Parents' Workshop at The Playroom at EGG

From our friends at The Playroom at EGG:

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk with Shelly Macdonald, beginning next Thursday, 1/31/2013 at The Playroom, 72 Jay Street BKLYN NY

Thursdays 9:30 – 11:00 am, parent workshop
Note: This is a 6-week class, running from January 31 through March 14 (no class 2/21), 2013

Don’t miss this celebrated workshop series created by best-selling authors Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish and led by Shelly Macdonald. Learn skills that make life with children easier and more satisfying: discipline without hurting or alienating; cope with your child’s negative feelings; engage your child’s willing cooperation; help your child develop a realistic and positive self-image; foster an atmosphere of love and respect; and resolve conflicts peacefully. Participants will receive a workbook at the first session. You will need to buy two books, which will be read throughout the course: Liberated Parents/Liberated Children and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk, both by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. Childcare is not provided, but babes in arms are welcome. Financial assistance is available upon request.

For more information and to register, visit www.apparentlove.com. You may also contact Shelly Macdonald at apparentlove@me.com or (917) 716-8475

For more information about The Playroom, contact alisha@egg-baby.com.

The Playroom at EGG (on DumboNYC)
72 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
alisha@egg-baby.com

5 Comment

  • Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.
    shulman.gary@yahoo.com
    gary.shulman@hotmail.com
    646-596-5642

    After more than 24 years as Program Director of Social Services and Training Coordinator of Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc., I have now transitioned to the next phase of my career-that of consultant and independent trainer.  Please feel free to call upon me so you can utilize my years of expertise, training skills and passion for imparting valuable information, strategies and motivation to families and staff.  It would be my pleasure to provide your families and staff with my services. Please contact me to arrange for a session at your site.

    Workshops for Parents of Children with Disabilities and
    Professionals who Provide them with Support

    Topics

    “Needs, Wants Wishes and Dreams: Programs and Services that Bring Relief to Parents of Children with Disabilities”

    Parents of children with disabilities are confronted on a daily basis with many stresses that can lead to: abusive behaviors, emotional turmoil, family chaos and in some cases family dissolution. This workshop will take participants through a journey of realization that there are indeed programs, services, systems and strategies that can help parents of children with disabilities feel supported and empowered to bring up their child or children with disabilities in a safe and nurturing environment.

    The workshop can be done in one session or broken up into sub topics covering specific social service needs such as: Respite, Recreation, Benefits and Entitlements, Child Care, Support Groups, Housing, Transportation, Financial Aid, Advocacy Strategies, Legal Help, Laws that Protect the Rights of Families, Future Planning, Guardianship. Participants will certainly be given the opportunity to raise their own issues and share so feedback can be provided.

    The session (or sessions) is presented in an interactive manner respecting and welcoming participant’s involvement. Each participant leaves the session with a comprehensive packet of information that can hopefully provide future relief and hope for a bright, supportive future in which the child with disabilities can grow and develop reaching his/her potential. Every child with a label of disability, has strengths and abilities. That reality can be better realized when a family is linked with support services.

    Come and share your own Needs, Wants, Wishes and Dreams!

    Summertime and the Living is Easy: Summer Options for Children with Disabilities

    School is out, now what! Parents of children with disabilities need to know about their options when it comes to summer programs that will provide an appropriate experience for their children. This session will cover such issues as:

    What questions do I need to ask the summer program in order to determine if it meets the goals that I would want for my child during the summer?
    How do I prepare my child with special needs for a summer program?
    Day programs vs. Sleepaway programs
    Mainstream programs vs. Special Needs programs
    Financial Aid to pay for camp
    Summer Remedial Programs
    Specific quality summer programs serving NYC children with disabilities
    How do I find those camps?
    Where do I find Summer Camp Fairs so I can meet the staff?

    We All Belong!

