autism group aims to help dads

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Autism group aims to help dads

By ston • jjohnston@... • October 14, 2009

On Monday night, the dads who gathered at the Mason sports bar were ready for some football. Oh, were they ready.

One said it had been three years since he had watched "Monday Night Football." Another said he hadn't allowed himself such an evening out in 13 years.

Besides a fondness for football, the men shared another bond: They are fathers of children with autism.

"You don't always get a chance to go out, so here was a chance to be normal, watch some football, have a beer, and if you gotta talk (about autism), you've got people who understand," said Nekolny of Landen, wearing a jersey of his favorite team, the Chicago Bears.

Nekolny, whose 8-year-old son has autism, sat with nine other men in front of large-screen TVs at Willie's Sports Café for a meeting of the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group, which formed in August.

It's believed to be the first local autism support group aimed specifically at fathers.

"I'm hoping it's a way for them to make connections, and talk about some of the things they don't talk to anyone about," said organizer Doug Blecher.

Blecher, who lives in Madeira, is not a dad. He's a therapist who works with children with autism. He's also a board member of Families with ASD, which stands for autism spectrum disorders. When the 4-year-old grass roots support group surveyed its hundreds of members about needed services, the requests included a fathers' group.

"Men bond differently than women do," said Childress of Clermont County's Union Township, whose 9-year-old son is on the autism spectrum. "Sports and beer, and you're good."

Indeed, Blecher knew many fathers wouldn't feel comfortable in a traditional support group, so he jumped on the suggestion of Corn, another Families with ASD board member, to form a fantasy football league. Monday was the first meeting since the dads drafted players in August.

"Like many fathers, these fathers (of children with autism) have a tendency not to reach out to others," said Corn, of Clermont County's Miami Township.

It's true, said Maggie Gehler, a clinical counselor in Loveland who works with children with autism and their parents. Generally speaking, she said, mothers tend to be more engaged in the daily issues surrounding a child's autism, while fathers bear more of the financial burden of paying for expensive therapies.

"The hardest part of my job is getting dads to come in and talk about what's going on," she said.

According to some experts, that stems from the difficulty men often have when faced with things they can't fix. There is no cure for autism, a developmental disability that affects the ability to interact socially and communicate. Symptoms vary widely.

Since 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that 1 in 150 children has autism or a related disorder. But a Health Resources and Services Administration survey released earlier this month said 1 in 91 is affected.

Both parents must come to grips with a loss of expectations when a child is diagnosed with autism, said Chantal Sicile-Kira, a San Diego author of three books about autism. Because autism is four to seven more times likely to occur in boys than girls, it can have a big impact on fathers, she said.

"Most guys, when they have a boy, they think, 'I can't wait to throw that football around, play baseball, go out and do all these physical things.' "

But children with autism typically have coordination and motor skill issues that make playing sports a challenge. As a result, Sicile-Kira said, "The men have lost this connection they would have with their child."

Fathers can also feel isolated from peers.

"Think about how dads interact with each other, or how they might make friends when their kids are school-age and doing sports," Gehler said. "They meet other dads at sporting events, maybe they end up coaching together, they do things socially."

But for fathers with a child with autism, "that starts to fall away, because you're not engaged in those kinds of activities."

On Monday, the dads talked about football, but conversations also veered toward their children. They discussed their kids' experiences at school, and how various districts handle children with special needs.

"It's refreshing to have a conversation with somebody that understands," said Stiver of Loveland, who has a 12-year-old daughter with autism.

Blecher believes many more men would benefit from such conversations. That's why, when football season ends, he hopes the support group won't. After all, as one father noted, March Madness won't be far away.

The next monthly meeting of the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group will be 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at bd's Mongolian Grill, 8655 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason. Information: 513-444-4979 or e-mail Doug Blecher at doug220@.... Families with ASD, a non-profit support group for families with children on the autism spectrum, also operates a Family Resource Center at 5989 Meijer Dr., Suite 9, in Milford. Its services are free. Information: www.familieswithasd.org.

Ann

Families with ASD

Helping Families with Autism

President/Founder

513-444-4979

www.familieswithasd.org

www.autismresourcecenter.org

www.autismexpo.org

familieswithasd@...

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Fathers Group article

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091014/NEWS01/910150304/1055/NEWS/A\

utism%20group%20aims%20to%20help%20dads

<http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091014/NEWS01/910150304/1055/NEWS/\

Autism%20group%20aims%20to%20help%20dads> Autism group aims to help

dads

By ston • jjohnston@...

