Misc. Information- FOCUS, P2P, Camps,etc.

[Guest guest]

***************************Heidi J. Newsletter # 5January 18, 2008*******************************

Dearest Advocates:

Please find below additional information that you may find helpful. Have a great weekend and please remember to contact your State Senator regarding HB 549 and making the prior authorization process easier for therapy for our children. (updates were given in Newsletter #4)

United- We Will Make A Difference!

Sincerely, Heidi J.

(Proud Mother to - 8 yrs old with Down syndrome and - 6yrs old)

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From Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities:

2008 Special Needs

Summer Camp and Respite Fair

Sponsored by

Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities

Metro East Georgia Learning Resources System

Dogwood Chapter, Council for Exceptional Children

Gwinnett, Council for Exceptional Children

Date: Saturday, January 26, 2008*

*Snow/Ice Alternate Date is Saturday, February 9

Place: Metro East GLRS

2415 North Druid Hills Road, NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30329

678-676-2417

Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Who? Parents of children with special needs

Directions from I-85: Take Exit 89, North Druid Hills Road. North Druid Hills Road is south I-285's Spaghetti Junction and north of Toll Road 400.

If coming from the south, turn right into North Druid Hills Road. If coming from the north, turn left and cross back over the expressway. Go approximately .6 mile.

Directions from I-285: Take Stone Mountain Freeway, Highway 78 toward Decatur. Take the first exit, North Druid Hills Road. Turn right onto North Druid Hills Road. Go approximately 3.7 miles.

Metro East GLRS is housed in the Jim Cherry Teacher Center and is across the street from Target and Taco Bell. We share a school building with Open Campus High School and DeKalb School of the Arts*. Enter through the red doors in the gym.

*(Kittredge Magnet School, by QT Gas Station, is next door to our school building and is separated from us by Stadium.)

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Families of Children Under Stress (FOCUS) Educational Conference:

The FOCUS Conference is Saturday, February 9 at Dunwoody United Methodist Church. For a copy of the brochure go to: www.focus-ga.org

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A Cool Way to Help Autism Research

The band, Five for Fighting, is generously donating $0.40 to Autism Speaks for each time the video is viewed. The fundinggoes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have amoment, please visit the link below to watch the video and passit along to your friends and family. It is a great & sad video. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal.http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214

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From Parent to Parent of Georgia:

Relax-Chat-Learn:

Date: Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Time: 8:00pm - 9:00pm

Topic:

Advocacy 101: Be a Survivor: Power of Advocacy for Our Children

"United-We Will Make a Difference"

Guest Expert: Heidi J.

Our guest presenter, Heidi J. , is one of Georgia's most visible advocates for children's healthcare reform in the state of Georgia. She is also now the Statewide Child Health Advocate for Parent to Parent of Georgia. Learn more about how to maximize your advocacy efforts for your child with disabilities in all areas including healthcare, education, community involvement, etc. Topics discussed will include the three areas of advocacy and surviving: Outwit: proper knowledge, Outplay: Networking and Building Alliances, Outlast: Making Change One Issue at a Time!

Prior to Heidi's advocacy efforts, she had a promising career in the oil industry where she held various positions of increasing responsibility in engineering, management, environmental, strategic marketing planning and real estate development. After the birth of her first son, , 8, who has Down syndrome, she quit her job so that she could ensure his needs were met as well as help other families cope with the challenges of having children with disabilities. She now uses the skills she obtained in the business world to be an advocate for and the thousands of other families in Georgia.

Heidi has a distribution list of more than 2,500 members to promote awareness of the advocacy issues that effect children with disabilities and empower parents with information to help make necessary changes in Georgia. She is very involved in many organizations throughout the state and organized two healthcare rallies at the State Capitol to encourage our leaders towards wise spending of Georgia tax-payer dollars in the healthcare system. In 2004, Heidi received the "Advocate of the Year" Award from the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. Heidi is on the Board of Directors of the North Metro Miracle League and Community Relations Manager for B & B Care Services, Inc. She continues to help families receive necessary disability resources and advocate for change in Georgia.

Here's how to join the Chat*:

1. Go to: www.parenttoparentofga.org

2. Click on "Chat with an Expert" (far left side of screen)

3. Click on "Enter the Chat Room Now"

4. Enter a User name, such as your first name (No need to fill in other information.)

5. Click "OK, Connect!"

* Requires a Java-compatible browser. Download for free at www.java.com.

(For more information please contact Parent to Parent of Georgia directly on the above on-line chat)

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--Heidi J. (Proud Mother to - 8 years old with Down syndrome & - 6 years old) For more information about how Heidi can help you maximize your child's potential, please go to www.heidijmoore.com "Help The Children Now, So They Can Help Themselves Later!" The material contained in this e-mail is for general information only. It is not intended in any way to provide or offer legal advice. To obtain legal advice, please consult with your attorney or a qualified legal representative. For previous advocacy email's, please go to the following website: http://www.lgtinc.org/authors/41/Heidi-J.-. To see how you can advocate for your child go to www.kidshealthcarega.org.