October November 2023 Newsletter

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The Chris Walsh Center is excited to announce the beginning of our 2023-2024 speaker series. It will kick off with the talks listed below, How to Advocate for your Child and Let's Talk About It: Overcoming Roadblocks in Caregiver-Child Relationships. Plus, there will be at least six more speaker events between now and the end of the 2024 Spring semester dedicated to helping caregivers build family resiliency. Make sure you keep up to date with all of our upcoming offerings by being subscribed to this newsletter and following us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Let's Talk About it: Overcoming Roadblocks in Caregiver-Child Relationships is free to attend and hosted online as part of the Chris Walsh Center's speaker series on building family resiliency, made possible by the grant we received from the Sudbury Foundation. Registration is required.

As a caregiver, your role as coach in your child’s ever-changing world can be idyllic, as well as challenging. At this 75 minute webinar for caregivers, Jessica Ames will use her expertise as a child therapist, meditation and parent coach to teach you ways to enhance open dialogue with your child(ren). When a caregiver is able to create more openness and acceptance around the day to day challenges of child-rearing, as well as larger environmental and situational challenges, they positively impact the people around them and experience more joy. Jessica will discuss skills and strategies to help you connect in the moment with your child(ren). She will also present ways to increase your energy and personal satisfaction as a caregiver. This webinar will be an opportunity for you to enhance your relationships and connectedness. Jessica will also set aside time to answer caregiver's questions at the end of the presentation.

When: Monday, December 4th, 7:00 to 8:30

Who: Jessica Ames, LISCW

Where: Online Webinar hosted by the Chris Walsh Center

To register for Let's Talk About it: Overcoming Roadblocks in Caregiver-Child Relationships, and learn more about Jessica Ames, LISCW, CLICK HERE. If you know someone who would benefit from attending this event, please feel free to forward this email, as well as share the included social media tile.

After attending Let's Talk About it: Overcoming Roadblocks in Caregiver-Child Relationships, we will be hosting a discussion group on Thursday December 14th at 7:00 PM. By taking part in this group, you will have the opportunity to talk with other caregivers about what you learned, how it may apply to your family relationships, as well as brainstorm with others any challenges you may be facing regarding implementation of the skills and strategies presented. This will give you the chance to not only learn new strategies from Jessica Ames, LISCW, but also to directly engage with the material yourself and explore how to get the most out of these tools for you and your family.

We look forward to seeing you there! CLICK HERE to register.

Join the Chris Walsh Center to for the incredible opportunity to learn the skills necessary to advocate on behalf of your child from Leslie Leslie of The Federation for Children with Special Needs. This event is free and open to the public, however, registration is required.

Unfortunately, getting your child's needs met can be challenging. Thankfully, effective advocacy is a learned art. At this workshop you will learn soft skills, such as how to prioritize and collaborate, to best advocate for your child. The workshop will also address conflict and barriers to effective communication. With these skills you'll be better able to work with others to support your child. CLICK HERE to register today!

When: Monday, November 20th, 7:00 to 8:30

Who: Leslie Leslie of the Federation for Children with Special Needs

Where: Online Webinar hosted by the Chris Walsh Center

Learn more about Leslie: Leslie joined the Federation in 2011 and serves as Project Director for the MassPAC and APPLE projects. She provides technical assistance to both Special Education Parent Advisory Councils (SEPACs) and District special education administrators. MassPAC conducts leadership training and networking opportunities for parent leaders.

Leslie is the mother of two young adult sons, both of whom attended public schools on an IEP. Leslie was a co-founder of the Westborough SEPAC in 2001. Leslie holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from Tufts University and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.

To learn more about the Federation for Children with Special Needs please visit their website at https://fcsn.org.

To register for the How to Advocate for Your Child taking place on Monday, November, 20, 2023 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, please CLICK HERE. If someone you know would benefit from this workshop, please feel free to forward this email or share the included social media tile so they can sign up.