<mailto:jjohnston@...> • October 14, 2009

On Monday night, the dads who gathered at the Mason sports bar were

ready for some football. Oh, were they ready.

<http://www.autismexpo.org/>

One said it had been three years since he had watched " Monday Night

Football. " Another said he hadn't allowed himself such an evening out in

13 years.

Besides a fondness for football, the men shared another bond: They are

fathers of children with autism.

" You don't always get a chance to go out, so here was a chance to be

normal, watch some football, have a beer, and if you gotta talk (about

autism), you've got people who understand, " said Nekolny of

Landen, wearing a jersey of his favorite team, the Chicago Bears.

Nekolny, whose 8-year-old son has autism, sat with nine other men in

front of large-screen TVs at Willie's Sports Café for a meeting of

the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group, which formed in August.

It's believed to be the first local autism support group aimed

specifically at fathers.

" I'm hoping it's a way for them to make connections, and talk about some

of the things they don't talk to anyone about, " said organizer Doug

Blecher.

Blecher, who lives in Madeira, is not a dad. He's a therapist who works

with children with autism. He's also a board member of Families with

ASD, which stands for autism spectrum disorders. When the 4-year-old

grass roots support group surveyed its hundreds of members about needed

services, the requests included a fathers' group.

" Men bond differently than women do, " said Childress of Clermont

County's Union Township, whose 9-year-old

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Fathers Group article

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091014/NEWS01/910150304/1055/NEWS/A\

utism%20group%20aims%20to%20help%20dads

<http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091014/NEWS01/910150304/1055/NEWS/\

Autism%20group%20aims%20to%20help%20dads> Autism group aims to help

dads

By ston • jjohnston@...

<mailto:jjohnston@...> • October 14, 2009

On Monday night, the dads who gathered at the Mason sports bar were

ready for some football. Oh, were they ready.

<http://www.autismexpo.org/>

One said it had been three years since he had watched " Monday Night

Football. " Another said he hadn't allowed himself such an evening out in

13 years.

Besides a fondness for football, the men shared another bond: They are

fathers of children with autism.

" You don't always get a chance to go out, so here was a chance to be

normal, watch some football, have a beer, and if you gotta talk (about

autism), you've got people who understand, " said Nekolny of

Landen, wearing a jersey of his favorite team, the Chicago Bears.

Nekolny, whose 8-year-old son has autism, sat with nine other men in

front of large-screen TVs at Willie's Sports Café for a meeting of

the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group, which formed in August.

It's believed to be the first local autism support group aimed

specifically at fathers.

" I'm hoping it's a way for them to make connections, and talk about some

of the things they don't talk to anyone about, " said organizer Doug

Blecher.

Blecher, who lives in Madeira, is not a dad. He's a therapist who works

with children with autism. He's also a board member of Families with

ASD, which stands for autism spectrum disorders. When the 4-year-old

grass roots support group surveyed its hundreds of members about needed

services, the requests included a fathers' group.

" Men bond differently than women do, " said Childress of Clermont

County's Union Township, whose 9-year-old

[Guest guest]

I would love to see something like this on the west side. Then again, it would have to be weekends, as DH works late most weeknights.From: Families with ASD <familieswithasd@...>Subject: [ ] autism group aims to help dads Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 1:06 PM

Sent: Wed, October 14, 2009 12:32:26 PMSubject: Fathers Group articlehttp://news. cincinnati. com/article/ 20091014/ NEWS01/910150304 /1055/NEWS/ Autism%20group% 20aims%20to% 20help%20dads

Autism group aims to help dads

By ston • jjohnstonenquirer (DOT) com • October 14, 2009

On Monday night, the dads who gathered at the Mason sports bar were ready for some football. Oh, were they ready.

One said it had been three years since he had watched "Monday Night Football." Another said he hadn't allowed himself such an evening out in 13 years.

Besides a fondness for football, the men shared another bond: They are fathers of children with autism.

"You don't always get a chance to go out, so here was a chance to be normal, watch some football, have a beer, and if you gotta talk (about autism), you've got people who understand," said Nekolny of Landen, wearing a jersey of his favorite team, the Chicago Bears.

Nekolny, whose 8-year-old son has autism, sat with nine other men in front of large-screen TVs at Willie's Sports Café for a meeting of the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group, which formed in August.

