29 October 2007, Belleville, Ontario—Learning to understand social communication, self-regulation and information processing, as they relate to children with autism, is the focus of a two-day workshop for educational assistants (EAs).

The workshops are scheduled for Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30. Forty EAs from the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board and the Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board who work with students in Grades 7-12 will participate. They will learn to incorporate the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis, which is a comprehensive approach to helping children with autism to learn.

Training is being provided by Christine Martell from the Geneva Centre for Autism. That organization is recognized as Canada’s leading service provider in the field of autism. Another session will be offered in April for EAs working with students in Kindergarten to Grade 6.

The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board serves approximately 17,100 students each day at 46 elementary and 8 secondary schools. Supporting student achievement is the goal of approximately 1,800 teaching and support staff who, in addition to the contributions of caring volunteers and community partners, share their passion for teaching and learning. The district covers a wide geographical area of 7,221 square kilometres bordered by Maynooth to the north, Deseronto to the east, Prince Edward County to the south and Quinte West to the west.

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For more information, contact:
• Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, (613) 966-1170 or 1 800 267-4350, extension 2354