The Social Express Named “Reader’s Choice Top 100 Product” by District Administration Magazine

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The Social Express Named “Reader’s Choice Top 100 Product” by District Administration Magazine

K12 leaders highlight products that enhance learning in another record-breaking year for nominations

SAN DIEGO – Dec. 10, 2013 — The Social Express has been recognized for making a positive difference in education by K12 leaders who named it to District Administration magazine’s “Readers’ Choice Top 100 Product for 2013.”

The winners, selected by District Administration’s editors from a record 1,800-plus nominations, were products that received the highest number of nominations and best descriptions from K12 leaders. The Readers’ Choice Top 100 has been announced online and in the December issue of District Administration.

Incorporating cognitive behavioral research and evidence-based social learning practices, the lessons in The Social Express use “Hollywood quality” animation to model the social skills integral to relationship building as well as career and life success.   The animated webisodes target 14 different skills and multi-tiered user levels, and are supported by quizzes, worksheets, and offline activities.  In addition, students have access to a private social network, The Clubhouse, which serves as an extension of the lessons where students can practice their skills and make friends in a safe environment.

In recognizing the most innovative products, the annual District Administration Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products award informs superintendents and other senior school district leaders about products their colleagues around the country are using to help their districts excel.
“The fact that we had a record number of readers participating in this recognition program is a testament to the interest that K12 leaders have in products for improving educational outcomes and operational efficiencies,” says JD Solomon, District Administration’s editorial director.  “All of the honorees in our Top 100 program should be very proud of their achievement.”

About The Social Express

Launched in 2011, The Social Express is an interactive program that supports social and emotional learning for students struggling with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), ADHD, and other social learning challenges.  Available to schools, professionals, and parents, the award-winning online program teaches users how to think about and manage social situations, helping them to develop meaningful social relationships and succeed in life.

About District Administration

District Administration provides K12 leaders with critical news and information for school district management, through its monthly magazine, website, e-newsletters and the District Administration Leadership Institute Superintendent Summits. For more information, visitwww.DistrictAdministration.com.

 

 

 

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LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO IMPLEMENT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM FROM THE SOCIAL EXPRESS®

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO IMPLEMENT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM FROM THE SOCIAL EXPRESS®

LAUSD educators to use the award-winning interactive program to help students with social learning challenges

Encinitas, Calif. – Sept. 9, 2013 – The Social Express, a web-based program for students struggling with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, and other social learning challenges, has been selected by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to support social and emotional learning in classrooms across the district.  With more than 650,000 K-12 students in nearly 1,000 facilities district-wide, LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation.

Incorporating cognitive behavioral research and evidence-based social learning practices, the lessons in The Social Express use “Hollywood quality” animation to model the social skills integral to relationship building as well as career and life success.   The animated webisodes target 14 different skills and multi-tiered user levels, and are supported by quizzes, worksheets, and offline activities.  In addition, students have access to a private social network, The Clubhouse, which serves as an extension of the lessons where students can practice their skills and make friends in a safe environment.

“The Social Express offers a comprehensive curriculum and guide containing the very foundations of social and emotional skills that we are required to teach,” said Amy Nguyen, special education specialist for LAUSD.  “It is easy for teachers to use, and fun for the students.”

Through a robust student management system called “Central Station,” The Social Express allows teachers and professionals to manage individual student and group use of the program, track usage and progress, run reports, and even export data for IEP reporting compliance.  Activities in The Social Express adhere to the California State Board of Education Content Standards and the Common Core State Standards.

“Research shows quite clearly that children with social learning challenges have a much harder time succeeding at school and in the workplace.  Despite this, the unfortunate reality is that far too few schools provide support in this area,” said Marc Zimmerman, founder and CEO of The Social Express.   “We applaud LAUSD officials for acknowledging the need to provide social skills instruction to its challenged learners and helping them develop the skills necessary for life-long success.”

About The Social Express

Launched in 2011, The Social Express is an interactive program that supports social and emotional learning for students struggling with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), ADHD, and other social learning challenges.  Available to schools, professionals, and parents, the award-winning online program teaches users how to think about and manage social situations, helping them to develop meaningful social relationships and succeed in life.

For more information visit http://www.TheSocialExpress.com

Media contact:

Leslie Eicher, APR

314-965-1776

Leslie@EicherCommunications.com

 

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The Social Express Social Skills Program Selected for a New iPad Apps for Kids Book

The Social Express Selected for new iPad Apps for Kids for Dummies book

 

We were so excited when Jinny Gudmundsen selected our social skills program, The Social Express, for her new book! This is how Jinny explained it to us,

After consulting with numerous experts and then playing hundreds of apps for special needs kids, I wrote about only the very top.
Congratulations on your inclusion — it means your app is one of the best.

