Fall 2006 Listings

Welcome to the Autism in Connecticut blog!

Here you will find information on activities, programs and events around the state that might be of interest to anyone in Connecticut living with autism. You will find a calendar of events listing support groups, speakers, conferences and workshops. There will be links for programs, research studies and other activities that might be of interest to families, professionals, community members, friends or to other autism organizations. It is our belief that there is a need for one place to go where anyone can access information on what is happening around the state whether it is sponsored by our organization, by any other autism organization, or by any other disability organization or state agency. Families - this is the place to come to in order to find our what is happening. Organizations - this is the place to post your information in order to reach families around Connecticut. Professionals - this is the place to access the autism community in Connecticut. Send your information to autismblogger@sbcglobal.net. Please include contact information (telephone or e-mail or webpage). Inclusion on the list does not constitute endorsement by the Autism Society of Connecticut of any therapy, program, event or activity.

Sponsored by the Autism Society of Connecticut

Medical Home Support Centers: The Medical Home Support Centers are programs serving families in their regions caring for children and youth with special health care needs. They also work with pediatricians and other health care providers who care for children with special health care needs. Serices offered include care coordation, respite planning and funding (limited) and extended service funds authorization. Any child with a special need (medical, behavioral or educational) or at risk of developing s special need from birth -21 years is eligible. Medical Home Support Centers are funded through a grant from the Department of Public Health and must prove need in order to continue funding. Please call your local support center to see if they may be able to help you and your family.

Office of the Child Advocate - The office of the Child Advocate which oversees the protection and care of all children and advocates for their well-being has embarked on a new initiative to provide new ways of thinking about how to better support children with disabilities and their families. As part of their effort they are seeking input from parents and family members. What changes would you like to see in your community to provide your child with more opportunities. Specific topics of interst may include recreation, family supports and medical access. All responses are confidential. Send comments to OCA at elysa.gordon@po.state.ct.us.

DMR Pilot Program Now Accepting Applications: Many of you have been following the progress of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Pilot Prorgram. The DMR has established a small pilot program for adults who have Autism Spectrum Disorders and do not have mental retardation and are not receiving services from the DMR. Information can be found at the DMR website at www.dmr.state.ct.us/AutismPilot/index.htm. Applicants for the pilot program must live in certain areas and meet certain requirements, all of which are listed at the DMR website. You can also call Kathryn Reddington, DMR Autism Coordinator at 860-418-6026 with any questions.

Research Study Seeks Participants: Dr. Jared M. Skowron from Natural Health Associates in Hamden is looking for children to participate in a study of a new vitamin-mineral-amino acid supplement designed to increase neuron action potentials and improve symptoms. Children must be 7 or younger. Free. Call Dr. Jared M. Skowron at 203-230-2200 for more information.

Come, Follow Me - an interactive program of dog training for children with special needs. Located in Wallingford. Call Soul Friends, contact Kate Nicoll, at 203-679-0849 or www.soul-friends.org.

Need help with your health insurance? CT Family to Family Health Information Project provides direct assistance from trained health information specialists on matters relating to health insurance. They can assist on all forms of health insurance both public and private and benefits from Social Security, Title V as well as HUSKY, Medicaid, birth to three and other family supports. Contact Susan Zimmerman at 866-630-6055 or e-mail szimmerman@favor-ct.org.

AUTISM IN CONNECTICUT
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
New Entries in Green
e-mail information to autismblogger@sbcglobal.net

Tues. August 29, 2006: Autism Parents Club: A group of parents (dads too!) of children on the autism spectrum. If you're part of "the club" you will laugh & cry with other parents who could relate to your situation, support each other, share stories & resources, vent & have fun. Open to parents from all over CT. Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM, Francesco's Restaurant, Route 7, Wilton. Casual. No need to RSVP, just come! More info: Patti Sylvia 76-0248 or pattisylvia@aol.com.

Tues. Sept. 5, 2006: Pizza Moms tonight in Darien! Post Corner Pizza in Darien. If you are interested in coming please email Nanette Jordan at: nanette618@yahoo.com. Pizza Moms is a group of moms with special needs children in the Fairfield County Area. We meet the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30 pm. We get together informally and have pizza, salad and beer in Darien. Everyone is welcome. This is a place where moms can talk with other moms.