As parents, we want the most for our children, but getting your child's needs met is not always easy. It can be challenging to know what to do to support them, as well as what services are available. The Chris Walsh Center is here to help. When you book an appointment for a free consultation, one of our graduate assistants will meet with you to gain an in depth understanding of your needs and begin the process of connecting you to appropriate services.

You do not have to do this alone, the Chris Walsh Center can support you in your mission of creating the best possible life for your child. Call 508-215-5630 or email ChrisWalshCenter@framingham.edu to book your consultation today!

The Chris Walsh Center just concluded our first 5 week caregiver support group of the year. Building Resiliency: A Group for Caregivers of Neurodivergent Children was an incredible opportunity for caregivers to come together, learn new strategies for supporting their neurodivergent children, themselves, and their families, and connect with others who are on a similar journey. It was an amazing experience to be a part of and we thank everyone who joined us for this in depth support group. Likewise, we thank Deborah McMakin, Ed.D., M.A., LISCW and Jessica Ames, LISCW for facilitating this group on behalf of the Chris Walsh Center.

Please keep an eye out for event information about our Spring 2024 caregiver support group. It will be announced in this email, as well as on Instagram, Facebook, and Linked in. Subscribe and follow to ensure you don't miss any of the enriching events we are offering this year.

The Chris Walsh Center is looking for two Framingham State University undergraduate interns to work for the center during the Spring 2024 semester. Interning at the center is an amazing opportunity to improve your advocacy skills, learn how to create positive change, and improve the lives of families and children with disabilities. The Chris Walsh Center is dedicated to the growth of all of our student interns, work study students, and graduate assistants. Interns collaborate with the Chris Walsh Center to choose a semester long project that serves the families and educators of Massachusetts, while also incorporating the interests of the student. Likewise, the center is committed to equity. Therefore, all of our interns are paid for their time.

If you would like to learn more about the Chris Walsh Center, please check out our website at https://www.chriswalshcenter.org.

To apply to intern at the Chris Walsh Center, please CLICK HERE.

If your are an educator at Framingham State University and you know a student who this may be a good fit for, please share this opportunity with them.

Thank you for your time and interest. We hope you'll choose to join our team and make a difference with the Chris Walsh Center.

Julia is a senior at Framingham State University, majoring in Political Science and completing her degree as a member of the Honors College. Julia works with disabled adults and the elderly at work as a nursing assistant. She looks forward to carrying that care into work as an educator in the coming years. Julia’s internship with the Chris Walsh Center will strengthen her knowledge on creating safe and equitable spaces for her future students to pursue knowledge that will serve them in their later lives and careers.

Mackenzie is a senior at Framingham State University majoring in Criminology and minoring in sociology. During the school year, she works at PetSmart doing animal care services. In the future, she plans to pursue a career in victim advocacy. By interning at The Chris Walsh Center, she looks to gain experience practicing advocacy and be exposed to work similar to what she will be doing in her future career.

Executive function challenges are common in neurodivergent children, such as those with ADHD and autism. Executive functions are cognitive abilities that help people engage in goal-directed action, through planning, self-control, emotional regulation, and more. Some people struggle with executive functions more than others and this may present challenges when trying to follow directions or reach long-term goals. It can be hard to know how to navigate these challenges. Parents and kids alike may be trying their best, while struggling to work together to meet family and educational goals.

In our most recent Ask the Expert series, Executive Function Coach, Courtney Edman will teach you what executive function challenges are, how to identify them, as will as new ways to approach these challenges and work with your child to improve outcomes and your relationship. The first two videos in the series are published HERE, with many more to follow. We invite you to check them out and follow our YouTube channel so you can begin implementing the insightful strategies Courtney Edman teaches right away.

Mission: To provide information for families and educators about the continuum of educational support available to students with disabilities, students who are gifted, and students with unmet needs. The center will offer support, workshops and other programming for families, educators, student support professionals, administrators, and advocates in the MetroWest area. The center also will engage in scholarly research, educator preparation, and professional development.

Email: chriswalshcenter@framingham.edu
Website: https://linktr.ee/chriswalshcenter
Location: 100 State Street, Framingham, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 215-5630