The U.S. Department of Education recently held its first summit on bullying prevention in Washington, D.C., as part of the Obama administration’s efforts to coordinate the federal government’s strategies to end bullying. I like the idea of better coordination and collaboration, but do hope this will be more effective than the National Director of Intelligence—remember…
My Summer Camp Experience
This past Friday, August 13th, I had the privilege of attending the Talent Show at Camp Royall. I was there to welcome families and give them information about ASNC. As it turned out, I got much more from the experience than what I gave. I arrived early to the Camp’s gym and sat out…
Surfers Healing This Month
As I posted in March (http://autismsocietyofnc.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/think-spring-think-surfing/), Surfers Healing will be coming to Wrightsville Beach later this month (Aug. 19). I know that the sign up is quite intense—some families log on at 12:01 a.m. to try to reserve a spot! Good luck to those who succeeded; keep tabs on the Surfers Healing website for videos. …
Nominate Your Outstanding Child or Student for the Yes I Can! Award
The Council for Exceptional Children is accepting nominations for its annual Yes I Can! Award; all nominations must be postmarked by Oct. 22, 2010. There are nine categories (academics, arts, athletics, community service, employment, extracurricular activities, independent living skills, self-advocacy and technology). Winners will receive a trip to National Harbor, Md., near Washington, D.C. ,…
Finding Children Who Wander
A new coalition of six national autism nonprofit organizations has been created to prevent wandering incidents and deaths within the autism community. The collaboration, Autism Wandering Awareness Alerts Response Education (AWAARE), has launched AWAARE.org in a joint effort to raise awareness and provide information to caregivers, law enforcement, school officials and the medical community. Coalition…
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Services Subcommittee will be having two meetings, as well as a public workshop, in the coming weeks and months. The first meeting will be a conference call held on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 from 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET. For more information see: http://iacc.hhs.gov/events. The purpose of…
Social Security Benefits Webinar
If your child has Social Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you know that income from employment must be managed carefully to avoid losing benefits or having them reduced. Here’s an opportunity to learn more about this: a national WISE Webinar. Among the topics discussed will be the Ticket to Work, a…
What a great conference…
If you missed ASNC’s 40th Anniversary Annual Conference, then we missed you; if you were there, then you’ll know what I mean. The two keynote speakers whom I heard, Scott Bellini and Chantal Sicile-Kira, were outstanding, entertaining, and informative. Two of the founding members of the Autism Society of NC, Bobo Warren and Betty Camp,…
Good Excuses to Buy an iTouch or iPod…
First-Then Visual Schedules I bet Apple didn’t realize that their iTouch and iPod would be so popular with people with autism…but spending $500 for an iTouch with some helpful apps beats buying an augmentative communication device (aug comm.) for $1000 or more. You’ve probably seen the articles about young people with autism being able to…