My interest is to contribute to the community that my family and I live in. While I have served as Board Chair for the past 2 years, AZA United has doubled in size.  I believe this is an amazing organization that truly cares about our families and the future, and I bring my best to this role by fostering parent involvement, fundraising, and leveraging my corporate experience as the Chief Operating Officer of Skymall into the development and implementation of AZA United's strategic plan.  Two goals I have for AZA are making it a recognized household name in the valley for assisting individuals affecting by autism, and ensuring that we maintain sustainable growth.  

Our daughter Lilianna is 4 years old, and we have been with AZA United since she was 2.  Lilianna has a rare disorder called Rett Syndrome, which is part of the autism spectrum.  She has unique needs and challenges including poor muscle tone, seizures, physical limitations, and nutrition risks, but many of the same treatments for autism are beneficial. My vision is to see all these kids and parents having a place to go, a place they feel safe, accepted, and can be a family.  AZA United has been very supportive, knowledgeable, respectful and understanding of my family's needs since the day I first called. Serving on the board is my way of giving back, because I have so much gratitude for all you have done to help me with my daughter.  As a parent of a child that cannot take care of herself, I worry what will happen if I am not around anymore. I would like to know that there is a safe and loving place that will take care of my daughter. I know it will be a lot of work, but if we continue with this passion, I believe that we as a co-op organization and a parent-led board can make it happen!

Our son is 10 years old, and we have been receiving services through AZA United for the last 5 years.  I have enjoyed serving on the board for three years now and look forward to another term of service. Why do we prefer AZA United over other DDD agencies? Passion. Soul. Everyone out there can provide the services to turn a dollar, but it is AZA United that makes you feel that they care about our children and families and put our needs before the monetary bottom line. I will continue to serve on the board because I believe in AZA's mission and vision. My goal is that AZA will grow to help families have the support of a structured organization behind them as our children grow to adults.

Our son Bailey is seven years old, and we have been with AZA United for a year and half. We received intensive ABA therapy when we lived in California, so when we moved to Phoenix I was very particular about the type of ABA  I wanted. AZA United met my expectations because of the educational background of the Program Team, especially Aaron's training at the UCLA Lovaas Institute. We have stayed because of Aaron's high standards and goals for the organization. I am now interested in serving on the board to help develop programs that will serve all children with autism in Arizona. Two of my goals are to help develop programs and services for teenagers and adults on the spectrum, and for non-DDD clients who desperately need help. I also have a special interest in developing sibling support programs and would like to see AZA United make this happen.

Our son Nathan is 7 years old, and we have been with AZA United since Nathan turned 3. We prefer AZA because we can tell they care. In some other agencies it feels like Nathan is a number. AZA goes the extra mile to make sure that our son is receiving the best care and education that he can. You can tell they are very passionate about what they do, and when people enjoy their work, it is easier on us. A goal that I see for the future of AZA would be to help young adults with autism get prepared for the work force, whether that is helping them develop a trade skill or simply helping them learn how to communicate in a working environment. I would also like to see more programs available outside of habilitation. Summers are long and hard when a schedule is not in place, and it would be nice to have extra-curricular activities set up with trained workers. It is my hope that, as a board member, I can help these goals come to fruition.

My husband Fred and I have a four year old son, Jacob. We've been receiving habilitation through AZA United since last October. We originally chose AZA United because of their specialization in autism and fast response to our request for help. We were amazed at what a great team of caring and professional people we'd found! They've been there to really listen and help us find what works best for our family.  It's already made such a difference in our son's progress and our family life. I'm interested in serving on the board because I'd like to do something to help other families affected by autism. Working with AZA United and the co-op model seemed like a great way to do that.

Christopher has worked as a Special Education Teacher and holds a Masters Degree in Special Education. He now works as a Family Support Specialist for Raising Special Kids, providing families with accurate information regarding their rights, responsibilities and role in the special education process. His 4 year old son has autism and has been with AZA United for 2 years,  receiving Hab-M services. Chris believes the need for cohesion between school and home-based therapies for our children is extremely important and a vision he holds for the future. He is also looking forward to starting an AZA Dad's Group! 

I will be presenting on how to set up social interaction groups in a clinical setting, as well as how to plan "play dates" at home.  The presentation will include videos showing what social interaction groups can look like.  We will discuss "formal" social groups and "informal" social interaction groups.

Marti has been in the field of speech pathology for over 30 years. Her passion is working with children, teens, and adults who are on the autism spectrum. Baio Enterprises, Inc. offers therapy for children with special needs, especially autism, and is well known for Marti's innovative approach of Play, Engagement, and Pragmatics (P.E.P).

I will be discussing the role of a child neurologist and the frequency of seizures in children with autism, including which children are more likely to have seizures and how best to identify them.

Randa is currently a Child Neurologist at Phoenix Children's Hospital and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona. She completed a child neurology residency and EEG/epilepsy fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN where she received the Henry Woltman award for excellence in clinical neurology. She also received the Outstanding Junior Member award given by the Child Neurology Society. She was the President of the Minnesota Society of Neurologic Sciences for the year 2007.

My oldest sister had intellectual disabilities and intractable epilepsy.  My parents instilled the meaning of inclusion into our family life on a daily basis.  I will be discussing the role we play as developmental pediatricians to help families, including accurate diagnosis, recommendations for treatment, and advocacy for necessary services.

Robin is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician in the department of neurology at the Children's Neuroscience Institute of Phoenix Children's Hospital.

