5.6.08: Speaking Loud and Clear: Last week my town's school
committee/board held an emergency
meeting to discuss the future of certain aspects of the SPED
programs.
It was heartening to not only have so many parents pack the room
and diplomatically voice their strong opinions, but also for the town's
leaders to be listening and agreeing.
And that is what Parent Power is truly all about. Standing up. Being heard. Taking action and advocating for the child that cannot.
At the end of the night, one parent stated "The People Have Spoken." And so they have. And so they will.
Sharon Marie
4.18.08 Forwarded to me from Mass Advocates for Children:
IMPORTANT AUTISM ALERT:
CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE by Friday, April 18th to sign
and support Rep.Barbara L'Italien's Budget Amendment to
Increase Funding for the Division of Autism.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives just released its version of the State Budget for next year.
The budget currently proposes a reduction in funding for the Division of Autism,
despite the fact that the number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder ("ASD")
continues to climb at an alarming rate.
Rep. Barbara L'Italien will file a House Budget Amendment to increase
funding for the Division of Autism from $ 3 million to $ 8 million. It is crucial
for the Division of Autism to receive additional funding in order to address
the needs of families of children with ASD.
Additional funding for the Division of Autism will:
Increase the number of young children with ASD that receive intensive in-home services (ABA, floor time, etc.) through the Medicaid Waiver.
Help newly diagnosed families access resources and available treatment.
Provide behavioral, social and communication services and programs necessary to support children with autism ages 0-18 in the community.
Expand the Autism and Law Enforcement Education Coalition ("ALEC") program statewide to provide more training for police, firefighters, EMTs and other public safety officials to help them recognize the signs of autism and effectively respond in emergency situations.
Offer job-training programs and independent living skill classes for teen-agers with autism
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
IMMEDIATELY call your state representative at 617-722-2000 and ask him or her to sign on and support Representative Barbara L'Italien's Budget Amendment which increases funding for the Division of Autism to $8 million.
(If you are not sure who your representative is, call your city hall or visit www.wheredoIvotema.com <http://www.wheredoivotema.com/> )
Let your Representative know how important this funding is for your family.
Give examples of how services can make a difference in your child's life.
For further information, contact Ann Guay 617-357-8431 x 241, or aguay@massadvocates.org
To read past blogs, please click the Blog Archive Section link on the top of this section.
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WORKSHOPS AND MORE
Parenting Traumatized Children Conference: June 26-28, 2008. The Franciscan Center, Andover, MA. Registration can be completed on-line at www.radzebra.org, or by calling Lorraine at 240-357-7369.
Camp Planning! Download a list of 100 camps for $5.00 from The Federation For Children With Special Needs http://www.fcsn/.org
En Espanol The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS), has a Spanish language website with free information about many neurological disorders, including autism, spina bifida, Tourette syndrome, Rett Syndrome, and more. Publications can be downloaded or ordered free of charge. There are also links to non-profit organizations that offer information and assistance on neurological disorders http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov
National Down Syndrome Congress 36 Annual Convention, July 11-13, 2008, Seaport World Trade Center,Boston, MA. For more information, contact MA Down Syndrome Congress at 1-800-664-MDSC or at mdsc@mdsc.org.
Therapeutic MARITAL ARTS FOR ADHD, ASPERGERS, AND OTHER RELATED NON-VERBAL Developmental Disabilities. In Stoughton, Summit Academy School, 800-442-5753, or www.summitacademies.com.
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Important Transition Document for IEPS: Massachusetts DOE Transition Planning Form 28M/9 is for all students ages 15 and over and is for transition planning prior to or at the time of yearly IEP development. This is a mandated form. For more details: www.doe.mass.edu/sped/links/transition.html
The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF) now offers a podcast for teens on www.depressedteens.com. Each week the teenage co-hosts discuss dealing with mood disorders, especially bi-polar. They will also host discussions with well-respected researchers and clinicians, and hear stories of other teens with mood disorders that have lived and thrived. CABF is a national, not-for-profit organization of families raising children diagnosed with, or at risk for, bipolar disorder. For more information visit http://www.bpkids.org/.
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MORE TEEN AND
YOUNG ADULT INFO:
The Tempo Young Adult Resource Center offers multiple supports and services for young adults (ages 17 - 24) and addresses the urgent need for services for at-risk youth at the critical point of transition into adulthood. Tempo works with youth who have mental health conditions, a lack of family connections, risky behavior, and other issues such as substance abuse and homelessness. Tempo's diverse staff use a youth-centered planning process to help young adults develop goals and to provide the tools and resources needed to become successful, independent members of the community. Contact the TEMPO Program Director, (508) 879-1424 x 223, 68 Henry Street, Framingham, MA 01702 ------------------------------------
INTERNSHIPS for Students with Disabilities
ENTRY POINT!: a program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has developed partnerships with IBM, NASA, Merck, NOAA, Google, Lockheed Martin, CVS, NAVAIR and university science laboratories. AAAS identifies and screens undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who are pursuing degrees in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of business, and places them in paid summer internships. Students with disabilities can apply their skills in a real-world setting in competitive summer internships.
ACCESS INTERNSHIP (Achieving Competence in Computing, Engineering, and Space Science) is a summer internship program for students with disabilities sponsored by AAAS and NASA . ACCESS is managed by ENTRY POINT! ENTRY POINT! partners and their work sites are located all around the U.S. - North, South, East, West, and Central. When you apply to ENTRY POINT!, often part of the experience is re-locating for ten weeks to another part of the country.
Contact Sabira Mohamed smohamed@aaas.org.
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Substance Abuse Help
Massachusetts General Hospital: Parents: Coaching, Coping, and Communicating Parents: Coaching, Coping, and Communicating is a program designed for parents whose adolescent children are struggling with substance use. The group will provide a forum to meet and talk with other parents in similar situations and information to aimed to help parents understand and communicate with their adolescent child. The adolescents do not need to be in treatment. The group is free of charge and is held every Tuesday from 6 pm - 8 pm at the Addiction Recovery Management Service (ARMS) office at 60 Staniford St , Boston . Refreshments are served. For more information contact the ARMS Clinical Coordinator at 617-643-4699 or email armsmgh@ partners. org
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