VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment

This week, we're thankful for our VIA families & caregivers and our wonderful staff who make our mission possible! Wishing you and your loved ones a JOY-filled holiday!

Our recent Sibling Support Group attended the Afrique en Cirque at the Paramount in Charlottesville. VIA's mission is dedicated to supporting the entire family, including siblings of people with autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Siblings face challenges similar to those of caregivers, often before developing coping strategies. These potential caretakers (and lifelong friends) require professional support and attention. VIA's support groups ensure that these children and adolescents are informed, feel seen and heard, and are able to be compassionate advocates for their siblings. Thank you to our wonderful VIA staff and coordinators for organizing such a fun event for our amazing siblings!

Congratulations to Dr. Einar Ingvarsson and Dr. Rachel Metras for their recent publications of contributed chapters for the book A Practical Guide to Functional Assessment and Treatment for Severe Problem Behavior, published on November 1, 2024.? Dr. Ingvarsson’s chapters focused on preventing challenging behavior through general practice and skill-building at an early age, as well as a chapter on the reliability, validity, and treatment utility of indirect assessments. Dr. Metras explored the ways clinicians might use different functional assessment methods in their practice, and the resources it would take to implement each assessment well. The practices discussed in these chapters, as well as the entire book, are characteristic of assessment and intervention practices commonly implemented at VIA. The content of the chapters was in part informed by the authors’ experiences implementing these strategies, as well as the research literature. With the rest of the VIA team, Drs. Ingvarsson and Metras continue efforts to further improve VIA’s services with respect to the compassionate assessment and treatment of challenging behavior.?

This week our Roanoke STARS high schoolers volunteered with Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism making "snow juice" for the snow machines for the upcoming Illuminights Roanoke. We had a busy session mixing the "juice" and loading and unloading boxes and gallon jugs. VIA's evidence-based practices help our students build necessary skills that are then applied in real-world settings, such as volunteer work, community events, and trips to local businesses. Our staff does a wonderful job at preparing all of our learners and participants to be active and engaged citizens!

VIA's "Tea Time" group focuses on building social skills in a fun group setting. Each month we center lessons around different aspects of social interaction, such as making friends, getting someone's attention, and starting conversations. This week, our morning Tea Time participants practiced introductions, giving their names and a fun fact about themselves during an "Introduction Speed Round." After the participants introduced themselves to the person in front of them, they each moved to the right and repeated. VIA recognizes that social skills, connection, and community are vital elements for a richer, more fulfilling life. Our Tea Time participants apply their social skills lessons not only at CAAAS, but also at home and in the community.

Our Fall Festival at Lynchburg VIA Day School was a day to remember! Thank you to our VIA staff, families, and learners for a wonderful time filled with food, games, and FUN! We are so grateful for our amazing Lynchburg community and the time, effort, and passion given to the people we serve. We love any excuse to celebrate!

Congratulations to Leslie Painter, Director of Roanoke VIA Day School, for her recent election as Secretary for the VAISEF Board of Directors! Leslie brings her expertise in special education and evidence-based practices to support VAISEF's accreditation process and training opportunities. Way to go, Leslie!

Lynchburg VIA Day School's post-graduate students have been learning about natural disasters and how to help those in need. For the past few weeks, our students have been running a donation drive to collect food and clothing items for those affected by the recent hurricanes. Our class delivered several bags and boxes of donations to Gleaning For The World to contribute to the trucks of supplies that will be sent for hurricane relief. Volunteer work is an important part of our VIA mission, and we love seeing our participants gain confidence and feel connected to their communities. Thank you to Gleaning For The World and our VIA staff (and Damien Murtagh!) for organizing this project!

Thank you to 100+ Women Who Care for supporting our mission! 100+ Women Who Care voted for VIA to be a recipient of their donations at their October meeting. These funds will support the construction of the playground at the new VIA day school in Charlottesville. Pictured here from left to right are Diane Brownlee, Rebecca Ellison, and Nancy Markos.

Great to see Leslie Painter, Bethany Mazurek, and Meagan Harding M.A., BCBA, LBA represent VIA at the recent VAISEF 2024 Fall Conference in Staunton, VA!