RTAAF C.A.R.E.S.
Made possible by a generous grant from the Rochester Area Foundation
Community Autism Resource, Education and Support
RTAAF CARES is a 12 week intensive training program for parents of children who have been diagnosed with autism within the last year. Parents meet weekly for 12 weeks in a small group of 4-6 other parents. The cost of CARES is covered by charitable donations and grants, and the group is open to families who live within a 50 mile radius of Rochester, MN. Childcare is not available at this time and children do not attend the group. CARES groups meet at the RTAAF offices in a safe and confidential setting, led by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and/or a Licensed Special Education Teacher. CARES facilitators also offer individual consultation and referrals for each family that participates.
CARES improves the lives of families impacted by autism by seeking to achieve the following objectives:
1. Help families gain confidence in their ability to effectively care for and raise their child or children with autism.
2. In the first year of their child's diagnosis, families will learn about the resources that are available in the community, and they will learn how to access those resources.
3. The family will meet professional experts in the community from a variety of disciplines who are available to provie services and support.
4. Families will learn how to advocate more effectively for their child or children who have autism.
5. Parents will expand their social support network by meeting other parents who share similar experiences, and are raising children with a similar diagnosis in the same age range.
Sample Weekly Topics:
Sample Guest Speakers:
-Disability Advocates from SEMCIL and ARC
-Licensed Speech Pathologist from RPS School District
-Occupational Therapists who specialize in ASD and Sensory Processing Disorders
-Board Certified Behavior Analyst or Behavior Specialist
-Music Therapist
-Recreational program coordinator
By the end of the program families should:
For more information contact Executive Director and Program Facilitator James Rechs, director@rtaaf.org, 507-226-7037
CARES Program Staff
James P Rechs , Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Sarah D. Larson, Early Childhood Special Education Autism and Behavior Specialist.