Olean Skill Building Retreat a Big Success

Twenty-one parents from Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties participated in a skill building retreat at the Hampton Inn in Olean, NY on December 8 and 9. The Advocacy Center sponsored the event for parents of children with developmental disabilities. Friday evening featured a presentation on relaxation techniques and stress reduction. Participants learned how to recognize the warning signals of stress and learned how and when to employ stress reduction techniques. Saturday's sessions focused on developing and employing effective communication and advocacy strategies to achieve positive educational outcomes for children. A sampling of comments from the participants: "Excellent interaction activities - very beneficial. Great training info!" "Great job! Got rethinking about other ways to communicate. Opened many doors!" "This workshop has been very helpful to me!" "This has been one of the greatest experiences we or I have had since my son was diagnosed and we will take part in more."