August 2006:
ASCONN is pleased to announce that the 2006 mini-grants
for safety and security equipment have been awarded and that all
recipients have been notified of their awards. Response in the second
year of our mini-grant program was overwhelming. ASCONN received over
100 applications requesting almost $100,000 in financial support for
families all around the state of Connecticut. A total of 18 grants were
awarded, including fencing for the Adamczyk family of Ansonia who wrote
to us that the letter announcing their receipt of the grant arrived just
as they had to cut short a family vacation to rush home and care for a
sick relative. The letter was opened on their 21st wedding anniversary
and was a "beacon of light in an otherwise dark day for us. I am taking
this as a sign that [our family member] will continue to improve." The
Keating family of West Haven (door locks and pool alarm) wrote "the most
important thing now is that my son ... will be safe." Mia Samsel of
Guilford wrote simply, "thank you, thank you, thank you" for the much
needed fence for my backyard." The grants ranged from purchasing door
and window alarms and locks, Ion-Kids tracker systems, specialized car
seats for the "Houdini" child to fencing supplies and equipment.
ASCONN is thrilled to be able to help our families in such a direct way.
Information about the 2007 program will be available in late
winter/early spring. You can help by remembering this program when you
are thinking about donations. Don't forget corporate matching programs
that might be available to increase your donation. Help a fellow family
in Connecticut, make a donation today. You can may make a
donation on the web or by check or credit card
to ASCONN, PO Box 1404, Guilford, CT 06437. We are a 501(c)(3)
organization and your donation may be tax deductible.
June 15, 2006: ASCONN introduces a new blog,
Autism in Connecticut. This blog is a place where everyone with an
interest in autism, whether they are a parent, professional, person with
autism, friend or community member can go to access information about
happenings around the state. The blog will list events, programs,
activities and other happenings around the State of Connecticut that
would be useful to anyone with an interest in autism. Whether it is
sponsored by ASCONN, one of the other autism groups, the state
department of education, other disability groups, whoever, if it would
be useful to anyone with an interest in autism, you will find it here!
Send your information to
autismblogger@sbcglobal.net.
June 1, 2006: The
application cycle for the ASCONN 2006 mini-grant program is now closed.
The response to our program has been overwhelming as clearly there is a
need to help families finance safety and security items, services and
programs for their family members with ASD. The committee will be
reviewing all completed applications and awards will be announced in
July. Recipients will be notified by mail. Information about the 2007
Mini-Grant Program will be available after January.
June 1, 2006:
Lighting the Way to Hope: Navigating to Success and Solutions
is the theme of the Autism Society of America’s 37th Annual National
Conference, to be held July 12-15 right next door in Providence, Rhode
Island. There will be three days of speakers, concurrent sessions and
chances to network with families from around the country. Keynote
speakers to date include Sally Rogers, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences, the M.I.N.D. Institute, University of CA Davis
Medical Center, Martha Herbert, M.D., Ph.D., Pediatric Neurology
Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Mark Durand, Ph.D.,
University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. In between there will be
over 100 concurrent sessions featuring some of the finest educators,
researchers and speakers working in the field of autism, including our
very own Kim Newgass and Sara Reed presenting on “Autism Orientation for
Faith-Based Communities”. There are extra full-day workshops on
Wednesday, July 12 including SCERTS training with Barry Prizant, Ph.D.,
Planning for Adolescents with High Functioning Autism and Aspergers with
Brenda Smith-Myles, a self-advocacy workshop for adults on the spectrum
moderated by Stephen Shore and many other choices. Information on
registration and housing can be found at
www.autism-society.org.
ASCONN will also be participating as an Exhibitor along with many other
organizations, schools, providers and companies to showcase their
services for persons on the autism spectrum.
The ASA Rhode Island Chapter will be running the first ever ASA Art
Exhibition and Show featuring art from children and adults on the
spectrum. If you would like your art to be exhibited, find out more
information on the
ASA website.
Friday evening will see the “Evening of Champions” Dinner and Dance and
silent auction honoring special guests who have worked to improve the
lives of those with autism spectrum disorders over the years. This
year’s honorees include: The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism
(Leadership Award), Ruth Christ Sullivan, Ph.D. (Founders Award),
Margaret Bauman, M.D., Ph.D. (Excellence in Research Award) and Dennis
Debbault, autism safety expert (Advocacy and Education Award).
Let us know if you are planning on attending as we’d like to have a
Connecticut “meet and greet” for all our families to gather. Call
888-453-4975 or e-mail
asconn@sbcglobal.net.
