Ochsner Children’s presents Autism Acceptance Month virtual series

New Orleans, LA – The Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development at Ochsner Children’s is hosting a series of free educational webinars for parents and professionals in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month. While the observance takes place in April, the series began in March and will continue through May.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Autism Acceptance Month raises awareness about autism acceptance and promotes inclusion and connectedness for people with autism. Social and community support can help people with autism achieve optimal health and reach their full potential.

Knowing that guardians and family members are an important part of the care team for children with an autism spectrum disorder, this free webinar series offers opportunities for caretakers to hear from Ochsner Children’s professionals on topics such as toilet training, feeding tips & tricks, language development, behavior management and more.

“Our goal with this series is to provide insights and valuable information from child development experts for parents, family members and other medical professionals,” said Dr. Lacey Ellis, program director, Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development. “Caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder can bring unique challenges that may be new for many parents and caregivers. We are happy to provide this diverse set of free webinars as a resource for our community and to help promote autism acceptance.”

Several webinars are scheduled in the coming weeks, including:

DateTimeEducation Session 
March 2612:00 – 12:45 PMToilet Training, with Addie Andrus, BCBA 
April 912:00 – 12:45 PMAutism Language Development: Gestalt Language Processing, with Jessica Creed, CCC, SLP 
April 1812:00 – 12:45 PMFeeding Tips and Tricks, with Anne Elise Nicoladis, SLP and Margaret Powell, PhD 
April 2212:00 – 12:45 PMBehavioral Supports for Sleep, with Sally Guidry, BCBA 
April 2512:00 – 12:45 PMCommunication Strategies: Augmentative and Alternative Communication, with Christie Jewell, CCC-SLP 
April 3012:00 – 12:45 PMAutism Medical Perspectives, with Bob Voigt, MD 
May 812:00 – 12:45 PMBehavior Management 101, with Emily Mathis, PhD, BCBA-D 
May 1412:00 – 12:45 PMTalking Dating and Sexuality – A real life love on the spectrum, with Claire Burns, PhD, and Caroline Turner, LCSW 
May 2012:00 – 12:45 PMABA: Q&A, with Boh Center ABA Team 
May 2112:00 – 12:45 PMVocational Social Skills for Teens, with Nicole Lasserre, PhD, BCBA-D 

For more information on autism and the Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development, please visit www.ochsner.org/boh

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About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. Ochsner is nationally recognized for inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through expertise, quality and digital connectivity. In 2024, more than 40,000 dedicated team members and 4,900 employed and affiliated physicians at Ochsner cared for 1.6 million people from every state in the nation and 63 countries. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit www.ochsner.org.