UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Pennsylvania State Military Family Readiness Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse), in collaboration with the Department of Defense, is designed to help parents and caregivers navigate the journey with children with neurodivergent children. We have launched a new parent education module. or someone with an autism spectrum disorder.
The “Neurodiversity and Autism: A Journey with Your Child” module is an addition to Thrive Initiative’s suite of evidence-based parenting programs. This free, self-paced online training takes approximately 2 hours to complete. This allows parents of children from birth to age 18 to better understand and support their child’s unique strengths.
“This module provides parents and caregivers with support that takes into account individual differences in brain function and behavioral characteristics,” said Terri Rudy, Research Portfolio Manager at the Thrive Initiative, a clearinghouse. “When the adults in a child’s life understand a child’s neurodiversity, they can better leverage the child’s strengths, advocate for the child’s needs, and build self-esteem.”
New modules introduce participants to neurodiversity and autism spectrum disorders, provide guidance on parenting children with unique needs and thought patterns, and build supportive communities for children and families It’s divided into easy-to-follow sessions that give you direction on how to do it and give you tips on how to do it. Parents can prioritize their own health.
“This module will help users take part in neurodiversity by recognizing and respecting differences, just as they would their own children, advocating for inclusive practices, and providing support tailored to individual needs.” I hope they find a way to embrace it,” Rudy said. “We also encourage parents, caregivers, and other caring adults to support the development of neurodivergent children by focusing on strengths and creating environments that enable diverse ways of learning and interacting. We hope users realize that they can help.”
Thrive Initiative offers a comprehensive library of parenting programs, modules, and resources aimed at strengthening families and improving parent-child relationships. The core universal program addresses common parenting challenges across different age groups, while supplementary modules like this new module address specific topic areas. The Clearinghouse recommends that parents and caregivers participate in the Core Universal Modules before participating in the Supplemental Modules, but this is not required.
“The universal Thrive program identifies common everyday moments that many parents experience, works through scenarios, and provides strategies that show parents and caregivers how to strengthen their skills,” Rudy said. Said. “By engaging with scenarios and modules, parents and caregivers can develop self-efficacy, strengthen the parent-child relationship through play and praise, and better manage their child’s behavior using positive discipline strategies.” can.”
To learn more about the Thrive Initiative and enroll in the “Neurodiversity and Autism: Journeys with Your Child” module, visit www.thrive.psu.edu. For questions about Thrive programming, please email the Clearinghouse Thrive team at thrive@psu.edu. Follow Thrive on Facebook or Instagram for the latest information and resources.
The Thrive Initiative is a partnership between the Department of Defense-funded Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy and the Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture through a grant/cooperative agreement with Penn State University. It is a result.
About Military Family Preparedness Clearinghouse
The Clearinghouse is an applied research center dedicated to improving the health and well-being of military personnel and their families. The Clearinghouse conducts applied research, builds workforce expertise through training and resources, implements and evaluates evidence-based programs and practices, and provides objective support to ensure policy-based decision-making. We take a solutions-oriented approach that includes delivering comprehensive data and policy-relevant findings. The best science and evidence available. The Clearinghouse is located within the Penn State Institute of Social Sciences.
