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Navigating Valentine’s Day – BCI Offers Helpful Social Tips for Teens with ASD

Valentine’s Day is around the corner. But, for teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a day focused on relationships and filled with social interaction can create an array of emotional confusion.

From understanding non-verbal social cues and holding “successful” conversations to dealing with anxiety, making friends and dating – it is imperative that teens on the spectrum learn social skills and social relatedness. Not only will learning social skills better enable them to relate to their peers while in school, it sets them up for future success when it comes to living independently, holding a job, and building relationships.

Jill McGrale Maher, M.A., BCBA, LABA, Program Director at Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with ASD throughout Central Massachusetts, explained, “It’s important to first identify your older child’s fears and deficits in the area of social skills in order to help untangle the emotions involved.”

McGrale Maher offers four key tips for parents of teens with ASD:

•    Teach your teen about different situations that may happen on Valentine’s Day by role playing the exchange of Valentine’s cards or treats.
•    Discuss the purpose behind Valentine’s Day and provide more detail. Role-play and rehearse everything including personal space, eye-contact, voice volume, and turn taking.
•    Several days prior to a Valentine’s Day event, role-play and rehearse exactly what is expected.  It can be very helpful in alleviating anxiety to actually visit where the event will take place as well.
•    For teens who may have a date, review everything including hygiene, manners, what to say, conversation starters, endings, and how to save a conversation. Again, roleplay as much as you can.

According to McGrale Maher, “Social skills deficits are one of the first indicators of ASD. Additionally, evidence clearly indicates that when young adults with ASD are not successful in life and work situations, it is almost always due to a lack of social skills.”

Fitchburg and Worcester After School Programs Focus on Social Skills
BCI has developed After School and Saturday programs to teach social skills to children and teens, with the goal of imparting skills to ensure a happy, successful, blended life in the community.

Social skills programming encompasses social pragmatics, group working skills, play skills, imitation, observational skills, perspective taking skills, how to act in a variety of situations, relationship development, self-awareness, and self-management. The teen social skills programs are more expansive and include dealing with frustration, anger and anxiety, advanced conversational skills, reading non-verbal cues, building and maintaining relationships, dealing with family and school demands, and decision making.

After identifying and assessing each child’s current social skills, the children are divided into three group levels. Typically, level one is for young children, level two for ages eight to 11 years-old, and level three is for teens. The after-school sessions run a minimum of two hours, and Saturday morning and afternoon sessions are each three hours long. The Fitchburg program has capacity for 30 students, while Worcester can accommodate 60 students.

For more information about BCI’s After School and Saturday programs, visit bciaba.com

About BCI
Behavioral Concepts (BCI) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with autism and their families in central Massachusetts. We identify and facilitate effective personalized instruction that allows children to discover more, learn more, and be more – increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life at home, in school, and in the community. BCI is a Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved provider of specialty ABA services for early intervention. BCI also provides center, home-based, and afterschool services through private and public health insurance. The organization was founded in 2002 by Dr. Jeffrey R. Robinson. Further information on BCI is available at http://bciaba.com.

BCI is part of the Learn It family of companies, a national organization dedicated to helping all children succeed in school and life. Learn more at http://learnitsystems.com/family.

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Worcester School for Students with Autism Donates 158 Pounds of Food to Local Food Bank

Kevin Jedrzynski (student), Jenna Olson, Ethan Mairs (student), Ally Dalve, Elizabeth Rostron

The Center for Applied Behavioral Instruction (CABI), an accredited, private special education day school for students with autism spectrum disorder and challenging behaviors in Central Massachusetts, collected 158 pounds of food in a holiday food drive to help those in need of food assistance.

CABI held their first annual holiday food drive in December to benefit the Worcester County Food Bank (WCFB). Led by Elizabeth Rostron, BSN, RN and Instructional Assistant Meagan Trujillo, CABI organized the successful food drive collecting 158 pounds of nonperishable food donations over a one-month period.

The effort came about from an exercise with the students about what giving means during the holiday season. The students expressed an interest in helping those in need. With the help of the CABI staff, they identified the Worcester County Food Bank as their charity of choice.

Rostron and Trujillo mailed letters home to families, reached out to neighboring businesses and took to social media to spread the word about the cause. A donation box placed in the front lobby of the school quickly filled out with food from friends and family of the school.  Each week, the staff had to empty the boxes to make room for more donations piling in.

