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Catherine Faherty has worked with and for people in the autism community since the mid-1980’s, first as a teacher and then as an autism consultant, trainer, and clinician for TEACCH-Asheville, NC. Catherine Faherty created the widely-used Understanding Friends program to raise awareness and sensitivity to differences of children with special needs among their non-handicapped peers. Her work at TEACCH included developing a social group for autistic adults that has been ongoing for over twenty years. Catherine Faherty has been training nationally and internationally since 1985, teaching thousands of teachers, parents, speech therapists, psychologists and other professionals what she’s learned about how to understand the nature of communication between mainstream expectations of communication and autistic style of communication, thus empowering them to develop healthier and more mutual relationships with their students, clients, friends, and family members. Catherine is now in private practice, continuing to serve the autism community at large – individuals, families, and professionals, through her services on catherinefaherty.com.The strategies she’s developed in her classroom and in the ensuing years, many of which were shared with and adapted by the TEACCH program, are based in understanding that people with an autistic learning style think and learn differently than those with a ‘neurotypical’ learning style. Her work in teaching self-advocacy skills to children and adults has empowers many on the autism spectrum to identify their own experiences, and gives them tools with which to effectively communicate this to others.
Catherine Faherty expanded the recognition that communication is always a social action, and therefore the cause of miscommunication and its resulting misunderstanding is mutual. Her most recent book, "Communication…What Does It Mean to Me?"(2010) is a book written explicitly for the purpose of drawing awareness to the mutuality of communication, and provides guidelines for developing more effective communication practice between the ASD individuals and their communication partners.
Catherine’s book, "Asperger’s…What Does It Mean to Me?"(2000) is a classic in the field of autism. Her book, Understanding Death and Illness and What They Teach About Life: An Interactive Guide for Individuals with Autism or Asperger’s and their Loved Ones was awarded the Autism Society of America’s 2009 Outstanding Literary Work of the Year. Catherine is one of six authorized world-wide trainers for Carol Gray’s Social Stories™ and leads Social Stories™ workshops teaching parents and professionals throughout the world.
Catherine Faherty and a TEACCH colleague, Carolyn Ogburn, are offering weekend workshops for autistic adults through TAG: The Autism Gathering. Their next premier workshop - a weekend retreat is scheduled for April 11-14th, 2013 near Asheville, North Carolina. It is titled "Telling Our Own Stories: Self-Advocacy and Disclosure".
Contact Info:
Name: Catherine Faherty
Email: Send Email
Organization: TAG: The Autism Gallery
Address: Asheville, North Carolina
Website: http://catherinefaherty.com/tag-asheville.html
Release ID: 3037
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