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Health & Fitness

Program for Kids on Autism Spectrum Names New Director

Danvers, MA – Louann Larson, Director of Family Support at Northeast Arc, is pleased to announce that Carrie Breaux has been appointed Director of the Spotlight Program at the agency. Northeast Arc provides services and supports to people with disabilities, and the Spotlight Program focuses specifically on helping youth who struggle with social anxiety.

“Carrie spent a year as the Assistant Program Director of our Building Blocks program,” Larson explained, “and during that time she demonstrated superb leadership skills and a deep understanding of autism disorders and treatment approaches. I have no doubt that her experience and vision will make Spotlight an even more impactful program for the kids it serves.”

A native of Wakefield, Breaux has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Special Education. She is currently working toward board certification in applied behavior analysis. She and her husband Dan live in Georgetown and have a 2½ year old son, Desmond.

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“I’ve been working with children on the autism spectrum for more than ten years,” Breaux said. “There is no greater feeling than watching them gain confidence and self-esteem with the help of a program like Spotlight. Our goal is to help as many kids as we can, helping them develop friendships and a real sense of personal worth.”

Now ten years old, Northeast Arc’s Spotlight Program fosters the development of social-emotional competence and confidence in youth ages 6-22 who struggle to navigate the social world.  This includes those with Asperger's Syndrome, PDD-NOS, High Functioning Autism, ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Mood Disorders and other related diagnoses. Spotlight uses a unique three-part model that includes developing trust, using drama and improv, and incorporating participants’ special interest into group activities to facilitate social growth.

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Northeast Arc is now accepting enrollments for two Spotlight programs running the week of August 19th: On Cue for ages 6 to 9 and Social Scenes for ages 9 to 22. For more information or to register, contact Carrie Breaux directly at 978-624-2334 or cbreaux@ne-arc.org.


About Northeast Arc
Northeast Arc was created in the 1950s by parents of children with disabilities who rejected the assumption that their children should be institutionalized. Now serving over 7,000 people annually in more than 150 Massachusetts cities and towns, Northeast Arc is dedicated to helping people with disabilities become full participants in the community, choosing for themselves how to live, learn, work, socialize and play. The agency does this through a variety of programs, including Autism Services, Day Habilitation, Deaf Services, Early Intervention, Employment Services, Family Support, Personal Care Assistance, Recreation, Residential and Transition services. The agency also runs the ArcWorks Community Art Center on Foster Street in Peabody. Northeast Arc is the largest Arc in the state of Massachusetts and the 4th largest Arc in the country. For more information, visit their website at www.ne-arc.org or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/northeastarc.
 
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For more information, contact Cheryl Purinton, Director of Events & Marketing at cpurinton@ne-arc.org or at 978-624-2497. 

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