Rostron and Trujillo, along with a couple of students, made the trip to Shrewsbury to personally deliver the donation. This was a very proud moment for the CABI students as they experienced what giving back means and how they can directly impact their community.

CABI received a letter and certificate from the WCFB which acknowledged the students’ efforts and explained that the 158 pounds of food would serve 131 meals for individuals and families in the community.

“We are so humbled by the donations from CABI’s family and friends for our first holiday food drive,” said Rostron. “Even more so, we are beyond proud of our students for participating in the program and their true interest in giving back to their community. Each student brought a different value to this program whether it was through experience, their studies, or their compassion for helping, and we look forward to implementing future community programs.”

About CABI

The Center for Applied Behavioral Instruction (CABI) is a private elementary and secondary school that addresses the needs of students with autism spectrum disorder and challenging behaviors. CABI provides an educational option utilizing scientifically based educational treatment for children and young adults with significant educational and behavioral needs. The center is located at 345 Greenwood Street, Suite 3 in Worcester, MA. For more information, visit the website at http://www.cabiautism.org or contact the school directly at (508) 363-0201.

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Helping to Fill Fuel Tanks and More – Old Colony Elder Services Raises Over $7K for Emergency Fund

OCES Development Committee members: Paula Schlosser, Esq, West Bridgewater; Janice Fitzgerald, Director, Brockton COA; Gene Mazella, Director, Avon COA; Wendy Adams, Outreach Coordinator, West Bridgewater COA.

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities, raised $7,714 for their Emergency Fund program over the holiday season.

The fundraising effort for OCES’ Emergency Fund kicked off on #GivingTuesday, which was November 28, 2017, with the theme #SafeAndWarm. The campaign was carried through the end of the year, and raised $312 over last year’s total.

OCES employees also contributed – donating a total of $1,135 to the Emergency Fund during #GivingTuesday, which was then matched dollar for dollar (up to $1,000) by an anonymous private family foundation.

OCES’ Emergency Fund is essential in helping to meet the needs of at-risk low-income older adults and individuals with disabilities who are in a crisis or emergency circumstance that threatens their health and/or living situation. All too frequently, these individuals encounter problems that can jeopardize their ability to maintain independence, dignity and well-being.

OCES’ Emergency Fund supports dozens of consumers throughout the year faced with unforeseen emergency events, answering urgent needs such as filling an empty fuel tank, repairing a broken furnace, or providing life-sustaining medications.

With the number of individuals needing assistance increasing each year, OCES’ strives to add to the Emergency Fund’s capacity each year, so they can continue to make a critical difference in the lives of consumers served.

“We are extremely grateful to the individuals, families, and employees who donated and we also wish to extend our deep appreciation to the private family foundation for their generous match,” said Nicole M. Long, CEO.

Even though the fundraising campaign is over, donations to OCES’ Emergency Fund may be made at any time of the year by visiting www.ocesma.org or making a donation by check or money order and mailed to OCES, 144 Main Street, Brockton, MA 02301. OCES is recognized as a tax exempt charitable corporation under section 501c3 of the IRS tax code.

About OCES
Founded in 1974, OCES proudly serves greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Brockton with a second office in Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 26 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’ mission is to support the independence and dignity of elders and people with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency offers a number of programs to serve seniors, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.

Helping to Fill Fuel Tanks and More – Old Colony Elder Services Raises Over $7K for Emergency FundRead More

;-), ;-), nod (Wink, wink, nod.)

I didn’t know what 😉 (frown, sad) meant. Nor did I understand a 😎 (smiley with glasses) reference.

As a communicator, I need to know.

And I wasn’t always clear on a bunch of abbreviations. AFAIK (as far as I know) or F2F (face to face). Sure, I’ve been using NFI (no friggin’ idea) for quite some time.

Language and its related symbols are meant to include and sometimes exclude people. As a marketer I am often targeting niche groups and specifically using their language and jargon. Careful, you don’t want to make prospects :-II (angry).

IAC (in any case), I’ve brushed up on acronyms and emoticons. I’ve even brushed up on my diamond codes <jk> (just kidding).

For a full outline of abbreviations, emoticons and diamond codes – here is a terrific source.

IMHO (in my humble opinion) enjoy!