February 15, 2006: April is Autism Awareness Month both nationally
and here in Connecticut. The theme this year is “Hometown Heroes” as ASCONN and the other ASA state chapters across the country bring families
within the autism community together and draw those outside the community
to join with us to learn more about autism as well as to provide a
community service – every day safety. With the help of the Westfield
Malls, ASCONN will be extending autism awareness every Saturday in the
month of April. On April 1 we will be at the Trumbull Mall, on April 8, at
the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, on April 15 at the Enfield Mall and
on April 22 at the Meriden Mall. We will have tables staffed with
volunteers to hand out information about autism, ASCONN and resources in
Connecticut.
As part of our safety awareness, ASCONN is working with the Yale Center
for Children with Special Health Care Needs to hand out Emergency
Preparedness Packets. These packets go beyond the general “kid
identification” and help parents prepare information about their child or
family members’ special needs so that first responders have more
information about how to interact with persons on the autism spectrum
during an emergency.
ASCONN has also partnered with
Ion-Kids and will be
demonstrating the Ion-Kids Tracking System which can give parents and
caregivers warning that a child or family member has left the safe
boundaries.
Continuing with the theme of every day safety ASCONN also proudly
announces the 2006 ASCONN Mini-Grant program to help parents and family
members purchase safety and security equipment, supplies and services.
With the help of the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, ASCONN will
be able to support many more families. For more information see
Programs.
What can YOU do to help spread awareness and prepare for emergencies?
-
We need volunteers for our mall days. If you can give us a
couple of hours on one Saturday in April, please call 888-453-4975 or
e-mail us. We would like to have at least
two volunteers at all times to help respond to the public.
-
Call your local police department, fire department and 911
dispatcher and tell them about your family member with autism. Consider
a visit to the department and bring your child along. Most first
responders have systems where they can flag your house on their computer
so that if they receive an emergency call from that address they can be
prepared to handle a person on the spectrum appropriately.
-
Prepare an emergency packet for your family member. Add
information that a first responder would need, for example “non-verbal”,
“do not touch head”, “screams at loud noises”, “does not respond to
name” and any other pertinent information that will help a responder in
an emergency. Remember, in an emergency, you may not be there or not be
able to help. Keep this information in an easily accessible place so
that in an emergency it is available.
-
Designate a family member, close friend or relative who does
not live with you as the “contact person” in the event of an emergency
that dislocates your family. This person will serve as the “hub” so that
all family members only need to make one phone call to this person who
will collect information about everyone’s whereabouts in one central
location.
December 16, 2005: ASCONN receives a grant from the Doug Flutie,
Jr. Foundation for Autism to support ASCONN’s mini-grant program for 2006.
This grant enables ASCONN to triple the amount of grants money awarded
directly to families in Connecticut. Information and application forms
will be available in early spring. See
Programs
September 1, 2005: ASCONN's Board of Directors is pleased to
announce the creation of two new awards to be given annually during Autism
Awareness Month (April). The first, "Autism School of the Year" is to be
presented to the school, public or private that in the opinion of the
Board of Directors has done outstanding work in supporting children with
autism spectrum disorders and the second, "Autism Professional of the
Year" is to be presented to the professional (whether teacher, therapist,
medical provider, or paraprofessional) who, individually has done
outstanding work in supporting persons with autism spectrum disorders and
their families.
Our first awards will be given to Hebron Elementary School,
where a sixth-grade class was inspired by one of their inclusion
classmates to undertake a study about autism that that resulted in a book,
a play and a desire to do something for the greater autism community. The
project lead by Donna Sweeny, OT, culminated in a fund-raiser that
provided over $1,000 that the class voted to apply to ASCONN's mini-grant
program and increased what we were able to provide right here in
Connecticut. Hebron Elementary School and Donna Sweeny exemplify what can
happen when inclusion programs are supported at every level. These awards
for 2005 will be presented at our conference in April, 2006. If you want
to honor your school or professional in 2007, please
contact us and let us
know what is happening in your neighborhood!
August 1, 2005:
State Department of Education releases
new autism guidelines.
August 1, 2005:
ASCONN awards its first series of mini grants to families in Connecticut.
The grants were made to families to help purchase safety and security
items. A total of 10 grants were awarded, for a total of $3500, including
five for fencing equipment, three for the Ion-Kids tracker system (check
them out at
www.ion-kids.com) and one each for a larger car seat and for alarmed
window screens. Included in the grant awards were grants to the Knoth
family in Milford, who have two sons on the spectrum and wrote to extend
their “deepest thanks” for our help in installing a fence. We helped the
Beaudoin family in North Franklin to purchase an Ion-Kids tracking system
to help monitor their 7 year old who is a flight risk. We also helped the
DeMezzos in Branford, a mom looking to fence in her yard for her
daughter.
Information about next
year’s grants will be available in late winter. We received many more
requests than we could grant monies for. If you are considering a
donation to ASCONN, please consider donating directly to this program.
Check with your employer about matching funds, too! ASCONN is a 501(c)(3)
organization and all donations are tax deductible. For more information,
please see Programs.
July 14, 2005:
ASCONN elects new Board
Officers
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