May 2011

Networking News

UPDATES from the Autism Society of Alabama

Please see our calendar for a full listing of events.

The tornados of April 27, 2011 affected all of us.  We offer prayers for friends who lost homes, possessions, and loved ones.  Applications for assistance for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder and their families is available for those who have been impacted by the storms.  Other resources are available on the tornado relief link on our website.

Donations are being accepted to specifically help our friends in Alabama's Autism Community who are in need.  All donations will go toward tornado relief for the autism community.

Conferences

• The Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at UCDavis has developed a free, online training series called ADEPT—Autism Distance Education Parent Training Interactive Learning.  ADEPT is a 10-lesson interactive, self-paced, online learning module that gives parents the tools and training to more effectively teach their child with autism using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques.
• There will be a Parent Project Training in Ozark, AL on June 6-10.
• The 10th Annual Early Intervention Update will be held June 14, 2011 in Tuscaloosa.  One of their key focus areas will be autism.  For more information, contact Tania Baldwin at 1-800-723-0490.
• The Parent Leadership Academy will be held in Tuscaloosa on June 20 - 22, 2011.

• Out-of-State Conferences:
  • The Tennessee Disability 2011 Megaconference is scheduled for June 2-3, 2011.
  • That 2011 Autism Society of America Conference will be July 6-9 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, FL.
  • The Emory Autism Center in Atlanta is hosting the Annual School Inclusion Conference July 21-22.

Partnerships

• The ASA has joined the Disabilities Leadership Coalition of Alabama.  The Coalition will direct its efforts to develop services for all individuals with developmental disabilities.  Alabama is one of three states in the U.S. which limits services based on IQ scores.  Working together, we can develop services based on individual need rather than IQ score.  To participate in this effort and for more information, click here.

Grants

• BBVA Compass Community CyberGrants recently awarded the ASA funding to expand the Mobile ASA office and staff.  Angel Loewen was hired as an Information and Referral Coordinator  in the Mobile office.  This grant also allows for the purchase of equipment to further support Angel's work.  She comes to us from the Easter Seals of the Gulf Coast where she was the Divisional Director of Children and Family Services.  We are very happy to have Angel join us.  She brings much expertise and passion for individuals and families affected by ASD.
• Click here to see a listing of the location of library books sent to various locations around the state.  Every public county library system was given a set of books from the ASA and may be available for checkout.  More books will be received in the coming months too.

Alabama Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (AIACC)

• The next quarterly meeting of the AIACC is May 26th in Montgomery.  Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with questions.
• The Community Services subcommittee (part of the Special Projects Committee of the AIACC) is supporting the "A Child is Missing" (ACIM) safety campaign.  This is a nation-wide program that is free to all law enforcement agencies.  A Child is Missing is one of the fastest  and most effective programs law enforcement can activate in for the first critical minutes after a child is reported to be missing.  When a registered law enforcement agency calls ACIM, 1000 phone calls can be generated in 60 seconds to surrounding areas where a child is thought to be.  ACIM is not restrained by jurisdictional boundaries, which permits alert calls to be made across district lines.  Many Alabama agencies are already registered with ACIM, however, many are not.  We need your help to disseminate this information to your local police agency.  Go to www.autism-alabama.org or www.autism.alabama.org for the resources detailed below and follow these steps:
  • Find out if your local law enforcement agency is already registered by looking at the Agency Participation in Alabama.
  • If your agency is not registered deliver the ACIM resources to your local law enforcement agency official.  The resources should include:
    • A Child is Missing brochure
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Key Points
    • Sample Letter for Participation
  • Email Caroline Gomez, State Autism Coordinator, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it so that the Campaign Team can keep an account of contacts made.

ASA Outreach

• THANK YOU for helping to make Autism Legislative Day a success again this year!  We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to write, call, email, and visit your legislators.  There are so many new faces in the State House, it is important to introduce ourselves and explain our needs to them.
• ASA Representative to speak at Smokerise Baptist Church in Blount County on May 25th.

Fundraisers

• The ASA has partnered with Op4G, an internet-based market research organization that pays you up to 75% of earnings from participating in short research surveys, and it allows you to donate 25% or more of your earnings to the charity of your choice.  Register and choose to support the Autism Society of Alabama.
• The Mobile Junior Board is well under way in development with the help of Jennifer Robertson and Board Member Hanes Swingle, MD.  If you would like to help create a Junior Board in your area, contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

• A group of investigators at The George Washington University are conducting a survey study on the response of individuals with ASD to various medications with the long-term goal of better matching medications to individuals based on their respective genetics or biological makeup.  Click for more information, to view the Patient or Parent-Guardian Survey or the Clinician Survey.
• Vanderbilt is conducting a study on children with autism and epilepsy or suspected epilepsy.
• The UAB Brain Imaging Research Lab is conducting a study and seeking participants ages 10 - 17 years with high-functioning autism and adults with autism
• Complete the IAN Elopement and Wandering Questionnaire to help researchers begin to document and understand elopement behavior in ASD.  This project is funded by the Autism Research Institute, Autism Speaks, and the Global Autism Collaboration.

Announcements

• " Haylee's Law " is proposed legislation that would allow for the development and provision of services for individuals with developmental disabilities with an IQ of 70 or above.  Currently, to obtain a waiver, an individuals must have an IQ less than 70.  This issue has been featured in The Times Daily and on NBC Nightly News: Making a Difference.
• Senator Cam Ward is proposing legislation to expand the use of service dogs.
• Thank you to COSEPTA for sharing that there is now a free app to aid parents and advocates: iAdvocate.  iAdvocate provides strategies and information about your child's educational rights.

For More Information:

Website: www.autism-alabama.org

Facebook: “Jerry ASA” or “Autism Society of Alabama”

Twitter: AutismSocietyAL

Upcoming Events Page: www.autism-alabama.org/events.html

Tell Us About Your Community!

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Have something happening in your local area that you would like posted in the quarterly newsletter?  Send your announcements to Jennifer Robertson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .