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Statewide e-Newsletter
sponsored by:
Oklahoma Family Center for Autism
Oklahoma Autism Network
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Greetings!
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Hi everyone,
It is hard to believe the summer is almost over!! Are you ready for a new school year? Here's an idea, get plugged into a local parent support group! Parent groups are good ways to gain the experience of others in your community without having to to go through everything yourself. Many parent groups work hard to arrange for expert speakers and local resources to help families. Check out our website for a parent group near you, Click here. If you don't have a local group, call us and we'll try to help you start one. If a group is not for you, consider making a connection with Facebook. There are several parent groups just getting started on Facebook. It is another way to extend and receive help from someone else. With all the bumps and curves of life, it is nice to have someone to journey with!
Did you know that this monthly e-newsletter is provided through a collaborative effort between OFCA and OAN? We also coordinate with other groups to provide you with information including articles from parents or parents groups. If your parent group has an upcoming event in Oklahoma that will benefit individuals with autism or their families, please let us know, we would be glad to share it with the 2300 people who receive this e-newsletter!
Enjoy the last few weeks of summer before school starts and stay cool!
Blessings,
Melinda Lauffenburger
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2nd Oklahoma Statewide Autism Conference
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Join
us on November 19-20, 2010 for the 2nd annual Oklahoma Statewide
Autism Conference.
This conference is for families, agencies, and professionals who are working to improve the lives of Oklahoma individuals with Autism, their families, and
all those who educate and provide services for them.
The
state's first annual conference hosted more than 40 presenters from across the
United States and Oklahoma covered a wide range of topics including medical and
health, social skills and educational interventions, and family and advocacy.
This gathering of more than 500 people included family members,
educators, representatives of at least 115 agencies and businesses, and a
multitude of professionals.
Educators from 58 school districts in Oklahoma
attended, representing approximately 48% of all the students being educated in
Oklahoma*. This conference, by all accounts, was extremely
successful.
You won't want to miss our state's SECOND annual conference! Our line-up of national, regional, and Oklahoma speakers will ensure there is something valuable for you!
*Data Services, State Department of Education, January 2009, Oklahoma
Public School District Enrollment, October 2008 |
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Autism Awareness
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 Oklahoma continues to have the special and unique opportunity
to have an autism awareness automobile license plate. The Oklahoma Department of
Motor Vehicles requires that they receive a minimum of 100 pre-ordered license plate applications and we
are very close to that number but still need a few more to get us there. They have been
very helpful and gracious in extending their deadline for receiving the applications. The Oklahoma
Autism Network has received several great designs for the plate and as soon as the 100 applications
have been received, we will all be able to vote on the design we want for our plate. Click here for an application. If you have not already done so, please fill out the vehicle information
requested on the form and mail it to the address indicated on the form along with a check or money
order in the amount of $18.00. If the required number of applications are not received, your check
or money order will be returned to you. Please let us know if you need the application
mailed to you or if you need help submitting your application and payment. Please contact us if you
have any questions or need additional information. Judy
Pluess,
Family
Services Coordinator
Oklahoma
Autism Network
Lee Mitchener
Tolbert Center for
Developmental
Disabilities
Department of
Rehabilitation Services
College of
Allied Health
University of
Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
1200 North
Stonewall, OKC, OK 73117
(405)
271-2131, Ext. 46807; fax (405) 271-4057 http://okautism.org judy-pluess@ouhsc.edu |
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Cutting Edge
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 Schools In:
Quality Educational Programs for Students with ASDBy: The Oklahoma Autism Network
It is hard to believe students will be heading back
to school in just a few weeks. Parents
of children with autism look to their local school for quality educational
programs that will help their child with autism learn and grow. Educators strive to provide an effective
education based on each student's needs.
One of the challenges for educators and other professionals is to
implement what is learned through research in the classroom.
The National Professional Development Center
on ASD provides some excellent
resources for educators to help them identify
evidence-based educational practices
and gives them tools to implement these
practices in the classroom. These tools
are
also beneficial to parents and other caregivers in learning more about
supporting their
children at home.
Read more.... |
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Getting and Staying Involved!
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Getting and
Staying Involved in Your Child's Therapy!
Building
a PARTNERSHIP with Your Child's Therapist By:
The Oklahoma Autism Network P:
Participate! Be eager and active in your child's therapy! Ask professional about ways that you can be involved and learn the best ways to strengthen your child's support system and promote the best learning environment for your child..
Read more.....
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Spectrum Perspectives
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Mother
of the Year
By Shawna Muns, parent
I often hear how I spend every waking moment
reading any and everything I can find
about autism. Jaymee's older brother and
sister are often quick to remind me of the
hours spent running her to numerous
therapies. They are not lying when they say that
our world revolves around
Jaymee and autism. I take notes and watch for any little sniffle
or sign that
something was off so her needs could promptly be addressed. The funny
thing is
I wasn't always this attentive as a mother. I thought I did a decent job until
about
3 weeks ago when Ashlee and I were attending an all night movie marathon
at the
local theater.
Read More...
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GFCF With Amy
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 GFCF
AND SCHOOL?By: Amy Archibald A
large hurdle I find people have when considering or even implementing the
gluten
and casein free (GFCF) lifestyle is school. It was definitely a large
source of anxiety for our family. I in no way wanted my children to feel
singled out in school setting, specifically at school parties. However, I
started our family eating GFCF during the summer and saw the changes that we
had prior to having the pressure of school added in. Once it did come time for
school, I was not willing to give up the gains our children had made.
So the
question I was left with was "How do I
make it work?" instead of "Can it
work?".
Read More... |
Siblings Perspective
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No
Breaks Being a Sibling
By: Ashlee Jayne
For the first time in seven years my husband and I
decided to do something for just the two of us. We bought a new car and decided
to break it in on a trip of the Southwestern portion of the United States. Our
plans were flexible we would do whatever we wanted; a few spontaneous
activities included a night in Vegas to play in the Casinos as well as a trip
to the beach which we are still burnt from. To tie up our vacation we went to
Arizona to stay with my aunt before heading home.
While in Arizona the time
difference is 2 hours ahead of the time in Oklahoma, which means when it is
9:30 in Oklahoma it is 7:30 in Arizona. When I am on vacation I enjoy sleeping
in, so at 7:30 I am sleeping, until my phone rang and woke me up. Jaymee's
school was calling me and asking that I come and pick her up as she had sent
two teachers to the doctor. I told the principal that as much as I would love
to pick her up it would take me approximately 15 hours and 20 minutes to get
there.
After getting off the phone with the principal, I called around (while on
my vacation) for
30 minutes trying to find someone who was able to pick her up.
No matter where I am
and what vacation I decided to take, I will always be
Jaymee's sister.
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Trainings and Events
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OKLAHOMA AUTISM NETWORK TRAININGS Autism Toolkit Series: Life First Emotional Regulation and Management
of Anxiety in Children with ASD September 7th 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Oklahoma City and Tulsa
Read More...
Challenging Behavior: What Should I Do? 3 Part Series: September 9, 2010, October 7, 2010, November
4, 2010 9:30 am - 3:30
pm
Seminole,
Oklahoma
Read More...
OFCA "Drive for Autism" annual golf tournament: August 30, 2010
8am Shotgun start
Entry fee: $100 per players, with teams of 4 ($400 a team)
Two Flights of Winners, prizes award to top three teams in each flight
Sponsorships available
Please contact Crystal Frost: crystal@okautism-ofca.com
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