Psychiatry focuses on symptom clusters that form the basis of mental health diagnoses, including anxiety, attention problems, mood disorders, and other behavioral disorders. ASDs in adolescence often co-exists with another mental disorder that is treatable. Disorders are exaggerations of normal behavior causing impairment in functioning. This presentation will discuss how psychiatrists can help families to find their way in raising an ASD loved one throughout the lifespan.

Mark is a child psychiatrist and father of a teenage son with autism.  He has over 30 years of experience in many environments with a wide range of developmental disabilities and psychiatric disorders.  

I will present on planning a family vacation when you have children with autism.  I will give useful tips on how to plan ahead and how to avoid some disastrous situations.  I will also give some examples from my own life living with two children on the spectrum.

Melissa is a licensed psychologist with practices in both Arizona and California.  Since 1998, she has been treating families and children of all ages using cognitive-behavioral strategies in therapy.   Dr. Arizpe also performs autism spectrum disorder assessments.  She became a specialist in the area of autism and developmental disabilities after both of her children, now ages six and eight, were diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.  As a result, she knows firsthand the day-to-day experience of living with an autistic child.

I will be leading a workshop on Designing Behavioral Interventions. I will show you how to gather relevant information and strategically address problem behaviors using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. You will analyze fictional and actual scenarios, and then collaboratively come up with a comprehensive plan to reduce and replace specific problem behaviors.

Ehren is the Program Director for AZA United and has been working in the field of autism treatment for ten years. He is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and his training includes degrees in Special Education and Psychology. He also has formal training in functional assessment and analysis from the Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis (IABA) in Los Angeles.  

During my presentation I will go over the steps to take to prepare for toilet training, some of the different methods of toilet training, and tips and tricks for success when toilet training a child with autism.

Tracy is the Program Manager for AZA United and has been working with children in one capacity or another for over 10 years, and fell in love with the world of autism in 2006. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds a master's degree in Special Education. She enjoys working with teams and families in finding creative ways to support individuals affected by autism, and especially values the opportunity to share her passion with others by teaching habilitation therapists how to be most successful in their roles.

Our goal for social interventions is for children with autism to participate in meaningful interactions and make friends. The success of these social opportunities is dependent both on the skill development of children with ASD and the ability of their peers to be understanding, accepting, and supportive. My presentation, "Facilitating Peer Sensitivity in Inclusive Settings," will provide teachers, group leaders, and parents with tools to ensure that peers are well-informed and have strategies for successfully interacting with children on the spectrum.

Heather is the Program Coach at AZA United. She has spent the majority of her career teaching children with autism in an inclusion-based program. She is most passionate about helping children to develop socialization and play skills.   

My presentation will discuss how "evidence-based practices" relate to treatment options for children with ASD, and how "evidence-based practices" are derived and why they are important to consider. Finally, I will give an example of "evidence-based practices" and how care providers and parents can be good consumers of science.

Andrew is a behavior analyst who specializes in providing services to children and families. He earned his PhD specializing in functional analysis of problem behavior. After training at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University, he became an assistant professor at Northern Arizona University. Andrew serves as research director for the Institute for Human Development and has published in several scientific journals. He is also the owner of Behavioral Consultation Services of Northern Arizona.  

This presentation will address the meaning life for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  It contains education, employment, social skills, communication, dating, and financial management.  Also, this presentation will provide more powerful strategies, such as flowcharts, state diagrams, tree structures, and so on, on the basis of sequential steps to reach in a successful way.  It will give some training tips to help adults with autism to overcome certain barriers step by step to make certain degrees of progress.

Yeou-Luen is an adult with autism and works as the Community Representative for AZA United.  

I will be participating in the "Defining Quality of Life" panel for adults with autism, as well as co-presenting on "Tips for Healthy Living for Adults with ASD."  

Diagnosed with Asperger's in her 50's, Sue has over 40 years of experience as an occupational therapist with a focus on sensory processing disorders. Over the past 15 years, Susan's focus has shifted increasingly to those most often overlooked...teens and adults on the autism spectrum. She has also become actively involved, both nationally and locally, with the autistic adult community as well as with autism organizations. Susan co-founded Making Sense of Autism to educate parents, therapists and autistic people on autistic-friendly ways of improving the lives of those on the spectrum and those who live and work with them.

When you wish to leave an inheritance to a family member with special needs, care must be given as to how the inheritance is structured.Issues such as how the heir will be able to manage monies, continue in appropriate living arrangements and maintain eligibility for necessary public benefits are paramount.I will discuss the differences between various trusts, how each can be used, and the circumstances in which the use of a special needs trust is appropriate.  

Stephanie has practiced elder law for 12 years.  She is certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation and a past Chair of the Mental Health and Elder Law Executive Council of the State Bar of Arizona.  

We will be presenting on how to access behavioral health services.  This presentation will include step by step instructions on where to go and how to access and continue receiving services for your child through behavioral health.   The Child and Family Team process will be described at length to ensure that all families know their rights and role when it comes to advocating for themselves and their child.  A detailed list of behavioral health services will also be discussed and any and all questions are welcome.

Paul is the Clinical Coordinator of the Family Centered Autism Program at Touchstone Behavioral Health. He has specialized in treating children and adults with autism for over 13 years as a licensed practicing counselor.   

My presentation will be about community involvement and how parents can successfully get involved in public policy issues and system reform. I am also going to speak about some of the legislative changes we have been able to implement and provide examples of how you can get involved in changing your community.

Jessica is the Operations Manager of the Arizona Autism Coalition and has a son with autism. Since joining the Coalition, Jessica contributed in the passage and implementation of Steven's Law as well as the restraint/seclusion bill. Jessica facilitates all Coalition meetings, conferences and events, as well as the website and social media.