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Volunteer with Autism Social Connection
We are always looking for enthusiastic, capable volunteers, and we really do appreciate your efforts! There are two areas where we most need volunteer help.
Typical Peers for Social Groups
For all of our groups, we encourage typically developing peers to join us! It is an important part of development for children and adults who are on the autism spectrum and for those who are not. If your child volunteers as a typically developing peer, they will work and play alongside children on the spectrum and help them to understand, and be comfortable, within the culture of kids in our society. They will also be asked to help the teacher and other kids in the groups develop creative arts projects such as video, animation, sculpture, dance or drama productions.
Download a typical peer volunteer application form. Please e-mail the completed form to us at volunteers@autismsocial.org or you can send a paper copy to ASC at 1020 Sullivan Ave. Daly City, CA 94015.
General Support Volunteers
Like most non-profit organizations, ASC has too many worthwhile things to do and never quite enough time and funding to get it all done. We always welcome adult volunteers to help us with general center operations (e.g. contacting parents, book-keeping, fundraising, administration, outreach, grant writing and even improving our garden). We also are interested in having people who have experience with children with autism and/or various arts-based talents help out with various social groups, kid's nights out, coaching, playgroups and some childcare while parents meet for discussion groups. Please let us know if you are interested in helping out. We provide training and guidance.
Download an adult volunteer application form. Please e-mail the completed form to us at volunteers@autismsocial.org or you can send a paper copy to ASC at 1020 Sullivan Ave. Daly City, CA 94015.
February 2 & 3, 2007
8:30am—4:30pm
Fort Mason Center
San Francisco, CA
Seminar Description
The Integrated Play Groups (IPG) and Friend 2 Friend (F2F) models come together in this two-day seminar to address the unique
social, play and friendship needs of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and related special needs. These complementary
models draw upon state-of-the-art evidence-based practices to foster children’s peer play and friendships within inclusive
school, home and community settings. This seminar uses interactive games, video, slides, art, stories and real-life experiences to
illustrate the program models.
Day 1 will provide the conceptual foundation for the IPG and F2F models and introduce the steps for designing effective and
meaningful peer play and friendship programs.
Day 2 will focus on tools and techniques for implementing the practices of the IPG and F2F models to support
children’s social interaction, communication, play, imagination and friendships across settings.
The Integrated Play Groups (IPG) model is designed to support children of
diverse ages and abilities on the autism spectrum (novice players) in play with typical peers and siblings (expert players), in
school, home and community settings. Through an individualized system of support, emphasis is placed on maximizing each
child’s developmental potential and intrinsic desire to play, socialize and form meaningful peer relationships.
The Friend 2 Friend (F2F) model is designed to foster mutual
friendships for children with ASD by building awareness, empathy and understanding in their peers, siblings and classmates. F2F
offers innovative educational programs that include Puppet presentations and Simulation-Games. Presented in an age-appropriate and
sensitive manner, F2F demystifies autism by modeling, labeling, explaining and normalizing characteristics as well as teaches
specific friendship skills.
Join us to Discover...
- The importance of play and friendships in childhood
- The nature of play and friendships in children with ASD
- The principles and practices of the Integrated Play Groups Model
- The principles and practices of the Friend 2 Friend Model
- How to assess and monitor children’s social, communication, play, imagination and friendship development
- How to enhance social interaction, communication, play, imagination and friendships
- How to design quality peer play and friendship programs in school, home, community and therapy settings
- How to design quality programs and activities to support peer play and friendships
Who should participate...
This seminar is designed for parents/family members, educators, therapists and others who care for children with ASD and related
special needs.
About the Speakers
Pamela Wolfberg, Ph.D. is a special education professor at San Francisco State University and director of
the Autism Institute on Peer Relations and Play As creator of the IPG
model, she is an internationally renowned autism expert. She is the recipient of several distinguished awards for her scholarship,
research and practice. She is widely published and the author of Play and Imagination in Children with Autism and Peer
Play
and the Autism Spectrum: The Art of Guiding Children’s Socialization and Imagination.
Heather McCracken is the founder and executive director of the Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society in Vancouver, British Columbia and a mother of three children, one
with ASD. As creator of the F2F model, she is a sought after international speaker. She actively delivers programs to children in
schools and community groups, as well lectures at the University of B.C. and other post-secondary institutions. She has numerous
publications and is the author of That’s What’s Different About Me: Helping Children Understand Autism Spectrum
Disorder.
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