Fwd: ASA Chapters Networking

[Guest guest]

Hi to you all... hope Autism Awareness Month is going great for all of

you.

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FRIDAY IS A BIG DAY FOR AUTISM - CycleUSA Kick off, DC Rally, National

Conference Early Bird Registration Deadline.

ubject:

CLN - 10 Days to go

Date:

Tue, 17 Apr 2001 08:53:19 -0400

From:

" Jaye Reckers "

To:

Hi Everyone,

In only 10 days, Keating will begin his historic ride across

America that will raise autism awareness and money for autism

research.

The excitement is building and everyone is looking forward to the

start

of the ride.

To all the CycleUSA volunteers out there, keep plugging away. As we

get closer to the ride, the momentum is really building. More and

more

people are hearing about the ride and wanting to get involved.

We are at an historic moment for the autism community. For the first

time ever, we will have a national event. For nearly 3 months, we

will

be in the public eye and have the opportunity to tell our story. For

all of us, we have a personal reason to be here. We all have a stake

in this event and its eventual outcome.

Two years have been spent planning the route and with the help of all

of our friends we are about to see all of the hard work pay off.

Across this country, many of you will host events in your community to

benefit CycleUSA. It is our hope that this will be the beginning of

relationships that will last long after the first ride has finished.

We will make new friends and involve people in our cause who know

nothing about our children and adults prior to this ride. After this

ride, they will look at autism in a whole new way.

During each Sunday in the month of April, CycleUSA is being recognized

during the FoxSports broadcasts of NASCAR. So far, the response has

been more than we could have imagined. People are hearing about us

for

the first time and calling to support the ride. Thank you Artie for

all that you have done and continue to do.

More media coverage will follow. As other media events are finalized,

we will send out messages to allow everyone to tune in.

In closing, now is the time for us all to pull together and make

CycleUSA a great event. It already has the most important

ingredient....YOU! Work hard and try and make plans to be at the

finish line in San Diego at the ASA National Conference. Now that

will

be a party!

Cycle On!!!!

Sheri and Jaye Reckers

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ASA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 7/18-22

Early bird registration ends on Friday, 4/27 - that's this week!

Price goes up $50 after Friday - so, make sure that you squeek in

under the deadline if you are planning to go. Details on the ASA

website You can fax in your registration if paying with credit card to

.

$180 for the full conference.

$150 additional for pre-conference workshops (promote to your

membership)

CHAPTER LEADERS WORKSHOP - Wed, 7/18 all day in San Diego

We are firming up the contract right now. San Diego State University

will be the site of the pre-conf. workshop. It is about 8 miles (20

min.) from the conference hotel - great scenery! The conference will

probably be from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 or 5:30 p.m. We are indebted to

Shieffer and Greg Fletcher from the San Diego chapter for

helping us with local arrangements. works at the Univ., so was

able to get us a deal we couldn't refuse! We are still working on

getting some donations so that we afford a few professional speakers

to do some nonprofit Boards-related presentations (at least two

people, we hope), and also working on getting donations for lunch.

Tho, even if we end up having lunch " on our own " , the lunches at the

U. are really cheap.

You can register when you register for the main conference - just

write somewhere on your registration form (ie, it's not on the form

now) that you are including an additional $25 for the 7/18 Chapter

Leaders Workshop.

It will be another GREAT technical support and fun networking day.

You'll get to pick the brains of the ASA finest - your fellow chapter

leaders!

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Subject: San Diego Chapter Event for ASA Conference

Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 22:44:41 -0800

From: " Fletcher "

We will have the first five rows, (50 seats) in the Club Grandstand

section 7. These seats are in left field, two sections to the right

of the third base line. It is easier to visualize the location if you

visit the

padres.com web page (go to seating and pricing).The date is Saturday,

July 21, which is Padres Canvas Beach Bag Day. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

and the opposing team will be the Montreal Expos. (Singing of either

" The Star Spangled Banner " or " O Canada " is optional.) As an

official group, our name " Autism Society of America " , will be flashed

on the scoreboard sometime during the game.

Transportation should be simple, since it is a short trolley ride to

the stadium from the shopping center

near the Town & Country Hotel.

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AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

Subject:

CLN

Date:

Wed, 11 Apr 2001 19:30:31 EDT

From:

DLLorman@...

To:

jserak@...

