CT FEAT sponsors a private, confidential “Parents Only” Listserv Discussion Group where hundreds of Connecticut families share information and insights drawn from their lives with autism. Listserv discussions sometimes produce exceptionally valuable information which, with the authors’ permission, we post here in the form of “Parent to Parent” articles.

These articles, unless otherwise noted, are the property of Connecticut Families for Effective Autism Treatment, Inc. (CT FEAT) and their authors, and are copyright protected. They may be used only with proper attribution.

Click here for the CTFEAT latest Autism Resources List (Beth Lambert ; added 2022)
Resources in Connecticut for families.

GET CREATIVE ABOUT RESPITE ( Connecticut Lifespan Respite Coalition, Inc., added 2022)
NEW! A Parent’s Guide to Respite Care.

Valulable CTFEAT Archive Information

How to Prepare for a PPT and Triennial Results Meetings (Patricia Stavola; added 2014)
A parent provides extensive practical advice on how to navigate the sometimes intimidating and often complex world of PPT meetings.

LIST of Indoor Activities for Children Compiled by CT FEAT Parents (2014)

Professional Competency Standards for Providing ABA Services to Children on the Autism Spectrum (a CT FEAT parent; added 2013)
Unfortunately, parents are sometimes told that their child is receiving an “ABA program” when the professionals involved don’t have the necessary competence to provide the service. How can a family determine if a professional working with their child has the requisite training and skills?

Transitioning from Birth To Three to Special Education: Be Aware
(Diane Willcutts; added 2013)
Parents attending their first Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meeting to transition their child from Birth to Three to the school district may be in for an unpleasant surprise.
Birth to Three providers are told by the State of Connecticut that they may not make recommendations for goals, services, or placement unless this is requested by the school district. This can be a big problem for families, who are understandably looking for Birth to Three staff to provide meaningful input for the PPT to consider.

Strategies for Connecting With Your Growing Child (Molly Helt; added 2012)
I find that as my son gets older (he’s now 13), he is much less engaged in many activities than he used to enjoy when he was younger. Like many parents of growing children on the spectrum, I know the frustration of wanting to keep him connected with a variety of interests at home but not quite knowing how.

Transitioning Your Child with Autism from Birth to Three to Your School District (compiled for CT FEAT by parents of children with Autism; added December 2011)
By age 3, your child will transition out of the Connecticut Birth to Three System (B23) and into your local school district for all of their educational/disability requirements. The earlier a referral is made, the better. You should reach out to the school district when your child turns 2-years-old. This gives everyone plenty of time to meet each other and prepare for the transition. It is important to remember that B23 services will end with your child’s third birthday and the goal is to have other services and support programs through the school system already in place. Early planning for this transition is essential to ensure your local district has appropriate services available

How One Parent Built her Child’s Play Skills while Reducing His Self-Stimulatory Behavior
(Cristin Millen; added October 2011)
The recent discussion concerning the challenge of keeping a four-year-old engaged really got my attention. I remember that when I first joined the CT FEAT Parent Discussion Group I posted a similar question: “Would my child EVER stop lining up and spinning toys and ACTUALLY play with them?” So, in honor of all the wonderful moms, like Beth Lambert, who shared their stories with me, I’d like to share my journey towards how I FINALLY got my kiddo to play.

Being a Team Player: Observing Your Child In The Classroom (Katie Cooper; added June 2010)
Whenever a parent expresses concern about their child’s lack of progress at school or home, my first piece of advice is to get into the classroom to see what is happening. Over the 13 years my son has been in school, I have learned a tremendous amount by observing him there.

Evaluating Educational Programs for Children with ASD (Katie Cooper; added June 2010)
I wanted to share with my fellow parents what I learned at the highly informative presentation by Erik Mayville, Ph.D., BCBA-D, at the March 2010 conference put on by the CT Association for Behavior Analysis (CT ABA). Dr. Mayville, who works at The Institute for Educational Planning (IEP) in Milford, CT, titled his workshop “Evaluating Educational Programs for Children with ASD.”

Fun Stuff to Do With Kids: A list of Regional Activities Suggested by Parents on the CT FEAT Listserv (Compiled by a parent volunteer, added 2009)

Here are more articles written from a parent’s perspective.