Birch Family Services’ mission is empowering individuals with autism and developmental disabilities to lead fulfilling lives. To help fulfill that mission, Birch Family Services provides a robust training program for staff, parents, families and community members who wish to obtain specialized strategies to engage children, adolescents, and adults with autism and developmental disabilities.
We offer training on a variety of topics including autism and developmental disabilities, communication, behavior management, applied behavior analysis, increasing self-help skills, child & adolescent development, and community integration. In addition, we offer a monthly Family Support Group open to all. This forum allows for the exploration of different topics, a place to share success stories and voice concerns.
Register for Upcoming Free Parent and Family Training Sessions Below!
2025
More training sessions coming soon!
All sessions will be held on Zoom.
Meet Our Instructors!
Margaret chiara, senior vp of workforce development
Margaret has over 30 years in the field of disabilities. Over her career she has had the pleasure of supporting individuals, their families and staff. She began her career as a Special Education Teacher and then went on to join a training department where she pursued her BCBA, NYS LBA as well as her education administration certificates. Training is her passion where she has the opportunity to meet new staff, work with parents and families and directly impact the individuals Birch Family Services supports.
lori volpe, phd., autism coordinator
Lori has 40 years experience working with adults and children with ASD and other developmental disabilities in educational, residential and vocational settings. In addition to her position with BTI, Lori has worked for agencies in the New York area developing and opening programs for individuals on the autism spectrum. Lori was trained in TEACCH at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a BA in Psychology from SUNY at Albany, an MA in Developmental Psychology from Yeshiva University, an MA in School Psychology and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology both from Hofstra University.