Kids with disabilities are at higher risk of being victims of sexual abuse. One way to reduce this risk is by starting education about consent, body autonomy, and safe touch early.

This new class will work on these skills with neurodivergent kids, ages about 3-7, and their caregivers. It is open to any children with Dane County CLTS waiver funding, and will take place on May 20th, 4:30-5:30 at Monona Public Library.

To register, go to https://forms.gle/rq6rr44iUgWC8Ykm6

Neurodivergence and Relationships, Monday June 24th 4-5:30pm : Identifying my strengths and barriers when it comes to dating and friendships, what are my relationship goals, and what am I truly looking for in a relationship that will meet my needs?

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups meet virtually via Google Meet, and are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register, complete this form

Caregivers, whether paid or unpaid, have incredibly important roles in the lives of people with disabilities.  But it can be hard for many caregivers to show the same compassion to themselves as they do to the people they care for, and this is leading to more and more burnout.  This class will help caregivers identify their own needs and create plans for managing REAL, meaningful self-compassion and self-care that will enhance your relationships not just with yourself, but also with those you are caring for.  The class is ideal for anyone who provides care, whether it’s for a family member or as a professional or direct care worker, who wants to learn how to cope with the very valid struggles of being a caregiver.

This training is done in partnership with Waisman Community Outreach Wisconsin and all questions can be directed to mltruman@wisc.edu

Cost: $30

To register, please go to the COW website

The Power of Healthy Boundaries, Tuesday July 30 4-5:30pm : Understanding what can be hard about setting boundaries in relationships, identifying my own boundaries and how to communicate them, and recognizing when my boundaries are being crossed

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

You can sign up for as many as you would like, based on whatever you are most interested in.  Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register, complete this form

Many caregivers exhibit symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from working with people who have experienced trauma themselves or witnessing that trauma as a caregiver.  In addition, it can be very difficult to manage these symptoms while also providing care for others and helping them to cope with their trauma symptoms.  We will take a deeper look at how trauma of someone we care about impacts our own nervous systems, how empathy fatigue (often referred to as compassion fatigue) can make it difficult to feel regulated and provide care and create useful plans and tools to address these symptoms so we can fully engage with the people we are caring for.  This class is ideal for anyone who provides care, whether it’s a family member or a social worker/direct care worker.

Cost: $30

This training is done in partnership with Waisman Community Outreach Wisconsin. Please direct any questions to mltruman@wisc.edu

Register at the COW website

Workplace Relationships and Sexual Harassment, Tuesday August 13 4-5:30pm: understanding professional vs. personal relationships, identifying sexual harassment and how to report it, respecting boundaries in the workplace

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

You can sign up for as many as you would like, based on whatever you are most interested in.  Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register complete this form

Communication in Relationships, Monday August 19 4-5:30pm: Understanding neurodivergence and how it impacts my ability to communicate with and understand others, and identifying strategies that are going to work for me to communicate my feelings and needs

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

You can sign up for as many as you would like, based on whatever you are most interested in.  Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register complete this form

Online Dating 101, Monday Sept 9 4-5:30pm: How to identify online dating sites that coudl be useful, crafting the best profile, sending and receiving respectful messages, how to meet someone safely, and recognizing red flags online

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups meet virtually via Google Meet, and are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register, complete this form

Consent, Tuesday September 24 4-5:30pm : Identify yours and others rights in relationships, understand what consent truly looks and sounds like and why it's important, how to respond to and cope with rejection

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups meet virtually via Google Meet, and are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register, complete this form

Social Media Safety, Tuesday October 15 4-5:30pm : identifying pros and cons of using social media, recognizing red flags and scams online, understanding and dealing with cyberbullying and online sexual harassment

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups meet virtually via Google Meet, and are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register, complete this form

Let's Talk About Sex, Monday October 28 4-5:30pm: Identifying male and female sexual anatomy, understanding pregnancy and STI risks, using safe sex protections, and discussing sexual boundaries with my partner

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups meet virtually via Google Meet, and are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register, complete this form

Break Ups, Monday November 11 4-5:30pm: revisiting your relationship goals and values to identify whether or not a relationship is working for you, identifying barriers and struggles with ending relationships and how to overcome them, handling rejection and break ups

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups meet virtually via Google Meet, and are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register, complete this form

Cycles of Abuse, Tuesday December 3 4-5:30pm: Recognizing unsafe behavior in any relationship, understanding how abuse happens, creating a safety plan for leaving an abusive relationship, identifying community resources for supporting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault

Each of these sessions focuses on different topics relating to neurodivergence, relationships, sexuality, and safety.  The goal is to develop self-advocacy skills, support self-determination, exercise civil rights, and acquire skills needed to exercise control and responsibility over services and supports through educational conversations with a professional and peers. 

Funding must be approved before the group starts, and unfortunately we are not able to wait for a budget amendment if it is not approved in time, so please be sure to communicate with Heart and your IRIS consultant quickly to get budget amendment requests in on time.

These groups meet virtually via Google Meet, and are for neurodivergent adults, ages 18 and older, only.  If you do not have IRIS funding and would like to privately pay, please email ellenm@heartconsulting.org to discuss private pay rates (or any other questions)

To register, complete this form