                 
Would
You Like To Make A Donation?
Please do so by making a check
payable to Broward Chapter / Autism Society and send it to:
Autism Society of America Broward
Chapter
PO Box 450476,
Sunrise, Florida 33345
Please include your name, address,
and phone number.
If applicable, please include the
person(s) "In honor of," or "In memory of." Make sure that you
include the address (or estate) of the of the person(s) receiving
the honor.
If you have any questions, please
contact us at 954-577-4141 or e-mail
info@asabroward.org
Donations to ASA Broward are Tax
Deductible!
Upcoming Events
September 17, 2008
ASA Broward General Meeting -
Dietary Interventions for Autism: The
GFCF Diet: How to get started
7:30pm at ARC
Broward, 10250 NW 53rd Street, Building #2, Sunrise (One block south
of Commercial between Nob Hill and Hiatus Road)
Speaker: Dawn Michelle Simon, RD,
LD/N, CLT
October 15, 2008
ASA Broward General Meeting -
The Verbal Child with ASD: Focus on HFA
and Aspergers Disorder
7:30pm at ARC
Broward, 10250 NW 53rd Street, Building #2, Sunrise (One block south
of Commercial between Nob Hill and Hiatus Road)
Speaker: Diane Adreon and Brian
Roselione, CARD
Our meetings are open to all that are
interested in autism. Refreshments will be served. Please call
954-577-4141.
Click here for more
upcoming events
Welcome
To The Website of The Autism Society of America - Broward
County, Florida Chapter!
The National Autism Society of America was founded in
1965. The mission of the ASA is to promote lifelong access and opportunities for all individuals within the autism spectrum and
their families, to be fully included, participating members of their
communities. Education, advocacy, public awareness efforts and the
promotion of research form the cornerstone of the ASA’s activities.
The Broward Chapter
of the Autism Society of America invites you to join the Broward ASA.
Our chapter, founded in 1992, is dedicated to the education and
welfare of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder.
Through support for one another and the community, we strive to
educate other caring people about autism.
Locally, the Broward
Chapter has had many accomplishments in the areas of advocacy,
information and referral. Broward ASA has been the impetus to
initiate many educational programs for autistic students in Broward
County Public Schools. We continue to work with the school system
to dispense information and support through ACE, the Autism
Committee of Exceptional Student Education.
By joining the
Broward Chapter of the ASA you will become part of a larger voice
for positive change in our school systems and local, state and
national government. Your membership will help provide some of the
funds and manpower needed to continue this work and to dispense
newsletters, provide workshops and supply informational material to
the community.
For more information
please do not hesitate to either join us for our monthly meetings
that are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm at ARC
Broward located at 10250 NW 53 St, Sunrise, FL or call our office at
954-474-5333.
Through it’s varied
benefits and services, the ASA continues to be the voice and
resource of the autism community.
Sincerely,
Stacey
Hoaglund
Autism Society of America - Broward Chapter's Mission Statement
The mission of the ASA is to promote
lifelong access and opportunity for all individuals within the
autism spectrum, and their families; and for these individuals to be
fully participating, included members of their community. Education,
advocacy, public awareness efforts and promotion of research are
what we strive to enhance. By embracing the diversity of our group,
ASA seeks to provide an open forum for exchange of ideas.
ASA Brochures &
Pamphlets
 ASA
publishes a variety of informational brochures and pamphlets about
autism. To access ASA's free, downloadable brochures, please click
on the image to the left.
|
|
Due to an
overwhelming response and request, ASA is holding another Bowling
Event in September.
The
Autism Society of America
Broward Chapter Presents
A
Family Bowling and Fundraiser Event
When:
September 28,
11:00-12:30PM
Where:
Brunswick
Margate Bowling Lanes
2020 N State Road
7,
Margate, Fl
Cost:
$15.00 per
bowler (includes bowling,
raffle ticket and lunch)
Price includes bowling, 2 slices of pizza or hotdog & a soda
(Kids do not have to wear bowling shoes, come with rubber soled
shoes)
-- Tickets on sale at
the door --
This is your
opportunity to have a great time with your family while supporting a
fundraising effort of the Broward Autism Society. It is imperative
that we raise funds in order to continue offering scholarships to
gymnastics and summer camp programs for our children and adults with
autism, as well as continuing to bring monthly speakers and autism
awareness events to our community.