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Discovery Maps tips the scale to greater user experience with upgrade to scale map on website

The new scale view of Discovery Map’s online maps on its website, www.discoverymap.com

WAITSFIELD, VT…

Discovery Map International, Inc., the leading provider of curated guides to top tourist attractions, cities and towns throughout North America, announced today the upgrade of its Web-based maps to scale maps with enhanced user-friendly features. The digital counterpart to Discovery Map’s hard copy maps can be found on Discoverymap.com and embedded in many other websites around the country.

“This upgrade is a real game changer. Until now, we’ve essentially had digital versions of our hand-drawn maps on our website. You could cursor over the names of advertisers and get a little information but the functionality was confined to the area of the drawn map,” said Peter Hans, president of Discovery Map International, Inc. “With the upgrade, visitors will see a scalable map, so they can zoom in closer and have a view of all the streets in the area and get a lot more information on advertisers in the map area. Additionally, you can zoom out for a more global view to see what else is in the area. This is particularly beneficial in areas where we have other Discovery Maps.”

The new scale map will also enable visitors to conduct individual searches on things to do, places to stay, places to eat, services, places to shop and other attractions in a specific area or region. These searches provide results that include contact information and links to a company’s website and social media pages. The listings will also offer a link to get driving directions.

“What’s great about this upgrade is it takes our online maps from being a guide just for those areas where we have hard copy maps to something that’s beneficial to travel in and around the 132 areas where we offer maps,” said Hans.

Some of the other user benefits with the upgrade include a lighter data load, which improves performance. The new scale map is also easier to read with less clutter.

“Our franchise owners love the scale maps as each map provides backlinks for advertisers and that improves our advertisers’ exposure,” said Hans. “The new map also enables us to include display advertisers that are not on the print map. This will enable franchise owners to sell ads to companies who may be in or near the same town as the map but not necessarily on the face of the printed maps.”

To view the new scale map, visit www.discoverymap.com.

About Discovery Map

Headquartered in Waitsfield, VT, in the heart of the Green Mountains, Discovery Map International is the country’s leading provider of curated guides to top tourist destinations, cities and towns throughout North America. The distinctively colorful, hand-drawn maps are a favorite of travelers for navigating local dining, attractions, businesses, cultural experiences, ski destinations – and even the best locations to take selfies. Discovery Maps can be found in local hotels, restaurants, shops, visitor information centers and other participating venues, and at discoverymap.com.

Franchise Business Review named Discovery Map one of the top 50 franchisors in 2018, FranchiseGrade.com has given our franchise opportunity an A+ rating and when Forbes magazine named us the 4th best franchise in the US for investments under $150,000. For more information about the Discovery Map, please visit www.discoverymap.com.

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Brenda Bernard Promoted to Home Care Program Manager at Old Colony Elder Services

Brenda Bernard

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Plymouth County, has promoted Brenda Bernard, RN to Home Care Program Manager of Nursing Services.

Ms. Bernard, who is a registered nurse, will provide clinical oversight to OCES’ Home Care nursing staff and programs, which encompass Transition Support, Home Care, and the Clinical Assessment and Eligibility (CAE) departments. She will be responsible for ensuring compliance with funding source program regulations, providing public outreach and education, acting as a clinical liaison to the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, and responding to inquiries from community health agencies, hospitals and physicians in order to support and enhance coordinated care for OCES consumers. She reports directly to OCES’ Home Care Program Director, Alisa DeLage.

Prior to her promotion, Ms. Bernard was OCES’ RN Clinical Supervisor, overseeing Transition Support Registered Nurses and Home Care Registered Nurses. She has been performing CAE screens for OCES since 2013. This past year, she was welcomed to join the OCES Ethics Committee.

Before joining OCES, Ms. Bernard held positions as an Adult Family Care (AFC) Nurse Coordinator for Nonotuck Resource Associates in Plymouth and as a charge nurse at Bridgewater State Hospital. Additionally, she has over ten years of experience working in the healthcare industry in a skilled nursing facility and at South Shore Hospital where she was recognized with the SPIRITT Award.

A graduate of Massasoit Community College in Brockton, MA, Ms. Bernard holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Massachusetts Boston where she graduated summa cum laude. While there, she joined the Golden Key International Honour Society, UMass Boston Chapter, and Sigma Theta Tau International, Theta Alpha Chapter, an honor society that recognizes nurses for their outstanding achievements in research and education. While pursuing her education, she offered seven years of service to Best Buddies Massachusetts as a volunteer E-Buddy.

Ms. Bernard is a resident of Brockton, MA.

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Rodman CPAs of Waltham Announces New Staff

Carl Arnold
Kendra McGuire
Lindsay Parks

Rodman CPAs of Waltham, MA, a full-service tax and accounting firm serving small and mid-sized emerging and established businesses throughout the greater Boston area, has recently hired three new team members.

Rodman CPAs has hired two Bentley University graduates who had served as interns at the firm from January to April. Lindsay Parks and Carl Arnold are the firm’s newest Associates and will be responsible for reviews, audits and preparation of financial statements for clients in a variety of industries.

Parks graduated from Bentley University in May and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. While working at Rodman CPAs, she will continue her studies at Bentley University, working towards a Master’s degree. She is a native and resident of Marlborough, MA.

Arnold also graduated from Bentley University in May with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. In addition to gaining experience at Rodman CPAs, Arnold served as an intern at JGM Fund Services in Garden City, NY and also at Baker, Newman Noyes in Boston. He is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Accounting at Southern New Hampshire University.  He is a native of Long Island, NY, and a resident of Somerville, MA.

Kendra McGuire has been hired as Tax Production Specialist to oversee the production and processing of tax returns for clients. She also assists with daily operations and provides support services to team members. McGuire’s experience includes working as an office administrator/tax preparer at Popkin CPA, and as a legal assistant for Betcher and Yunes, LLP, both located in Lexington.  McGuire is a former resident of Miami, FL, where she was an event manager in the private sector for five years prior to transitioning into the nonprofit sector and fundraising.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature/Letters from University of Colorado at Boulder. Over the years, McGuire has volunteered at a number of organizations including Cradles to Crayons and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). She is a Maine native and a resident of Lexington, MA.

About Rodman CPAs

Rodman CPAs provides tax advisory, accounting, and business strategy to small and mid-sized emerging and established businesses.  Named one of the largest accounting firms in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal, Rodman CPAs offers an innovative and strategic approach with the personal touch of a smaller regional CPA firm. For more than 50 years, Rodman CPAs has been specializing in customized accounting and tax solutions that improve business performance, processes, financial operations, and information technology.

The firm serves as a true business partner, helping clients perform and succeed during each stage of the business lifecycle. As domain experts in alternative energy, the “Green Team” at Rodman CPAs works with renewable energy producers and businesses throughout the U.S. offering tax advisory, financial, accounting services, and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) studies.

Rodman CPAs is an independent member firm of BDO Alliance USA, which enables them to expand services to clients by accessing the resources of BDO USA, LLP and other Alliance members, ensuring greater flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. For more information, visit http://www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.

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Rodman CPAs Holds Third Solar Roundtable and Sheds Light on the State of Renewable Energy in the Northeast

Rodman CPAs president Steve Rodman with Eric Grunebaum of Cambridge Energy Advisors and Stuart Rekant of Exceptional Leaders International.

Rodman CPAs, a full service tax and accounting firm with a specialized renewable energy and clean technology practice serving “green” clients throughout the U.S., shares insight on the state of the solar, wind and biogas industries in the Northeast.

Rodman CPAs held their third and final “Solar Roundtable” for the year in November at their Waltham, MA office which was well attended by over 40 solar developers, installers and investors throughout the region who are interested in raising the profile of solar energy, deepening the understanding of changes in the industry and sharing ideas on best practices.

Over the year, the firm’s roundtables covered topics both broad and specific, ranging from the complexity of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program and the feasibility of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC Study) for various developers and tax reform, to energy storage, Tesla’s battery wall, structuring tax equity deals, tax modeling, what is going on in the financing industry and more.

According to Steve Rodman, CPA, MST, CVGA, president, “We’re seeing new technologies and initiatives that are driving innovation to make solar energy cost competitive. That along with the growing number of companies committing to clean energy and procuring electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind is a promise of a brighter renewable energy future.”

He continued, “We’re also keeping a close watch on tax reform and its impact on green and renewable energy projects, and essentially how it will affect renewable energy developers and investors in a sector of the economy that has relied on federal tax credits and accelerated depreciation.”

