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. Registration is now open for the 2009 Southwest Florida Walk Now for Autism! Invite your friends, family, and coworkers to join your team, register as an individual, or start their own Walk
Now for Autism team! It is easy- just click the link above and select the "Register" tab to get started. Once
you have registered, you will recieve a "Walker Welcome Packet" in the mail. Please feel free to call 866-441-6227
for support with the registration process.
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| CLICK ON THE ICON ABOVE TO BE REDIRECTED TO THIS WEBSITE |
IAN, the Interactive Autism Network, is an innovative
online project designed to accelerate the pace of autism research by linking researchers and families. Anyone impacted by
an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can become part of IAN's online community to stay informed about autism research, provide feedback, and make their voices heard. In addition, families of
children with an ASD can share information in a secure online setting and become part of the nation's largest online research effort. As a result, researchers will obtain valuable data, explain findings, and collaborate with families and one another. This
dynamic exchange could lead to new discoveries about causes, diagnosis, treatments, and a possible cure for this puzzling
group of disorders
Grants
for Families of Children with Autism
By Lisa
Jo Rudy, About.com Guide to AutismThere's no doubt about it: autism is expensive. For some families, though,
the cost of autism can be devastating. That's why the National Autism Association has created a grant program specifically for families of children with autism who are in financial crisis. If you are a family residing in the United States with a child on the autism spectrum aged birth to 18, you may qualify
for the grant. The maximum you may request is $1,500. Money from the grant may be applied ONLY to biomedical treatments, supplements
or therapies for your child with autism - and the money is paid directly to vendors (not to families).
Similar grants
are offered to families by Act-Today for Autism, Autism Family Resources, and United Healthcare Children's Foundation. The important point to note is that money from these grants never goes directly to families - and it may be used only for
autism treatments and related costs (not to, for example, keep the house warm in winter).
If you are in search
of a grant for autism treatment, these grant opportunities are legitimate resources. Many advertised grant opportunities,
however, are not. A Google search will almost certainly lead you to sites and ads for "free grants for autism."
Many of these organizations will require you to pay in advance for your "free grants" - an absurd idea, since grants,
by their very nature, are "free." If any agency or individual requests money from you as part of a grant application
process, run fast and far. Then, consider reporting that agency or individual to the police.
Do you know
of other legitimate grant programs for families coping with autism? If so, please let us know! Know of any to be avoided?
Your help is appreciated! Jon Oddo Principal/Education
Director CCCD_________________
925 Bridgeport Avenue Milford,
CT 06460 Phone # 203-882-8810 Fax# 203-878-9468 Email: oddo@cccdinc.org ATTACHMENT Alice
B. Buttwell
CT FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK
Northwest Regional Coordinator
(860) 350-6025
www.ctfscorg
NW MEDICAL HOME INITIATIVE FOR
CHILDREN&YOUTH WITH SPECIAL CARE NEEDS
Family Support
Consultant
95 Scovill St, 3rd Fl, Pav. B
Family & Children's Center
Waterbury, CT 06706
(203)
709-3850
AUTISM SUPPORT GROUP
FOR PARENTS/CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN
WITH AUTISM
OUR FIRST MEETING WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY,
APRIL 23rd
TIME: 7:00-8:30 P.M.
IN PEACE BY PIECE LEARNING CENTER
LOCATED AT 1650 MEDICAL LN., SUITE #2
FORT MYERS,FL.
PLEASE R.S.V.P. BY APRIL 20TH
CALL APRIL SANCHEZ AT: (239)369-3391 OR (239)357-8788
FREE RESPITE
CARE IS BEING OFFERED
VIA R.S.V.P ONLY BY MONDAY, APRIL 14TH
THIS IS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR
CHILDREN
--
Jacqui Hawkins
Celebrating Abilities Inc
4309 SW 19th Avenue
Cape Coral, FL 33914
239-471-7334
http://celebratingabilities.blogspot.com/
http://thelifeandtimesofastressedoutmom.blogspot.com/
www.celebratingability.com
| Conference T-Shirts Available Online |
The t-shirts that were available at The 11th Annual Family Cafe Conference can now be purchased
online. Our t-shirt vendor still has some shirts in stock, and they can now be purchased through their ebay store. If
you would like to get a shirt from this year's conference, follow this link. In coming months, The Family Cafe also has plans to begin offering merchandise for sale through our new Change Agent
Network (CAN) site. Stay tuned for updates! |
| | The
2nd Annual Youth Summit is Coming! |
The 2nd Annual Youth Summit is just around the corner! This event, which is developed and hosted by the Florida
Youth Council, offers youth and emerging leaders with disabilities an opportunity to get together, share experiences, learn,
and have some fun. This year's Summit will be held on August 7-8 at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando. The
event is open to all youth with disabilities between the ages of 13 and 30, and financial assistance is available. If
you or a youth in your community would benefit from connecting with peers and discussing the issues facing young people with
disabilities, please consider attending. The registration form can be found in pdf format here on our website, and can be sent to our office by fax to 850/224-4674 or mail to 1332 N. Duval St., Tallahassee, FL 32303. We hope to see
