ASCEND News: PAN & ASCEND partner for 4/23 conference, ASD in the media, events, and more!

PA DPW’s Bureau of Autism Services is once again making mini-grants available to support children and adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This project focuses on serving those who are not able to access existing support systems for various reasons.

Eligible applicants may apply for up to $500 in grant funds. Funding is limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis for activities/supports occurring between 3/1/10 and 8/31/10. Examples include: respite or childcare; summer camp; conferences and workshops; community programs (i.e., art, swimming or karate lessons); and modifications for home and/or community for safety.

Grandparents Surviving and Thriving
An ASCEND workshop for grandparents of children on the autism spectrum.

Presented by Sonia Voynow, LCSW
Sunday, March 14, 2010, 1-3pm, Narberth, PA
Fee: $5/person
Visit www.ascendgroup.org for more details.

Parents Surviving and Thriving
An ASCEND workshop for grandparents of children on the autism spectrum.

Presented by Sonia Voynow, LCSW
Sunday, March 14, 2010, 4-6pm, Narberth, PA
Fee: $5/person
Visit www.ascendgroup.org for more details.

All parents and other adult family members or caregivers of children/ adolescents/adults with Asperger Syndrome and similar diagnoses are welcome to attend any of our support meetings.

3/6, 10am—Chapter for Families of Adults, Norristown
3/10, 7pm—Chester County, West Grove
3/9, 7:30pm—Delaware County, Havertown
3/18, 7pm—Montgomery County, King of Prussia

Click www.ascendgroup.org for more details. Any changes to this schedule will be posted on the ASCEND website.

ASCEND is co-presenting the 5th Annual Penn Autism Network Conference. Don’t miss this region’s premier eventfocused on adults with autism, as well as transition to adulthood. This year’s keynote speaker is John Elder Robison, author of the bestselling book Look Me In the Eye, My Life with Asperger’s.

Date: Friday, April 23, 2010
Time: 8:15am-4:00pm
Where: Willliamson Restaurant, Horsham, PA

For more details and to register, visit www.upenn.edu/pan.
Sign up by March 19 to receive the early registration discount!

BCASC Compiling Directory of Bucks Service Providers
James J. Stone, Psy.D., one of ASCEND’s professional members, serves on the board of the Bucks County Autism Support Coalition (BCASC). He says, “I’m compiling a list of Bucks County providers who serve the ASD population. If you provide services to this population, please let me know what you do and how people can contact you.” Contact J. Stone at jjstone66@yahoo.com or visit www.bcasc.org

7-Session Workshop for Parents of Newly Diagnosed Kids
Sonia Voynow, LCSW, will offer “Surviving and Thriving After the Diagnosis: Developing Your Personal Roadmap” as a 7-session workshop for parents/caregivers of kids newly diagnosed with ASD starting March 15. Sessions will take place in Narberth, PA, 7:30-9:00PM, on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Contact Sonia at 215/247-5832 or visit www.survivingthriving.com

3/2/10, 10:00PM
From the website:“’Parenthood’ is a one-hour drama inspired by the box-office hit of the same name. This re-imagined and updated Universal Media Studios/Imagine Television production introduces audiences to the very large, very colorful and imperfect Braverman family … Max Burkholder portrays Max Braverman, Adam and Kristina's eight-year-old son. Quirky and sweet, but also emotionally isolated, Max Braverman was recently diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.”
http://www.nbc.com/parenthood/

Delware County Right To Education Task Force: “Cutting Through the Red Tape”

Description: Join us for a panel discussion with representatives from OBH, OMR, ARC-MBH, and SS to get information on available resources and how to receive them. Individual issues will not be addressed during the panel discussion but you will have the opportunity to speak with the panelists after the group discussion.
Fee: FREE
Contact: Nora Connell at nconnell@dciu.org or 610-938-9000 ext. 2263
http://www.dciu.org

Presenter: Nora Connell, DCIU Professional Development Specialist
3/3/10, 6:00-8:00PM
200 Yale Avenue, Morton, PA

Description: Students with disabilities often struggle with making friends and navigating their way through our complex social environment. This workshop will focus on helping parents understand and use strategies to help their child be more successful in social situations. Hands on activities related to teaching social skills will be embedded in this workshop.
Fee: FREE
Contact: Nora Connell at nconnell@dciu.org or 610-938-9000 ext. 2263
http://www.dciu.org

This social skills/social thinking groups is for kids with with AS/HFA ages 5-6. The focus is on skills of good communicators, respecting personal space, expected group behaviors, becoming a flexible thinker, conversation skills, initiating and maintaining play interactions, and much more. Social skills trainers are Becky O'Hara, CCC-SLP and Renee Hartey, CCC-SLP. Contact: rahspeech@aol.com

Presenter, Susan Hentz, Intervention Specialist, View Inc.
3/17/10, 8:30AM-3:30PM
Desmond Conference Center, Malvern, PA

Description: Susan Hentz will provide attendees with research-based instructional strategies to improve student learning. This workshop will be valuable to educators who want to learn how to better understand multiple tiers of instruction and intervention, use data effectively, and develop skills for collaborative problem solving pertaining to Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII in Pennsylvania) into their classrooms. Six hours Act 48 available for educators.
Fee: $149 Contact: Maria Kreiter at makreiter@vfes.net
www.vfes.net

Presenter: Patrick Collins, Principal/Founder, Greenspring Wealth Mgmt.
3/25/10, 7:00-9:00PM
1777 North Valley Road, Malvern, PA