It's believed to be the first local autism support group aimed specifically at fathers.

"I'm hoping it's a way for them to make connections, and talk about some of the things they don't talk to anyone about," said organizer Doug Blecher.

Blecher, who lives in Madeira, is not a dad. He's a therapist who works with children with autism. He's also a board member of Families with ASD, which stands for autism spectrum disorders. When the 4-year-old grass roots support group surveyed its hundreds of members about needed services, the requests included a fathers' group.

"Men bond differently than women do," said Childress of Clermont County's Union Township, whose 9-year-old son is on the autism spectrum. "Sports and beer, and you're good."

Indeed, Blecher knew many fathers wouldn't feel comfortable in a traditional support group, so he jumped on the suggestion of Corn, another Families with ASD board member, to form a fantasy football league. Monday was the first meeting since the dads drafted players in August.

"Like many fathers, these fathers (of children with autism) have a tendency not to reach out to others," said Corn, of Clermont County's Miami Township.

It's true, said Maggie Gehler, a clinical counselor in Loveland who works with children with autism and their parents. Generally speaking, she said, mothers tend to be more engaged in the daily issues surrounding a child's autism, while fathers bear more of the financial burden of paying for expensive therapies.

"The hardest part of my job is getting dads to come in and talk about what's going on," she said.

According to some experts, that stems from the difficulty men often have when faced with things they can't fix. There is no cure for autism, a developmental disability that affects the ability to interact socially and communicate. Symptoms vary widely.

Since 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that 1 in 150 children has autism or a related disorder. But a Health Resources and Services Administration survey released earlier this month said 1 in 91 is affected.

Both parents must come to grips with a loss of expectations when a child is diagnosed with autism, said Chantal Sicile-Kira, a San Diego author of three books about autism. Because autism is four to seven more times likely to occur in boys than girls, it can have a big impact on fathers, she said.

"Most guys, when they have a boy, they think, 'I can't wait to throw that football around, play baseball, go out and do all these physical things.' "

But children with autism typically have coordination and motor skill issues that make playing sports a challenge. As a result, Sicile-Kira said, "The men have lost this connection they would have with their child."

Fathers can also feel isolated from peers.

"Think about how dads interact with each other, or how they might make friends when their kids are school-age and doing sports," Gehler said. "They meet other dads at sporting events, maybe they end up coaching together, they do things socially."

But for fathers with a child with autism, "that starts to fall away, because you're not engaged in those kinds of activities."

On Monday, the dads talked about football, but conversations also veered toward their children. They discussed their kids' experiences at school, and how various districts handle children with special needs.

"It's refreshing to have a conversation with somebody that understands, " said Stiver of Loveland, who has a 12-year-old daughter with autism.

Blecher believes many more men would benefit from such conversations. That's why, when football season ends, he hopes the support group won't. After all, as one father noted, March Madness won't be far away.

The next monthly meeting of the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group will be 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at bd's Mongolian Grill, 8655 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason. Information: 513-444-4979 or e-mail Doug Blecher at doug220gmail (DOT) com. Families with ASD, a non-profit support group for families with children on the autism spectrum, also

operates a Family Resource Center at 5989 Meijer Dr., Suite 9, in Milford. Its services are free. Information: www.familieswithasd .org.

Ann

Families with ASD

Helping Families with Autism

President/Founder

513-444-4979

www.familieswithasd .org

www.autismresourcec enter.org

www.autismexpo. org

familieswithasd

[Guest guest]



This would be nice somewhere around the North Ridgeville area. Anyone interested just let me know!!

Mason

christophermason@...

Fathers Group articlehttp://news. cincinnati. com/article/ 20091014/ NEWS01/910150304 /1055/NEWS/ Autism%20group% 20aims%20to% 20help%20dads

Autism group aims to help dads

By ston • jjohnstonenquirer (DOT) com • October 14, 2009

On Monday night, the dads who gathered at the Mason sports bar were ready for some football. Oh, were they ready.

One said it had been three years since he had watched "Monday Night Football." Another said he hadn't allowed himself such an evening out in 13 years.

Besides a fondness for football, the men shared another bond: They are fathers of children with autism.

"You don't always get a chance to go out, so here was a chance to be normal, watch some football, have a beer, and if you gotta talk (about autism), you've got people who understand," said Nekolny of Landen, wearing a jersey of his favorite team, the Chicago Bears.

