Consultation and Training

Training

AANE can provide individualized consultation and training to your employees. Our staff of experienced trainers, including a network of adults with AS who can participate in the training, will customize training to fit the needs of your organization.

Some examples of training we offer:

  • General introduction to Asperger Syndrome
  • Educators
  • Parent groups (PTO, NAMI)
  • Teen transition
  • “Marching to a Different Drummer – Recognizing and Supporting Young Children with Asperger Syndrome”
  • First Responder training for police
  • Training for college staff, faculty, or security
  • Department of Mental Health, Department of Social Services, and providers
  • Employment related issues
  • Hospitalization

To schedule a training session, please contact AANE Administrator Lisa Graffeo at 617-393-3824 x10.

"Thank you so much for a terrific presentation. It was great! Parents really appreciated your information and the way the presentation was set up. Everyone who has spoken to me has expressed their appreciation for the program. THANK YOU FOR A GREAT JOB!"
— Catherine Mayes, Co-chair of the Marshfield PAAC

Consultation For Families, Adults & Professionals

Free Information Line for the AANE Community
All members of the AANE community are welcome to call or email AANE staff with your questions. AANE staff will answer your questions and help you find your way. Email works well to establish contact, or if you have a quick question. In general, we recommend that you use the phone if you need a referral, feel the need for some support, or are facing a complex or upsetting situation. We encourage you to become an AANE member, and can offer a one year dues scholarship to families in financial need.

Face to Face Consultations for Families or Individuals Living with AS

So often, parents, adults, and professionals call AANE wondering what their next step should be.  AANE is excited to be able to respond to the increasing demand for consultation services.

During a face to face consultation, an AANE staff member can listen and provide practical strategies.  At the end of the hour, we predict that you will feel more supported, more at ease, and better prepared to navigate the complexities of Asperger Syndrome (AS) and related conditions.

Examples of the types of topics that AANE can cover during a one hour consultation may include:
  • New diagnosis:  What should I do first?
  • What is Asperger Syndrome?
  • Clarifying how to focus your time and energy (Executive functioning, social pragmatics, etc…)
  • Self Advocacy and Disclosure
  • Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and School issues
  • Emotional Regulation and Behavior
  • Generalizing skills across school, home and the community
  • Transition to life after high school
  • How to succeed in college
  • Friendships and Relationships
  • Employment
  • Benefits for adults
  • Spouse questions

Consultation fees are $125.00/hour. A sliding scale may be considered if this presents a hardship. No one will be turned away due to inabiltiy to pay.

Call AANE to request a consultation, 617 393-3824.
For consultations in Spanish, ask for extension 23.

Clinical Supervision and Educator Consultations

Clinical Consultation for Professionals Working with Individuals with AS
AANE staff member Brenda Dater, MSW will offer in-person individual case consultation to professionals needing strategies around specific issues involving children and teens. Jamie Freed, LICSW will offer in-person individual case consultation to professionals needing strategies around specific issues involving adults and couples affected by Asperger Syndrome. The hourly consultation fee is $150.00 for members and $175 for non-members.  Please contact Brenda Dater or Jamie Freed to schedule an appointment.

Group Case Consultation for Professionals Working with Adults with AS
The group is open to clinicians with expertise working with AS adults and those clinicians who are not experts but who are working with this population. Case examples will provide the basis for group discussion. This group will meet once a month for four sessions.   The charge for this group is $100.00 for four sessions and participants are expected to be AANE members. The group will be facilitated by Jamie Freed, MSW, AANE Director of Adult Services. Meetings will be help monthly at AANE. For more information call or email .

For Educators Working with Students with AS
AANE staff will meet with individual educators or small groups of educators around program development or enhancement or individual student issues. Professional members pay $150 hr for this consultation plus transportation costs from Watertown. Please call AANE or email to schedule a mutually convenient time.

Intensive Coaching for Adult Professionals with AS

For Professionals and Executives with AS
For adults with AS and related social communication difficulties who work in high level executive, leadership, medical, legal, and educational positions, AANE provides intensive individual coaching in social and communication skills. Participants work with Elsa Abele, a nationally recognized speech and language pathologist with an expertise in pragmatic speech. The week includes five, 6 hour days at the AANE office in Watertown, Massachusetts, with follow-up phone consultation as needed.  The fee for the week is $5,000 plus $150 an hour for follow-up phone consultation. Meals and hotel are not included. Please contact Dania Jekel, at or 617 393-3824 for more information.