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Can't to Can - Kiddo Accomplishments
- We were impressed recently when a kiddo expressed concern for a fellow student, saying "I miss them."
- One of our parent alums recently shared with us how amazing her kiddo is doing. Having been with us approximately two years, he transitioned into kindergarten last summer and is thriving! Not only is he at grade level in reading and math but he has blossomed socially as well. His mom told us Firefly helped give him the foundation he needed to succeed in public school and she is so thankful he had the opportunity to be with us at such a young age.
- It was really neat recently when one of our kiddos who is usually very vocal, sat quietly for almost 15 minutes during a staff training (he was in the room).
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Laugh Yourself Blue is Next Month!
April 18 is coming quickly and we'd love for you to join us for an evening of laughter and award-winning food while helping us change can't to can for some of the 1 in 88 children with autism. With a hilarious evening planned, enjoy the comedic genius of Phil Parisoul and Michael McCreary. Held at the iconic Mile High Station (2027 West Lower Colfax Avenue) Eric Goodman will emcee the evening. Enjoy cocktails and a silent auction at 6 p.m. Dinner will be at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 7:45 p.m. (to be done by 9 p.m.).
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Autism & Insurance - Q&A with Emily Roche, Clinical Liaison
1. How do people get started with ABA services?
Anytime you are starting ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) services, it is important to find out whether or not your insurance will cover ABA Therapy. Simply call the customer service phone number on your insurance card and ask if your plan has coverage/benefits for ABA Therapy. Some insurance plans are mandated under HIMAT (Health Insurance Mandated Autism Treatment) legislation to cover ABA Therapy. Not all plans are required to follow HIMAT, including any self-funded plans. When calling your insurance, some specific questions to ask would be: Does my plan follow the HIMAT laws? Does my plan cover ABA Therapy for autism? Do I have Autism benefits including ABA Therapy?
2. What insurance providers do we work with?
Firefly Autism will attempt to work with any insurance company. If you call your insurance and verify that you do have the ABA Benefit, then we can work with that insurance! We are most familiar with Kaiser Permanente and United Health Care. However, we have also worked with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and Rocky Mountain Health Plans.
3. Why won't Medicaid work with Firefly?Unfortunately when the HIMAT laws were passed, the state legislation excluded Medicaid from the law. Thus, Medicaid does not have to follow the law and does not have to pay for ABA Therapy. Regular Medicaid plans will often cover physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. However, they refuse to include ABA Therapy in their benefits. If you would like to help advocate to change this regulation, the Autism Society of Colorado is a great organization that works for better insurance coverage for Autism Spectrum Disorders. You can find more information about them at autismcolorado.org.
4. Who can I get in contact with if I have more questions?You can start at www.fireflyautism.org or contact us with any questions about starting services. We also hold monthly open houses that are a great opportunity for you to ask questions, see the center, and listen to questions/answers with other parents - dates are posted on our website. If you are ready to start service, contact Emily Roche, our Clinical Liaison ( eroche@fireflyautism.org) who handles the intake process with new families. |
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Looking for an easy way to help out our kiddos? Consider purchasing one of the items below for our programs. It's easy and greatly appreciated by both our team and kiddos!
School age needs: iPads, yoga mats, TVs with build in DVD player , board games (Sorry, Candy Land, Jenga, Chutes and Ladders, etc.), Play-Doh, paint, bubbles, balloons, balls (basketball, soccer balls), Frisbees, a stationary bike and a treadmill.
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The "A" Typical Business Model Event from Specialisterne
Join Specialisterne on Tuesday, April 2, 2013, World Autism Awareness Day, at The Cable Center on the University of Denver's Campus for an exclusive event. Discover an innovative business model that accesses an untapped talent pool of qualified candidates to fill current job openings in the technology sector in Colorado. Get insight into the benefits of creating meaningful employment for individuals on the autism spectrum from Dr. Temple Grandin, one of Time Magazine's 2010 Most Influential People. Keynote Speakers include Dr. Temple Grandin PhD., Thorkil Sonne, Founder of Specialisterne, and Colorado State Representative Dianne Primavera.
Specialisterne helps access, train and employ individuals with autism as consultants in IT as well as other sectors with technically oriented task and jobs, with 80- 90% of their employees working at corporate partner sites.
For details and to purchase tickets, visit specialisterneco.eventbrite.com. |
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Thank you to Rita Coltrane and Signature Interiors, for sponsoring Firefly Autism to receive email marketing from Constant Contact, through their Cares4Kids program.
Rita recognizes the relevance of this program to Firefly
Autism and initiated sponsorship to enable the ongoing
delivery of Sparks to our friends and families.
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Thanks to our sponsors including: 
midcenturyLA
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The iPad can be a great learning tool for students with autism. Here are a few of the Education Apps that we are using at Firefly:
* Proloquo2Go: an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) application that can be personalized based on the communicator's skills and needs
* My PlayHome: An interactive "home" that allows the user to move and manipulate characters while providing a great learning opportunity to label common items
* First Words: An animated and interactive game that allows learning through spelling common nouns.
* Pic Collage: A collage app that lets the user add and arrange their own pictures and text- a great tool for journaling and strengthening executive functioning skills
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Firefly is a Charity Partner for the Colfax Marathon, May 18 &19
Firefly is excited to announce we are a Charity Partner for the Colfax Marathon. Join us May 18 or 19 for a family friendly event complete with a Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q After Party, Kaiser Permanente Health and Fitness Expo, and Charity Partner Village. For details about the event and how you can help or get involved, click here. |
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