Yes She Can Inc

Job Skill Development and Employment Opportunities for Women with Autism

  • About
    • Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • About Autism at Work
      • Temple Grandin on employment skills
      • Hiring employees with autism
    • Yes She Can in the News
    • Contact Us
  • Meet Us
  • Our Program
    • Teaching Job Skills
    • Work With Us
  • Our Store
    • Shop Online
    • Donate Your American Girl Doll
  • Blog
  • Events
    • Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards
    • Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards 2019
    • Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards 2017
    • Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards 2016
      • 2016 Awards Gallery
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Donate Dolls
    • Service Projects
    • Our Supporters
  • Donate

Yes She Can Goes to Yale

February 16, 2015 by Marjorie Madfis Leave a Comment

Our Day at Yale Child Study Center

Yale Child Study Center

Yale Child Study Center

On lucky Friday the 13th of February, Yes She Can went to Yale. I had been invited by Fred Volkmar, M.D.,  Irving Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology at Yale School of Medicine, Child Study Center to present at his monthly Autism Program Distinguished Lecturer series.

Dr. Sheri Baron, our Girl AGain program psychologist and Yes She Can board member, joined me to share our mission, goals and accomplishments with an audience of autism researchers, clinicians, educators, program administrators and parents. Pat Salner, another board member met us there.

Our presentation is available on Slide Share here: Can a Doll Teach Job Skills?

Sheri Baron presenting at Yale Autism Program

Marjorie at Yale Child

Here is the Girl AGain overview video produced by The Local Live from Mamaroneck, NY.  We think the producers did a wonderful job packing our whole story in to just 4 minutes. I marvel at that because being concise is not my strength.

After our morning presentation, Dr. Volkmar’s assistant, Lori Klein, filled our day with meetings with faculty at Yale Child Study Center.

We had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Volkmar in his office and received his book about Adolescents and Adults with ASD.Yale scarf  He also gave me a beautiful scarf with the Yale Child Study Center logo pattern.  I proudly wore it to Girl AGain on Saturday.

 

Kasia Chawarska, PhD, Associate Professor, Director Toddler Developmental Disabilities Clinic

She discussed her study comparing boys and girls with ASD in the infant and toddler years, as well as studies about what toddlers pay attention to when looking at faces through eye-tracking research. It turns out that if the toddlers are looking at a person’s mouth when that person is talking then the subjects do improve their language development. Watching the movements of the mouth seems to help the child to acquire language.

“Curiosity about the environment and drive to explore it is likely to play a very powerful role in the learning and development of children with ASD,” said Katarzyna Chawarska, a senior author of the paper

Fred Shic, PhD Assistant Professor, Director Technology and Innovation Laboratory, Co-Director Yale Early Social Cognition Laboratory.

Fred explores the intersection of technology and psychology. He is particularly interested in social robotics. I have discussed with him how we at Yes She Can could apply the concept of serious games to teach job skills and enable trainees to practice and increase proficiency, reducing anxiety and increasing flexibility.  He told me about SuperPlus
I plan to follow up with his colleagues in Norway, Roald Øien, Parent & Research Scientist

Kelly K.Powell, PhD, Associate Research Scientist

With Kelly we discussed the challenges of executive functioning for people with autism including the ability to plan and organize, and shift from one task to another – things we observe are difficult for our trainees. She recommended a book, Unstuck and On Target.
She leads a monthly support group for young women with ASD held at Autism Services and Resources of CT

Julie Wolf, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Autism Program

We discussed the approach she takes to leading groups of older teens and young adults.

Denis Sukhodolsky, PhD Assistant Professor, Researcher and Clinician at the Tourette Syndrome Autism and Anxiety programs.

Denis shared his work habit reversal training, particularly with people who have tics. He is working on a study of Cognitive-Behavioral therapy for anger and aggression in children with ASD. It’s a 12-week commitment and if New Haven were not over an hour away, I would likely sign up for this one!   We also talked about the approach of Ross Greene in the Explosive Child, an approach that Sheri Baron endorses too. (if this is an issue for you, check this out his website Lives in the Balance)

Chapel Haven team: Michael Storz, President, Chapel Haven School, Einera Beauvais, VP of programs and Shannon Jacobs, Supervisor

Chapel Haven was established in 1972 and is both a special education program for 18-21 year olds and a life program for adults with autism and developmental disabilities. The focus on developing skills for independent living including those with HFA/Asperger’s who are able to enroll in college or vocational schools.
We brainstormed on ways that Yes She Can and our Girl AGain program could collaborate with Chapel Haven. To start with – I suggested that we bring our activities like Doll Hair Do’s and Don’t’s workshop and  Designing a Doll Tee-Shirt workshop to their campus, inviting New Haven American Girl fans to come to participate, and have Chapel Haven women learn how to lead these events. They could also help us acquire more merchandise so we can open a satellite store for Chapel Haven women to run.  We talked about how to incorporate their arts program, UArts

I am really looking forward to collaborating with Chapel Haven!

It was an exhilarating day at Yale.

Related resources:

Dr. Volkmar interview by Autism Science Foundation

Introduction to Autism by Fred Volkmar

The Yale University Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience of the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine, and The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation will mark the establishment of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Adult Autism Research Fund.  Announced on September 11, 2014.

Filed Under: Program Tagged With: Autism, Child Study Center, Dr. Fred Volkmar, Yale, Yale Child Study Center

Support Our Work

Help young women with autism fulfill their potential.

Donate Now

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for our newsletter about our job skills development program.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Donate!

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for our newsletter about our job skills development program.

Blog Topics

  • #LillyPulitzer
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Coaching
  • Community
  • Development
  • Disability Rights
  • Employment
  • Events
  • Fundraising
  • Guests
  • Newsletter
  • Program
  • Trainees
  • Volunteers
  • Yes She Can Team

Recent Posts

  • Lilly Pulitzer to donate 10% of sales
  • Use your marketing and retail skills for good
  • Learning to apply for jobs, by Baneesha Mukherjee
  • Courage – what I learned from Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman by Selina
  • Women in Science By Selina & Colleen

Welcome to Yes She Can Inc

Yes She Can Inc., a non-profit founded in 2013, is dedicated to helping young women with autism and related disabilities develop transferable job skills and workplace social skills – through authentic work experience.  We serve teen girls in transition from high school to adulthood and young women with autism spectrum disorders in an inclusion setting at Girl AGain boutique. Read more

Newsletter Signup

Visit Our Store

Girl Again
4 Martine Avenue, Store 2B
White Plains, NY 10606
914-358-1460

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Work With Us

We are a start-up and given the demand for what we do we really need more help! Read more

From Our Blog

Lilly Pulitzer to donate 10% of sales

Use your marketing and retail skills for good

Help young women with autism fulfill their potential.

Your generous donation will support Yes She Can's job skills development program.

© 2021 Yes She Can Inc.