The Arc’s Autism Now Center

Tomorrow, Autism NOW: The National Autism Resource and Information Center, will be hosting the second week of a webinar series on transition issues.

On February 22nd, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), Mr. Alan Kurtz and Ms. Janine Collins from The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies at the University of Maine will be presenting a webinar entitled, “Family-Centered Transition Planning for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders”. In this webinar, the presenters will discuss transition planning models as well as addressing some of the major issues and concerns of the family panel from February 17th. Please register for this webinar here.

On February 24th, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), Dr. John Butterworth and Dr. Alberto Migliore from the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston will be presenting a webinar entitled, “Supporting a Seamless Transition to Adulthood”. The presenters will discuss the elements of an effective transition model, will provide information on supports and post-school outcomes for people with ASDs based on data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2, and will address concerns of the family panel on February 17th. Please register for this webinar here.

This webinar series is part of a free, regular weekly series designed for self-advocates, families, professionals, and the general public, in which each webinar constitutes an opportunity for information sharing and dialogue on a wide variety of topics. Held every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00 pm (EST), these webinars include introductory information as well as new and innovative practices in the area of autism and developmental disabilities.

The Autism NOW Center is a project funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and a national initiative of The Arc. The Center gathers, organizes, and disseminates readily accessible, high-quality resources and information related to community-based services that support independent living and self-determination, treatment protocols that promoted community-based experiences, and evidence-based interventions. We provide resources and information in core areas across the lifespan. Focus areas include early diagnosis, early intervention, and early education; transition from high school into early adulthood; community-based employment; advocacy for families and self-advocates; community inclusion; aging issues; policy; implementation of health care reform, including long term care services and supports; family and sibling support; and networking in local, state, and national arenas.

For any further questions regarding these webinars, for more information on The Autism NOW Center, or for technical assistance, please contact Tonia Ferguson at tferguson@autismnow.org or Jennifer Sladen at jsladen@autismnow.org.

Autism NOW will be hosting a family panel on transition issues this evening, February 17, 2011, from 5:00 – 6:00 PM EST. At this panel, parents who have gone through the transition process, parents who are going through this process currently, and parents who are just now beginning to help their children transition will be discussing their experiences and concerns. Experts and representatives from national autism and developmental disability organizations will be listening in to these stories and responding to them in later webinars. To listen in, please register by visiting the following address: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=cy0rygirw51y

Here are the dates for this year’s Autism NOW Summits:

May 14-15 – Prince George’s County, MD
June 25-26 – Indianapolis, IN
July 9-10 – Orlando, FL
July 30-31 – Los Angeles, CA
August 13-14 – Texas

Start making plans now!

Beginning on February 15th, Autism NOW: The National Autism Resource and Information Center will be hosting a webinar series on transition issues.

On February 15th, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), Scott Michael Robertson from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) will be presenting a webinar entitled, “Transition from Childhood to Adulthood: Perspectives from an Autistic Self-Advocate Researcher”. This webinar will provide an overview of various issues, challenges, and barriers that people on the autism spectrum often encounter when transitioning from post-secondary education. The session will also share practical recommendations and solutions for managing this adversity. Please register for this webinar here.

On February 17th, from 5:00 – 6:00 pm (EST), a panel of families will be discussing and presenting their concerns and stories regarding the transition of their children with ASDs from support services into the community. Please register for this webinar discussion here.

On February 22nd, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), Mr. Alan Kurtz and Ms. Janine Collins from The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies at the University of Maine will be presenting a webinar entitled, “Family-Centered Transition Planning for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders”. In this webinar, the presenters will discuss transition planning models as well as addressing some of the major issues and concerns of the family panel from February 17th. Please register for this webinar here.

On February 24th, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), Dr. John Butterworth and Dr. Alberto Migliore from the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston will be presenting a webinar entitled, “Supporting a Seamless Transition to Adulthood”. The presenters will discuss the elements of an effective transition model, will provide information on supports and post-school outcomes for people with ASDs based on data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2, and will address concerns of the family panel on February 17th. Please register for this webinar here.

This webinar series is part of a free, regular weekly series designed for self-advocates, families, professionals, and the general public, in which each webinar constitutes an opportunity for information sharing and dialogue on a wide variety of topics. Held every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00 pm (EST), these webinars include introductory information as well as new and innovative practices in the area of autism and developmental disabilities.