    This workshop, designed for mainstream program providers, gives a multi-sensory experience taking participants on a journey of sensitivity and understanding so they are better prepared to include children with disabilities. It will cover issues such as:

    How to sensitize all staff and children in your programs to the concept of inclusion: We all have differences and in many ways we are all the same. We all have skills, talents and strengths and we all have areas of need.
    What are the various types of disabilities and how do they impact on the functioning of the child in our program?
    Where to obtain greater skill competency in working with a wide variety of children.
    Expanding the view of your program to be more holistic in its purpose: giving information out on a regular basis that supports all types of families.
    Develop a better understanding of your own vulnerability so that compassion toward others must be nurtured.

  • Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.
    shulman.gary@yahoo.com
    gary.shulman@hotmail.com
    646-596-5642

    After more than 24 years as Program Director of Social Services and Training Coordinator of Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc., I have now transitioned to the next phase of my career-that of consultant and independent trainer.  Please feel free to call upon me so you can utilize my years of expertise, training skills and passion for imparting valuable information, strategies and motivation to families and staff.  It would be my pleasure to provide your families and staff with my services. Please contact me to arrange for a session at your site.

    Workshops for Parents of Children with Disabilities and
    Professionals who Provide them with Support

    Topics

    “Needs, Wants Wishes and Dreams: Programs and Services that Bring Relief to Parents of Children with Disabilities”

    Parents of children with disabilities are confronted on a daily basis with many stresses that can lead to: abusive behaviors, emotional turmoil, family chaos and in some cases family dissolution. This workshop will take participants through a journey of realization that there are indeed programs, services, systems and strategies that can help parents of children with disabilities feel supported and empowered to bring up their child or children with disabilities in a safe and nurturing environment.

    The workshop can be done in one session or broken up into sub topics covering specific social service needs such as: Respite, Recreation, Benefits and Entitlements, Child Care, Support Groups, Housing, Transportation, Financial Aid, Advocacy Strategies, Legal Help, Laws that Protect the Rights of Families, Future Planning, Guardianship. Participants will certainly be given the opportunity to raise their own issues and share so feedback can be provided.

    The session (or sessions) is presented in an interactive manner respecting and welcoming participant’s involvement. Each participant leaves the session with a comprehensive packet of information that can hopefully provide future relief and hope for a bright, supportive future in which the child with disabilities can grow and develop reaching his/her potential. Every child with a label of disability, has strengths and abilities. That reality can be better realized when a family is linked with support services.

    Come and share your own Needs, Wants, Wishes and Dreams!

    Summertime and the Living is Easy: Summer Options for Children with Disabilities

    School is out, now what! Parents of children with disabilities need to know about their options when it comes to summer programs that will provide an appropriate experience for their children. This session will cover such issues as:

    What questions do I need to ask the summer program in order to determine if it meets the goals that I would want for my child during the summer?
    How do I prepare my child with special needs for a summer program?
    Day programs vs. Sleepaway programs
    Mainstream programs vs. Special Needs programs
    Financial Aid to pay for camp
    Summer Remedial Programs
    Specific quality summer programs serving NYC children with disabilities
    How do I find those camps?
    Where do I find Summer Camp Fairs so I can meet the staff?

    We All Belong!

    This workshop, designed for mainstream program providers, gives a multi-sensory experience taking participants on a journey of sensitivity and understanding so they are better prepared to include children with disabilities. It will cover issues such as:

    How to sensitize all staff and children in your programs to the concept of inclusion: We all have differences and in many ways we are all the same. We all have skills, talents and strengths and we all have areas of need.
    What are the various types of disabilities and how do they impact on the functioning of the child in our program?
    Where to obtain greater skill competency in working with a wide variety of children.
    Expanding the view of your program to be more holistic in its purpose: giving information out on a regular basis that supports all types of families.
    Develop a better understanding of your own vulnerability so that compassion toward others must be nurtured.

