According to the family she works with, "We would like to let you know how thankful we are for Kaitlin's part in our family.  She is an incredibly responsible, trustworthy, and hard working young lady.  Our son loves her, and she continues to push him in his journey.  Kaitlin has soaked up all of the training we have provided for her and she has evolved exponentially as a behavioral therapist.  Any accolades she receives are more than well earned.  We are so grateful for all of her hard work, and the loving attitude she brings to it.  Our son is so lucky to have her!"

Kaitlin's story begins like this: "I was already babysitting for a family who had a son with autism and they told me about becoming a habilitator. Also at the same time I had a friend who already worked for AZA and helped me get started.  The job was perfect for me.  I am passionate about working with young children and originally wanted to go into to child psychology for children with developmental disorders such as autism. So for me, this is my job but it is not work!  It is an opportunity to pursue my passion and make a difference. I feel like I receive more back from my job than I can ever give."

"My favorite part of the job are those moments when you feel a true connection. When the child initiates with full eye contact or when we are being silly and he laughs while holding his eye gaze at me.  Those little breakthroughs and successes are what mean the most to me."

Recently Kaitlin had another breakthrough with the family as they successfully completed potty training - no small feat!  There were some challenges along the way, but now they are seeing the results of their hard work and are so proud of the little guy.  Kaitlin is a student majoring in Early Childhood Education and looks forward to being a teacher someday.  She also loves to travel, especially by plane and on long flights.  Hmmm...OK!  Congratulations Kaitlin on this well deserved award :-)

AZA Habilitators: We want your stories!

Working each day with a child affected by autism can be challenging, but your hard work is rewarded every time you see a new step of progress. It's time to share your story!  Arizona Autism United would like to honor your dedication to helping children with autism and share your stories with other families, habilitation therapists, and the community at large. Your stories provide hope, inspiration, and awareness of the value of the work you do each day.  We are thrilled to announce the Great Hearts Award to commemorate the work that our habilitation therapists do every day and the successes you help make possible!  Please send your stories of success to GreatHearts@AZAunited.org. Feel free to send as many stories as you wish!  Each of your stories will be entered into a contest, and winners will receive prizes and public recognition.

For this holiday season, the grand prize winner will receive a cash prize of $250!

All stories should be no more than 1 or 2 pages, and must be submitted by December 15^th.  For more details, please visit www.azaunited.org or click here.

In case you missed it last year, join us for two great Suns games and your chance to play on the court of US Airways Arena during an hour of "open gym," exclusively for guests of AZA United!!

• Wednesday, November 24th, 7:00 pm
  Suns vs. Bulls
  
  
• Sunday, March 13th, 12:30 pm
  Suns vs. Magic - and 1 hour of court time for AZA guests!

Get your tickets for each game separately, or get a package deal of only $35 for both games. Everyone's invited, so bring your friends! Each game will include a group welcome up on the Jumbotron and a free player jersey bag for everyone in your group.

Following game 2, a Sunday afternoon game against the eastern conference powerhouse Orlando Magic (March 13th), AZA United will own the Suns court for a full hour as we host an open gym for all ages and abilities!

These tickets are discounted from face value and help support programs for children with autism.