you there! |
| The Family Cafe is pleased to announce
that the new website for CAN, the Change Agent Network, is now up and running! The idea behind CAN is that many voices,
speaking together, can make a greater difference than any number of voices can on their own. By combining our efforts and
speaking with a single voice, we can more effectively advocate for persons with disabilities in Florida, raise awareness and
focus the public conversation on the issues that have the greatest impact on our daily lives. We very much hope
you will consider joining us, by becoming a member of the CAN network. If you'd like to know more, please visit our new CAN
website and subscribe today! In the coming months, we will be adding new resources and content to the site, and offering additional
benefits. In the meantime, please visit the CAN site and join today! To create an account on the CAN site, follow the link that says "Login or Register for Access" in the black bar
at the top of the page. |
| | Conference Evaluation
Forms Still Available |
Each
year, at The Family Cafe Annual Conference, we make evaluation forms available to all of our attendees. We use the feedback
we receive from these forms to improve our Annual Conference on an ongoing basis. If you attended The 11th Annual Family Cafe
Conference in Orlando this past June 5-7, please take a moment to help us serve you better! You can view the Evaluation
Form as a pdf here: Report Card 2009. You can return your completed form to The Family Cafe by mail to The Family Cafe, 1332 N. Duval St., Tallahassee,
FL 32303; or by fax to 850/224-4674. |
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I am
writing to share my excitement and request the following
information be sent out to your list serv, regarding
a new school in
Fort Myers, FL that is dedicated to educating one of the most under
served populations in our county: children with Autism and related
disorders. Peace By Piece Learning Center
opened in January 2008 and
the need has already exceeded our space.
Given the
dedication and expertise of the educators and activists who
are its founding champions, this institution
is poised to become an
influential model for autism education in the State of Florida. We are
currently located at 1650 Medical Lane, Suite 2, Fort Myers, FL.
Autism is growing
at an alarming rate and our education system is not
keeping pace, despite concrete evidence that with the
proper
educational support, children with autism can blossom and thrive in
ways that
are truly inspiring. Until a cure is found, the only proven
treatment for autism is education.
Our curriculum is based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the only
teaching method scientifically
proven to give children with autism the
reading, math, social and communication skills they need to succeed
and
prosper. Because ABA requires specially trained and qualified teachers,
and frequently
involves one-on-one lessons to be successful, the annual
cost of schooling each autistic child is close
to $40,000.
Our school has a comprehensive curriculum which entails 1:1, 2:1 and
3:1 instruction and an individualized curriculum with an emphasis on
academics, socialization and
language. With specialized education, many
of these children can lead near-normal lives and overcome the
challenges they face with autism. Timing is crucial: Research shows
that early intervention
using the ABA method helps children much more
than treatment does in later years. Our kids will be five
to twelve
years old. Some at this age make so much progress they lose most
autistic
traits and can integrate fully into a regular classroom. This
is our goal.
We want Peace By Piece Learning Center and the stories of the results
it yields to inspire others
to embark on similar projects. With autism
now the fastest growing developmental disorder among children,
the
demand for autism education is reaching new peaks. There are
extraordinary
costs associated with provided this type of intensive
therapy to children with autism. The State
of Florida provides the
McKay Scholarship for a 10 month school year. At the present time, our
parents and staff have agree that an extended school year for the
students of Peace By
Piece would be most beneficial. Finding a summer
program for children with special needs is extremely
difficult and the
academic and behavioral milestones that have been achieved during the
regular school year will be lost over summer break.
Extended school year provides consistency in
routine. When routine is
altered, many children with a autism are upset. Continuation of the
typical routine is helpful in allowing these children to focus on new
skills and not on trying to
figure out the schedule.
The McKay Scholarship is currently our only funding source, so in order
to be able to continue to provide services to our current students, as
well as supply a summer program
to our incoming students for the
2008/2009 school year, we will need to hold a fundraiser so that we can
keep the cost of the program to a minimum for families. We have
reserved May 17,
2008 as our date for the First Annual Peace By Piece
Walk and Rock Benefit. We will be holding
a benefit walk, which will
leave Centennial Park at 10:00am on Saturday May 17, 2008 and travel up
West First Street to McGregor and then back to Centennial Park. The
Walk will be followed
up by entertainment, food and a silent auction
held at Centennial Park. All proceeds will help offset
the cost of the
summer program as well as help us to secure a larger space for the
upcoming
school year to accommodate the growing demand for this
specialized education opportunity.
We want to be able to offer the most advanced curriculum and programs
possible, but they come at an expense.