Thurs. Sept 7, 2006: DMR Name Change Forum. 9:30 a.m. Room 1D, Legislative Office Building, Hartford. This forum is an opportunity for statewide public input on the important issue of a potential name change for DMR. Sign-up for the forum will begin at 8:30 a.m in the first floor Atrium of the LOB. If you prepare a written statement, please bring 20 copies. If you need special accomodations, call DMR's Legislative Liaison, Christine Pollio at 860-418-6066. More information can be found at www.dmr.state.ct.us/NameChange.htm.

Thurs. Sept. 7, 2006: Parent Support Group: 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Society, 297 Boston Post Road, Madison. Sponsored by the Shoreline Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. All are welcome. Call 888-453-4975 or e-mail asconn@sbcglobal.net for more information.

Thurs. Sept. 7 - 10, 2006: National Inclusion in Recreation Conference. Mystic Marriott, Mystic, CT. More information at www.nrpa.org/niri.

Mon. Sept. 11, 2006: Parent Support Group: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m at Manchester Memorial Hospital for parents and caregivers of children on the autism spectrum. All are welcome. Sponsored by the East of the River Region, Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Carolyn Schwartz at 860-644-0524 for more information.

Mon. Sept. 11, 2006: Conflict Resolution: A Skill Building Workshop, 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Waterford Public Library, Waterford, CT. A presentation by the staff of Community Mediation. Sponsored by CPAC. Call CPAC at 800-445-2722 to register (space is limited) or for more information.

Wed. Sept. 13, 2006: A Forum on "Building Bridges Between Schools & Families for Student Success". At the Connecticut Grand Hotel, Waterbury, CT. 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Sponsored by the CT State Department of Education, State Education Resource Center (SERC), Capital Region Education Center (CREC), CT Parent Plus/United Way of CT, The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund.

Wed. Sept. 13, 2006: Detoxification and Your Child: How to prevent and treat neurodevelopmental problems in a toxic world - the Chelation Factor. 7:30 p.m. Dr. Nancy O'Hara will speak on an integrative approach to treating autism. Upstairs at Christ Church Greenwich. Sponsored by FAP - Friends of Autistic People. RSVP and for more information 203-661-8510.

Thurs. Sept 14, 2006: Parent Support Group, 6:30 p.m. Founders Hall Conference Room (2nd Fl), Park Place East, Winsted, CT. Parent Support Group for family members and caregivers of children with autism and related disbilities. All interested parties are welcome to attend. Sponsored by Northwestern Connecticut Community College (NCCC) and Litchfield County Autism Spectrum Association (LACASA). Call Sharon Cable, Parent at 860-693-9128 or Robert Beck, PhD, NCCC at 860-738-6386 for more information.

Sat. September 16, 2006: The Disability Advocacy Collaborative will host a Disability Convention at the CT Expo Center, Hartford, CT.

Sat. September 16, 2006: "Putting the Pieces Together: Understanding Sensory Integration", a workshop for parents, caregivers and professionals. Sponsored by The Sensational Child and Rebecca Simon, MS, OTR/L, 9:30 - 3:30 p.m., at The Sensational Child, North Kingstown, RI. For more information or to register call Julie Cofield at (401) 667-2979 or e-mail Rebecca Simon at RLSimon@cox.net.

Wed. Sept 20, 2006: Pizza Moms Greenwich! Held at Bella Nonna's in Cos Cob, 371 East Putnam Avenue. Check http://www.geocities.com/nanette618/pizzamomsg.html for more info. Pizza Moms is a support group for moms with special needs children in the Fairfield County Area. We meet the third Wednesday evening of every month at 7:00 pm. We get together informally for food, drink, and networking. Everyone is welcome. If you are interested in coming please contact Phillippa Orszulak at 203-531-6471, or angelmanmom@aol.com

Mon. Sept. 25, 2006: Support Group Meeting, 7:00 p.m. At the Sterling House Community Center, Main St., Stratford. Sponsored by the Stratford Region - Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Kim Wardlow at 203-416-2647.

Mon. Sept. 25, 2006: The Child Advocate's Summit on Connecticut's Children with Disabilities. 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Featuring the Honorable Robert Williams, National Disability Rights Advocate. Manchester Community College, Arts, Sciences and Technologies Center. To reserve a seat, lunch and any accomodations call the Office of the Child Advocate by September 15 at 800-994-0939.

