July 15, 2003 ASA-Net: ASA Briefs Congress

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ASA-Net The Autism Society of America's e-Newsletter

July 15,2003

Autism Caucus and ASA Hold Education Briefing

On July 10, leaders of the Congressional Coalition

for Autism Research and Education (CARE) and the

Autism Society of America held a joint briefing for

Members of Congress and their staff. The purpose of

the briefing, which was co-hosted by ASA and the

Coalition's co-chairs Representatives Mike Doyle

(D-PA) and (R-NJ), was to educate Members

of Congress about autism and to address the important

role legislation plays in improving programs and

services for individuals with the disorder.

ASA representatives kicked off the briefing with an

overview of autism, which included a visual

presentation highlighting the dramatic growth in the

prevalence of autism over the last decade and the

expected rise in the cost of autism over the next

decade. They also provided personal perspectives on

the difficulties of raising children with autism and

the importance of access to education and other

support services.

The Caucus leaders addressed the importance of

educating the public and Members of Congress about

the ever-growing cases of autism and the need to

support legislation that provides educational and

support services for those with autism. Caucus

leaders also talked about the different key roles the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

plays in helping to ensure that children with autism

receive an appropriate education. In addition, they

also addressed the importance of training for

teachers, which is provided for in the Caucus's

proposed Teacher Education for Autistic Children Act

(TEACH). The Congressmen also acknowledged that the

language in IDEA is complex and vowed to continue to

help families better understand how the educational

rights to which their children are entitled.

Jeff Sell, ASA 1st Vice President and Chair of the

Government Relations Committee, provided an overview

of the autism crisis across the country through a

presentation of ASA's new charts dramatizing the

growth in autism. Sell also offered a personal look

at autism for the audience, many of whom had little

or no first-hand knowledge of the disorder, by

sharing the difficult reality he and his wife face

raising twin boys with autism. He explained, "One of

our twins is nonverbal, so we have never heard him

say, 'I love you,' because we have never heard him

say anything."

"But there is always room for improvement, and we

improve through learning," Sell said. Referring to

IDEA and the proposed TEACH Act, Sell said:

"Individuals with disabilities deserve a free

education in the least restrictive environment with

the best-trained teachers available; no one should be

denied an opportunity to learn."

For more information about the July 10 briefing,

please visit the ASA Web site and click on "Autism Caucus and ASA Hold Education Briefing."

ASA Conference Kicks Off Tomorrow, July 16

The 2003 ASA "Bridges to the Future" conference

starts tomorrow, July 16, at the Pittsburgh

Convention Center. If you haven't already registered,

there's no need to worry as on-sight registration

will be available.

ASA has organized a stellar lineup of more than 80

speakers and presentations, including many renown

autism experts and speakers and several high-ranking

U.S. government officials. Featured speakers include:

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., one of the best known

individuals with autism in the world; Carol Gray, a

gifted teacher, speaker, and author best known for

her work on social stories; Deputy Secretary of U.S.

Health and Human Services Claude ; U.S.

Assistant Surgeon General Cordero, M.D.; and

autism researchers Minshew, M.D. (University of

Pittsburgh) and Landa, Ph.D. (Kennedy Krieger

Institute, s Hopkins University); to name a few.

As part of the kick off to the conference, ASA will

be announcing a major national awareness initiative

on the benefits of early diagnosis and intervention

in improving the outcomes for individuals with

autism. Details of the initiative will be announced

at the conference on Friday, July 18, 2003.

For more information about the conference, including

a detailed schedule of speakers, please visit the ASA Web site at www.autism-society.org and click on the 2003

"Bridges to the Future" conference logo. You can also

reach ASA's conference staff at the Westin Hotel in Pittsburgh by calling 412-560-6425.

Tips to Ensuring a Successful Positive Behavior Plan

IDEA requires a child's Individualized Education Plan

(IEP) team pay special attention to a child's

behavior if it gets in the way of his or her

education or the education of others. The IEP team

must consider the use of positive behavior

interventions. Get a good idea what a positive

behavior plan looks like by viewing sample plans for

students with ADHD, autism and Asperger's Disorder

online at the Web site listed below. In addition,

that site has a form to help you through the process

of writing your own plan.

You can use this information along with another

publication, "Positive Behavioral Interventions:

Parents Need to Know," published by the Families and

Advocates Partnership for Education (FAPE) project.

This is a curriculum consisting of 89 color

transparencies along with trainer information. "Positive Behavioral Interventions: Parents Need to

Know" is available in Spanish as well as English.

These transparencies and training materials were

developed at PACER Center by FAPE and the Technical

Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers (Alliance).

They are available for free downloading online at

www.fape.org/pubs/idea_training_materials.htm

They are also available for purchase from the FAPE

coordinating office in a hard copy ($125) or on a CD

($15).

To contact Advocates for Special Kids, call

(310-480-9310); write (Advocates for Special Kids,

C/O 3109 Walnut Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266;

e-mail (mail@...), or visit

their Web site at www.advocatesforspecialkids.org.

To contact the Pacer Center's FAPE coordinating

office, call (888-248-0822 or 952-838-9000); write

(PACER Center, Inc. 8161 Normandale Boulevard,

Minneapolis, MN 55437); e-mail fape@...; or visit their Web site at www.fape.org.

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