Fwd: UM-NSU CARD: Week of October 27, 2008

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NEXT WEEK AT

October 27, 2008

UM-NSU CARD: Broward SOFA Group

(NSU

Satellite)

Facilitator: Roselione

Time: 6:45 pm – 9:15 pm

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

October 28, 2008

UM-NSU CARD: Support Group for Adults with Asperger Syndrome

(UM

Campus)

Facilitators: Diane Adreon & Deborah Chin

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm (Daytime)

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

October 30, 2008

UM-NSU CARD: “Estrategias visuales para

mejorar la comunicación”

(UM Campus)

Presentador: Maricarmen Saleta

Hora: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

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

UM-NSU CARD: Support Group for Fathers

(UM Campus)

Facilitator: Dr. Anibal Gutierrez

Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

For more information please contact at: agutierrez@...

******************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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The

Autism Spectrum Assessment Clinic (ASAC),

located

in Coral Gables, Florida, provides comprehensive psychological evaluations to

children and adults to investigate the possibility of an autism spectrum

disorder (ASD). The purposes of the evaluation are to determine current level

of functioning, clarify diagnosis, and provide treatment recommendations. ASAC

includes a team of highly experienced professionals who specialize in

diagnosing or ruling out ASDs, including clinical and school psychologists,

doctoral level psychology students, behavior analysts, and consulting

clinicians from CARD who assist in the assessment process and who ensure that

individuals diagnosed with autism and their families are connected to CARD

services and supports. State-of-the-art assessment measures, such as the

ADOS

and ADI-R are used in ASAC evaluations.

For

more information or to schedule an appointment, call

(305)

284-6140 or visit our website at www.psy.miami.edu/asac

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http://www.coe.fau.edu/card/

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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

Time: 10:00 –11:00 a.m.

When: 8 sessions total, 2

sessions per week

(Training session for

parents takes place prior to start of group)

Tuesday

October 28

Thursday

October 30

Tuesday

November 4

Thursday

November 6

Tuesday

November 11

Thursday

November 13

Tuesday

November 18

Thursday

November 20

Location: NSU CARD Office

Facilitator:Lori Wise

Cost: FREE

To Register: Call

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Florida's

Voice on Developmental Disabilities

Florida's

Voice on Developmental Disabilities (FVDD) is hosting its annual statewide

conference at Nova Southeastern University in the Hull Auditorium inside the

HPB building on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 9:00 AM.

Topics

will include: special needs trusts, guardianship, the new Medicaid

waivers/tiers for persons with developmental disabilities, and, significantly,

a  special " training " on administrative hearings conducted by

a Ruiz, Esq.  of Southern Legal Counsel. 

Admission

is $25.00 in advance (register via fax to me at 954/972-4701). Otherwise, at

the conference, fee is $40.00. Fee includes lunch.

Please

note that over 4,000 families have filed for a hearing on their tier

assignment.

To

download and print-out a registration form, please go to: http://www.floridasvoice.org

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Thursday, November 6, 2008

10:30am – 1:30pm

Psychologist Group

Females with Autism Spectrum Disorders:

Different Presentation?

Please let Lis De Gasperi know if you

are planning to attend:

mlisdegasperi@...

University of Miami

Fred & Helen Donn Flipse Building

5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

Coral Gables, FL 33146

5th Floor Conference Room

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I am very

excited to invite you all to our first planning meeting for the

2009

Autism Speaks Walk which most of you know will be held,

Sunday

February 22, 2009 at the same location Crandon Park.

The planning meeting will take place Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008 at 6:30 pm at

the

UM-NSU CARD, located at 5665 Ponce de Leon

Blvd (UM Psychology Building) in

Room 502 (Fifth floor).

I am also very happy and pleased to announce that our new

Executive Director for the Miami Chapter of Autism Speaks, Ms. Lula Folgosa,

will be leading this meeting. This is a very important meeting and

I encourage you all to attend. We will be discussing walk committee

responsibilities and we need your commitments that day. We have a lot to

do but as you all know we have a wonderful group of volunteers that always come

forward. Please feel free to pass this email to anyone you know who has

expressed interest in getting involved, we welcome all new volunteers.