Tues. Sept. 26, 2006: My Book Full of Feelings - How to Control and React to the Size of Your Emotions - a talk by Amy Jaffe, MSW and Lucy Gardner. 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. at HARC, 900 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT. Sponsored by the Hartford Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Beth Katten at 860-236-88374 or www.autismsocietyofct.org for more information.

Thurs. Sept. 28, 2006: Parent Support Group: 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Society, 297 Boston Post Road, Madison. Sponsored by the Shoreline Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. All are welcome. Call 888-453-4975 or e-mail asconn@sbcglobal.net for more information.

Thurs. Sept. 28, 2006: "Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders" - a talk by Dr. Nancy O'Hara. 7:30 p.m., IDEA Training Center Conference Room, 20 Washington Street, North Haven, CT. Sponsored by the South Central Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Sally Brockett at 203-234-7401 to reserve a seat or www.autismsocietyofct.org.

Tues. Oct. 3, 2006: Pizza Moms tonight in Darien! Post Corner Pizza in Darien. If you are interested in coming please email Nanette Jordan at: nanette618@yahoo.com. Pizza Moms is a group of moms with special needs children in the Fairfield County Area. We meet the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30 pm. We get together informally and have pizza, salad and beer in Darien. Everyone is welcome. This is a place where moms can talk with other moms.

Thurs. Oct 12, 2006: Parent Support Group, 6:30 p.m. Founders Hall Conference Room (2nd Fl), Park Place East, Winsted, CT. Parent Support Group for family members and caregivers of children with autism and related disbilities. All interested parties are welcome to attend. Sponsored by Northwestern Connecticut Community College (NCCC) and Litchfield County Autism Spectrum Association (LACASA). Call Sharon Cable, Parent at 860-693-9128 or Robert Beck, PhD, NCCC at 860-738-6386 for more information.

Sat. Oct. 14, 2006: Jonathan Mooney Presentation: Hill Regional High School, New Haven, CT. Jonathan Mooney is a dyslexic writer and activist who did not learn to read until he was 12. He is a graduate of Brown University and holds a honors degree in English Literature. He is co founder of Project Eye-to-Eye a mentoring program for disabled students. For more information contact CPAC at 800-445-2722 or e-mail cpac@cpacinc.org.

Mon. Oct. 16, 2006: Parent Support Group: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m at Manchester Memorial Hospital for parents and caregivers of children on the autism spectrum. All are welcome. Sponsored by the East of the River Region, Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Carolyn Schwartz at 860-644-0524 for more information.

Wed. Oct. 18, 2006: Pizza Moms Greenwich! Held at Bella Nonna's in Cos Cob, 371 East Putnam Avenue. Check http://www.geocities.com/nanette618/pizzamomsg.html for more info. Pizza Moms is a support group for moms with special needs children in the Fairfield County Area. We meet the third Wednesday evening of every month at 7:00 pm. We get together informally for food, drink, and networking. Everyone is welcome. If you are interested in coming please contact Phillippa Orszulak at 203-531-6471, or angelmanmom@aol.com.

Fri. Oct. 20, 2006: Donna Geffner, PhD speaks on Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, at the Greens at Cannondale, 435 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT. Sponsored by SPED*NET Wilton. Call 203-761-1191 for more information.

Mon. Oct 23, 2006: Support Group Meeting, 7:00 p.m. At the Sterling House Community Center, Main St., Stratford. Featured Speaker from the Kennedy Center in Trumbull discussing their Autism Project. Sponsored by the Stratford Region - Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Kim Wardlow at 203-416-2647.

Tues. Oct. 24, 2006: "Using Precision Teaching to Improve Reading Comprehension for Children with Autism" - a presentation by Achieve Fluency at private tutoring and consulting group. 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at HARC, 900 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT. Sponsored by the Hartford Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Beth Katten at 860-236-8374 or www.autismsocietyofct.org for more information.

