Families for Effective Autism Treatment
(FEAT) of Washington
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June 2009
Executive Director’s Message
Brenne Schario
June 2009
One of the joys and challenges of working at FEAT over the past
eight years or so has been writing the Executive Director’s
Message for this newsletter. This message will be my last one.
I am stepping down as FEAT’s executive director effective
the end of this fiscal year, June 30, 2009. My decision is primarily
driven by family issues. I need to focus full time on my second
son Nate's transition to adulthood; Nate will be a high school
senior this fall. My youngest son, Josh, who has more
challenges, becomes a senior the year after. I have been giving
serious thought to the proper time to step down since late last
year. With the professional board, strong staff, and programs we have in place, I am confident as I leave that FEAT is well positioned to continue its amazing work.
My work at FEAT began in 1997, when I joined the few dozen members of the newly formed FEAT of Washington. I instantly became an active member, serving as its marketing and PR chair and then going on to be its volunteer president for three years. I was hired as FEAT’s first executive director in January of 2001. Since then, we have journeyed together and built an organization that provides hope and guidance to hundreds of families in the Puget Sound through our mentoring, our listserv, our resource guide, and our respite and educational programs for children and teens.
When I began my tenure as executive director, there were a number of goals I wanted to accomplish. With the help of a committed board of directors, the generous support of our many members and donors, and the partnership and support of a dedicated and talented staff, we have met every goal. I celebrate this transition knowing that FEAT of Washington will remain a dynamic and significant presence in the area.
It has been a joy and privilege to share in weaving the fabric of this wonderful and unique organization. I shall take with me all the lessons I have learned from all of you. I'm grateful for the opportunity that I have been given to serve our organization and for the trust and confidence that has been placed in me for these many years. I believe in FEAT and the great work that we do.
Advocating for our families with children impacted by autism, including pushing for and creating effective programs, has been my life's work and passion, and so I know that whatever I do next, I won't be far from FEAT.
ELP Summer Session Begins Soon!
Andrew Syvertsen, Program Director
Carrie Syvertsen, Associate Director
It’s time to start thinking about summer! FEAT's Experience Learning Project (ELP) summer program starts Monday, June 29. We
are excited to embark on another summer of exciting new service learning projects.
ELP is FEAT’s program for teens with high functioning autism or Asperger’s Syndrome.
We work with our young people to improve their
self-management and social problem-solving
skills within a service learning context. We are
pleased to announce that this summer we will continue our partnership with the Cascade Land Conservancy, which is celebrating 20 years of land conservation and stewardship.
This year we will break our work into two blocks, one in Seattle and one in Redmond. We will also include additional service learning opportunities one time per week to offer a broader sample of ways in which we can contribute meaningfully to our community. Finally, we have divided our social thinking and social problem-solving instruction into week-long themes.
Block 1 (Redmond)
Week 1 (6/29–7/3): Goal Setting
Week 2 (7/6–7/10): Empathy and Communication
Block 2 (Seattle)
Week 3 (7/20–7/24): Emotion Management
Week 4 (7/27–7/31): Problem Solving
A special thanks is due to all the teens whose efforts made last year’s program such a success! We look forward to seeing both new and familiar faces this summer.
Please click here to learn more and download your application. Then get ready for a summer of fun!
Rising Star Academy Welcomes New Director
As we bid farewell to Kristin Foley, the current director of 
Rising Star Academy, FEAT’s preschool and kindergarten
Rising Star Academy, FEAT’s preschool and kindergartenprogram, we warmly welcome Kelly Ferris, who will assume
directorship in July 2009.
Kelly takes the helm at Rising Star Academy with more than
10 years of experience designing and supervising early
intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs for children
with autism, consulting in schools throughout Washington
State, and supervising staff members. Kelly’s balance of
very strong clinical and administrative skills will prove
invaluable as she leads the Rising Star Academy staff
members and students into their fourth year.
Many of you may already know Kelly through her work in FEAT’s Speakers Series or her leadership of FEAT’s Summer Intervention Program for the past several years. What you may not know is that Kelly is also a very busy professional outside of Washington, participating and presenting at various national professional conferences and publishing in peer-reviewed professional journals, such as the Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis. To learn more about Kelly, please visit her biography page on the FEAT website.
New Online Survey Opens
for Parents Whose Children Participate
in an In-Home ABA Program
Dr. Jack Scott, a professor at Florida Atlantic University, is conducting a new national survey of parents whose children with an autism spectrum disorder participate in an in-home ABA program. This online survey is an important tool to help clinicians, researchers, and policymakers understand what families need and how they experience their child’s in-home ABA program.
The survey is open to any parent of a child who currently has
an in-home ABA program. You can access the survey at
Florida Atlantic University In-Home ABA Online Survey or by visiting FEAT’s home page (http://www.featwa.org).
