Behavioral support specialist Boyd Bradshaw will speak on "Bringing Sensory Integration and Behavioral Support into the Home" and the benefits to children with autism this month at a free autism parenting workshop sponsored by the School for Autism at the LeRoy Haynes Center in La Verne.

The two-hour autism training and informational workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 25, for parents and teachers of children who have or may have autism. The workshop is part of a second annual series designed to provide information to parents who typically face numerous challenges with their children who have autism or related disorders.

Bradshaw, who received a bachelor's degree in developmental psychology from Cal State San Bernardino, operates HCDD, Inc., in the city of Orange, providing specialized residential services to handicapped children and adults - individuals he said with areas of greatest need. In fact, only about 400 children in the state are eligible for his programs.

Bradshaw said that parents and teachers typically assume children with autism exhibiting behavioral issues have environmental stimulus issues, but an additional cause may be an internal dysfunction.

"In other words, individuals with disabilities can by hypersensitive or hyposensitive - their neurological system may not respond in a normal manner to the environment," Bradshaw said. "That is where sensory integration techniques can be applied. It may be as easy as throwing a weighted blanket on the bed of a child having sleeping problems (to provide a feeling of security)."

As another example, he said a child exhibiting temper tantrums in public can benefit from "deep pressure" or "firm massage" before making the transition into the community.

"This helps them literally reorient themselves to their own body so they have less anxiety," Bradshaw said, adding there are four key areas to consider - sensory issues, escape issues, attention issues and tangible issues.

"All behavior stems from one of those four areas," he said.

While there is no charge for the event, reservations are required due to space limitations in the Family Resource Center at LeRoy Haynes Center. For reservations, contact the LeRoy Haynes Center at (909) 593-2581.

The LeRoy Haynes Center provides specialized treatment and educational services to children with special needs relating to emotional development, autism, Asperger's Disorder, learning disabilities, neglect and abandonment.