Nekolny, whose 8-year-old son has autism, sat with nine other men in front of large-screen TVs at Willie's Sports Café for a meeting of the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group, which formed in August.

It's believed to be the first local autism support group aimed specifically at fathers.

"I'm hoping it's a way for them to make connections, and talk about some of the things they don't talk to anyone about," said organizer Doug Blecher.

Blecher, who lives in Madeira, is not a dad. He's a therapist who works with children with autism. He's also a board member of Families with ASD, which stands for autism spectrum disorders. When the 4-year-old grass roots support group surveyed its hundreds of members about needed services, the requests included a fathers' group.

"Men bond differently than women do," said Childress of Clermont County's Union Township, whose 9-year-old son is on the autism spectrum. "Sports and beer, and you're good."

Indeed, Blecher knew many fathers wouldn't feel comfortable in a traditional support group, so he jumped on the suggestion of Corn, another Families with ASD board member, to form a fantasy football league. Monday was the first meeting since the dads drafted players in August.

"Like many fathers, these fathers (of children with autism) have a tendency not to reach out to others," said Corn, of Clermont County's Miami Township.

It's true, said Maggie Gehler, a clinical counselor in Loveland who works with children with autism and their parents. Generally speaking, she said, mothers tend to be more engaged in the daily issues surrounding a child's autism, while fathers bear more of the financial burden of paying for expensive therapies.

"The hardest part of my job is getting dads to come in and talk about what's going on," she said.

According to some experts, that stems from the difficulty men often have when faced with things they can't fix. There is no cure for autism, a developmental disability that affects the ability to interact socially and communicate. Symptoms vary widely.

Since 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that 1 in 150 children has autism or a related disorder. But a Health Resources and Services Administration survey released earlier this month said 1 in 91 is affected.

Both parents must come to grips with a loss of expectations when a child is diagnosed with autism, said Chantal Sicile-Kira, a San Diego author of three books about autism. Because autism is four to seven more times likely to occur in boys than girls, it can have a big impact on fathers, she said.

"Most guys, when they have a boy, they think, 'I can't wait to throw that football around, play baseball, go out and do all these physical things.' "

But children with autism typically have coordination and motor skill issues that make playing sports a challenge. As a result, Sicile-Kira said, "The men have lost this connection they would have with their child."

Fathers can also feel isolated from peers.

"Think about how dads interact with each other, or how they might make friends when their kids are school-age and doing sports," Gehler said. "They meet other dads at sporting events, maybe they end up coaching together, they do things socially."

But for fathers with a child with autism, "that starts to fall away, because you're not engaged in those kinds of activities."

On Monday, the dads talked about football, but conversations also veered toward their children. They discussed their kids' experiences at school, and how various districts handle children with special needs.

"It's refreshing to have a conversation with somebody that understands, " said Stiver of Loveland, who has a 12-year-old daughter with autism.

Blecher believes many more men would benefit from such conversations. That's why, when football season ends, he hopes the support group won't. After all, as one father noted, March Madness won't be far away.

The next monthly meeting of the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group will be 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at bd's Mongolian Grill, 8655 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason. Information: 513-444-4979 or e-mail Doug Blecher at doug220gmail (DOT) com. Families with ASD, a non-profit support group for families with children on the autism spectrum, also operates a Family Resource Center at 5989 Meijer Dr., Suite 9, in Milford. Its services are free. Information: www.familieswithasd .org.

Ann

Families with ASD

Helping Families with Autism

President/Founder

513-444-4979

www.familieswithasd .org

www.autismresourcec enter.org

www.autismexpo. org

familieswithasd

[Guest guest]

I am very interested in a Autism Dads support group, and I live near North Ridgeville.

- McKenna

Father of ASD daughter, age 61/2

Re: [ ] autism group aims to help dads

 This would be nice somewhere around the North Ridgeville area. Anyone interested just let me know!!

Mason

christophermasonwindstream (DOT) net

Fathers Group articlehttp://news. cincinnati. com/article/ 20091014/ NEWS01/910150304 /1055/NEWS/ Autism%20group% 20aims%20to% 20help%20dads

Autism group aims to help dads

By ston • jjohnstonenquirer (DOT) com • October 14, 2009

On Monday night, the dads who gathered at the Mason sports bar were ready for some football. Oh, were they ready.

One said it had been three years since he had watched "Monday Night Football." Another said he hadn't allowed himself such an evening out in 13 years.

