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Local Events
Family Event at the Zoo
May 9 - Litchfield Park
ABA Training
May 30 - AZA United
Visual Supports Workshop
May 12 or 30 - AZA United
Special Education Training for Parents
May 19 - Phoenix
ABA International Conference
May 22 to 26 - Phoenix
Contact us for more information on any of these events.
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Link of the Month
When a boy with autism in Bangkok refused to come down from a dangerous balcony, a fireman resorted to that old adage to pull off the rescue: "Do whatever works!"
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Families Unite at the AZA Annual Meeting  On April 25th, families of AZA United gathered for the Annual Membership Meeting to share their stories, offer ideas, and learn how to become a more active member of the co-op. Agenda items included reviewing the results of the 2009 parent survey, breaking down financial statements, assessing AZA United's capacity to withstand budget cuts, prioritizing different projects and new services, board elections, and forming committees dedicated to special areas of interest that report directly to the board. The group agreed that many parents may want to join the Family Events Committee or the Program Committee but have limited time available, especially for meetings. As a solution, we are going to create one email list of parents who would like to help choose monthly family event activities and one for parents who would like to review or suggest new programs and services for AZA United. Do either of these sound appealing to you? As a co-op, we need your input! Let us know if you would like to be added to the email list for the Program Committee or the Family Events Committee. Thank you to all of the families who came and contributed to another great annual meeting!
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It's Time to Celebrate!  AZA United has grown a lot since we started a little over three years ago. We have so many wonderful, dedicated, talented Autism Interventionists who commit themselves to changing a child's future. We know you have so much to share and it is time we all got together to celebrate your achievements. So after much deliberation by our management team on what to do, we have decided to host an ALL STAFF PARTY at our new facility, the Disability Empowerment Center of Arizona. Among the many fun events planned will be a Wii Tennis Tournament (beginner or advanced) and a ride on the indoor kart racing track (just next door). We haven't picked a date yet but we are thinking early June. Let us know what's best for you! Saturday? Weeknight? We want to know. Let's have some fun and take a break from all the bad news we hear every day on TV and celebrate all the positive achievements you experience every day!
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Employee of the Month  Congratulations to our May 2009 Employee of the Month, Tara McKinnon! According to the family she works with, "She is a special person in our life that far supercedes any expectation of a habilitator I ever imagined. She has brought so much positive energy and joy into our home, along with love for our son that is much like our own love for him. She often goes above and beyond to plan a special day with "surprises" for him - he loves those days! She is always thinking of new ideas to approach roadblocks with him and doesn't stop when we hit those bumps in the road. She is a big reason that he has developed many of the tools he needs to succeed in life. She is worth her weight in gold - make that platinum!! I cannot say enough good things about her."
When asked why she enjoys being a Habilitator, Tara told us, "Working with special needs children has been always been my passion because one of my cousins has Down syndrome. Working with children with autism is particularly rewarding because you get to witness every milestone and goal that is reached. I cherish the days when a child says something new that makes me laugh. These children are amazing and I am so thankful to be a part of their growth. Each one is so unique and special." We're sure they feel the same way about you. So what do you do when you're not out there changing the world? "I love exploring Arizona and doing anything outside, although I'm still getting used to the heat. I like taking my dogs to the park, going to baseball games or driving to California to go to the beach." Congratulations Tara! You certainly deserve it.
Parents, do you have a Habilitator that goes above and beyond? Send us your nomination for Employee of the Month!
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Summer Internship Opportunities  AZA United is now accepting inquiries for summer internship opportunities. If you are a college student you may be able to get course credit. Otherwise, an internship is a great way to get experience in an area you would like to pursue with guidance and support that advances your professional development. As an intern you can choose a schedule that works for you and take on whichever projects are most appealing to you. If you would like more experience in program related areas, we have opportunities involving research, data evaluation, resources for home programs, and clinical services. If administrative work is your calling, we are looking for interns to assist with filing, front desk operations, and general organizational tasks. If this all just sounds too good to be true - it's not! This is for real. Please contact us to discuss what internship opportunities are waiting for you at AZA United.
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ABA International Conference The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) is hosting its 35th annual convention from Friday, May 22nd, to Tuesday, May 26th, in downtown Phoenix! Many of the presentations will focus on autism. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is one of the most effective and scientifically backed methods available for the treatment of autism. This event is expected to attract about 4000 people from around the world. Hundreds of experts will be presenting on a wide variety of topics, such as going from imitation to observational learning and identifying best practice intervention strategies. This is a one-of-a-kind convention and we are fortunate enough that this year it came to us! For more information, visit www.abainternational.org.
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Robert's Corner  I would like to thank AZA United for giving me the opportunity to work as a Community Representative. That's my favorite job, to connect all of the local autism activities in Arizona. I participate in most of the autism events, workshops and conferences to gain knowledge on autism research, treatments, education, employment, independent living skills, marriage and relationships, financial management, and much more. My ultimate goal is to expand across the U.S. or even the world to gather autism events and help people realize that autism can be treated, so that each person can grow up to be the best that they can be.
Yeou-Luen "Robert" Ni is the Community Representative for AZA United. He is also an adult on the autism spectrum. Robert researches all autism and disability related events happening in the community each month and creates an updated calendar. If you would like a copy of this calendar or information about any event, contact Robert@azaunited.org. | |
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Thanks for all you do, and don't forget to tell us what else we can do...for you! |
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