A 14-session educational series for parents on facets of autism will be held every Thursday night through mid-August, sponsored by the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Packard Children's Hospital.

The series is tailored for parents of children and teens with autism spectrum disorder.
This includes children with Asperger's disorder, autism and PDD-NOS ("pervasive development disorder, not otherwise specified").

The class will meet every Thursday from last night (May 14) through Aug. 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and costs $5 per session. Parents may attend individual sessions or the whole series.

Subjects covered include the basics of behavior management, how to navigate the service system, research updates and home strategies for skills building and stress reduction.

"This community of parents is always seeking the latest education and information," said Jennifer Phillips, a clinical assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Packard Children's Hospital. Phillips will lead the classes along with clinical professor Linda Lotspeich.

"We're excited about sharing our knowledge and expect a lot of community interest," Phillips said.

Online registration is available for the series, which meets in Conference Room 2209 at 401 Quarry Road, Palo Alto.

At the conclusion of the 14 weeks, Phillips said she and Lotspeich plan to begin the series again, "along with adding any new learnings."

For phone registration or more information, call (650) 721-6327.