The entire staff of Peace By
Piece, is committed to providing the best education and ABA/AVB
programs available to these children - regardless of socio-economic
status. Autism and its
related disorders does not discriminate - and
neither do we!
Together we can make a
difference - PEACE BY PIECE!
We respectfully invite your participation at our benefit. We can be
reached at 239-482-5006, or tdemarest@peacebypieceinc.com. Please feel
free to stop
by at anytime and visit the school. Our address again is:
1650 Medical Lane, Suite 2, Fort Myers,
Fl - 33907.
Sincerely,
Tracey Demarest
Director of Development
Peace By Piece Learning Center
1650 Medical Lane Suite 2
Fort Myers, Fl 33907
239.482.5006
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 |  | | 06/18/09
Autism Votes... It's time for lawmakers to listen. | | Dear Autism Advocate,We are ramping up our grassroots efforts for the Autism Treatment
Acceleration Act and need your undivided attention and support on this issue!You are receiving this email because you live in a state that has passed autism insurance reform at a state
level. Congratulations on such an amazing acheivement! However, our work is not yet done because some of our community's neighbors
in your state have coverage and some still do not. Through
this piece of federal legislation, we have the opportunity to end autism insurance discrimination once and for all from coast
to coast! We need your help to do that by calling
the following people each day this week!Health insurance
reform is the buzz phrase in Washington, DC right now. We need to generate thousands of calls to be sure that our children's
needs for access to the treatments and therapies that will help them are being heard! | | | | Here is How YOU Can Help: |
1. NEITHER OF YOUR SENATORS HAVE SIGNED ONTO
THE ATAA YET! CALL BOTH OF YOUR SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO CO-SPONSOR THE ATAA (Senate Bill 819)! To date neither
one of the Senators from your state have signed onto this bill that will provide appropriate insurance coverage for all the
children with autism in your state. We need you to call both Sen. Bill Nelson and Sen. Mel Martinez. > Sen. Bill Nelson
Phone: (202) 224-5274
>
Sen. Mel Martinez
Phone: (202) 224-3041(Note: If you do not see the names and phone numbers for your Senators listed above, you can look them up HERE!)2. CALL YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND ASK THEM
TO CO-SPONSOR THE ATAA (H.R. 2413)! Unfortunately, your
House Representative has also not yet become a cosponsor of this bill. Rep. Mack IV needs to hear from you, your friends
and your family. Call and ask Rep. Mack IVto become a cosponsor of the ATAA bill today!> Rep. Connie Mack IV
Phone: (202) 225-2536(Note: If you do not see the names and phone numbers for your Representative listed above, you can look them up
HERE!)
Not sure of what to say? It's easy! Just say this:
"Hi! My name is ____________. I am a constituent
of yours and live in (City,State). I am calling to ask you to cosponsor the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act (give the appropriate
bill number - Senate is S. 819 and House is H.R. 2413). We passed similar legislation to this in our state but not all of
the children in our state are able to enjoy the coverage. We need your help to end autism insurance discrimination. Thank
you so much."> Once you have completed your call, you can send emails to your Congressional members HERE!3. FORWARD THIS TO 20 OTHER PEOPLE THAT CAN HELP YOU! If you have ever heard someone say, "I wish there was something we could do to
help (insert your child's name here)!", now they can. It is a cost effective way to truly help your child and the other
children with autism not only in your state, but nationwide. |
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For more information on the Autism Treatment Acceleration
Act, please visit www.autismvotes.org/ataa. Together we can get America's children
appropriate coverage for the treatments and therapies they need!Happy dialing!Shelley Hendrix
Director
of State Advocacy Relations
Autism Speaks |
| |
Take Action Today
 > DONATE NOW to Autism Votes> Was
this email forwarded to you from a friend? Sign up to receive urgent email alerts from Autism Votes> Visit our website at www.AutismVotes.org> CONNECT
with Autism Votes:    Autism Votes is an initiative
of Autism Speaks
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Dear Friends of The Family Cafe,
The Florida Office on Disability and Health (FODH)
was recently established
by funding from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). They are
located at the University of Florida in the College of
Public Health and Health Professions.
The overall goal
of their project is to improve the health, well being and
quality of life of Floridians living with disability.
Disability is likely
to impact all people at some time. Thus, it is important to have a sound
framework for
addressing disability and health issues.
During the first year of this project, through the guidance of an advisory
board comprised of various stakeholders, a Florida Strategic Plan will be
developed to focus on these issues.
Through your participation in this
survey, you will provide important information to assist in the
development
of this strategic plan.
Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary and not
compensation is
offered. You may skip questions and you may withdraw from
participation in this survey at any time. Your
identity will not be know
and not personal identifying information will be obtained through your
participation in
this survey.
They need your views, help by participating in this very important survey!
Visit the website
http://FODH.HealthIssuesSurvey1.sgizmo.com
Thanks,
The Family Cafe
They need to know what disability
and health care issues concern you most.
Please help!
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