Autism

Act Today - Up to a $5,000 grant, preference given to those earning less then $100,000 per year
http://www.act-today.org/grants.html

Autism Family Resources - $500 grant for therapy equipment and services. Must earn less then $50,000 annually
http://www.autismfamilyresources.org/needassistance2.htm

National Autism Association - $1500 grant to help your child with autism receive the services and products that he/she needs
http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/helpinghand.php

UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation, Inc - Up to a $5,000 grant, family of 4 must earn less then $60,000
http://www.uhccf.org/

 

i created a support group for parents who have autistic kids in Seattle

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/autism_seattle/

ROAD Men's Apparel will be holding a fundraising event next Sunday, April 26th, to benefit Autism Speaks. In addition to giving 25% of the day's proceeds to Autism Speaks, they will also be giving shoppers 10% off of their purchases from 3:00 p.m. to close. Refreshments will be served and one lucky shopper will receive a $100.00 ROAD gift certificate.

In this tough economy, ROAD Men's Apparel continues to support local charities with fundraising events. We hope you'll be able to come on out for a great time shopping for great men's apparel.

Address is 1420 5th Avenue in the US Bank Centre shopping plaza. Phone is 206-264-8300. Please call us if you have any questions about this event.

Thanks for your support!

Mark & Susan Barlet
NW Chapter Co-Presidents
Autism Speaks
253-826-9723

April 1, 2009
Tacoma 2009 - Issue 1

It's Autism Awareness Month!

Hello Stella,

It is now April, which means Spring should finally be showing its head. Even more importantly - it is Autism Awareness Month!

In this issue, check out the following great information from your Pacific Northwest Autism Speaks:

1. Save The Date
2. Volunteer with Tacoma's Walk Now for Autism Event
3. World Autism Awareness Day
4. Toys "R" Us & Lindt Chocolates
5. Advocacy Update
6. Meet Justin!

Save The Date

Our 2009 Tacoma Walk Now for Autism event will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at Cheney Stadium!

You can start registering your teams and fundraising today! Our 2009 website is live and ready to go at http://www.walknowforautism.org/tacoma!

Volunteer with Tacoma's Walk Now for Autism Event
Our 2009 Tacoma Walk is getting organized now! If you are interested in volunteering and/or becoming part of our 2009 Committee Leadership Team, please let me know what area you would be interested in participating in. Just some of the examples of areas of need are listed below. Autism Speaks would love to have YOU join us to make this year's walk the best yet!

• * Volunteer Recruitment Committee - recruit and mentor new volunteers to join us on the day of the walk and to join our Volunteer Leadership Committee positions!
• * Walker Recruitment Committee - recruit and mentor new team captains, get local businesses and interested groups involved throughout our walk campaign, and spread the word about Autism Speaks right here in Washington!
• * Corporate Sponsorship Committee - create list of prospects and help to reach out to potential local sponsors.
• * Schools & Youth Committee - plan mini events and partner with local schools to volunteer before and on walk day and join us as fundraising teams!
• * Resource Fair Committee - recruit and build the Community Resource Fair featured at our walks.
• * Marketing & Public Relations Committee - responsible for many of the public relations and marketing aspects of the Walk event, including media relations, media sponsorships, and public service announcements.
• * In-Kind Donations Committee - secure food, beverage, and other important donations for our Walk Day festivities!
• * Entertainment Committee - recruit entertainers and develop creative activities for Walk Day.
  
  

World Autism Awareness Day
This Thursday, April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. It truly is a world event, with numerous countries commemorating the day by holding a plethora of special events. You can see all of the events at the World Autism Awareness Day website as well as virtually Walk with Wubbzy!

In addition, Autism Speaks will be in Olympia on World Autism Awareness Day to help educate and inform our elected representatives about Autism and why they need to get on board and support funding now!
Toys "R" Us & Lindt Chocolates
In April, Toys "R" Us and Lindt Chocolates are promoting some very special campaigns to raise awareness and money for Autism.

Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us locations nationwide are currently fundraising in all of their stores to benefit Autism Speaks. Stop in to your local store and see puzzle pieces everywhere! Also, Toys "R" Us has put together a great list of the "Ten Toys That Speak To Autism" that you might want to check out! (As of this writing, Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us have raised over $1 million!)

From now until April 12th, Lindt Chocolates is donating a portion of their proceeds from every Chocolate Lindt Gold Bunny AND Limited Edition Plush Gold Bunny Ears sold to Autism Speaks. If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth and help Autism Speaks, you may consider some Lindt Chocolates this year!


Advocacy Update
Autism Votes has been working hard in the state to help pass Shayan's Law - Autism Insurance Reform. Here is some important information about what the law would do, if passed:

HB1210 - Sponsored by State Representative Brendan Williams (D-22)
SB5203 "Shayan's Law" - Sponsored by State Senator Steve Hobbs (D-44)

Requires private insurance coverage of:

* Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders by a licensed physician or psychologist.
* Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorders
* Determined medically necessary by a licensed physician or psychologist
* Habilitative and Rehabilitative care
* Psychiatric and Psychological care
* Pharmacy care: medications for co-occurring symptoms or diagnoses

Children birth-21 years of age

Limits of Coverage: All therapy is subject to an annual limit of $50,000, but is NOT subject to a limit on the number of annual visits.

For more information on the bill or about our Autism Votes Initiative, contact Arzu Forough, Autism Speaks Government Relations Liaison, at WashingtonStateAdvocacy @ autismspeaks.org!
Meet Justin!
I would like to take a minute to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Justin Wieging and I am the new Pacific Northwest Manager for Autism Speaks. I will be your liaison for all things Autism Speaks-related for the state of Washington. With our fantastic Walk and Committee Chairs, I look forward to our tremendous Walk Now for Autism events in the state and know we can raise $150,000 for Autism in Tacoma this year. If there is anything I can do to help, please just let me know by phone, fax, or email.

Phone: 206.464.5182 | 866.362.6227
Fax: 206.622.2970
Email: Justin.Wieging @ autismspeaks.org

I look forward to meeting all of you and can't wait to see what 2009 brings!

Mailing Address:
Autism Speaks - Pacific Northwest
159 Western Avenue West
Suite 484
Seattle, WA 98119
US

Contact Name: Justin Wieging
Telephone Number: 206-484-5182

Everyone who knows me also knows that I produce a show every year that benefits autism. I'm looking for help to fund the show. Renting the venue is my main concern, and paying for the rental. I've got bands lined up, I've got the venue picked out, now I've just got to pay for the venue. Wonderful people are already willing to donate their time to help produce the show. Please help me pay for it.

we're looking for bands willing to play in tacoma for the tacoma autism speaks walk in july. we need about 3 bands to play along the route at Cheney stadium, that are kid friendly. roughly 1200 people will be walking along the route at various times. there will be limited or no electrical plugs.

you would get reimbursed gas and eat free food. friends, family, children are all welcome to attend as well

The event is being held in July in Tacoma and October in Seattle.

The Lake Washington School District PTSA Special Needs Group holds monthly meetings with speakers/topics. Below is info on the Jan 27th meeting along with other resource info sent from the Chairperson.

Chairperson, Beth Angelo, sends out a lot of good resource info / meeting notices / workshop info. You can request to join at: lwsdptsasng(at)yahoogroups.com My understanding is you do not need to be in LWSD to join the email group.

Our January 27th meeting will feature two great speakers.

Our topic for this meeting will be Special Education Law presented by Christine Thompson Ibrahim, from the Law Offices of Larry A. Jones.

· This is a great chance to learn about special education law from a professional, so that you can be a better advocate for your child’s rights. Special education law forms the foundation of your child's program, so come and join us to learn more!

