Community outreach is a major priority of the Seaver Autism Center. We are committed to educating participants, families, and the general public about autism and the latest research. Our Center frequently offers and participates in educational programs with collaborative organizations.
COVID-19
The Seaver Autism Center recognizes that COVID-19 is an especially challenging time for individuals and families impacted by with autism. We have hosted free parent webinars on topics such as creating structure in your home, parent self-care, and wearing a mask. All of the presentations can be found on our COVID-19 resource page, which also highlights activities that promote social skills as well as additional resources.
Alliances
We have developed relationships with schools, advocacy groups, and other community organizations to further our collective goal of improving treatment and advancing effective therapies for autism and related conditions.
Events
The infrastructure provided through donors and foundation support has made it possible for us to offer a variety of educational and outreach events, including the Seaver Seminar series, Advances in Autism Conference, and the Seaver Celebration.
Parent Lectures
The Seaver Autism Center continues to focus on educating families and professionals on best practices related to autism and providing research updates. We collaborate with several community agencies, including Sinergia , Adapt Community Network, and YAI. We also work with schools to provide expertise for curriculum such as the ASD Nest Program that provides parent lectures on topics such as social skills, behavior management, managing comorbid anxiety and depression, the evaluation process, and psychopharmacology.
Social Skills
Through a generous grant from UJA Federation of New York the Seaver Autism Center has developed partnerships with community agencies to develop research informed social skills groups for children, teens, and adults with autism. The following agencies utilize Seaver Autism Center’s social skills curricula: Westchester Jewish Community Services, Commonpoint Queens, Marks JCH, Shorefront YM-YWHA, Mid-Island Y JCC, Marlene Meyerson JCC, JCCA, and Shames JCC.
Cultural Partnerships
The Seaver Autism Center has collaborated with cultural organizations across the tri-state area to improve programming for individuals with autism.
American Museum of Natural History
The Seaver Autism Center helped the museum develop a monthly tour for children on the autism spectrum called the Discovery Squad. Drs. Gorenstein-Holtzman and Halpern trained museum staff and developed materials (i.e., social stories, visual cues, prompt cards) for the tours.
Lincoln Center
Through a generous donation from the Abraham and Mildred Goldstein Charitable Trust, the Seaver Autism Center collaborated with Lincoln Center Education to understand the audience experience of performances designed specifically for individuals with autism during the 2018 Big Umbrella Festival.
Guggenheim Museum
Dr. Gorenstein-Holtzman is on the Guggenheim for All advisory committee to help support the Guggenheim Museum's mission to create accessible programs for children with autism and their families. The Seaver Autism Center is collaborating with the Guggenheim Museum to understand museum educator best practices when working with children with autism.