–Jinny Gudmundsen, Author of iPad Apps For Kids for Dummies

Jinny is also Editor-in-Chief, Computing With Kids Ezine and writes for USA Today. Thank you Jinny Gudmundsen! 

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) May 29, 2013 

Brighten Learning®, makers of The Social Express®, is honored to announce that the company’s social skills learning program is included in a new book, iPad Apps For Kids For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. recently published the new book, authored by Jinny Gudmundsen. Ms. Gudmundsen is also a columnist at USA Today the Kid-Tech column and Editor-in-Chief for Computing With Kids E-zine.

The Social Express, winner of the SIIA Innovation Incubator Award in Ed Tech, is an interactive social skills learning program. The Social Express targets core deficit social skill areas that stand in the way of school and life success for children and young adults with social learning challenges.

For children who have trouble understanding social situations, The Social Express learning program lets them learn by role-playing through 16 interactive lessons. Presented as video vignettes starring four animated kids, the lessons clearly reveal the characters’ facial expressions and body language.

According to author Jinny Gudmundsen, “Kids experiment to see what the right behavior is in typical social situations. By interacting with friendly characters that kids can easily relate to, players learn how to start conversations, be a part of a group, look for hidden rules in social situations, make inferences from sequenced situations and more. “

The author also featured The Social Express in a Kid-Tech column in USA Today. Click here to read the USA Today Kid-Tech review.

Since launching in November 2011, The Social Express has received worldwide support and heartwarming testimonials. Stories of progress and success have poured in from Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), behaviorists, educators and parents. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), ADHD, learning disabilities, and normally developing children have found help using the program.

The Social Express is an interactive video-modeling intervention for parents, professionals, educators and the children they work with. Those that have worked with The Social Express have come to appreciate the high-quality, Hollywood-style animation and socially relevant content. It not only holds the user’s attention without over stimulating the senses, but also provides learning scenarios that reinforce best social choices. Learn more about The Social Express by visiting: thesocialexpress.com Twitter: @TheSocialExpres

About Brighten Learning, Inc.:

Brighten Learning®, founded by parents of autistic twins in 2010, is a privately held company based in Encinitas, California. The company develops The Social Express® and other interactive social skills software and learning management systems. The company’s mission is to help special needs children with social-emotional deficits to improve their lives. The company’s video modeling social skills learning programs help children with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, and related disorders to improve their interactions with others. Visit the company at http://thesocialexpress.com/

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School Districts Pilot Web-Based Social Skills Program by The Social Express

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) January 31, 2013

The makers of The Social Express® are pleased to announce that three school districts in Maine and California have signed on to pilot their newest education technology in February 2013. These school districts will have early access to the upcoming Web-based version of the company’s well-received social skills learning program.

The school districts participating in the new pilot programs include South Portland, Maine; and both Encinitas and Solana Beach, California.

The Social Express, winner of the SIIA Innovation Incubator Award in Ed Tech, is an interactive social skills learning program. The Social Express targets core deficit social skill areas that stand in the way of school and life success for children and young adults with social learning challenges.

The newest program from The Social Express provides teachers and professionals with reporting summaries that are relevant to them. This internet-based interactive education technology tool aligns with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), an initiative that is already being implemented nation-wide in the public schools. This new feature of the program will make writing social skill educational goals and reporting on progress easier for all professionals working with their students.

The Social Express will continue to incorporate the best evidence-based social learning practices to help students improve their use of social skills across all learning environments. Students work on “hidden social keys” such as making eye contact, recognizing non-verbal language cues from others, and turn taking, to name a few. The new program enables school districts to offer all of its students and teachers an updated social skills teaching method that uses a single sign on and minimizes IT costs.

Tamara Green, M.S., CCC-SLP and Content Director for the company said, “The benefits to students, teachers and professionals using this program are numerous. We know how valuable social skills are to succeed in our fast-paced world. An unfortunate reality is that socially rejected and socially isolated children and young adults with social learning challenges are at risk for academic failure and social adjustment problems. We are dedicated to meeting the growing need for explicit social skills instruction. Our research-based program is influenced by learning frameworks and methodologies from experts in the fields of education, social communication and psychology.”

Green continued, “Our lessons target the skills necessary to being a good social communicator. Our goal is for children to become more confident in using their social communication skills and carry over these skills wherever they go. Through explicit video modeling, individuals learn how to make friends and keep friends.”