If you could please let me know via email or my cell if you will

be attending. I am looking forward to having a great big group at our meeting

next Wednesday.

See you all next week!

Lola Reyes

2009 Miami Walk Chair

Autism Speaks

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Tips to Make Halloween

Enjoyable for Children with

Autism Spectrum Disorders

The very

things that can be so exciting to neurotypical kids—wearing the costume

of a favorite character, being outside with other kids who also have on

costumes, knocking on doors to ask for treats, and getting treats from every

house you visit—can be anxiety producing for children with autism

spectrum disorders.

Wearing a

costume is unfamiliar, as is going from house to house to ask for treats. New

routines and behaviors can be enjoyable for kids on the spectrum when they are

approached with planning, and the necessary supports are identified and

provided. Following are some things you can do ahead of time to help your child

enjoy this child-focused occasion:

1. Begin early (even a month before) to prepare your child

for Halloween activities. Read a story about Halloween and the activities that

surround it, like carving pumpkins, wearing costumes, and trick-or-treating.

Teach your child the skills involved in participating—knocking on the

door, holding out the bag, saying “trick or treat” or using

assistive technology (a picture or device) to communicate the message, and then

saying “thank you.”

2. Help your child choose a costume that will reflect his

interests. Let him practice wearing the costume around the house while

practicing the skills. If wearing a costume is irritating, ask him if he would

rather wear face paint, a scarf, or a hat on Halloween. No costume is also OK.

3. Write a social narrative describing what your child will

do on Halloween. Include in this story information about wearing the costume

(if she will) or face paint, and carrying the trick-or-treat bag. Identify

which houses your child will visit, what your child will say at each house, and

what she will do with the treats she receives.

4. Create a visual schedule with the Halloween activities

for the evening marked on it.

5. Let your child practice trick-or-treating with familiar

individuals and houses. If he has a restricted diet, give these individuals

special treats for him.

6. Keep the trick-or-treating session short and

comfortable. If two houses are her limit, that is fine.

7. Teach your child to give out candy for

trick-or-treaters. Use role play to let him practice the skill before

Halloween. Write a social narrative about this aspect of Halloween so he will

know what to expect and what to do when the doorbell rings that evening. This

way, even if his trick-or-treating session is short, he will be involved in the

celebration.

8. Remember, practice helps make any activity feel like a

routine!

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Move

and Groove: For children, ages 3 through 4, to explore social skills with

peers through dancing, singing, and playing. Children will be exposed to finger

plays, bubbles, puppet play, and instrument play while engaging peers in social

activities.

Move and Groove

Sing

Dance

Play

while exploring new friendships

Designed for children

ages 3 through 4

Classes begin

October 2008

4:00-5:00

Contact Jillian Mehler

at

or WholeStepsMT@...

We All

Move Together: For children, ages 7 through 9, to explore how music and

rhythm can assist their bodies in organization. Children will be exposed

to drumming and rhythmic movement. The class will target attention skills, team

work, and organized movement.

The primary

goal of this class is for children to organize their bodies while initiating,

maintaining, and terminating

attention

skills through rhythm and music.

We All Move Together

Discover how

RHYTHM and MUSIC

organize the body

Designed for children

Ages 7 through 9

Classes begin

October 2008

5:00-6:00

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Belen

Jesuit Presents…

2008

Basketball clinic for children with

Autism

Saturday,

November 22nd, 2008

9:00 am -

noon

Ages: 3-12

years old

The clinic

will be held at the

Goizueta

Athletic Center at

Belen

Jesuit Preparatory School

500 SW 127th

Avenue

Miami,

Florida

Space is

limited, please register your child and include their name, age, parents

name, a

contact phone number, email address, and mailing address to:

Anely

Herrera at aherreraus@... or please

leave a message @

You will

get a confirmation from either me or a representative.

Parent

Volunteers are needed, if some of you can stay and help the Belen

students on

their second Clinic, we would appreciate it. Please notify us if you

can

volunteer.

We are

looking forward to an exciting event for our kids!

*If

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

from our email list, please click here: http://www.umcard.org/contact.php

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.