Rodman CPAs Solar Roundtables will continue in 2018. Those interested in attending or learning more should visit rodmancpa.com.

Green Energy Experts

Renewable energy producers and businesses that pursue energy efficiency initiatives rely on Rodman CPAs to provide them with a sustainable financial roadmap through expert partnership/corporate structuring for optimal tax benefit; grant qualification assistance and auditing; ongoing advisory services for federal, state and local tax incentives; and specialized strategic financial planning and management.

Rodman CPAs’ Green Team includes the firm’s president Steve Rodman, CPA, MST, and partners Kathy Parker, CPA, MST and Tom Astore, CPA JD, along with Elysha Sturm, Senior Accountant and Mark Vitello, CPA, Supervisor. Rodman CPAs is a charter member of the Mass Solar Coalition, as well as a member of Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

As green energy experts, Rodman CPAs are often guest speakers and panelists at renewable energy conferences and financial forums across the U.S. This year, partner Kathy Parker, CPA, MST, was guest speaker for several which included BioCycle REFOR17 (the official conference of the American Biogas Council) and two IEEE conferences. The firm’s green team also attended Northeast Clean Energy Council’s (NECEC) 10th Annual Green Tie Gala.

About Rodman CPAs

Rodman CPAs provides tax advisory, accounting, and business strategy to small and mid-sized emerging and established businesses.  Named one of Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for, and one of the largest accounting firms in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal, Rodman CPAs offers an innovative and strategic approach with the personal touch of a smaller regional CPA firm. For more than 50 years, Rodman CPAs has been specializing in customized accounting and tax solutions that improve business performance, processes, financial operations, and information technology.

The firm serves as a true business partner, helping clients perform and succeed during each stage of the business lifecycle. As domain experts in alternative energy, the “Green Team” at Rodman CPAs works with renewable energy producers and businesses throughout the U.S. offering tax advisory, financial, accounting services, and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) studies.

Rodman CPAs is an independent member firm of BDO Alliance USA, which enables them to expand services to clients by accessing the resources of BDO USA, LLP and other Alliance members, ensuring greater flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. For more information, visit http://www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.

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“Buried in Treasures” Facilitated Support Groups Begin in February and March at Brockton and Plymouth locations

Is clutter affecting you at home, at work or in your relationships? Do you need help dealing with compulsive acquiring, saving and hoarding?

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities, along with the Greater Brockton Area Hoarding Task Force (GBAH) is offering “Buried in Treasures” – a series of facilitated support groups in Brockton and Plymouth for individuals with hoarding issues.

Hoarding is when individuals continue to accumulate items, such as clothing, newspapers and food, and then have persistent difficulty discarding possessions. Individuals with hoarding behaviors often face health issues related to falls, as well as run the risk of losing their homes.

“Buried in Treasures” support groups are free and will be offered weekly at the following locations:

In Brockton at South Bay Community Services, 103 Commercial Street, February 6 to May 22, 2018, (with two breaks and a final session on June 19) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information or to register for the Brockton support group, contact Amanda Lee 508-436-4438 or Kelly Mules at 508-580-4691.

In Plymouth, at the Center for Active Living (formerly the Plymouth Council On Aging), located at 44 Nook Road, March 6 to June 19, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information or to register for the Plymouth support group, speak with Deana Andrade at OCES, 508-584-1561 ext. 232.

“Buried in Treasures” is available to people of all ages throughout greater Plymouth county and surrounding communities. There is no cost to attend these confidential support groups. All attendees will receive a complimentary workbook. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

“Buried in Treasures is an educational, judgment-free, self-help group for people with hoarding issues,” explained Teresa Kourtz, OCES’ Protective Services Director. “During each session, individuals work through what might be clutter and what might be hoarding, utilizing the workbook to deal with acquisition, discarding, and disorganization.”

“Buried in Treasures” is sponsored by the GBAH, MassHousing and OCES. It is coordinated and facilitated by OCES in partnership with South Bay Community Services.

About OCES

Founded in 1974, OCES proudly serves greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Brockton with a second office in Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 26 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’ mission is to support the independence and dignity of elders and people with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency offers a number of programs to serve seniors, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.

“Buried in Treasures” Facilitated Support Groups Begin in February and March at Brockton and Plymouth locationsRead More