Arizona Autism United
(602) 773-5773 [office]
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Upcoming Events
ISP Preparation Workshops
February 15th
March 18th
AZA United (Phoenix)
Great Hearts Awards
February 18th
AZA United (Phoenix)
ABA Training: Part 2
March 6th
AZA United (Phoenix)
Suns vs. Magic Game
March 13th
US Airways Arena (Phoenix)
AZ Autism Coalition Health & Wellness Event
February 16th
Disability Empowerment Center (Phoenix)
Contact us for more information on any of these events!
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Link of the Month
We recently created a one-page checklist of steps & resources for newly diagnosed families, to guide them through the initial challenges of accessing services and treatment. CLICK HERE
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Five Years of AZA United
 5 years ago this month, Arizona Autism United began providing services and supports to children with autism and their families throughout the community. We began with one administrator, two habilitators, and two clients. Since then we have grown to serving over 200 families throughout the valley with a widely expanded range of service and supports - and much more in the works! We would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your support of AZA United. It is only together, as a community, that we have gotten this far and will continue to grow.
Our goal as an organization is to be there for your child and your family for the long-term. Whenever we think about how to improve services or design new programs, our main focus is how to make sure that all families who need the help will have the opportunity to participate for as long as they need it. The best way for us to do this is with your input. As you read the articles below, you will several opportunities for you to be a bigger part of AZA United. Please think about what role is the best fit for you, and let us know your thoughts. We welcome you to join our movement as we look ahead to the next 5 years and beyond!
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RSVP for the Great Hearts Awards
 The deadline to RSVP for the Great Hearts Awards special event has been extended! You can RSVP online on our website until February 16th. This event is free and open to the public. If you love AZA, we love you, so please join us! We would like to extend a sincere thanks and appreciation to all of our employees who submitted a personal experience story of working with a child with autism. We look forward to seeing you there and sharing with you some of these powerful and insightful stories. Click here to RSVP |
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A Call to Action for Parents and Volunteers
 AZA United would like to extend an opportunity to you to make an impact in your community that helps children and families affected by autism. As our organization grows and our programs expand, we need your help! Please take a look at the opportunities described below. If you see something that matches your skills and interests, let's get together and discuss how you can make a real difference.
We are looking for volunteers to contribute in these ways:
- Photography
- Video editing
- Computer programming
- Marketing and graphic design
- Fundraising and special events
- Identifying community needs and planning new programs
- Experienced parents to coach new AZA families
In addition, the AZA United Board of Directors is seeking new candidates. We are looking for 5 new AZA parents who are passionate about what we do and would like to contribute their ideas, skills and time to make a difference for all AZA families, now and in the future. Over the next several years, the board will play a lead role in making decisions such as:
- Where will the next AZA office/clinic be located, and what resources and services will it include for families?
- What types of programs should AZA develop as fundraising increases?
- What other types of therapists or professionals should join AZA's team?
- How can AZA more effectively reach underserved families?
- What part of the state will AZA expand to next?
To make the co-op model work, we need your voice! Contact our Executive Director, Aaron Blocher-Rubin, at 602-773-5774 or Aaron@azaunited.org to learn more about our board and parent-led committees.
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ISP Preparation Workshop for Parents
AZA United has a new monthly ISP Preparation Workshop available to all AZA parents. The next class will be on Tuesday, February 15th, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Please contact us by phone, or email paulina@azaunited.org to sign up. The purpose of these workshops is to help families prepare for your next ISP, IFSP or 90 day review meeting. We recommend attending at least 2 months in advance of your meeting date if possible, and you are welcome to attend more than once. The workshop will include a review of the new DDD service descriptions and policies, resources for drafting appropriate and individualized functional outcomes, and general tips on how to conduct a productive meeting. The next date will be weekday morning in February. Please register as soon as possible to hold your spot!
AZA United would like to thank the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) for providing a grant to make this new program possible.
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Limited Amount of Suns Tickets Still Available
 Act now if you want to join AZA families and friends on the afternoon of Sunday, March 13th, for a special event with the Phoenix Suns. Not only will we enjoy a great game against the Magic, but our group gets exclusive access to the court of US Airways Arena after the game for a full hour of open gym! Everyone is welcome, but only a few tickets are left. Don't miss Jason Richardson's return to Phoenix, with that other guy, what's his name...? Oh yeah, Hedo. We sure miss him. Good thing Vince is on our side this time!! To get your tickets, visit www.AZAunited.org or contact us. |
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Spring Conference and Annual Meeting for Families
 Every spring, AZA United hosts the Annual Meeting for AZA families. At the Annual Meeting, all families are invited to attend and contribute their ideas and opinions. The Annual Meeting is also the time of year when new board members are elected by our families, and other important issues are discussed on which each family can vote. The Executive Director and Board Chair provide an overview of past years and the strategic plan for the years ahead, so that AZA families can be well informed about the state of the organization and new opportunities for program development.
This year, we are planning to combine the Annual Meeting with a spring conference! Save the date for the weekend of May 21st, when AZA United will host a conference on a variety of topics at the Disability Empowerment Center, home to our main office and the Nina Mason Pulliam Conference Center. We plan to have a Family Track and Professionals Track of conference topics. If you have any ideas or requests for a particular topic or guest speaker, please contact our Program Team at 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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