Durham Autism Society Meeting and Speaker--Autism, Puberty, and Sexuality on Tuesday May 22

Autism Society of NC, Durham County

Autism, Puberty & Sexuality

May 2018 Monthly Meeting

Tuesday, May 22, 2018 | 6:30-8:00 pm

Watts Street Baptist Church

800 Watts Street, Durham, NC

Louise Buchholz Southern, MEd, BCBA, Associate Director of ASNC Clinical Services and Alexander (Aleck) Myers, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Clinical Director of ASNC Clinical Services, are going to present on the topic of ASD and Puberty.

Goals for their Presentation:

• Briefly review core features of ASD that inform how we address puberty and broader sexuality education
• Identify key areas of focus within this topic and provide examples of ways to break down these areas into teachable segments
• Identify best practices and resources for teaching skills and concepts related to sexuality

Please join us! Also, bring your questions to the last meeting of the chapter before the summer break. 

To get on the ASNC-Durham County email list go to  https://groups.google.com/group/asnc-durhamcounty and contact the group moderator.

Free SPARK Webinar on Physical Activity and Autism - May 23, from 12 to 1 PM

SPARK focuses on Autism research and invites families to participate through research and are currently recruiting 50,000 families for a national genetic study of autism.  Whether or not you are interested in participating, there are opportunities to learn and share experiences.  Check out the upcoming webinar, past webinars, and other resources available to families. Sign up for their newsletter at the website, https://sparkforautism.org/portal/homepage/.

Webinar: The Importance of Motor Function and Physical Activity in Autism Spectrum Disorder Our next webinar is on Wednesday, May 23, from 12 to 1 PM EDT. The webinar will cover the following topics: • An overview of what we know about motor function and impairments in individuals with autism • The importance of physical interventions in autism • Existing physical activity programs like ACEing Autism for individuals with autism Our speakers for this webinar are Rujuta Bhatt Wilson, M.D., and Shafali Spurling Jeste, M.D. Both of them specialize in behavioral child neurology with a specific focus on autism, and they work at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Register below to join the conversation. Register now > To catch up on past webinars, please click below. View Webinars > More resources about autism and physical activity • Read more on our website about some of the challenges of physical fitness for individuals with autism. • Learn about ACEing Autism, a national tennis program for individuals with autism. • Take a look at research into the relationship between genetics and motor function in autism. Survey on Sports and Physical Activities Our webinar speakers are collecting feedback on the kinds of programs individuals with autism participate in across the country. Please consider completing our two-minute survey. Take Survey SPARK Updates: Have you completed the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) on your SPARK dashboard? Reports are now becoming available for download based on your answers to this survey. Log in to your SPARK account and check under “My Documents” to download your report. These reports are being rolled out over time, so if you haven’t received your report yet, it will be coming soon. If you haven’t completed the SCQ yet, please log in today to do so. Login

PFAST UPDATED Day/Time--Special Daytime workshop series for Parents K-12, Starts April 11

PFAST UPDATED Day/Time--Special Daytime workshop series offered to Parents K-12

This is a perfect time to help your student finish the school year on a high note! Gain key insights and tips to navigate our public schools to help your child succeed. Join us for a special 5-week daytime series (normally 6 weeks) of our popular PFAST (Parent & Family Advocacy and Support Training) for parents, guardians, and others who support our students in public schools (including charter) on five Wednesdays April 11, 18, & 25 and May 2 & 9 2018 from 10:00AM-12:00PM. 

 Hosted by Durham County Cooperative Extension, the workshops help ANY parent and others better navigate our public schools to help their children succeed from Kindergarten through 12^th grade. 

PFAST Flyer 

We also welcome community members and professionals who work with families and are interested in better understanding the school environment.  PFAST works well for PreK parents who are exploring their school options and want to get a jump on the transition.  The interactive workshops engage participants and are designed to target key areas of need for parents and students, including:

·         Engaging with schools—better communication, better conferences

·         Choosing a school for you—unpacking the mysteries of school choice

·         Understanding standards and testing

·         Maximizing the parent-school relationship

·         Navigating the EC—Exceptional Children’s program—IEPs and more

·         Supporting your gifted student and understanding AIG programming

·         Connecting to school data

·         And much more...

TO REGISTER

Online:  https://goo.gl/forms/34O9KFE3Xk0VCnFf2
Form:  Registration Form - Fax to 919-560-0530 or email drewalt@dconc.gov 

See the flyer and registration links above for more information.  Light snacks will be provided.  Please REGISTER by email, fax, or phone. Call Donna Rewalt at 919-560-0538 for more information.  Space is limited and we must have 10 or more participants for a series to start.

Please note this session is in English only.

PFAST NEW Day/Time--Special Daytime workshop series offered to Parents K-12

Gain key insights and tips to navigate our public schools to help your child succeed. Join us for a special 5-week daytime series (normally 6 weeks) of our popular PFAST (Parent & Family Advocacy and Support Training) for parents, guardians, and others who support our students in public schools (including charter) on five Wednesdays 29, April 11, 18, & 25 and May 2, 2018 from 10:00AM-12:00PM. 

 Hosted by Durham County Cooperative Extension, the workshops help ANY parent and others better navigate our public schools to help their children succeed from Kindergarten through 12^th grade. 

