Evanston Citizens for Appropriate Special Education (CASE) is a community advocacy organization working to improve the range, quality and accessibility of special education services in Evanston/Skokie District 65 and ETHS District 202.

We provide information and support for parents of children with special needs through Parent Connections meetings and our CASEline number.
We are commited to advancing disability awareness in the Evanston community.

Hello Evanston CASE members,

I hope you are enjoying your winter break.

This month's On the CASE provides information about the January Parent Connections meeting topic: Future Care Planning for your Child with Special Needs.  Mary Ann Ehlert from Protected Tomorrows will be presenting.  Save the date, Tuesday, January 15th, for this informative presentation.

Read about the services offered by the Center for Enriched Living, dedicated to improving the lives for individuals with developmental disabilities by providing a variety of social activities.  Also, read informative article about the myth's and facts about girls with ADHD.

And finally, read a recent Op-Ed piece from the New York Times, that highlights one mom's efforts to find a place in the world for her son with a developmental disability.

Wishing you a peaceful and healthy New Year.

Warm regards,

Cari Levin, LCSW

Founding Director

Evanston CASE 

Topic: Future Care Planning 

Parent Connections is held at the Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington, room 108 from 7-9 pm. 

Join us on Tuesday, January 15th for a presentation by Mary Ann Ehlert of Protected Tomorrows:

As family members of a person with a disability, we so often tend to view life in light of the challenges presented to us.  Bringing You Protected Tomorrows looks at our lives in a whole new light, as Mary Anne Ehlert provides a passionate glimpse of her life with her sister, Marcia.  The presentation will be uplifting and entertaining, as well as provide a good basic understanding of some important facts.  Participants will develop the foundation for their family's own personal Eight Step Future Care Plan^TM.  Some topics of discussion include: how to create a map of the future; how to prepare legally and financially; how to incorporate and maximize government benefits; how to prepare for transition; and how to communicate your Future Care Plan^TM to your family.

What is Protected Tomorrows®?

The Center for Enriched Living is a nonprofit social enrichment and skill development center for people with developmental disabilities.  Members come to The Center to make friends, have fun, and to be part of a community. Our programs include: after school clubs, vacations, community outings, night and weekend programs, and summer camps, to name a few.

For more information about their programs, read the following documents:

2013 Camp Booklet

More camp information

Fall/Winter Programs

Sweetheart Dance

The Center for Enriched Living is located at

280 Saunders Rd.

Riverwoods, IL

(847)948-7001

www.centerforenrichedliving.org

"The Biggest Myth's About Girls with ADHD" by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. addresses the myth's and facts about ADHD in girls.

Girls tend to be diagnosed much later, after their coping strategies stop working and the academic demands increase.  Also, they are often diagnosed with the resulting anxiety or depression first.

Read the article HERE 

A recent New York Time's Op-Ed piece, highlights the efforts of one mom, Laurie Cameron, who is trying to "find a place in the world for my son."  Her son Luke has a developmental disability and also unique interestes and talents.  Too often, people like Luke don't have the opportunity to live meaningful, productive lives because the school system and society underestimates their value and capabilities.

"There are 6.5 million Americans who have been diagnosed with special needs," she says. "And that doesn't count all the other people who are affected: parents, siblings, extended family. We are huge, and yet we are invisible." In the long term, that is what she wants to change. 

Read the full artilce HERE