Teachers, administrators and school professionals in each district will access the new Web-based version of The Social Express from all desktop computers and laptops. No special software needs to be loaded on each computer. The new program retains the wonderful characters that users love, and offers the same interactive learning environment.

Professionals and educators piloting the new Internet-based program will use integrated tools to create custom learning plans individualized for each student. They’ll also have access to new content each month and the popular built-in teaching tips.

Since launching in November 2011, The Social Express has received worldwide support and heartwarming testimonials. Stories of progress and success have poured in from Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), behaviorists, educators and parents. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), ADHD, learning disabilities, and normally developing children have found help using the program.

The Social Express is an interactive video-modeling intervention for parents, professionals, educators and the children they work with. Those that have worked with The Social Express have come to appreciate the high-quality, Hollywood-style animation and socially relevant content. It not only holds the user’s attention without over stimulating the senses, but also provides learning scenarios that reinforce best social choices. Learn more about The Social Express by visiting: thesocialexpress.com Twitter: @TheSocialExpres

About Brighten Learning, Inc.:

Brighten Learning®, founded by parents of autistic twins in 2010, is a privately held company based in Encinitas, California. The company develops The Social Express® and other interactive social skills software and learning management systems. The company’s mission is to help special needs children with social-emotional deficits to improve their lives. The company’s video modeling social skills learning programs help children with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, and related disorders to improve their interactions with others. Visit the company at http://thesocialexpress.com/

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The Social Express Readies New Web-Based Social Skills Program

The Social Express Web-based Version Coming SoonThe new Internet-based version of the popular social skills learning program, The Social Express, will be offered soon for Families, Professionals and School Districts.

An added feature, ‘The Clubhouse’, provides a safe environment for kids who are members to connect with each other and engage while practicing social skills.

Quote startThe upcoming Web-based, subscription version of The Social Express makes it easier to reach many more children and young adults who need help learning and practicing social skills. We want to help as many kids as possible to better interact with others.Quote end

 
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) January 25, 2013

Brighten Learning, makers of The Social Express®, is pleased to announce that a new Web-based version of its social skills learning program is coming soon.

The Social Express, winner of the SIIA Innovation Incubator Award in Ed Tech, is an interactive program that targets core deficit areas that stand in the way of school, social, and life success for children and young adults with social learning challenges.

Marc Zimmerman, CEO, said, “We’re so humbled by the community of parents, professionals and teachers that have gathered around The Social Express. We’re thrilled to be able to convert our social skills learning software into an Internet-based program. The upcoming Web-based, subscription version makes it easier for us to reach many more children and young adults who need help learning and practicing social skills. We want to help as many kids as possible to better interact with others.”

Families, Professionals and School Districts will be able to access the new Web-based version of The Social Express from all desktop computers, laptops and selected mobile devices. The new program retains the wonderful characters that users love and offers the same interactive learning environment for children to use along with their parents, teachers and speech language professionals.

Parents, school districts and professionals who become members of the new Internet-based program from The Social Express will be able to create custom learning plans around their children’s needs for social skill improvement. They’ll also have access to new content each month and the popular built-in teaching tips.

Jon Cornick, President and COO, said, “We developed the Web-based version to make it easier for children who need help with social skills to learn, connect and engage. One example, ‘The Clubhouse’, is a new private social network exclusively for children registered in The Social Express program. Inside The Clubhouse they can engage with each other while practicing the very skills they have learned in The Social Express. The goal is for them to generalize these new skills and ultimately make friends. The Clubhouse provides a safe and fun environment for this, and there is even a Parent Login for observing the child’s progress.”

Cornick added, “We’re developing exciting new tools and ways for kids to get involved with both learning and practicing social skills in our upcoming version of The Social Express. We invite our community of parents, educators and professionals to stay tuned to our exciting announcements. “

Since beginning in November of 2011, The Social Express has received wide support and heartwarming testimonials. Stories of progress and success have poured in from Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), parents and teachers of children diagnosed with Asperger’s, ADHD, autism and related disorders who have found help using the program.

The Social Express is an interactive video-modeling, social skills learning and education for autism program. Parents, professionals, and educators of special needs children like the high-quality, Hollywood-style animation that holds their attention without over stimulation. They also like the scenes that reinforce the best choices for kids to make in social situations. Learn more about The Social Express by visiting: thesocialexpress.com Twitter: @TheSocialExpres
Or follow the company on Facebook

Join our mailing list to hear exciting about new announcements and special offers from The Social Express! Click here to join our mailing list.