  • Ability vs. Disability

    Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.
    Special Needs Consultant and Trainer
    shulman.gary@yahoo.com

    April, 2013

    During my more than 24 years as Program Director of Social Services and Training Coordinator for Resources for Children with Special Needs and now as a private consultant and trainer, I have had the great pleasure of asking thousands of parents of children with disabilities to tell me about their children’s talents, skills, abilities and passions.  Very often that question has been met with astonishment, “Someone is actually asking me to accentuate the positive as the old song says!”  What a concept!  My heart has always been warmed and my soul and spirit uplifted by the myriad responses that gleefully utter from the lips of these proud parents: “Susan is a gifted musician-she hears a song once then sits down and figures it out on the piano”, “My son swims like a fish!” “Thomas has memorized the entire subway system-he is passionate about trains.”, “Hector always greets me with a hug and seems to know when I am feeling down-he brightens up my life.” ………and on and on.  My response is to have everyone in the room praise and applaud these positive stories of hope, joy and delight.  We of course also move on to discussing the needs, wants, wishes and dreams.  

    I often tell the story of an “angel” who blessed this world by the name of Matthew.  When Matthew was born, the doctor who had obviously not been through any sensitivity training, felt compelled to tell the new parents the bad news that after conducting genetic testing, Matthew was determined to have a very rare condition called I-Cell Disease.  “So what does that mean?-when can we bring Matthew home to enjoy and love him?”  The doctor proceeded to elucidate that Matthew should not be brought home but rather institutionalized!  He then felt compelled to share that Matthew’s immunological system would over the course of 5 or 6 years, destroy all organs in Matthews tiny body.  “Why put yourself through such misery-he will never grow or develop. Needless to say these spiritual, caring, loving dedicated parents took Matthew home and received Medicaid under the Medicaid Waiver program to meet many of his complex medical needs. He was enrolled in Early Intervention where his miraculous and talented Occupational Therapist Ilaine, only saw the potential skills, talents and strengths.  Matthew learned to happily feed himself, walk with a walker, sing, dance and love……..oh how this child gave and received love.  He was pure love.  This beautiful child positively affected ever human being who was fortunate enough to have the joy of knowing this angel on earth.  I made him pancakes during one visit and he stopped eating for a moment, turned his steroid filled, barely moving body, to face me so he could tell me, “Hey Gary!  These are delicious!” Matthew by the way had a photographic memory and could tell you every player in the  Yankee dugout, give you directions to Grandma’s house and direct you to all food items in the supermarket.

    There is no miraculous ending here-Matthew died after 6 glorious years on earth.  Six years of love and joy.  Six years of enhancing the lives of everyone who was fortunate enough to have known this miraculous child.  At his funeral were all the friends, neighbors, family members and admirers whose lives had been touched by this angel of humanity.  The doctor who had diagnosed Matthew of course was not present.  His memory lives on in every workshop I conduct. His parents graced me with a gift that I will always cherish.  Knowing that Matthew would soon be leaving this world, they had him record anything that he wanted to say to those people in his life whom he cared for.  Sitting on my dresser is a small photo book with Matthew’s picture in it.  There is a button in that photo-book.  When you press that button, Matthew’s sweet voice can be heard saying, “Hello Gary-I love you!”  His spirit helps to motivate all parents of children with disabilities who have been told by “professionals” what their children would never be able to do.  Just as the Bumblebee should not fly according to scientists, yet does (because nobody has ever told the bumblebee he can’t fly) so too will all children with disabilities continue to FLY as long as we continue to recognize that behind every label of disability there is a human being with abilities, talents, skills and passions…………………..and love to give and receive.  We must never take the hope away!

    Behind every child with a label of disability is a child with ability to be cherished, praised and supported.

  • Ability vs. Disability

    Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.
    Special Needs Consultant and Trainer
    shulman.gary@yahoo.com

    April, 2013

    During my more than 24 years as Program Director of Social Services and Training Coordinator for Resources for Children with Special Needs and now as a private consultant and trainer, I have had the great pleasure of asking thousands of parents of children with disabilities to tell me about their children’s talents, skills, abilities and passions.  Very often that question has been met with astonishment, “Someone is actually asking me to accentuate the positive as the old song says!”  What a concept!  My heart has always been warmed and my soul and spirit uplifted by the myriad responses that gleefully utter from the lips of these proud parents: “Susan is a gifted musician-she hears a song once then sits down and figures it out on the piano”, “My son swims like a fish!” “Thomas has memorized the entire subway system-he is passionate about trains.”, “Hector always greets me with a hug and seems to know when I am feeling down-he brightens up my life.” ………and on and on.  My response is to have everyone in the room praise and applaud these positive stories of hope, joy and delight.  We of course also move on to discussing the needs, wants, wishes and dreams.  

