Fwd: UM-NSU CARD: Week of August 11, 2008

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NEXT WEEK AT

August 11, 2008

UM-NSU CARD: Broward Teen Time (Middle School)

(NSU Satellite)

Facilitators: Roselione & Grana

Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

For more information please contact at: or lezonne@...

August 12, 2008

UM-NSU CARD: Support Group for Adults w/Asperger Syndrome

(UM Campus)

Facilitators: Diane Adreon & Deborah Chin

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm   (EVENING MEETING)

For more information please contact at: or mlisdegasperi@...

August 14, 2008

UM-NSU CARD: Adults w/Asperger Social Skills Group

(NMB Office)

Facilitators: Deborah Chin & Yehl

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

For more information please contact at: or dchin@...

******************OTHER

ANNOUNCEMENTS******************

Stay

informed about CARD news, community activities and events,

family and professional workshops and conferences,

and other important information.

http://www.umcard.org/files/Newsletter.pdf

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You are invited to

the

2nd

Annual UM-NSU CARD Community Connections

Open House

August 23rd, 2008

1:00 pm –

4:00 pm

Nova Southeastern

University

Clinics for Speech,

Language, and Communication

6100 Road

Davie, FL 33314

Please come enjoy a fun informative

afternoon and meet our growing staff. Connect with families and learn

more about the free services that UM-NSU CARD provides to the community.

Community service providers will be participating to bring you the latest

information on services available for you and your family.

The mission of UM-NSU CARD is to provide support and assistance with the goal

of optimizing the potential of people with autism and related disabilities.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Directions:

From

I-95 exit Road heading west. Pass under the Turnpike to SW 61st

Ave.

Make a left heading south onto SW 61st Ave and the building

will be on the right.

From I-75 exit Road

heading east. Continue east on to SW 61st Ave., turn right

and the building will be on the right.

From I-595 exit at Davie Road

heading south. At Road turn left heading east. At SW 61st

Ave. turn right and the building will be on the right.

Please

RSVP to Roselione

Phone:

Dear

Friends and Families,

We

at Kinetic Kids, Inc. are proud to announce a new program in collaboration with

Florida International University. We will begin recruiting and training

occupational therapy students to work with children with special needs, in lieu

of graduate assistant work. Each student will be heavily screened and

trained to begin working as shadows during school hours and program

implementers in the after school hours.

Each

student will be available at a very reasonable rate of $4,000 per semester

(roughly $13 per hour). And will work with your child roughly 15-16 hours

a week with additional hours provided to the students from Kinetic Kids Inc.

for training or on research specifically catered to prepare him or her to help

your child. While none of the students will yet be occupational therapists,

they will have had significant course work in the field and demonstrate

interest in pediatrics. Each student will have received exceptional marks in

the course of his or her studies, and will be well on his or her way to

becoming a fully licensed therapist with a master’s degree.

If

you are interested in participating in the program or finding out more

information, contact us as soon as possible at or email jgober01@... , as spots

are extremely limited do to our very tight screening process.

Thank

you,

Gober, MSOT, OTR/L, CTRS

Intensive learning program

for children with

Autism spectrum disorders now offered in

North Miami.

Program information:

The Children’s

Center is pleased to announce that we have recently expanded our center and

services.

In addition to our

current services we will be providing an intensive learning program for

children with Autism spectrum disorders. This innovative program is the only

one of its kind in the North Dade/South Broward area.

The program includes

individualized one on one ABA instruction, Sensory Integration therapy, Social

Skills, and other group activities designed to increase speech, language, fine

and gross motor skills activities. Therapeutic listening, music, movement, and

other programs for feeding and food aversions are also available while your

child is attending the program.

Enrollment:

Enrollment is now

open for children ages 2-6. Please call the Center for more information and a

tour of our state of the art facility.

About the Center:

The Children’s

Center for Therapy and Learning is a unique multi-disciplinary private practice

that utilizes a family centered

team approach to help

children to maximize their potentials. The Children’s Center is dedicated

to providing

children the highest

quality services and therapists available.

We apply the latest strategies and

techniques with a caring and enthusiastic attitude in order to gain maximum

progress each session. Come see the difference a team approach and dedication

can make in your child’s future.