About Brighten Learning, Inc.:

Brighten Learning®, founded by parents of autistic twins in 2010, is a privately held company based in Encinitas, California. The company develops The Social Express® and other interactive social skills software and learning management systems. The company’s mission is to help special needs children with social-emotional deficits to improve their lives. The company’s video modeling social skills learning programs help children with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, and related disorders to improve their interactions with others. Visit the company at http://thesocialexpress.com/

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Social Learning Software Startup Adds Regional Sales Vice President

The Social Express Adds New Regional Sales Vice President, David D'AmatoWe’re excited to announce a new team member has joined us to help us reach more children who need help to improve their social skills. David D’Amato is going to lead our sales and relationship building in the Northeast.

The Social Express, a social learning software startup firm, announces the addition of its Northeast Regional Vice President of Sales, David D’Amato.

 

(PRWEB) December 27, 2012

Brighten Learning, makers of The Social Express, winner of the coveted Software Information and Industry Association (SIIA) Innovation Incubator Award in Ed Tech, is pleased to announce the addition of David D’Amato as Northeast Regional Vice President of Sales.

Marc Zimmerman, CEO, said, “We’re excited to have David D’Amato join our team. He is helping us expand the widespread adoption of our social learning software. David brings an excellent track record of sales and customer lifecycle relationship expertise to our team. “

D’Amato will generate and deliver sales revenues for the company’s autism education and social learning software programs and related learning management systems. He will expand the growing sales channels in the highly competitive Northeast region of the United States. D’Amato will focus on the education, speech language professionals and consumer markets. He brings a proven track record in identifying and converting major market opportunities into revenues, developing profitable relationships with decision makers and cultivating end-user communities.

David D’Amato said, “I’m really glad to be contributing to the mission of The Social Express by increasing the number of children with social learning deficits that we’re able to reach and help.” He added, “I can’t think of a better way to support families, educators, and professionals who are working everyday to help these special needs children improve their interactions with others.”

Prior to Brighten Learning, David D’Amato built over 20 years of bottom line success in all aspects of sales—technical support, channel development and relationship management—with companies such as AT&T and Lucent Technologies. D’Amato has an MBA from Benedictine University in Chicago and an undergraduate degree from Pacific University. He has also completed executive MBA programs in international business from George Washington University and general management program from the Wharton School of Business.

David D’ Amato can be reached at david(at)thesocialexpress(dot)com or by phone on 440.539.4360.

The Social Express provides social skills help for Asperger’s and other children diagnosed on the autism spectrum. In its first year, The Social Express has received wide support and heartwarming testimonials from the autism and Asperger’s community of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), educators, parents and teachers of children who need help for Asperger’s, ADHD, autism and related disorders.

The Social Express is an interactive video-modeling, social skills learning and education for autism program. Parents, professionals, and educators of special needs children like the high-quality, Hollywood-style animation that holds their attention without over stimulation and the scenes that reinforce the best choices for kids to make in social situations. Learn more about The Social Express by visiting: thesocialexpress.com Twitter: @TheSocialExpres

About Brighten Learning, Inc.:

Brighten Learning™, founded by parents of autistic twins in 2010, is a privately held company based in Encinitas, California. The company develops The Social Express™ and other interactive social skills software and learning management systems. The company’s mission is to help special needs children with social-emotional deficits to improve their lives. The company’s video modeling social skills learning programs help children with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, and related disorders to improve their interactions with others. Visit the company at http://thesocialexpress.com/

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Help for Asperger’s: Social Skills Program for Kids Celebrates First Anniversary

Jon Cornick ,President, Brighten LearningOur president, Jon Cornick and I and our entire team were so excited  to celebrate the first anniversary of our company! The Social Express was one-year old on November 11, 2012. We actually celebrated at ASHA12!

We’re all so humbled by the wonderful reception our social learning program has received from parents, school administrators, and teachers in our first year. Also from the dedicated speech-language pathologist (SLP) community that provides help for Asperger’s and autism everyday. So many  children who need special assistance with communication skills rely heavily on SLPs and their teachers.

Thanks to everyone we’ve met at ASHA and other conferences.

– Marc and Jon

 

Help for Asperger’s

 

PRWeb–November 29, 2012–The Social Express, a peer-reviewed program that recently won the coveted Software Information and Industry Association (SIIA) Innovation Incubator Award in Tech Ed, celebrates its first anniversary with a growing community of people helping kids to learn social skills.

The Social Express provides social skills help for Asperger’s and other children diagnosed on the autism spectrum. In its first year, The Social Express has received wide support and heartwarming testimonials from the autism and Asperger’s community of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), educators, parents and teachers of children who need help for Asperger’s, ADHD, autism and related disorders.

Jon Cornick, President, said, “We are incredibly grateful for the amazing growth our company has achieved in our first year. We’ve found an enthusiastic community of supporters by participating in conferences, being featured in news stories, receiving wonderful reviews and publicity. The testimonials from educators, administrators, professionals and parents have been so encouraging.”

Marc Zimmerman, CEO, said, “My wife Tina and I were inspired to found our company in order to help other parents, like us, who have children with autism. We continue to be inspired, motivated and energized because of the deep commitment to help kids with autism and Asperger’s that we experience from the autism community.” Zimmerman continued, “We’d like to express our deep gratitude for all of the hard work the SLPs do everyday to help my twins and other children on the autism spectrum with communication skills.”

The Social Express is an interactive video modeling, social skills learning, and education for autism program. Parents, professionals, and educators of special needs children like the high-quality, Hollywood-style animation that holds their attention without over stimulation and the scenes that reinforce the best choices for kids to make in social situations. Learn more about The Social Express by visiting: thesocialexpress.com Twitter: @TheSocialExpres

About Brighten Learning, Inc.:

Brighten Learning™, founded by parents of autistic twins in 2010, is a privately held company based in Encinitas, California. The company develops The Social Express™ and other interactive social skills software and learning management systems. The company’s mission is to help special needs children with social-emotional deficits to improve their lives. The company’s video modeling social skills learning programs help children with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, and related disorders to improve their interactions with others.

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Autism Education Company Presents at ASHA 2012 Convention November 15-17

 

 

Autism-Education-Firm-Presents-ASHA12

San Diego, CA—(PRWeb) November 15, 2012—Speech-language pathologists and professionals attending the 2012 ASHA Convention, who are looking for interactive social skills education for autism, will want to visit The Social Express™ in Booth 408. 

The Social Express is a peer-reviewed program that recently won the coveted Software Information and Industry Association (SIIA) Innovation Incubator Award in Tech Ed.  The program provides social skills education for children on the autism spectrum and has been featured on news programs in major markets as well as growing coverage on the web.

 

Jon Cornick ,President, Brighten LearningJon Cornick, President, said, “We are very excited to attend ASHA 2012 in Atlanta. Over the past months we’ve received many positive responses from the SLP community and hope to meet many of them in person at our booth.”

Marc Zimmerman, CEO, commented, “The work that the SLP Helping Your Child Learn Social Skillscommunity did with my twin sons with autism was incredible. Speech-Language Pathologists provide amazing and vital services to children with autism and related disorders. I know firsthand just how vital a role SLPs play for these children.” Zimmerman continued, “I deeply appreciate all of the hard work the SLPs do to help my twins with their communication skills.”

Cornick added, “This is the one-year anniversary of the launch of The Social Express. We’re just thrilled to be able to celebrate this event at ASHA with the SLP community.”

The Social Express joins 12,000 leading practitioners at the annual ASHA Convention. This event is being held at Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from November 15-17, 2012.

The Social Express is an interactive video-modeling, social skills learning and education for autism program. Parents, professionals, and educators of special needs children like the high-quality, Hollywood-style animation that holds their attention without over stimulation and the scenes that reinforce the best choices for kids to make in social situations.  Learn more about The Social Express by visiting:  thesocialexpress.com Twitter: @TheSocialExpres

About Brighten Learning, Inc.:

Brighten Learning™, founded by parents of autistic twins in 2010, is a privately held company based in Encinitas, California.  The company develops The Social Express™ and other interactive social skills software and learning management systems. The company’s mission is to help special needs children with social-emotional deficits to improve their lives. The company’s video modeling social skills learning programs help children with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, and related disorders to improve their interactions with others. Visit the company at http://thesocialexpress.com/

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Autism Education Startup Presents at NAEYC Conference November 7-10

Jon Cornick ,President, Brighten LearningThe Social Express, a peer-reviewed, award winning social learning program will present at the annual National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) event in Atlanta from November 7-10, 2012. The Social Express will be in Booth # 2350.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) October 30, 2012

Early childhood professionals attending the 2012 NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo, who are looking for interactive education for autism programs, will want to visit The Social Express™. The Social Express is a peer-reviewed program that recently won the coveted Software Information and Industry Association (SIIA) Innovation Incubator Award in Tech Ed. The program provides social skills education for children on the autism spectrum and has been featured on news programs in major markets as well as growing coverage on the web. The Social Express will be located in Booth 2350.

