Re: teenage girl with AS - no friends

[Guest guest]

Annie,

Good work. I think the best parents can do is create their own

opportunties, just like with NT kids. I run a soccer and basketball

program for children with autism. I don't have a child on the

spectrum but I recognize that the children need recreational

opportunities. They also need to meet and socialize with other

children on the spectrum. Unfortunately, parents often look around

for some professional group to offer social programs. However,

parents should combine to create boy and girl scouts,

sports/recreation, dances, clubs, etc. Just like parents of NT

children. For example, I feel local parents should get together to

create a once a week, kids fun night. The kids could meet at a local

church or school for a couple of hours of fun. You could recruit

several High School students to help out. Each week one set of

parents volunteer to supervise. That gives other parents a chance

to get out on their own, while their child can socialize in a safe

setting.

Many parents need support and respite time. If parents network

together and support each other, than they provide respite and social

events for all the families.

Bill

>> Funny you should mention that. In my church, I am heading up a

little

> goodie called the DD Dance Club, aimed specifically at the young

adult

> and adult autistic and developmentally delayed community here in

> Albuquerque. We're hosting monthly (Friday night) dances in our

Family

> Life Center (which is a huge gymnasium with a stage and a

kitchen). Our

> first dance is St. 's Day, in fact. And our second dance,

in

> April, is a Spring Ball...formal, too. A couple in the church also

work

> with ARC and Adelante (a employment training center and sheltered

> workshop) and will be conducting a course for all our helpers on

how to

> get along with the guests coming to the dances (quite a turnaround,

> huh?). It promises to be very successful, and a number of people

are

> waiting for the first one. Oh, yeah, and so it won't be a " charity

> thing for the disabled " , we'll be charging a cover for all the

> dances, which will be slightly higher for the Spring Ball and the

Winter

> Ball in December.

>

> My point is, if there isn't anything available for your autie,

chances

> are there isn't anything available for any others either. So you

have

> to get creative when you look at all the options. And sometimes,

you

> need to get it done yourself. (Louie's assisted living agency

was

> founded by a mom who was not happy with the options offered for her

> adult autistic son)

>

> Annie, who loves ya annie@r...

> --

> Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change ready. -- anon of

ibid

>

[Guest guest]

Bill

Do you know of anything in the Detroit area? I have an

AS daughter who is 12. We’re in Grosse Pointe. Thanks Gretchen

From: Autism and Aspergers Treatment [mailto:Autism and Aspergers Treatment ] On Behalf Of Bill Nason

Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2005

6:04 PM

Autism and Aspergers Treatment

Subject: Re:

teenage girl with AS - no friends

Annie,

Good work. I think the best parents can do

is create their own

opportunties, just like with NT kids.

I run a soccer and basketball

program for children with autism. I don't

have a child on the

spectrum but I recognize that the children need

recreational

opportunities. They also need to meet and

socialize with other

children on the spectrum. Unfortunately,

parents often look around

for some professional group to offer social

programs. However,

parents should combine to create boy and girl

scouts,

sports/recreation, dances, clubs, etc. Just

like parents of NT

children. For example, I feel local parents

should get together to

create a once a week, kids fun night. The

kids could meet at a local

church or school for a couple of hours of

fun. You could recruit

several High School students to help out.

Each week one set of

parents volunteer to supervise. That gives

other parents a chance

to get out on their own, while their child

can socialize in a safe

setting.

Many parents need support and respite time.

If parents network

together and support each other, than they provide

respite and social

events for all the families.

Bill

>> Funny you should mention that. In

my church, I am heading up a

little

> goodie called the DD Dance Club, aimed

specifically at the young

adult

> and adult autistic and developmentally

delayed community here in

> Albuquerque.

We're hosting monthly (Friday night) dances in our

Family

> Life

Center (which is a huge

gymnasium with a stage and a

kitchen). Our

> first dance is St. 's Day, in

fact. And our second dance,

in

> April, is a Spring Ball...formal, too.

A couple in the church also

work

> with ARC and Adelante (a employment training

center and sheltered

> workshop) and will be conducting a course for

all our helpers on

how to

> get along with the guests coming to the

dances (quite a turnaround,

> huh?). It promises to be very

successful, and a number of people

are

> waiting for the first one. Oh, yeah,

and so it won't be a " charity

> thing for the disabled " , we'll be

charging a cover for all the

> dances, which will be slightly higher for the

Spring Ball and the

Winter

> Ball in December.

>

> My point is, if there isn't anything

available for your autie,

chances

> are there isn't anything available for any

others either. So you

have

> to get creative when you look at all the

options. And sometimes,

you

> need to get it done yourself. (Louie's

assisted living agency

was

> founded by a mom who was not happy with the

options offered for her

> adult autistic son)

>

> Annie, who loves

ya

annie@r...

> --

> Madness takes its toll. Please have exact

change ready. -- anon of

ibid

>

[Guest guest]

Bill

Do you know of anything in the Detroit area? I have an

AS daughter who is 12. We’re in Grosse Pointe. Thanks Gretchen

From: Autism and Aspergers Treatment [mailto:Autism and Aspergers Treatment ] On Behalf Of Bill Nason

Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2005

6:04 PM

Autism and Aspergers Treatment

Subject: Re:

teenage girl with AS - no friends

Annie,

Good work. I think the best parents can do

is create their own

opportunties, just like with NT kids.

I run a soccer and basketball

program for children with autism. I don't

have a child on the

spectrum but I recognize that the children need

recreational

opportunities. They also need to meet and

socialize with other

children on the spectrum. Unfortunately,

parents often look around

for some professional group to offer social

programs. However,

parents should combine to create boy and girl

scouts,

sports/recreation, dances, clubs, etc. Just

like parents of NT

children. For example, I feel local parents

should get together to

create a once a week, kids fun night. The

kids could meet at a local

church or school for a couple of hours of

fun. You could recruit

several High School students to help out.

Each week one set of

parents volunteer to supervise. That gives

other parents a chance

to get out on their own, while their child

can socialize in a safe

setting.

Many parents need support and respite time.

If parents network

together and support each other, than they provide

respite and social

events for all the families.

Bill

>> Funny you should mention that. In

my church, I am heading up a

little

> goodie called the DD Dance Club, aimed

specifically at the young

adult

> and adult autistic and developmentally

delayed community here in

> Albuquerque.

We're hosting monthly (Friday night) dances in our

Family

> Life

Center (which is a huge

gymnasium with a stage and a

kitchen). Our

> first dance is St. 's Day, in

fact. And our second dance,

in

> April, is a Spring Ball...formal, too.

A couple in the church also

work

> with ARC and Adelante (a employment training

center and sheltered

> workshop) and will be conducting a course for

all our helpers on

how to

> get along with the guests coming to the

dances (quite a turnaround,

> huh?). It promises to be very

successful, and a number of people

are

> waiting for the first one. Oh, yeah,

and so it won't be a " charity

> thing for the disabled " , we'll be

charging a cover for all the

> dances, which will be slightly higher for the

Spring Ball and the

Winter

> Ball in December.

>

> My point is, if there isn't anything

available for your autie,

chances

> are there isn't anything available for any

others either. So you

have

> to get creative when you look at all the

options. And sometimes,

you

> need to get it done yourself. (Louie's

assisted living agency

was

> founded by a mom who was not happy with the

options offered for her

> adult autistic son)

>

> Annie, who loves

ya

annie@r...

> --

> Madness takes its toll. Please have exact

change ready. -- anon of

ibid

>