    I often tell the story of an “angel” who blessed this world by the name of Matthew.  When Matthew was born, the doctor who had obviously not been through any sensitivity training, felt compelled to tell the new parents the bad news that after conducting genetic testing, Matthew was determined to have a very rare condition called I-Cell Disease.  “So what does that mean?-when can we bring Matthew home to enjoy and love him?”  The doctor proceeded to elucidate that Matthew should not be brought home but rather institutionalized!  He then felt compelled to share that Matthew’s immunological system would over the course of 5 or 6 years, destroy all organs in Matthews tiny body.  “Why put yourself through such misery-he will never grow or develop. Needless to say these spiritual, caring, loving dedicated parents took Matthew home and received Medicaid under the Medicaid Waiver program to meet many of his complex medical needs. He was enrolled in Early Intervention where his miraculous and talented Occupational Therapist Ilaine, only saw the potential skills, talents and strengths.  Matthew learned to happily feed himself, walk with a walker, sing, dance and love……..oh how this child gave and received love.  He was pure love.  This beautiful child positively affected ever human being who was fortunate enough to have the joy of knowing this angel on earth.  I made him pancakes during one visit and he stopped eating for a moment, turned his steroid filled, barely moving body, to face me so he could tell me, “Hey Gary!  These are delicious!” Matthew by the way had a photographic memory and could tell you every player in the  Yankee dugout, give you directions to Grandma’s house and direct you to all food items in the supermarket.

    There is no miraculous ending here-Matthew died after 6 glorious years on earth.  Six years of love and joy.  Six years of enhancing the lives of everyone who was fortunate enough to have known this miraculous child.  At his funeral were all the friends, neighbors, family members and admirers whose lives had been touched by this angel of humanity.  The doctor who had diagnosed Matthew of course was not present.  His memory lives on in every workshop I conduct. His parents graced me with a gift that I will always cherish.  Knowing that Matthew would soon be leaving this world, they had him record anything that he wanted to say to those people in his life whom he cared for.  Sitting on my dresser is a small photo book with Matthew’s picture in it.  There is a button in that photo-book.  When you press that button, Matthew’s sweet voice can be heard saying, “Hello Gary-I love you!”  His spirit helps to motivate all parents of children with disabilities who have been told by “professionals” what their children would never be able to do.  Just as the Bumblebee should not fly according to scientists, yet does (because nobody has ever told the bumblebee he can’t fly) so too will all children with disabilities continue to FLY as long as we continue to recognize that behind every label of disability there is a human being with abilities, talents, skills and passions…………………..and love to give and receive.  We must never take the hope away!

    Behind every child with a label of disability is a child with ability to be cherished, praised and supported.

  • “Come Touch His Cheek”

    by

    Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.
    Special Needs Consultant and Trainer
    646-596-5642
    shulman.gary@yahoo.com

    This child of mine you stare at so,
    Please come closer so you will know
    Just who my child is and what I see
    when those sweet eyes stare back at me
    I see no limits to my child’s life
    Although I know
    It will be filled with strife,
    I’m hoping that doors will open each day
    I’m praying that kindness
    will come his way
    You look frightened?
    You tremble with fear?
    Come, come closer
    touch him my dear
    Touch his cheek so soft
    so sweet
    Be one of those people
    he needs to meet
    Someone who will look
    and hopefully see
    The skill, the talent
    The ability
    Please come closer
    You don’t have to speak
    Come a little closer
    Just touch his cheek
    And when you do
    you will see
    this sweet, sweet child
    is no different
    than you or me