Jon Cornick, President, said, “Early childhood learning is an important focus for our company.  It’s been reported that 80 percent of children enter kindergarten with social learning issues.”

Cornick continued, “We often hear from school teachers that, when they use The Social Express in their classrooms, students respond positively to the content and are more respectful to their fellow peers.”

The Social Express joins leading practitioners at the annual National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) event. This event is being held at Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from November 7-10, 2012.

In its initial phase, The Social Express is a 16-lesson interactive video-modeling social skills learning and education for autism program. Parents, professionals, and educators of special needs children like the high-quality, Hollywood-style animation that holds their attention without over stimulation and the scenes that reinforce the best choices for kids to make in social situations. Learn more about The Social Express by visiting: thesocialexpress.com Twitter: @TheSocialExpres

About Brighten Learning, Inc.
Brighten Learning™, founded by parents of autistic twins in 2008, is a privately held company based in Encinitas, California. The company develops The Social Express™ and other interactive social skills software and learning management systems. The company’s mission is to help special needs children with social-emotional deficits to improve their lives. The company’s video modeling social skills learning programs help children with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, and related disorders to improve their interactions with others. Visit the company at http://thesocialexpress.com/

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Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism & Social Learning Startup Donate to Schools with Autism Classes

The Doug Flutie Jr Foundation for Autism Partners with The Social ExpressSan Diego, CA and Framingham, MA—(PRWeb) October 23, 2012—The Social Express™, creators of new interactive social skills programs for special needs children, has partnered with The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism and donated copies of its program to schools who teach children with autism.

“We’re very proud to donate The Social Express learning program to The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism,” said Marc Zimmerman, CEO and Founder of Brighten Learning. “After using our program, teachers tell us that students are extremely receptive to its social skills lessons like ‘talking about what others like to talk about’ and ‘being part of the group’.  Many ask to use the program everyday.“

Zimmerman added, “Educator feedback also tells us that The Social Express characters engage students so well, they’re able to begin learning tough social concepts. We’re excited to share the program with more schools!”

The importance of technology to enhance children’s learning in the classroom is widely accepted. For children with autism, laptop computers are especially helpful but are out of reach for many schools with autism specific classrooms.

The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism has long recognized this fact. In 2000 the Laurie Flutie Computer Initiative was created for the purpose of donating computers to underprivileged families of individuals living with autism as well as to schools with autism-specific classrooms.

Chris Chirco, Program Director at the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, stated that, “The Flutie Foundation is excited to partner with The Social Express.  Computer technology has become a key component in the education of many individuals with autism spectrum disorders and The Social Express offers a very visually stimulating and engaging interface that is sure to appeal to children on the autism spectrum.  Learning social skills can be critical for an individual with autism to succeed independently.”

Computers are given to schools with autism-specific classrooms that could not otherwise afford to purchase them. To date the foundation has distributed close to 500 computers to families and schools in New York and New England.

In its initial phase, The Social Express is a 16-lesson interactive video-modeling social skills learning program. Parents, professionals, and educators of special needs children like the high-quality, Hollywood-style animation that holds their attention without over stimulation and the scenes that reinforce the best choices for kids to make in social situations.

Children with autism, ADHD, Asperger’s, and other social-emotional deficits find the characters engaging and many ask to use it every day. Learn more about The Social Express by visiting the website: http://thesocialexpress.com/

About Brighten Learning, Inc.:

Brighten Learning™, founded by parents of autistic twins in 2008, is a privately held company based in Encinitas, California.  The company develops The Social Express™ and other interactive social skills software and learning management systems. The company’s mission is to help special needs children with social-emotional deficits to improve their lives. The company’s video modeling social skills learning programs help children with ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, and related disorders to improve their interactions with others. Visit the company at http://thesocialexpress.com/

About The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism:

The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc. was established in 1998 by Doug Flutie and his wife, Laurie, in honor of their 20  year old son, Doug, Jr. who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. The Flutie Foundation’s mission is to support families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Foundation is committed to increasing awareness of the challenges of living with autism and helping families find resources to help address those challenges. We provide individuals with autism and their families an opportunity to improve their quality of life by funding educational, therapeutic, recreational and advocacy programs. For more information on The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, please contact Maria Baez at the Ebben Zall Group at (781) 449-3244, or visit www.flutiefoundation.org.

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