May Institute Welcomes Icelandic Teachers to Randolph Campus

May Institute was pleased to welcome a group of educators from Iceland this past month. The group, comprised mainly of preschool teachers, visited the Randolph campus to learn about our programs and services and how we provide research-based treatment for children on the autism spectrum. May Institute was one of a handful of award-winning programs visited by the Icelandic group.

The group took a tour of the May Center for Child Development school (for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities) and met with Susan Wilczynski, Ph.D., BCBA, May Institute’s Senior Vice President of Autism Services and the Executive Director of the National Autism Center, for an informal discussion about treatment methods and diagnosis criteria for children with ASD. The Icelandic teachers expressed a great interest in a wide range of topics from home-based services to evidence-based approaches for identifying children on the autism spectrum. They were also eager to learn about the National Autism Center’s National Standards Report that identified 11 “established” treatments known to be effective for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Following an afternoon of exchanging multicultural ideas, the visiting group presented May Institute and Dr. Wilczynski with gifts from Iceland. The first was a children’s book that has been added to the library to be enjoyed by the students of the May Center. The second was a book featuring several postcards with beautiful photos of Iceland. Dr. Wilczyski was also presented with a vial containing ash from Eyjafjallajökull, the Icelandic volcano responsible for stranding many travelers earlier this year.