NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jan Fiderio at 603.283.2107

December 14, 2010 for Immediate Release

New AUNE Support Group Helps Families Dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorders

(Keene, NH) - Antioch University New England (AUNE) has launched a support group for people who have family members or close friends of any age who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Launched in October 2010 in response to community need, Friends and Family of Individuals with Autism and Asperger’s provides a welcoming venue for participants to learn more about ASD and to share their experiences, challenges and resources for success.

Group meetings are free and open to the public by reservation. They are facilitated by PhD candidates in the Marriage and Family Therapy program and students in the Applied Behavior Analysis Certificate program at AUNE. Participants explore such topics as family dynamics and stress, parental guilt, and stress management and coping, and they engage in interactive, open discussion. The group has proved so popular that a second session has been added so that the group will remain small enough to ensure an intimate environment and allow participants equal time to speak.

“We’re very pleased to be able to provide this service to parents and families in the region, and also excited to be increasing the knowledge and skills of our students in our Marriage and Family Therapy and Applied Behavior Analysis Certificate programs,” said Shelley Viles, founder and director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate program at AUNE.

Beginning in January 2011, meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of each month throughout the year. Reservations are required, and child care is available with advance notice. For reservations or more information, contact the Antioch Couple and Family Therapy Institute: 603-283-2156.

There are also plans for AUNE graduate students and faculty to provide movement groups for children.

Friends and Family of Individuals with Autism and Asperger’s is sponsored by AUNE’s Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders Training.

About the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders Training
The Center is housed within the Department of Applied Psychology at Antioch University New England and provides a venue through which faculty and students can participate in research, training and services specifically focused for families and individuals impacted by ASD.

About the Department of Applied Psychology
The Department of Applied Psychology at Antioch University New England offers programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Dance/ Movement Therapy & Counseling, and two certificate programs — the Autism Spectrum Disorder Certificate Program and the Applied Behavior Analysis Certificate Program.

About Antioch University New England
This is Antioch University New England's forty-sixth year as an institution of higher education. Located in Keene, New Hampshire, AUNE offers rigorous, practice-oriented, values-based master's, doctoral, and certificate programs to more than one thousand students. Degrees in education, leadership and management, environmental studies and psychology reflect a dedication to activism, social justice, community service and sustainability. Antioch University New England is the oldest and largest of Antioch University’s graduate campuses. For more information about Antioch University New England visit our web site at: www.antiochne.edu.

About Antioch University
Antioch University, a visionary academic community composed of five campuses in four states, is uniquely capable of bringing its students' brightest ideals and highest ambitions to life. Each campus has its own distinct academic programs, community life and regional or national identity. Antioch University is founded on principles of rigorous liberal arts education, innovative experiential learning and socially engaged citizenship. The multiple campuses of the University nurture in their students the knowledge, skills and habits of reflection to excel as lifelong learners, democratic leaders and global citizens who live lives of meaning and purpose. For more information visit: www.antioch.edu

Last Updated: 12/28/10