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Upcoming Events
ABA Training Class: Part 2
May 8th
AZA United (Phoenix)
Board Meeting & Open House
May 12th
AZA United (Phoenix)
Progress Report Training
May 14th or 26th
AZA United (Phoenix)
ABA Training Class: Part 1
June 26th
AZA United (Phoenix)
Contact us for more information on any of these events! |
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Link of the Month
The Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence has a variety of free autism internet modules for parents and professionals.
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Recap of Annual Meeting & $10K Parent Initiative  AZA families gathered on April 17th at the Children's Museum of Phoenix for the 4th Annual Membership Meeting. In case you didn't make it, you can review the presentation here. Some of the highlights included electing two new parent board members (see below), and voting on the 10 Thousand Dollar Parent Initiative. Families in attendance were given a copy of the results from our 2010 Annual Parent Survey, which included a poll for the ideas that parents had submitted for this project. A vote was taken to narrow it down to three ideas, which will now go to the parent-led board of directors to determine which ones we can do, and how we can do them within the limits of this funding. The three winning ideas were:
1. Acitivity camps during school break weeks 2. A trip for families somewhere fun and relaxing 3. A scholarship fund for children to participate in recreational activity programs Would you like to see how the board turns these ideas into action items? The AZA United board of directors will hold their next meeting on Wednesday, May 12th. Prior to the meeting, we will host an open house for families and staff from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. Please join us! It is a great way to get your feedback. Refreshments will be served. To make sure we have enough left for you, please RSVP. You can call our office or email board@azaunited.org. Thanks to all of our families who participated in this year's Parent Initiative!
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Here Comes Summer  Summertime is just around the corner! Please be in touch with our office as soon as possible to let us know what we can do to help. You can call us at 602-773-5773, or email info@azaunited.org Employees, please contact us if your schedule is changing and you would like to work with a new family.
Families, please contact us if you will need any new habilitation or respite providers. We have also compiled a list of different summer programs available around the valley. If you would like a copy of the list, or if you represent a program/organization that would like to be added to the list, please contact us by phone or email info@azaunited.org. Our social story guru, Kimberly Crook, has also compiled a few helpful social stories for common summer activities, such as "Flying on an Airplane." If you would like a copy or have another need that Kimberly can write a social story for, just email her at kimberly@AZAunited.org. We'd also like to hear your ideas for some great family events we can host for you this summer! Send them to events@azaunited.org. |
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Please Welcome our New Board Members!  Last month, AZA United had its annual meeting for parents. Two new parents were elected to the board of directors. Please join us in welcoming Amanda and Lori! If you'd like to send them a message, email board@azaunited.org. Amanda Lewis is the mother of two children, the oldest of which is on the spectrum. Her daughter has received habilitation and respite services from AZA United since 2008, and has benefited greatly from the applied behavioral analysis (ABA) program. Amanda has been a strong advocate for her special needs child and hopes to act as a resource for other families within the community. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, and has worked as an analyst for over ten years in the hospitality and construction industries. Her other interests include cooking, reading, and traveling.
Lori Rodriguez is the mother of twin boys with autism. She is an informed parent who works tirelessly as an advocate for her own children. Lori has been employed in the healthcare field for 16 years. She has been involved with autism awareness walks and recently coordinated her first autism fundraising event for AZA United. Lori's goal is to assist with fundraising events to help build a stronger financial base of support for the future so our children can receive the best services and achieve optimum outcomes.
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How to Get Help with the New Progress Report
AZA United will host a professional development seminar for employees on how to use the new progress report and implement teaching activities for outcomes on Friday, May 14th, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm as well as Wednesday, May 26th, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Employees will receive credit for 2 hours of professional development toward your next raise. Parents are welcome to attend too. Please RSVP for either of these dates by giving us a call or emailing events@azaunited.org.
Most parents and habilitators should have received a letter in the mail with information about AZA's new Monthly Habilitation Progress Report. Please start using this version now if possible, and no later than June 1st. We have posted an announcement explaining what is different about this report, as well as some important points that both parents and habilitators need to understand. A tutorial is also posted on our website in the "Downloads" section. If you have any questions about this new report or a child's functional outcomes and teaching strategies, we are more than happy to help! Please contact our Program Team at (602) 773-5772, or email Programs@AZAunited.org.
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DDD Announces Change in Hab M Guidelines  DDD has announced a change in policy for Behavioral Habilitation ("Hab M" and "Hab B"). The updated administrative directive can be viewed here (starting on page 135). The major change is that children who are under age 4 and meet all other qualification criteria can now be approved for the service, whereas previously it was limited to children under age 3. The service then lasts for two years.
AZA United is one of several Hab M providers in Maricopa County. You can read more about our Hab M program here. We offer a variety of customized supports to help your child get the most out of a home-based ABA habilitation program. There are many great benefits that our families have experienced by participating in this program, and we highly recommend it! For more information or to find out if your child qualifies, please contact our Program Team at (602) 773-5772 or Programs@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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