more supportive relationships between them? Bring your questions to family dynamic experts Caron Starobin and Bari Turkheimer, who will be interviewed by Sarah Wayland in a virtual event Wednesday, December 11.
Bari and Caron, two licensed clinical social workers, will provide clear strategies to help siblings navigate these challenging feelings. Find out how to help develop healthy bonds with all your children, so they can create their own fulfilling relationships. Register here. |
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Caron Starobin, LCSW-C Starobin Counseling, LLC |
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Caron has been in private practice for over 24 years. She brings a unique therapeutic lens to her work, deeply informed by family systems thinking and relational life therapy. Through a process of self-observation, Caron’s clients learn ways to take an active role in creating change in their lives. She is Owner and Clinical Director of Starobin Counseling, LLC in Olney, Maryland and provides individual, couples, family, and group therapy. See https://starobincounseling.com/ |
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Bari has focused her clinical skills, knowledge, and training on providing mental health services to neurodivergent individuals, particularly autism. She has worked at the Ivymount School since 2019 as a Mental Health Provider and currently works as the Mental Health Specialist in the Aspire School Program, Academic & Applied Model, with elementary, middle, and high school aged students.
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Bari Turkheimer, LCSW-C Starobin Counseling, LLC
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Sarah Wayland, Ph.D. Guiding Exceptional Parents, LLC |
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Sarah Wayland applies the neuroscience of behavior and practical lived experience while providing neurodiversity-affirmative support, education, and community for caregivers of neurodivergent children. See www.guidingexceptionalparents.com
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End-of-Year Gifts to xMinds Are Being Matched!
DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! |
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From now until the end of the year, we encourage you to give back with a donation that fits your budget. Donations are being matched for the next $6,180 raised, thanks to a generous pledge from the xMinds board and staff. That means your donation will go twice as far.
Throughout the year, xMinds provides expert advice, speaker events and accessible resources to help your family navigate the ups and downs of autism, from school settings to social relationships to self advocacy.We couldn’t do any of this important work without the help of our generous donors. We operate on a shoestring budget to provide free resources, services and events to serve the whole community.
We look forward to working in partnership with you in 2025, as we continue to support MoCo autistic students and their families. We are setting up even more great programming in January and beyond, so your donation would be tremendously helpful. |
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What is PDA?
JOIN JAN 8 VIRTUAL EVENT WITH PDA NORTH AMERICA FOUNDER |
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Are you struggling to understand your autistic child’s defiant behavior? You might consider talking to a clinician or provider about
a diagnosis in addition to autism, called PDA. PDA, or Pathological
Demand Avoidance, is a behavioral profile that was first proposed in the
UK in the 1980s.
PDA
describes a subset of autistic individuals who have enormous difficulty
complying with demands or even perceived demands that are made on them.
This disorder has been steadily gaining ground worldwide by clinicians
although it has not been officially recognized in the U.S. by the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Because
of the negative connotations of the word “pathological,” many prefer the
alternate term of "Persistent Drive for Autonomy.” |
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If this sounds like someone in your family, join xMinds on Wednesday, January 8 at 7-8:30 p.m. as we welcome PDA North America Executive Director and
Founder Diane Gould, LCSW, to discuss this important new field of
autism research. During the virtual event, "What is PDA? Exploring the Autism Profile Everyone's Talking About" Diane will help the audience
understand the specific characteristics of PDA. Importantly,
Diane will describe an approach that works to support this population,
and she'll explain why behavioral approaches don't work and can even be
counter-productive. |
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Diane Gould, LCSW Executive Director and Founder, PDA North America |
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Diane will include information on how educators can
better serve PDA students at school. She will also explain how an
accurate understanding of autism is necessary before we can fully
understand PDA. The presentation will conclude with a Q & A.
Diane co-authored the new book “Navigating PDA in America” with Ruth Fidler. Diane herself is an autistic self advocate and is making it part of her life’s mission to gain more awareness and understanding of PDA in North America. Come join us for this special event |
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The Gift that Keeps Giving
LEARN HOW TO BE FESTIVE WITHOUT STRESS |
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Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa with your family, this is the time of year for celebrating with family and friends. But if one of those family members is autistic, even the joyous season can be fraught. Here are some ideas to make it a bit easier to manage.
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According to TEACCH,
the key is to provide the individual in advance with any changes to
their routine and specific information about an event or activity. Autism Parenting magazine
suggests arriving early to holiday parties and preparing your child
for who and what’s to come. “Your child will feel more comfortable and
mentally prepared arriving to a function earlier and seeing the slow
transition of people’s arrival.”
The Autism Community in Action
has some tried-and-true tips that “will help you overcome challenges,
lessen the holiday stress, and make it a more enjoyable, happy season
for all,” and this blog post offers
8 tips for planning for a successful holiday for your autistic child.
In general, “having a positive and realistic mindset about what you want
to create can make a big difference.” Think about what could go right
this season and stay watchful for special moments you want to share. And
Happy Holidays! |
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Carl the Collector Premieres
NEW PBS SERIES FEATURES AUTISTIC CHARACTER |
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Representation matters. When our kids see themselves on TV, they know they’re not alone. Now a new PBS Kids cartoon called Carl the Collector features a main character with autism.