Your
support is extremely appreciated!
Contact ASA at 954-577-4141 or email at
info@asabroward.org
Window
Of Opportunity Act
 The
"Window of Opportunity Act"
requires health insurance plans to provide coverage for screening,
diagnosis, intervention, & treatment of autism spectrum disorder in
children; requires treatment plan; prohibits insurers from denying
or refusing coverage or refusing to renew or reissue or terminate
coverage based on diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder; provides
coverage limitations; provides treatment plan requirements; limits
frequency of requests for updating treatment plan; provides maximum
benefits limitation; requires public institutions of higher
education to incorporate into educator certificate course curricula
recommendations of Commissioner of Education relating to autism
awareness & teaching students who have autism spectrum disorder;
requires commissioner to develop recommendations for instruction &
course curricula relating to autism spectrum disorder & requires
commissioner to submit such recommendations to SBE & BOG; requires
DOH, in conjunction with DOE, DCFS, AHCA, & APD to establish
statewide system of early autism spectrum disorder intervention
services for infants & toddlers; requires DOH to establish Internet
website for disseminating information.
Please support the Window of
Opportunity Act by contacting your representatives in Tallahassee.
The House version of the bill is HB-1291 and its related Senate
version is S-2654.
What is Inclusion?
By Stacey
Hoaglund, Vice President, ASA Broward
September’s ASA Meeting focused on Inclusion and the rights that all
children have in this area. Barbara Krakower of the Florida
Inclusion Network was a guest speaker that evening. She brought
with her a wealth of information for families. Many brochures and
resource materials were given to those who attended.
Including children with disabilities in regular education classes
with children their own age is not just the law, it works. Research
has shown over and over again that inclusion benefits children with
disabilities. Inclusion also benefits children without disabilities
and the whole school environment.
Inclusion means….
*Students with disabilities are in general education classrooms and
settings with their same age peers without disabilities.
* Special education instruction, supports and services follow the
student to the general education setting rather than the student
going to a separate classroom.
* All students with disabilities are full members of the school
community and have the chance to participate fully in school
activities.
* Education is based on the needs of each individual student, not on
his/her disability level.
What does the research say?
Studies show students with mild to significant disabilities in
inclusive settings…..
* gain social and communication skills
* increase participation and independence
* have more academic objectives on their IEPs
* increase academic achievement
* develop positive behaviors
* take part in more school activities
Who
should be included?
On December 3, 2004, President Bush signed the new IDEA into law.
This law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement
Act of 2004, clearly states that “the education of children with
disabilities can be made more effective by having high expectations
for such children and ensuring their access to the general education
curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent
possible.”
Parents should always be included on teams where decisions are made
about their child’s educational placement. When determining
inclusive settings “to the maximum extent possible” for each
student, IEP teams should consider the supports and services that
the student will need to meet their goals.
For more information, check out the FIN website at:
www.FloridaInclusionNetwork.com
For understanding rights to inclusion check out the Florida Dept of
Education site:
www.myfloridaeducation.com/commhome/pub-home.htm
(Put in Keyword "inclusion" and read "Inclusion Brief 6.5")
A portion of it states:
"Providing to all students, including those with significant
disabilities,
equitable opportunities to receive effective educational services,
with the
needed supplementary aids and support services, in age appropriate
classrooms in their neighborhood schools, in order to prepare
students for
productive lives as full members of society. (1995, p.99)3"
The definition of "Supplementary Aids and Services" is: "Assistive
technology, environmental adaptations, specialized instructional
strategies, peer supports, curricular adaptations or modifications,
and collaborative teaching."
|
|