We are also honored that Margaret-Lee Thompson, the force behind the King County Parent Coalition, will be on hand to talk about resources for parents and transitioning to the workplace. She is an amazing resource and will have some great info for us!

Meetings are held at the LWSD Resource Building

16250 NE 74th St, Redmond 98052
(Redmond Town Center)

Call 425/702-3200 for directions

7:00-8:30 PM
------------------------

Wrightslaw Special Ed Advocate: "Discipline & Children with Disabilities" http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/09/nl.0102.htm

Education Forum: SHORELINE- State Rep. Ruth Kagi hopes a major community education forum slated for Tuesday evening, Jan. 6, will give local residents a head start in understanding and weighing in on key education-funding issues that lawmakers will face in 2009.
The Tuesday evening forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room of the Northshore Public Utility District facility, which is located at 6830 NE 185th St. in Kenmore.
Kagi, a Shoreline Democrat, is co-sponsoring the forum with the Washington State PTA and League of Education Voters to give parents, teachers and others an inside view of the findings and recommendations of the Washington State Basic Education Funding Task Force.
"We need our local communities to have a strong voice in decisions that will shape the future of education here and throughout Washington, and this forum will help," said Kagi.
State Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Medina, will be at the forum to provide an inside look at the work and recommendations of the Basic Education Funding Task Force. Hunter is a key member of the Task Force who also chairs the House Finance Committee in the State Legislature.
Citizens attending the forum will also have an opportunity to hear the perspectives and ask questions of Scott Allen, the Vice President of the Washington State PTA, and George Scarola, the Legislative Policy Director for the League of Education Voters.
"This will truly be a community discussion on education, and not an event where people are just talked at," Kagi said. "We will all be fielding questions and comments at the forum, and the public perspectives I hear will be invaluable as I prepare for the legislative session that starts on Jan. 12." (Thank you Wendy DeLong)
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Positive Discipline Classes and Trainings. taught by Melanie Miller, M.Ed., Parent Educator and School Counselor

Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills: respect for self and others, problem solving, and cooperation, as well as the skills to contribute to the home, school, or larger community.

Positive Discipline Class

Seven Session class beginning January 27th, 7-9pm at Woodinville Montessori School in Woodinville. Tentative Class dates (Class dates to be confirmed after January 5th) January 27th, Feb. 3, 10, 24 (no class on 17th), March 3, 10, 17.

To register: Contact Melanie at: melanie_miller(at)verizon.net or 206.579.2172.

Positive Discipline Class, Part II!

A One night advanced class for anyone who has taken a seven session Positive Discipline Parenting Class. Individual class will be offered four times per year. Come learn some new tools, review the concepts of PD and enjoy the support and encouragement of other parents. Each class will include several “Parent Helping Parent” activities. Monday, January 12, 6:30-8:30 pm.

To register: contact me at melanie_miller(at)verizon.net or 206.579.2172. This class will be held in my house in the North Rose Hill area of Kirkland. $20/person, $25/couple.

Teaching Parenting The Positive Discipline Way

A training for Counselors, Parent Educators, Social Workers etc. Learn how to use Positive Discipline with your community of parents. Developed by Lynn Lott and Jane Nelsen, Teaching Parenting provides a step-by-step approach to starting and leading experientially based parenting groups. This program stands alone or offers significant enhancement to any program through experiential activities that reach the heart to inspire deeper understanding and change. February 26th (evening), 27th, 28th (9-5) , Kirkland, WA.

To register, see website www.posdis.org (Thank you Melanie Miller)

This is directly copied from an email I received today about this yahoo group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpecialChildExchange/

Description

Welcome to the Special Needs Exchange
Buy. Sell. Wanted. Recycle

This is the yahoo group for SpecialChildExchange.org. The sole purpose of this group is helping one another in the form of recycling all forms of equipment and supplies that we use on a daily basis.