The Autism NOW Center is a project funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and a national initiative of The Arc. The Center gathers, organizes, and disseminates readily accessible, high-quality resources and information related to community-based services that support independent living and self-determination, treatment protocols that promoted community-based experiences, and evidence-based interventions. We provide resources and information in core areas across the lifespan. Focus areas include early diagnosis, early intervention, and early education; transition from high school into early adulthood; community-based employment; advocacy for families and self-advocates; community inclusion; aging issues; policy; implementation of health care reform, including long term care services and supports; family and sibling support; and networking in local, state, and national arenas.

For any further questions regarding these webinars, for more information on The Autism NOW Center, or for technical assistance, please contact Tonia Ferguson at tferguson@autismnow.org or Jennifer Sladen at jsladen@autismnow.org.

Autism NOW: The National Autism Resource and Information Center will be hosting the following webinars for the week of February 7, 2011:

On February 8th, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), Vince Griffith from Social Solutions, the leading provider of performance management software for human services, will be presenting an introductory webinar on the company and its work at The Autism NOW Center and in the intellectual and developmental disabilities field. Register for this webinar here.

On February 10th, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), Joyce Martin from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) will be presenting a webinar entitled “AAIDD, its Environmental Health Initiative, and Autism”. This webinar will provide an overview of AAIDD, its Environmental Health Initiative, and the concern about environmental exposures and autism issues. Register for this webinar here.

These webinars are part of a weekly series designed for self-advocates, families, professionals, and the general public, in which each webinar will be an opportunity for information sharing and dialogue on a wide variety of topics. To be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00 pm (EST), these webinars will begin with discussion around introductory information about the Center itself and our partner organizations. Future topics will include new and innovative practices in the area of autism and developmental disabilities.

The Autism NOW Center is a project funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and a national initiative of The Arc. The Center gathers, organizes, and disseminates readily accessible, high-quality resources and information related to community-based services that support independent living and self-determination, treatment protocols that promoted community-based experiences, and evidence-based interventions. We provide resources and information in core areas across the lifespan. Focus areas include early diagnosis, early intervention, and early education; transition from high school into early adulthood; community-based employment; advocacy for families and self-advocates; community inclusion; aging issues; policy; implementation of health care reform, including long term care services and supports; family and sibling support; and networking in local, state, and national arenas.

For any further questions regarding these webinars, for more information on The Autism NOW Center, or for technical assistance, please contact Tonia Ferguson at tferguson@autismnow.org or Jennifer Sladen at jsladen@autismnow.org.

Autism NOW: The National Autism Resource and Information Center will be hosting the following webinars for the week of January 31, 2011:

On February 1st, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) will be conducting a webinar on the work and resources that the OAR provides throughout the United States. To access this webinar, please call 1-866-740-1260 and enter access code 2321101 at the time of the webinar. After dialing in, please sign into the online portion of the webinar here.

On February 3rd, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), Mr. Joe Caldwell from the National Council on Aging and Mr. John Kramer from the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts – Boston will be presenting a webinar entitled “Supporting Aging Family Caregivers and Adults with Autism and Developmental Disabilities.” To access this webinar, please call 1-866-740-1260 and enter access code 2321101 on Thursday afternoon. After dialing in, sign into the online portion of the webinar here.

These webinars are part of a weekly series designed for self-advocates, families, professionals, and the general public, in which each webinar will be an opportunity for information sharing and dialogue on a wide variety of topics. To be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00 pm (EST), these webinars will begin with discussion around introductory information about the Center itself and our partner organizations. Future topics will include new and innovative practices in the area of autism and developmental disabilities.

The Autism NOW Center is a project funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and a national initiative of The Arc. The Center gathers, organizes, and disseminates readily accessible, high-quality resources and information related to community-based services that support independent living and self-determination, treatment protocols that promoted community-based experiences, and evidence-based interventions. We provide resources and information in core areas across the lifespan. Focus areas include early diagnosis, early intervention, and early education; transition from high school into early adulthood; community-based employment; advocacy for families and self-advocates; community inclusion; aging issues; policy; implementation of health care reform, including long term care services and supports; family and sibling support; and networking in local, state, and national arenas.