Services:

Speech Therapy

Occupational Therapy

Physical Therapy

ABA Therapy

Tutoring

Sensory Integration

Pet Therapy

Psychological

Services

Shadowing

Services are

available in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.

Children’s Center for Therapy and Learning

2124 Ne 123rd Street

Suite 204

North Miami, FL 33181

fax

www.therapyandlearning.com

SAMANTHA CARELLA, PsyD, ABPP & Associates

Teen Group- Girls, Ages 14 to 17

Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:15

Beginning September 11, 2008

The group purpose is to provide a well-structured and

safe environment where teenagers can discuss issues related to:

Peer

pressure/socialization

School

related stressors

Effective

coping skills

Family

issues

Appropriate

vs. inappropriate behaviors

Better

decision making and problem solving

Other

topics will be discussed as suggested by group members

Space is limited to 6 group members

Group will meet every week for 8 sessions

Fee $75 per group; please contact our office for

further information and to sign up.

Group will be facilitated by Nichole Eckert, MS.

Nichole Eckert, MS, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and provides psychological

treatment for adolescents/teenagers, college students, and adults. An area of

specialty is mother/daughter relationship issues, improving

self-esteem/confidence, teaching appropriate and effective coping skills

related to academic/college related stressors, as well as peer pressure, eating

disorders, drugs/alcohol, and relationships. Ms. Eckert works with individuals

and families with underlying issues contributing to Depression, Anxiety (such

as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-traumatic stress, Phobias), Bipolar

Disorder, Chemical Dependence, Relationship and Familial issues. Ms. Eckert

holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Mental Health Counseling. Up until

2007, Ms. Eckert also worked on behalf of children and families as a counselor

within both residential and outpatient care facilities. Ms. Eckert works in the

Aventura office.

Coming Fall 2008!

Group for Siblings of Kids on the Spectrum

The group purpose is to provide a well-structured and

safe environment where kids can discuss issues related to:

Having

a sibling with challenges (autism, aspergers, learning disability, etc.)

Peer

Pressure/socialization

School

related stressors

Family

issues

Better

decision making and problem solving

Other

topics will be discussed as suggested by group members

Space is limited to 6 group members

Children will be grouped according to age

Group will meet every week for 6 sessions

Please speak with our office staff to sign up or if

you have any questions.

Group is beginning September 2008. Date and time

to be determined.

Fee $65 per group, if paid in advance (6 sessions)/$75

per group otherwise.

Groups will be held in Coral Gables and Aventura

Together…

You & Me

Engage your

child and share the moment

“Important elements of intervention programs for

preschool children with autism include a focus on the development of pragmatic

and functional communication skills (whether verbal or non-verbal), joint

engagement and joint social activities, promotion of emotional engagement and

regulation, and helping parents to manage behavioral tantrums and maladaptive

routines.” (Charman, T., Autism & Its Impact on Child Development,

Institute of Child Health, UK. Published online Sept. 16, 2005)

Interactive program for 2

year olds

Modeling

strategies for increasing social engagement & joint attention

between parents and toddlers

10:00 –11:00 a.m.

8 sessions total, 2

sessions per week

Tuesday

September 2

Thursday

September 4

Tuesday

September 9

Thursday

September 11

Tuesday

September 16

Thursday

September 18

Tuesday

September 23

Thursday

September 25

NSU Satellite CARD Office

Facilitator: Lori Wise

Cost: FREE

To Register: Call

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CONSTITUENT’S

CORNER: WHILE YOU WERE LIVING

By: Bruce A. Blitman, Esquire

Constituency Board Member for Broward County

With

the hassles and stresses of daily living, it is almost impossible to keep up

with what's going on in the world of autism and related disabilities. In the

thirty-eighth installment of this column, I will continue to share some new

information about things I've watched on television and read about in the news.

1.

CHEVROLET AND AUTISM SPEAKS TEAM UP TO DRIVE AUTISM AWARENESS: Chevrolet has

teamed up with Autism Speaks to drive home the message of autism awareness.

During April-Autism Awareness Month-visitors to the Autism Speaks website (www.autismspeaks.org) were able to

click on the “Help Chevy Help Autism” icon and take a virtual test

drive of the 2008 North American Car of the Year-the all-new Chevy Malibu.