The SCE is a personal ministry by Steve Gay, a father of two. Steve was aware that many families with special needs children struggled daily, and many families fell through the cracks, neither qualifying for assistance nor having adequate private medical insurance that would cover the expensive equipment and daily supplies a child needed. In garages and basements were stored previously loved but outgrown wheelchairs, standers, walkers, and toilet chairs that other children needed. The problem was that parents, organizations, and professionals didn't know how to access it. That is how SCE began. The SCE originally started out as a group of underserved special needs parents from around the U.S. on a Yahoo list exchanging support, recycling outgrown durable medical equipment and sharing information on affordable and surplus supplies. Over time special education teachers, therapists, clinics started asking for help finding donated equipment to improve the lives of the children they worked with. As word spread and the listserv grew it became obvious that special needs children around the nation had unfulfilled basic needs, and that, parents joining together could help each other.

The SCE is based on very simple principles.

1. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2. Give and it will be given to you.
These principles will always stay at the core of SCE.

(Mercer Island, WA – December 2, 2008) - Children's Institute for Learning Differences (CHILD) is highlighted in the December 5 airing of KCTS 9 Connects at 7:30 p.m. The topic is children with autism. The documentary section was filmed on location at the Mercer Island independent day school that serves children ages 3-17 years who have special education needs. Children with autism, Asperger's, ADHD, sensory integration issues, bipolar disorder and other challenges who find it difficult to cope with the daily activities in the public school find success at CHILD.

Students from as far away as Marysville, Camano Island, Tacoma, Puyallup and throughout the Puget Sound Region, travel to CHILD daily to learn new skills. With the incidence of autism now 1 in 150 children (1 in 95 boys), the school has found its approach to learning to be so effective that most children return to their public school within 2-3 years. KCTS 9 captures the methodology used at CHILD through interviews with parents, students and staff.

KCTS 9 Connects is a weekly exploration of news, politics and culture in the Pacific Northwest. Award-winning journalist Enrique Cerna leads a program that tackles new, provocative and emotional topics important to people in the Northwest and British Columbia. Through powerful storytelling, KCTS 9 Connects brings you the compelling people and critical issues that affect your life. The mission is to expose new stories you didn't know; to explore issues from new perspectives you haven't seen; and to provide new insight from diverse voices you haven't heard.

#####

Children's Institute for Learning Differences (CHILD) is an independent, non-profit therapeutic day school dedicated to illuminating potential and creating possibilities for children with special needs, their families and concerned professionals. CHILD provides a safe place where children ages 3-17 years and who are vulnerable to learning and social failure, can be successful in school, at home and in life. CHILD incorporates social and emotional learning in all their programs and services. To learn more about CHILD, visit www.ChildrensInstitute.com.

Contact: Trina Westerlund
Founder & Executive Director
trina@ChildrensInstitute.com
206.232.8680

Beverly Jacobson
Director of Community Relations
BeverlyJ@ChildrensInstitute.com
206.232.8680

The autism insurance reform movement in Washington State is ramping up to achieve coverage for children with autism this year.  We need everyone's help! 

Volunteers in four other states - Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Pennsylvania have been able to achieve insurance coverage for their children this year!  A total of seven states now meet standards of appropriate coverage, ending autism insurance discrimination and covering treatments and therapies that are medically necessary for our children, such as speech, occupational therapy, and applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy. 

HOW CAN YOU HELP IN WASHINGTON STATE? 

1. VISIT the AutismVotes.org website and register to receive advocacy alerts.  This will ensure that you receive the most updated information as quickly as possible. 

2. EMAIL Autism Speaks if you are interested in serving as a District Captain to lead efforts in your own home district, attend rallies, speak with state legislators, attend hearings at the capitol and help us spread the word.

3. FORWARD this to your family, friends, neighbors, teachers, therapists and co-workers...anyone who lives in Washington State that would be interested in helping you work to end insurance discrimination for children with autism statewide! 

For more information on the autism insurance reform effort in Washington State, visit http://www.autismvotes.org/washingtonstate