For any further questions regarding these webinars or for more information on The Autism NOW Center, please contact Jennifer Sladen at jsladen@autismnow.org.

On Thursday, January 27th, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm EST,  Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) will present a webinar explaining the work that SABE accomplishes throughout the United States as well as the role of SABE at The Autism NOW Center.  To access this webinar, please call 1-866-740-1260 and enter access code 2321101.  After this, please sign into the chat/online portion of the webinar here.

For any further questions regarding these webinars or for more information on The Autism NOW Center, please contact Jennifer Sladen at jsladen@autismnow.org.

Autism NOW: The National Autism Resource and Information Center will begin hosting a series of weekly webinars, starting on Tuesday, January 25, 2011.  Designed for self-advocates, families, professionals, and the general public, each webinar will be an opportunity for information sharing on a variety of topics.  To be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00 pm (EST), these webinars will not only provide introductory information about the Center and its partner organizations but will also encourage dialogue between families, self-advocates, the Center, and partner organizations regarding needed resources.  Future topics will include new and innovative practices in the area of autism and other developmental disabilities.

On January 25th, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm (EST), The Autism NOW Center will be conducting a webinar on the work and the purpose of the Center.  Tonia Ferguson, Center Director, and Paula Durbin-Westby, Center Co-Director will present their viewpoints on the need for the Center from their perspectives as a parent and a self-advocate.  To access this webinar, please call 1-866-740-1260 and enter access code 2321101.  To participate in the chat and online portion of the webinar, please sign up for the webinar here.

On January 27th, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm EST,  Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) will present a webinar explaining the work that SABE accomplishes throughout the United States as well as the role of SABE at The Autism NOW Center.  To access this webinar, please call 1-866-740-1260 and enter access code 2321101.  To participate in the chat and online portion of the webinar, please sign up for the webinar here.

For any further questions regarding these webinars or for more information on The Autism NOW Center, please contact Jennifer Sladen at jsladen@autismnow.org.

U.S. Representatives Mike Doyle (PA-14) and Chris Smith (NJ-4), released a report today describing autism-related research and service activities carried out by the US Government over the last four years.

“I want to commend HHS and particularly the Office of Autism Research Coordination at the National Institutes of Health for providing Congress with this very helpful information,” Congressman Doyle said.  “Congress must reauthorize the Combating Autism Act to take its research and surveillance insights and translate them into improved outcomes for persons with autism and their families.”

“Congress has a responsibility not only to pass needed legislation, but to follow up with the appropriate review, oversight, and – if necessary – additional legislative action,” Congressman Doyle observed.  “This report provides a lot of helpful new information, and we will definitely use those insights in drafting legislation to reauthorize the Combating Autism Act, which Congressman Smith and I are working on and hope to reintroduce very soon.”

This report, which was required by the Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006, describes action that the Federal Government has undertaken since enactment of the CAA – primarily in the fields of research and services.  The report highlights the positive impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (often referred to as ARRA or the “stimulus” bill).  The report also noted the effectiveness of behavioral health treatments for children with autism, which Congressman Doyle succeeded in ensuring were covered by insurance in the recent health care reform law.

One out of every 150 children in the United States has an Autism Spectrum Disorder.  The range and severity of symptoms of autism vary from case to case, but symptoms often include difficulties in communicating and interacting with other individuals and exhibiting repetitive behaviors and intense interests in specific subjects. The care involved in treating these symptoms often requires hours of intensive therapy every week – regimens that are often inaccessible or unaffordable for many families.  With early intervention and concentrated treatment, the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder can be mitigated, enabling individuals with autism and their families to participate fully in their communities.

You can read Congressman Doyle’s full press release here.

You can download and read the full report here.

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We are so excited to announce that Co-Director Paula Durbin-Westby has joined the Autism NOW Center. She will be an amazing asset to the Center as she identifies as someone on the autism spectrum. It’s great to have that “authentic” presence on our team. What a wealth of knowledge she will bring.

Can’t forget the rest of the team as they are excited to be working on the project. Jennifer Sladen will be the Program Associate working on the ground level organizing and gathering great resources for our families. Also, we have great interns who will be organizing our Virtual Summits Myra Jacobs and Kurt Bassett.

WHAT A RIDE THIS WILL BE as we launch this national initiative.

-Tonia Ferguson, Director, Autism NOW