Besides a fondness for football, the men shared another bond: They are fathers of children with autism.

"You don't always get a chance to go out, so here was a chance to be normal, watch some football, have a beer, and if you gotta talk (about autism), you've got people who understand," said Nekolny of Landen, wearing a jersey of his favorite team, the Chicago Bears.

Nekolny, whose 8-year-old son has autism, sat with nine other men in front of large-screen TVs at Willie's Sports Café for a meeting of the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group, which formed in August.

It's believed to be the first local autism support group aimed specifically at fathers.

"I'm hoping it's a way for them to make connections, and talk about some of the things they don't talk to anyone about," said organizer Doug Blecher.

Blecher, who lives in Madeira, is not a dad. He's a therapist who works with children with autism. He's also a board member of Families with ASD, which stands for autism spectrum disorders. When the 4-year-old grass roots support group surveyed its hundreds of members about needed services, the requests included a fathers' group.

"Men bond differently than women do," said Childress of Clermont County's Union Township, whose 9-year-old son is on the autism spectrum. "Sports and beer, and you're good."

Indeed, Blecher knew many fathers wouldn't feel comfortable in a traditional support group, so he jumped on the suggestion of Corn, another Families with ASD board member, to form a fantasy football league. Monday was the first meeting since the dads drafted players in August.

"Like many fathers, these fathers (of children with autism) have a tendency not to reach out to others," said Corn, of Clermont County's Miami Township.

It's true, said Maggie Gehler, a clinical counselor in Loveland who works with children with autism and their parents. Generally speaking, she said, mothers tend to be more engaged in the daily issues surrounding a child's autism, while fathers bear more of the financial burden of paying for expensive therapies.

"The hardest part of my job is getting dads to come in and talk about what's going on," she said.

According to some experts, that stems from the difficulty men often have when faced with things they can't fix. There is no cure for autism, a developmental disability that affects the ability to interact socially and communicate. Symptoms vary widely.

Since 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that 1 in 150 children has autism or a related disorder. But a Health Resources and Services Administration survey released earlier this month said 1 in 91 is affected.

Both parents must come to grips with a loss of expectations when a child is diagnosed with autism, said Chantal Sicile-Kira, a San Diego author of three books about autism. Because autism is four to seven more times likely to occur in boys than girls, it can have a big impact on fathers, she said.

"Most guys, when they have a boy, they think, 'I can't wait to throw that football around, play baseball, go out and do all these physical things.' "

But children with autism typically have coordination and motor skill issues that make playing sports a challenge. As a result, Sicile-Kira said, "The men have lost this connection they would have with their child."

Fathers can also feel isolated from peers.

"Think about how dads interact with each other, or how they might make friends when their kids are school-age and doing sports," Gehler said. "They meet other dads at sporting events, maybe they end up coaching together, they do things socially."

But for fathers with a child with autism, "that starts to fall away, because you're not engaged in those kinds of activities."

On Monday, the dads talked about football, but conversations also veered toward their children. They discussed their kids' experiences at school, and how various districts handle children with special needs.

"It's refreshing to have a conversation with somebody that understands, " said Stiver of Loveland, who has a 12-year-old daughter with autism.

Blecher believes many more men would benefit from such conversations. That's why, when football season ends, he hopes the support group won't. After all, as one father noted, March Madness won't be far away.

The next monthly meeting of the Families with ASD Fathers Support Group will be 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at bd's Mongolian Grill, 8655 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason. Information: 513-444-4979 or e-mail Doug Blecher at doug220gmail (DOT) com. Families with ASD, a non-profit support group for families with children on the autism spectrum, also operates a Family Resource Center at 5989 Meijer Dr., Suite 9, in Milford. Its services are free. Information: www.familieswithasd .org.

Ann

Families with ASD

Helping Families with Autism

President/Founder

513-444-4979

www.familieswithasd .org

www.autismresourcec enter.org

www.autismexpo. org

familieswithasd

[Guest guest]

Hello, I wanted to add that my husband is interested in forming a group in our area (Twinsburg) for those in the Southern/Eastern burbs.  I sent him the original email and he thought that it was a great idea.  He is going to join this group and the Akron group to look for those who may be interested.  I've talked to my friends in the area and they agreed that their husbands would like something like this.  The Swine Flu has hit our family and stalled his efforts a bit but he will be joining soon.

In the meantime, anyone interested in a dad's group in the SE area can email Rich at curlysantilli@... ~~Tara~~