PFAST Flyer 

We also welcome community members and professionals who work with families and are interested in better understanding the school environment.  PFAST works well for PreK parents who are exploring their school options and want to get a jump on the transition.  The interactive workshops engage participants and are designed to target key areas of need for parents and students, including:

·         Engaging with schools—better communication, better conferences

·         Choosing a school for you—unpacking the mysteries of school choice

·         Understanding standards and testing

·         Maximizing the parent-school relationship

·         Navigating the EC—Exceptional Children’s program—IEPs and more

·         Supporting your gifted student and understanding AIG programming

·         Connecting to school data

·         And much more...

TO REGISTER

Online:  https://goo.gl/forms/34O9KFE3Xk0VCnFf2
Form:  Registration Form - Fax to 919-560-0530 or email drewalt@dconc.gov 

See the flyer and registration links above for more information.  Light snacks will be provided.  Please REGISTER by email, fax, or phone. Call Donna Rewalt at 919-560-0538 for more information.  Space is limited and we must have 10 or more participants for a series to start.

Please note this session is in English only.  LatinoPFAST / LPFAST in Spanish has a current session running.  Please contact Angelina Schiavone at 919-560-7978 for more information.  

Summer Camp Guide for Kids With Special Needs from UNC School for Social Work

AVAILABLE NOW!

Family Support Program

2018 Summer Camp Directory: A Free Resource Guide for Families with Children who have Special Needs

A resource for family members and service providers looking for day or residential summer camp experiences for children who have disabilities or special health care needs.

The directory is available online at the UNC website: http://fsp.unc.edu/summer-camp.

For information about additional services and resources in your community for families with children who have special needs, please call Access Family Support at 800.852.0042.

http://fsp.unc.edu/summer-camp 

Exceptional Children's Assistance Center has Free Webinars in February--Parent rights, Inclusion, Resolving Disputes and more

Here are some great Webinars from one of our favorite resources, North Carolina's Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC), for families who have children with special needs.  You can sign up for their newsletter and learn more at https://www.ecac-parentcenter.org/   See what's happening in February...

February Webinars

Please register by clicking on the assigned registration links under each webinar description. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. 

Remember to check out ECAC's Online Calendar for more events and details as they become available! 

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Resolving Special Education Disputes

12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Leigh Mobley, Dispute Resolution Consultant with the Exceptional Children Division of NC Department of Public Instruction, will explain the various options that parents can consider when major disagreements happen during the special education process.

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6026046487367597314

  

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Parents Rights in Special Education

7:00 - 8:30 pm

Students with disabilities are not the only ones who have legal rights when it comes to special education. Parents also have rights related to consent requirements, notifications, participation in decision making, and resolving disputes. Join us to learn more about what those rights are and why they are important.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6405169091592740610

  Friday, February 9, 2018 

Inclusion: Everyone Belongs

12:00 - 1:00 pm 

This webinar will cover what Inclusion is and why it matters. Learn about who should be included, the Least Restrictive Environment, Universal Design, Differentiated Instruction and how inclusion relates to the IEP. 

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/976023665790806787

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Transition to Adulthood

7:00 - 8:15 pm

Be informed and prepare now to make a smooth Transition to Adulthood. 

• Learn more about effective practices and national trends that impact families and youth as they prepare to make the transition to adulthood 
• Plan and organize for your child's transition; 
• Effectively participate in developing appropriate IEP goals for your child; 
• Prepare for and set the stage for a meaningful life for your child, including supportive and customized employment;
• Learn about the resources available to you!

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2524153629619183617

Monday, February 19, 2018 

Inclusion: Everyone Belongs

7:00 - 8:00 pm

This webinar will cover what Inclusion is and why it matters. Learn about who should be included, the Least Restrictive Environment, Universal Design, Differentiated Instruction and how inclusion relates to the IEP.

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3017230718893270019

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Becoming Your Child's Best Advocate

12:00 - 1:00 pm

Join us and learn more about the steps to becoming your child's best and most effective advocate, including communicating with your child's school and IEP Team, and tips for handling any disagreements that may arise. 

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8223607392305730817

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Resolving Special Education Disputes

6:30 - 7:30 pm

Leigh Mobley, Dispute Resolution Consultant with the Exceptional Children Division of NC Department of Public Instruction, will explain the various options that parents can consider when major disagreements happen during the special education process.

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3739396553532279297

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Becoming Your Child's Best Advocate

7:00 - 8:00 pm

Join us and learn more about the steps to becoming your child's best and most effective advocate, including communicating with your child's school and IEP Team, and tips for handling any disagreements that may arise.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7278598038953253377

Registration links for webinars can also be found on ECAC's Training and Event's calendar.  

https://www.ecac-parentcenter.org/training-and-events-calendar/

You can also register by sending an email to Margaret Campbell at mcampbell@ecacmail.org 

or by calling 1-800-962-6817, ext. 317. 

City-County Joint Community Conversations--Affordable Housing, Transportation and Health Care on Tuesday, January 30 at 7pm

Come out Tuesday night, January 30, at 7:00 to talk about Affordable Housing, Transportation, and Health Care in Durham. Your voice matters and our elected officials from both the city and county will be there to listen.  Next week, Education, including public schools, and Jobs will be talked about on Tuesday, February 6.  

Take advantage of this first time ever series that includes all 3 of Durham's elected bodies--County Commissioners, City Council, and School Board.