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Hindsight with a Vision (Dr. Mary Sharp, Trustee)
C O N T E N T S
Hindsight 1
Save the Dates 2
Resource Spotlight 2
Community News 3
Insight 3
Events 4
Training
Opportunities
5
About Us/Donate &
Special Thanks
6
A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3 N E W S L E T T E R
C O L L A B O R A T I O N
E D U C A T I O N
I N F O R M A T I O N
R E L A T I O N S H I P S
S U P P O R T “If I knew then what I know
now……”
Right.
Is there actually a way for parents who are farther down the road to communicate useful information to families just starting ?
Or do we all have to learn our own life lessons in our own time, our own way?
Probably yes to both questions.
I remember years ago my dear friend trying to tell me about speech therapy, but my brain was so overwhelmed and my body so tired I could not take in or retain any of the information. I had no understandings of the basics so I couldn’t build a more complex understanding of the function of speech therapy. There was no trellis that the vine could grow on.
So every year for about 20 years I’ve sat through the IEPs , curious about what Nic’s speech teachers and my husband are talking about, never understanding any of it. It didn’t help that I’ve never believed speech therapy had much to offer Nic. I am grateful to the many talented individuals who have given him time and attention, but I believe most progress obtained under this heading was due to the power of their personalities and the creative ways they sought to engage him.
I also believe that a basic working knowledge of the systems we have been engaged with would have reduced my anxiety about the future and we could have made better decisions that would have reduced frustrations for all in-volved. We could have at least put the trellis in place so a vine could grow if the conditions were just right.
It would have been helpful to have an image of what we were shoot-ing for, in order to use the sup-ports available through the schools more effectively. Perhaps we could have made summer a time for growth rather than the chaotic land-mine of melt downs we have traversed.
So. My story is certainly not unique. A number of individuals and agencies around the region have come together to develop:
Special Education Workshop for
Families with Exceptional
Children
SEW for FEC
(I know, too long, no grace…)
It starts in October.
We will run one curriculum the first year and touch on a variety of subjects such as best practices in the schools, surviving the holidays, special needs trusts.
We expect the next year to split into two curriculum tracks, one aimed at families with small chil-dren, the other aimed at families with kids entering transition out of the school system.
Our intention is that this program-ming will help families and profes-sionals be more on the same page, so we can all serve our children more effectively.
As for speech therapy, I did learn one great word. Do you know what FRICATIVES are?
Great word fricative…say it out loud three times.
Keep your eyes and ears open for the flyer with details, coming out soon!
How would you respond?
Introducing a new interactive question and answer segment to our newsletter. Send in a question (and
remain anonymous) and we will pose it to our readers for solutions! Send to:
P A G E 2
Get Connected
Stay Educated
Fight Isolation
Resource
Spotlight
Save the Date-Local Trainings & Workshops
Here are a few resources we have found beneficial.
Please email us your favorite resources so that we can share with your fellow families.
FREE resources to create visual
supports!
"Birdhouse for Autism helps organize the most important information about your child.
Use Birdhouse to keep a secure record of medications, supplements, therapies, and thera-
pists, as well as track your child's daily behaviors and activities so you can discover what's
working and what needs to be changed."
http://www.birdhousehq.com
Special Education Workshop: A Collaborative Program for Families with Exceptional Children
Location: Heartwood, Mason Time: 5:30 Details to Follow
2013 October 2: We’re Listening! A parent led discussion about lessons learned November 6: START Universal Supports: A parent education module for best practices presented by Maureen Ziegler December 4: Surviving the Holidays: Coping with Chaos
2014 February 5: Community Resource Mapping – What has worked for you? March 5: Summer is coming…Planning a successful summer schedule April 2: IEPs: A Strength Based Collaboration for Positive Outcomes May 7: Special Needs Trust: The future is just around the corner!
FREE!!
http://praacticalaac.org/praactical/5-free-resources-for-making-communication-boards-visual-supports/
Community News
P A G E 3
The long-awaited Special Education Manual from Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service is
now online!