Wed. Oct 25, 2006: Mock IEP. Sponsored by the Westport SEPTA. Come witness a Nightmare IEP and then a Dream IEP. Tips for a successful IEP meeting will be discussed. Participants will become empowered with knoweldge to serve as more effective advocates. Key areas of IDEA 2004 will be highlighted. All parents and interested professionals are welcome. Presenters include Anne Eason, Esq. and Dr. Kathleen Whitbread. For more information and to reserve a seat, call Janis Fox, SEPTA Programming Chair, at 203-222-8485 or e-mail Westport SETPA at westportspeta@yahoo.com.

Thurs. Oct 26, 2006: Parent Support Group, 7:30 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Society, Madison, CT. Sponsored by the Shoreline Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. Call ASCONN at 888-453-4975 or email asconn@sbcglobal.net for more information.

Sat. Oct. 28, 2006: - People First of CT state conference, Clarion Inn, Bristol 8:00 am – 4:00 pm – Cost: $25. “People First of CT is a statewide self-advocacy organization that believes that all people should be treated as equals and be respected for what they can do. We advocate for ourselves and educate people about self-advocacy and People First of CT. We stand behind closing institutions and encourage people with disabilities to live more independent lives.

Sat. Oct. 28, 2006: Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficits Through the Lifespan, 36th Annual CACLD Conference at the Stamford Marriott Hotel, Stamford, CT. Call CACLD at 203-838-5010 for more information or check www.cacld.org.

Tues. Nov. 7, 2006: ARC's Annual Parent & Community Conference, featuring Eileen Luddy, Educational Consultant. Half-Day Workshop at UCONN Stamford Branch, Washington Blvd., Stamford. Contact Suzanne Ford for registration and information at 203-629-1880 x100 or ford@arcgreenwich.org.

Tues. Nov. 7, 2006: Pizza Moms tonight in Darien! Post Corner Pizza in Darien. If you are interested in coming please email Nanette Jordan at: nanette618@yahoo.com. Pizza Moms is a group of moms with special needs children in the Fairfield County Area. We meet the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30 pm. We get together informally and have pizza, salad and beer in Darien. Everyone is welcome. This is a place where moms can talk with other moms.

Wed. Nov. 8, 2006: Dr. Jared Skowron of Natural Health Associates - a presentation on "Awakening Autism" a new vitamin-mineral-amino acid supplement currently being studied and used in treatment at Natural Health Associates. 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at HARC, 900 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT. Sponsored by the Hartford Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Beth Katten at 860-236-8374 or www.autismsocietyofct.org for more information.

Mon. Nov. 13, 2006: Parent Support Group, 7:00 p.m., Manchester Memorial Hospital, Manchester, CT. Sponsored by the East of the River Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Carolyn Schwartz at 860-644-0524 or www.autismsocietyofct.org for more information.

Wed. Nov. 15, 2006: Pizza Moms Greenwich! Held at Bella Nonna's in Cos Cob, 371 East Putnam Avenue. Check http://www.geocities.com/nanette618/pizzamomsg.html for more info. Pizza Moms is a support group for moms with special needs children in the Fairfield County Area. We meet the third Wednesday evening of every month at 7:00 pm. We get together informally for food, drink, and networking. Everyone is welcome. If you are interested in coming please contact Phillippa Orszulak at 203-531-6471, or angelmanmom@aol.com

Thurs. Nov. 16, 2006: Dr. Jared Skowron of Natural Health Associates - a presentation on "Awakening Autism" a new vitamin-mineral-amino acid supplement cuurrently being studied and used in treatment at Natural Health Associates. 7:30 p.m., at IDEA Training Center Conference Room, 20 Washington Ave., North Haven, CT. Sponsored by the South Central Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Sally Brockett at 203-234-7401 to reserve a seat.

Mon. Nov. 27, 2006: Parent Support Group, 7:00 p.m. at Sterling House Community Center, Stratford, CT. Sponsored by the Stratford Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. Call Kim Wardlow at 203-416-2647 or www.autismsocietyofct.org for more information.

Thurs. Nov. 30, 2006: Parent Support Group, 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Society, Madison, CT. Sponsored by the Shoreline Region of the Autism Society of Connecticut. Call ASCONN at 888-453-4975 or e-mail asconn@sbcglobal.net for more information.

Thurs. Dec. 7, 2006: 9th Annual Expanding Horizons Conference. At the Crowne Plaza, Cromwell, CT. Annual Conference on Educating Students with Disabilities in General Education Classrooms. For more information www.ctserc.org.