Hi to all Chapter Leaders -

Just had to share the news about our wonderful event. Greater

Orlando, in

coordination with Sea World of Florida, hosted 550 individuals with

autism

and their families at our annual Sea of Dreams event this past

Saturday,

April 7, 2001. Sea World provided free admission tickets to all

attendees.

For the low cost of $15.00 each attendee received admission into the

park, a

buffet lunch, and a special Sea of Dreams T-shirt to wear around the

park

that day. The event began at 9:00 with check in. Our entire group

entered

the park at 9:45 and went directly to the roller coaster, Kracken; the

water

ride, Journey to Atlantis, and the penguin exhibit. There was no

waiting in

lines -- we went straight to the rides. Just as an aside, my son rode

Kracken six times before he was ready to take a break. After that

hour, our

group went to the Sea Lion and Otter show then off to a private lunch

at

Ports of Call. During the lunch, Sea World provided live penguins

that

everyone could see and pet. Then came the visit by Dolly the Dolphin

and

Shamu. We had a silent auction and raffle drawing before leaving to

attend

the real Shamu Show. The rest of the day was left open so that

families

could enjoy the park at their own pace.

It was an absolutely wonderful day. There is nothing like looking

around a

theme park and seeing this bright yellow " Autism Awareness " shirts

everywhere

you looked. As a matter of fact, a member of our group was chosen to

participate in one of the shows. What a great opportunity for more

exposure.

Next year, we would like for other chapters who have a Sea World

around them

to contact us. We can get a contact for you and make this a national

event.

If anyone is interested, please give me a call.

Thanks for all your support.

Donna Lorman, President

Autism Society of Greater Orlando

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Subject:

Greater burg PA Chapter Autism Awareness Month Events

Date:

Thu, 12 Apr 2001 08:57:34 -0400

From:

SuAnn Brenner

To:

jserak@...

Jan,

I am Suann Brenner, Treasurer- past President of the Greater

burg

PA Chapter and I would like to let other chapters know how busy we

have

been trying to meet our goal of MORE Autism Awareness in the central

PA

area. We are hoping for lots of media coverage. Here are some of the

events we have scheduled:

Tues. April 17, Wed. April 18, hurs. April 19 and also Fri.

April 27.

3rd Annual Autism Awareness “Spring Raffle” to be

held at

Strawberry Square in burg

Autism Awareness “Easter Eggs” at Angelino’s Restaurant in

Wormleysburg

– during the month of April donate $1.00 and sponsor a

child with

Autism Spectrum disorder. Please stop in and sponsor

“ALEX” an 11 year old boy with Autism.

Media Play in burg, April 22, 2001 at 2:00 –

Book signing by Bill , local father of an

autistic son, who wrote

Breaking Autism’s Barriers: A Father’s Story

“Solve the Puzzle” Golf Tournament on August 11, 2001at

Sportsman’s Golf

Club – Corporate sponsors needed: contact

M. Harley at

All proceeds from these events will go into the many programs we

provide

for our members which include scholarships to conferences & workshops,

family outings & events, our “Helping Hand” fund which helps families

that have unexpected expenses, printing & mailing of our chapter

newsletter, to buy books, video and audio tapes for our chapter

library

and to help fund our 3rd Annual “SENSORY” Picnic.

I am very proud of the work our dedicated members have done to

" Make it

Happen " ( that has been our goal and motto:to " MAKE IT HAPPEN " ) Each

year we grow in our Autism Awareness campaign and we hope to keep

growing. I will be sending our newsletter to Joe Schneider, it has

improved greatly and we have alot of input from our members. Bill

went

to the Chapter Leader's Conference and showed our new chapter posters,

made by a highschool senior at the VoTec school. They are AWSOME. I

will also send them to Joe. Thanks for letting me " toot our horn "

I did

have one concern, though. We are wondering why we can't access the

Police Training Video we facilitated through a grant 3 years ago?

Someone at National said they were not available anymore and we are

very

concerned because we use it in our Emergency Worker & Police

Information

Trainings. Please help me find an answer to this perplexing question.

Why are they stopping the production of this very important part of

Emergency Worker Awareness ?

Suzy Brenner

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Subject: Dev Disabilities

Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 08:45:29 EST

From: Calgonred@...

When the ASA describes Autism. The definition comments on Autism

being the

third leading developmental disability. More prevalent than Down

Syndrome.

Can you tell me the top two developmental disabilties?