“CARL THE COLLECTOR follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic raccoon who enjoys collecting things and loves his friends and family in Fuzzytown. Carl pays extraordinarily close attention to detail and comes up with unique ideas that others might not consider,” PBS noted. The show, which is funded by AbleNow, premiered on November 14 on PBS KIDS in English and Spanish. We’ve watched a couple of episodes and give it our seal of approval.
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Recruiting Black Autistic Youth and Young Adults for Research Study
JOHNS HOPKINS STUDY FOCUSES ON AUTISM, RACISM, AND ABLEISM |
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A Johns Hopkins study is looking for Black autistic youth and young adults, aged 16-35, to participate in a research study on education, housing, criminal justice system involvement, and accessing benefits for disabilities.
Led by Amber Davis, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW-C, a research associate at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, the study titled "Double Risk or Double Resilience? A Multi-Method Qualitative Study on Black Autistic Transition-Age Youth and Young Adults Experiencing Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization, Criminal Justice Involvement, or Substance Use" aims to better understand the experiences of Black autistic individuals. Dr. Davis is a pioneer in efforts to prioritize the experiences of transition-age youth and adults facing dual marginalization, aiming to improve their health outcomes throughout adulthood.
If you participate, you would receive $50 after a 60-90 minute interview. If you or a family member are interested, please complete the survey here or click on the QR code on the flyer below. |
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Big Shout Out to Annual IEP Clinic Participants
NOVEMBER EVENT PROVIDES OVER FIFTY FREE CONSULTS |
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xMinds hosted our annual IEP Clinic November 9 at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring drawing more than 150 attendees for a Saturday afternoon dedicated to providing families with essential information on how to advocate for their autistic children.
Thank you to the local educational advocates who generously volunteered their time and offered free IEP consults.
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(Pictured from left to right) Susana Barrios at Disability Rights Maryland, Jen Ritchotte at The Special Kids Company, Inc., Kim Glassman, Esq. at the Law Office of Brian K. Gruber, P.C., Katie Smith and Anneliese Girson at Ascend Ed LLC, Sheila Iseman at SCI Educational Consultants, Inc., and Donna Sagona at Educational Resources Group of Greater Washington. (Pictured individually below) Kris Hayden and Marcy Jackson, MA at Weinfeld Education Group |
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Educational attorney Frances Shefter of Shefter Law, P.A. gives tips and strategies to parents about IEPs. |
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Throughout the session, our professional members, including local service providers and practitioners, had tables filled with resources.
Thank you to all the attendees who joined us for the event, as well as the sponsors, advocates, and volunteers who made it possible. |
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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!
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Upcoming xMinds Events
XMINDS EVENTS, RESOURCES, & SERVICES ARE ALWAYS FREE
Friday, December 6 (SPECIAL DATE) & Wednesday, January 1, 7–7:45 p.m.
Hablemos Educación Especial — Grupo de Discusión de Padres
El comité de xMinds sobre el alcance del idioma español está organizando un grupo de discusión en línea mensual en español para los padres de un estudiante autista del condado de Montgomery. Regístrese aquí.
Wednesday, December 11
Nurturing Sibling Relationships with Caron Starobin, Bari Turkheimer (interviewed by Sarah Wayland)
Discover ways to support siblings as they navigate complex emotions and build strong, positive relationships. Register here.
Monday, December 16, 7–7:45 p.m.
Small Steps Together
Online discussion group for MoCo parents/guardians of an autistic elementary or preschool child. Register here.
Monday, January 6, 7–7:45 p.m.
People of the Global Majority Discussion Group
Online discussion group for MoCo parents/guardians of autistic children who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Register here.
Wednesday, January 8, 7-8:30 p.m.
What is PDA? Exploring the Autism Profile Everyone's Talking About
PDA North America Founder Diane Gould joins xMinds for a virtual event. Register here. |
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NO MEETUP IN DECEMBER January - Date and time TBA
Open Gym Meetup Preschool and elementary families will head indoors in January! Sign up for announcements when details become available. Register here.
Tuesday, January 21, 7:00–8:30 PM
How to Prep for a Successful IEP
Special needs attorney Frances Shefter repeats her presentation from the xMinds IEP Clinic. Register here.
NO MEETING IN DECEMBER Wednesday, January 22, 7–7:45 p.m.
Let's Talk Transitions -- Parent Discussion Group
Online discussion group for MoCo parents of an autistic student in middle or high school. Register here.
Community Calendar
Our community calendar is FULL of great offerings not only from xMinds, but from professional service providers located in Montgomery County. Check out the programs and events posted on our Events Calendar.
Note: Our Events Calendar shows events on their start date, but some community programs require you to apply before the start date, so please look ahead! |
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Please consider donating to xMinds. We offer all our resources to families and educators at no cost to ensure they are accessible to everyone who needs them. Your support is essential in helping us continue this work. Every contribution makes a difference!
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