Find your copy here: http://mpas.org/resources/special-education-manual
In addition, MPAS needs your assistance in our efforts to design advocacy services that will
enable people with disabilities to live independent, productive lives as fully included members
of the community. Please take a moment and fill out their survey, it is your opportunity to
influence MPAS’ priorities: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FLSL6DD
What Does the Future Hold?
Bambi VanWoert, Editor
The Future. The daily challenges of maintaining a rigorous schedule of therapies, school meetings, medical appointments, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and the list goes on and on…...sometimes, the daily schedule gets in the way of our vision for the future. As parents and caregivers, we know the future is coming, but often it is met with fear and uncertainty.
However, research has shown that very specific efforts that involve early training and supports are what our children need to be successful. And by success, I mean leading a quality life with a measure of independence.
The August 5, 2013 article in DisabilityScoop, Shaun Heasley reports (quoted in part):
“Researchers followed a group of high school students, some of whom received traditional special educa-tion offerings while others were provided with specialized training and internships through a program called :
‘Project SEARCH with Autism Supports‘
Of the young people who got the extra job training, 87 percent found work in competitive employment situations after graduation compared to just 6 percent in the control group.”
We know that it can take months and even years longer for important skill sets to be developed. That is why we must start envisioning a future now, don’t wait for it to happen.
Take notice Take charge
The Future is in Your Hands!
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/08/05/with-training-jobs/18446/
The MIND Institute offers free webinars on their website:
Autism Distance Education Parent Training (ADEPT)
http://media.mindinstitute.org/education/ADEPT/
Module1Menu.html
ech·o·la·li·a
ekōˈlālēə
meaningless repetition of
another person's spoken
words, usually a symptom
WORD OF THE MONTH
How will the Affordable Healthcare Act Affect People
with Autism? Read here to find out more information:
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/qa-how-aca
-will-affect-people-with-autism-85899496217
[Contributed by Min Lee]
EVENTS P A G E 4
September 28, 2013– FUN FEST
September 14, 2013—NMS SOCCER
September 6, 2013-Jumpin Jaxx/MMAA night
P A G E 5
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Learning is a treasure that will follow its
owner everywhere. - Chinese Proverb
M A N Y T H A N K S T O M A R Y M E T Z G E R B R O O K S W H O M A D E A D O N A T I O N T O M M A A I N
H O N O R O F H E R N E I C E , M A D D Y M E T Z G E R W H O M A R R I E D O N J U N E 2 2 .
M A D D Y ’ S B R O T H E R J O E Y I S T H E A R T I S T W H O S E C A R D S A R E A V A I L A B L E O N O U R
W E B S T O R E , “ C O O L S T U F F ” .
A N D A H U G E T H A N K Y O U T O B O B K I L L B R I D G E O F W E L L S F A R G O A D V I S O R S F O R
A G R E E I N G T O H E L P S P O N S O R S H I R T S F O R O U R U P C O M I N G F U N D R A I S E R O N
S E P T 1 5 A T C A P I T A L C I T Y R I V E R R U N ! ! !
T H A N K Y O U S O M U C H !
Mid-Michigan Autism Association
PO Box 27462
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Special Thanks
P A G E 6
Mid-Michigan Autism Association is committed to :
~Uniting the local autism community; bringing together existing sup-
port groups and resources; creating opportunities for families affected
by all forms of autism
~Promoting quality education for families on the spectrum
~Collaborating with local organizations and non-profits.
~Addressing the unique emotional needs of families on the spectrum.
~Educational outreach to the community.
Lisa Grost, President
Mary Douglass, Vice-President
Mary Opsommer, Treasurer
Kristan Buege-Miller, Trustee
Mary Sharp, Trustee
Pat Miller, Trustee
Dan Sills, Trustee
Sharon K. Wilkes, Emeritus
[email protected] Bambi VanWoert, Editor
MMAA Board of Directors
Autism Driven, not Autism Specific
The board and volunteers of MMAA are thankful for the generous support of our community through
donations, participation in fundraisers and purchases from our gift shop:
http://www.midmichiganautism.org/cool_stuff.html
