Parents to host Autism Spectrum Unplugged

WINSTED — The Parent Support Group at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, and the Litchfield County Autism Spectrum Association will host an Autism Spectrum Unplugged panel discussion Nov. 2, from 6:30- 8:30 p.m. The presentation will be held in Founders Hall Auditorium on the Northwestern Connecticut Community College campus in Winsted.

The panel of experts will be comprised of children and adults from the FOCUS Center for Autism located in Canton, which specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents who are on the autism spectrum, live with anxiety disorders or experience processing and social learning difficulties.

These participants are very open and honest about their journey with their disorders. They will discuss how their experiences affect their lives at home, school and in the community. They will share how they have suffered but have not given up and have grown to accept and embrace their “peculiarities” and channel their life challenges into something useful, without changing who they are.

This presentation will help educate the public and provide new insights into autism. The expectation is that by sharing their experiences, the panelists will inspire others to have hope and change their lives.

This event is free of charge and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Robert Beck at 860-738-6383 or rbeck@nwcc.edu.

Since 2000, the nonprofit FOCUS Center for Autism in Canton has been dedicated to helping children and young adults with autism spectrum and other related disorders achieve their full potential. FOCUS has developed a well-respected model of treatment that has now served over 800 children and families.

The FOCUS Fresh Start School is a private, state approved special education program offering children with autism spectrum disorder a quality education experience that addresses both their academic and clinical needs. For more information, visit http://focuscenterforautism.org or call 860693-8809.