I am an Adult with Autism Campaign & Tour Ohio Valley Goodwill with Adult Task

[Guest guest]

Dear Families,

Families with ASD is very excited that our Parents of Adults with Autism Task Force is launching our

"I am an Adult with Autism" Awareness Campaign. We NEED your help in spreading adult autism awareness. Also, below you will have a chance to sign up for a tour of the Ohio Valley Goodwill so you can see for yourself what services they offer adults with autism.

Families with ASD founded the Parents of Adults with Autism Task Force back in June of 2009. Our mission is simple:

Mission Statement: To find resources and support for the adults with autism population, to advocate change for resources that is faltered, and serves as a catalyst to create resources that is non-existing, but greatly needed.

As part Phase 4 in our 5 Phase plan, we are launching our "I am an Adult with Autism" awareness campaign. If you are an adult with autism and would like to help us spread Adult with Autism Awareness, or if you are caring for an adult with autism and would like to take part of the awareness campaign, we need you to send us pictures of the Adult with Autism and some basic information to be included: Age, when diagnosed, what the actual diagnosis is, what type of work/service /school they attend/do. Interest/hobbies, etc. We will be picking one adult with autism a month to feature on all of our Families with ASD websites, as well as at our Families with ASD's Autism Family Resource Center in Milford, OH. If your adult with autism would like to send us a video of themselves and what it is like being an adult with autism, or maybe an introduction of who they are and what they like to do, we will be able to use this too.

By submitting your photos and videos to Families with ASD, you are giving the Families with ASD's organization permission to use your photo's, and videos to help spread autism awareness and permission to use such pictures/videos on their website,signs, in the Autism Yellow Pages and at any Families with ASD events, and/or activities.

Please email Ann at familieswithasd@... (familieswithasd at ) or Doug Blecher at doug220@... (doug220 at gmail.com) or call the Autism Family Resource Center at 513-444-4979 and leave a message. We will return you call as soon as possible.

Also, another part of Phase 4 was to go out into the community and visit providers that are currently serving adults with Autism. On Friday, October 8th the Adults with Autism Task Force will be able to tour the Ohio Valley Goodwill . They offer Adults with Autism: skill training, work adjustment training, personal enrichment(Center for Advocacy, Recreation and Education, CARE), work evaluation, job placement and job coaching services for adults with disabilities. See their corporate website at www.cincinnatigoodwill.org "Tell Me About Services" for a complete description of all programs and services offered by Ohio Valley Goodwill.

The tour is FREE and open to EVERYONE. Even if you don't have an adult with autism at this time. We welcome all who want to learn more. All you have to do is call 513-444-4979 and leave a message saying your family name and how many are coming or email Doug at doug220 at gmail.com and do the same. He will be at Goodwill during the tour and will be able to answer any questions you may have about our Parents of Adults with Autism Task Force.

If you would like to join but are worried that your child is not an adult or is too young, please consider joining us anyway. My son, Luke is 14 years old, and is the main reason we started the task force. I know that the clock is ticking and I only have 4 years until he is considered an adult, and only 7 years until schools and Cincinnati Children's will release him. 7 years will be here in a blink of an eye, and I must act now in order to lay down the foundation so that when Luke does become an adult he will be able to stand independently as possible. We can use your help. Together parents of children /adults with autism can make such a positive difference.

Please share this email with any family you feel could benefit.

Thank you.

Ann

Families with ASD

"Helping Families with Autism"

President/Founder

513-444-4979

www.familieswithasd.org

www.autismresourcecenter.org

www.autismexpo.org

familieswithasd@...