Chevrolet committed to a minimum contribution of $500,000, but every virtual

test drive taken got Chevrolet closer to its goal of donating up to $1 million

to Autism Speaks to support its mission of increasing awareness of autism and

raising money to fund autism research. Those who completed the virtual test

drive received a free 30-day online trial of XM Satellite Radio.

2.

“WALK ON THE WEB” KICKS OFF WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY”: This

enables anyone with Internet access to build community, learn more about autism

and raise funds for programs and research.

3.

AUTISM SPEAKS ANNOUNCES ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS: Recent

research in autism spectrum disorders suggests that both genetics and

environmental factors are involved in the causes of autism. In some instances,

this complex disorder may be the result of an interaction of many genes with an

as-yet undefined scope of environmental influences. In order to facilitate

research into this area, Autism Speaks has issued a “request for

applications” or RFA to support scientific study into environmental

factors, and gene and environment interactions, in autism. The first deadline

for applications was June 2, 2008.

4. 

NEUROCHEMISTRY COLLOQUIUM INVESTIGATES METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN AUTISM:

Organized by Autism Speaks grantee Ved Chauhan, Ph.D., a special colloquium in

conjunction with the annual American Society for Neurochemistry conference was

held on March 3, 2008. Five speakers presented their perspectives on the

evidence for a metabolic component in autism to a large international audience.

The goal of these presentations was to promote broader exploration in autism by

investigators specializing in neurochemistry and related subjects, with

emphasis on the importance of developing research to address the functional

impact of metabolic changes, and of clinical practices to recognize the

metabolic consequences of subtoxic environmental insults. 

5.

AUTISM INSURANCE BILL INTRODUCED IN LOUISIANA: Legislation has been introduced

in Louisiana to require insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorders. The

bill was introduced by State Representative lin Foil (R-70) of Baton Rouge.

The bill would require Louisiana healthcare policies to cover applied behavior

analysis (ABA) and other medically necessary, evidence –based treatments

prescribed by an insured’s treating physician with annual coverage for up

to $50,000 per year. The Louisians Session kicked off on Monday, March 31, 2008

and residents of that state had a tight turnaround of fewer than 90 days to

push this bill through both chambers to Governor Bobby Jindal’s desk for

signature.

6.

AUTISM SPEAKS AND THE AUTISM SOURCEBOOK PARTNER TO RAISE GLOBAL AWARENESS: A

special edition of The Autism Sourcebook: Everything You Need To Know About

Diagnosis, Treatment, Coping and Healing-From a Mother Whose Child Recovered,

by Siff Exkorn, was released on April 2, 2008, in honor of the first

World Autism Awareness Day. The book featured the Autism Speaks blue puzzle

piece logo on the front cover, with a special forward by Suzanne and Bob

, co-founders of Autism Speaks. These special edition books were donated

by Autism Speaks to countries all over the world, to offer help and hope to

families and practitioners worldwide. 

7. 

START ON SUCCESS:  This program helps high school students with

disabilities transition into the workforce.  For more information about the

program, please visit http://www.startonsuccess.org/.

8.

“MAKE A DIFFERENCE” NOW AVAILABLE ON CD: Sotelo is

the Assistant Director of UM-NSU CARD’s Broward Satellite Office. She and

Albert Nigro collaborated to write this beautiful anthem for autism research

and awareness, with accompanying musicians Nick Neuberg, Ethan Neuberg and Olaf

Andersen. This CD is available with a donation of $10 to benefit autism

research.

I

will continue to use this column to exchange information and ideas about autism

and related disabilities. I can really use your help. If you read an

interesting book, article or magazine which discusses new developments relating

to autism research, or watch a television show, documentary or movie with

an autism-related theme, please let me know about it, so I can share this

information with our fellow constituents. I would greatly welcome your

comments, suggestions and feedback on this column. Thank you for your continued

support of CARD. You can send your information via e-mail to: Bruce

A. Blitman at my e-mail address which is: BABmediate@... or call me at (954)

437-3446. Thanks for your assistance. Best wishes for continued good health,

happiness, success and hope.  Have a safe and enjoyable summer.

Concor38

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you would like to be added to our email list or if you would like to be removed

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UM-NSU CARD is a state-funded resource and support program dedicated to

improving the lives of individuals with autism and related disabilities

including deaf-blindness and pervasive developmental disorders. UM-NSU CARD does

not endorse specific programs or points of view presented in this email.