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Local Events
ABA Training Class: Part 2
January 30th
AZA United (Phoenix)
Family Nights with the Phoenix Suns
January 22nd
March 1st US Airways Arena (Phoenix)
Parent Information Sharing Night
January 28th
AZA United (Phoenix) Adulthood & SSI Meeting
January 20th
AZ Autism Coalition (Phoenix)
Sensory Issues for Teens and Adults Seminar
February 17th
AZ Autism Coalition
(Phoenix)
Disability & Human Services Summit
February 20th
City of Surprise
January 19th
SARRC (Phoenix)
FRIEND Program Training
January 25th
SARRC (Phoenix)
Into to Autism (in Spanish)
January 30th
SARRC (Phoenix)
Contact us for more information on any of these events! |
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Link of the Month
A company specializing in social skills video modeling has developed a free iPhone app with videos on getting a haircut, going to a restaurant, and more.
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Call the New Program Helpline!  As part of our ongoing commitment to providing more program resources for families and employees, we have established a new Program Helpline. Just call (602) 773-5772 anytime you need assistance for your child's habilitation program. The AZA United Program Team is here to make your child's program successful by offering a range of resources. These include new ideas and activities, teaching strategies, behavior plans, therapy materials, online trainings and resources, or hands-on training and demonstration sessions. We can visit with you either in the child's home, in a community setting, or at our center and observable clinic. Whatever the need, big or small, give us a call and see what we can do to help. If you forget the direct number, just call our main office and ask for the Program Helpline. We look forward to helping you soon!
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A New Approach to Communication Devices  Contributed by Pam and Fredi Lajvardi, AZA members
When our son Alex was still nonverbal at age 5, we started using an Augmentative Communication Device to help him communicate. We soon realized it had many limitations, so we started creating our own system with the help of software engineers and speech therapists. What we created, Alexicom Tech, is not a device. It is a service through the Internet that allows the user to access communication pages on computers, laptops, iPhones and more, making it highly portable. The user can choose pre-made pages or create customized ones by importing pages from the web or your own personal collection. Cell sizes can be adjusted, pages can be linked, and a variety of natural voices are available, including Spanish. Alexicom grows with the user. The program also carries a low cost so that families can see if it is right for their child without straining finances. We invite you to visit our website to watch a short video and see if Alexicom is right for you: www.alexicomtech.com
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New Playgroup Network for Children with Autism  Contributed by Larissa Beckstead, AZA Member
As a parent of a young boy with autism, I am always looking for opportunities for my son to have play dates with neuro-typical children. I have been able to meet some great moms through The Mom Network. When we lived in Orange County, I belonged to OCMommies. There I was able to meet moms who would do play dates with us so my son could play with a neuro-typical child his age.
When I moved back to Phoenix I joined Phoenix Mommies so I could meet moms here. Phoenix Mommies is a free online and in-person mom's group. Everyone must pass a background check to get in the network. We have a wide range of activities, such as play dates in the park. Besides providing opportunities for moms to get together, we have many different private support groups. One of our most active support groups is Children with Special Needs, for which I am a co-moderator. Through this forum I have found very supportive moms who are in a similar situation as myself.
To join Phoenix Mommies, go to www.Phoenixmommies.com. Fill out the new user application. Be sure to state that you found out about the group from AZA United so our site administrator will add you to our Children with Special Needs forum. Once you have been granted access to our site, stop by the Children with Special Needs forum to introduce yourself and join in our conversations. I look forward to seeing you there!
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Payroll Updates for Employees A payroll schedule for 2010 has been posted online in the Downloads section. It includes all timesheet due dates paydates for the year. Please remember that timesheets are due at 5:00 pm on the due date, and if the normal date falls on a weekend, they are due the Friday before. Click here to see the 2010 schedule. For general information about payroll and service policies, please review the Service Conditions, which are also available on our website in the Downloads section. Remember that AZA United offers you a raise after every 250 hours of habilitation (up to $14/hr), as long as you have submitted proof of 4 hours of professional development. Click the link on the sidebar of this newsletter to view different PD opportunities that AZA United offers. In addition to in-person events, we have a range of online classes available for you. Simply let us know which one you are interested in! This offer is open to our families as well. Click here for more information and a list of available classes.
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Questions about ABA + AZA? Join us for PIE  On the evening of Thursday, January 28th, AZA United will host another evening of PIE - Parent Information and Education. Following up on our last successful meeting about making the most of DDD services, we are going to focus our next theme on how to provide an ABA-based program for your child. We will give an overview of the many resources available at AZA United to help, as well as throughout the community and online. PIE nights are a combination of expert presentations and parent information sharing, so we invite you to attend whether you are new to the process, in the middle of an ABA program, or an experienced parent with wisdom to share. As always, there will be food and pie! We'll get started around 5:30 and continue to 7:30. To RSVP, give us a call or email PIE@azaunited.org. This event is free and for parents only. Hope to see you there!
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Art and Poetry Contest for People with Disabilities  The Phoenix Sister Cities International Competition for Writers and Artists with Disabilities is underway! These contests are for individuals 19 years of age or older with a disability who live in Arizona or one of Phoenix's 9 sister cities throughout the world. The writing contest involves a poem of 32 lines or less and is due April 1st, with the theme, "Reflections on Life." The art contest involves any visual art piece no larger that 24" x 30," and is due October 1st. There are cash prizes available as well as publication opportunities. An awards event for each contest will be held later this year. A website is available now for the writing contest. For more information, click here. Please share with anyone who might be interested!
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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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