Q&A WORKING TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND TEACHERS By Carolyn Lange clange@wctrib.com
S
ara Athman began working with children with autism in 2006 as an intern while obtaining an undergraduate degree at St. Cloud State University. After graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in community psychology from St. Cloud State University in 2008, she obtained her master of science in applied behavior analysis in 2010 and became a board-certified behavior analyst in 2011. For about nine years she worked primarily in schools and is now a consultant working from her home in Nisswa. She recently started working with staff and families at Nolan’s Place and travels there several times a month to work with children, train staff and provide guidance for parents.
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Sara also uses telehealth consultations and online video conferencing with families, which helps address a shortage of analysts in rural Minnesota. She says her goal is to help improve the lives of children and their families and teachers. In this Q & A with Live It!, Sara provides information about how autism spectrum disorder can affect young children and actions families can take. What is autism spectrum disorder? Sara: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, as well as engagement in repetitive behaviors and/or restricted interests. “Spectrum” means that there is a variation in the severity of symptoms for each individual.