Description: Patrick Collins’ firm specializes in working with business owners, corporate executives, retirees and families of children with special needs. Previously, Mr. Collins was one of the initial members of Merrill Lynchís Special Needs Network, a group of advisors trained specifically to work with families of children with special needs. He is a Certified Financial Planner and Enrollment Agent, with expertise in income taxation, retirement and estate planning, risk management and investments.
Fee: FREE
Contact: Stephanie Deni at stdeni@vfes.net or 610-296-6725 x180
http://www.vanguardschool-pa.org/news.html

Variety Club offers a night of hands-on, interactive, sensory-filled fun especially for kids with ASD. GF/CF food products will be available. Children of all ages are welcome.
Fee: $20/Family
Contact: Marissa Tabak at marissatabak@varietyphila.org or 215/735-0803
www.varietyphila.org

“Focus on the Family”
Keynote Speaker: Kristie P. Koenig, PhD, OTR/L
4/30/10, 8:00AM-4:00PM

La Salle University, 1900 W. Olney Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Description: This conference will look at ASD from the perspective of the family. Presentations will speak directly to the concerns of families that include those on the Autistic Spectrum. This conference provides a family-friendly forum for people living with ASD and their families, where they can share their experiences and obtain needed information. For the first time, children are invited to participate.
Fee: $35-$55
Contact: Lavinia Awosanya at lavinia@eventmood.com or 609/518-1259 www.gtpartnerships.org

To have your event listed in ASCEND’s enewsletter, please visit our website and fill out the online event form.

New York Times, February 13, 2010
From the article:“The first sign may be that your bright child is having trouble reading, or organizing school assignments, or concentrating on homework. Your child may be frustrated with school, and you may find yourself frustrated with what looks like a lack of effort. And a teacher may also notice that something is amiss. If you suspect that your child has a learning disability, and you’ve ruled out distractions like bad chemistry with the teacher or a social issue, your best recourse is to have the child tested.”
click for for more >

US News & World Report, February 16, 2010
From the article: “Oxytocin may help improve social behavior in people with autism, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences … Some studies have found that children with autism have lower levels of oxytocin in their bodies. And other small studies of oxytocin's use in autistics have found that the hormone reduces repetitive behaviors and helps improve the ability to recognize emotions in voices and faces.”
click for more >

Huffington Post, February 19, 2010
From the article: “It seemed like an innocent enough request: ‘Dad can you take my friends and I to Chinatown this Friday when we have the day off?’ ‘Sure,’ I said. After all it would be good to get out and do something. As I thought about things more and more though, something didn't add up. Why Chinatown?”
click for more >

Philadelphia Inquirer, February 21, 2010
Review of House Rules, by Jodi Picoult
From the article: “Jodi Picoult fans won't be disappointed in her new novel, House Rules, which will be published on March 2. It's a page-turner with much to say about oft-misunderstood Asperger's syndrome.”
click for more >

Wall Street Journal, February 23, 2010
From the article: “’Who do you think made the first stone spear?’ asks Temple Grandin. ‘That wasn't the yakkity yaks sitting around the campfire. It was some Asperger sitting in the back of a cave figuring out how to chip rocks into spearheads. Without some autistic traits you wouldn't even have a recording device to record this conversation on.’”
click for more >

This inspiring feature ran in December but we just discovered it recently. It features Zach Hirsch, a Chicago-area high school athlete who befriends a boy with Asperger Syndrome, Graham Jackson, and changes his life. Maybe this will inspire others to make the effort to reach out to classmates with disabilities. Editor’s note: Get your tissues ready!
click here for more information >

Some terrific resources for educators and parents are available on the website for the Cooperative Educational Service Agency in Green Bay, WI. Check out the autism-specific information, IEP checklists, and visual examples of curriculum accommodations/modifications. Of particular interest might be the article titled Children with Asperger's Syndrome: Characteristics/Learning Styles and Intervention Strategies.
click here for more info >

Coulter Video has released a DVD designed to help people with Asperger Syndrome get and keep a job. It features six employees with Asperger Syndrome and their supervisors, coworkers, and job coaches describing the ways the employees use their strengths and reasonable accommodations to become valued, productive job holders. The DVD also includes a demonstration of how to interview for a job. The DVD can be purchased for $39.99 at www.coultervideo.com or by calling 336/608-4224.

We were reminded recently that AutismLink offers an online directory of services and support systems throughout Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. The database is searchable by zip code for providers of services. Parents are welcome to leave feedback and comments about providers.
click here for more info >

It is with heartfelt thanks that ASCEND acknowledges the following donations.

ProCo LLC
The Herrick Family
Theresa & Donald Much
Timothy & Eileen Hyland
Roger Fitgerald III
Amanda Henney
Leonard & Denise Santivash

Please send items for consideration for our enews to info@ascendgroup.org
with “Enews Idea” in the subject line.

ASCEND's enewsletter is partially funded via a generous grant from CCRES.

ASCEND Group Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We do not endorse any specific professional or therapeutic treatment. We are not meant to be a replacement for medical or legal advice. Our mission is to raise public awareness about Asperger Syndrome and related disorders, to advocate for improved education and services, and to provide support and information to the Asperger and autism community.

This newsletter is for informational purposes only. Any link or mention in our newsletter should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation.

The official registration and financial information of ASCEND Group Inc. may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.