Thanks Teri O'Neil, PGCCASA, MD

--------------

Subject:

Re: Dev Disabilities]

Date:

Thu, 12 Apr 2001 17:56:31 -0400

From:

" Ronita Wisniewski "

To:

References:

1

Hi Jan,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. At this point, I've

obtained

answers to MOST of your questions. The latter question requires

further

consideration and debate. Would probably be a good question for the

PPA.

Anyway, here's the scoop so far:

The NIH and CDC print incidence rates of autism as 1 in 500. The CDC's

study

in the Brick Township, NJ, found 1 in 250 or 1 in 150, depending on

the

definition used, for that particular town. Because there have been no

widespread incidence/prevalence studies, it's unclear whether the

Brick

numbers can be extrapolated to the larger population.

With regard to the ranking of various developmental disabilities, the

ASA

has a document that ranks various prevalence or incidence rates by

disability, but doesn't say whether those come from the agencies that

represent these groups or from a government agency. The document,

which

is

three years old, is attached, FYI.

Below are the rankings:

1. Mental Retardation:

1998: Prevalence: 7.5 million; Incidence: ?

2001: Prevalence: 7.5 million; Incidence: 1/100

2. Cerebral Palsy

1998: Prevalence: 500-700,000; Incidence: 10/3,000-5,000

2001: Prevalence: 450-500,000; Incidence: ??? (per the United Cerebral

Palsy

folks)

3. Autism

1998: Prevalence: 500,000; Incidence: 1/500

2001: Prevalence: 500,000 Incidence: 1/500 (???)

Basically, before moving forward on where to place autism, we'd have

to

confirm the figures for CP (as they appear to be lower than

previously

listed), and determine what number we should be using for autism.

Anyway, just wanted to give you what I had so far. Let me know if you

have

any additional questions or thoughts.

Thanks,

Ronita Wisniewski

Director of Communications

Autism Society or America

ext. 118

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ubject:

April is Autism Awareness Month

Date:

Fri, 06 Apr 2001 22:18:34 -0500

From:

Boyett

To:

jserak@...

Jan

I was trying to think of a way to reach out to my church community and

others that I know who are not part of what I call the " get it " inner

circle of the autism community, but who I feel need to be more aware

and

enlightened.

Below is a large group email I posted which I hope has hit a chord.

I am not sure this a a CLN posting or not...and will leave that

decision up

to you

I had a great time in Dallas, and both Alyssa and I are looking

forward

to

San Diego

take care

You do a great job for all of us

*********************************************************

>Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 22:36:08 -0500

>To: tawanda@...

>

>Subject: April is Autism Awareness Month

>Bcc: ZionUCC

>

>Greetings members and friends of Zion UCC

>

>April is Autism Awareness Month !!!

>

>Did you know that 1 in 500 children/adults have some form of the

autism

spectrum disorder.

>

>That the incidence of autism is on the rise nationally....and that

many

consider it to be the " hidden disability " thus the least understood.

>

>Every day people with autism are discriminated against, in subtle and

not

so subtle ways. They find themselves, and their families fighting

constantly to have those around them understand and accept them....to

move

through the autism and see them as a whole, viable, productive human

being

and not a second class citizen.

>

>In the wider circle those with autism and other disabilities find

themselves quite often left out of the loop on the civil rights

agenda...and if they are included it is felt to be an after thought.

>

>Agencies like The Autism Society of Western Kentucky are working to

change

these things.

>

>During the month of April we are celebrating the life of those with

autism....applauding the great strengths and gifts that the world

needs

to

recognize in our children.

>

>The Autism Society of Western Kentucky has many events planned in the

tri

state area. Below is a listing of events.

>If you have an interest in receiving a listing of any of the other

events

planned in Owensboro/Evensville please contact me

>

>We are selling autism awareness pins and ribbons to be worn during

April

(pins:$10.00, ribbons:$1.00) If anyone would like to purchase a

pin/ribbon

they can email me or stop by the office here in The Paff Haus during

the

week or catch me on Sunday. I will also have a basket with ribbons in

it

in the back of the church sanctuary.

>

>If you want lunch on Saturday, we also have a fund-raiser barbecue

planned

at the Wal-Mart (details below)

>

>Any support from the members and friends of the church community

would

be

most welcome.

>

>Thanks

>

> A. Boyett

>Executive Director

>Autism Society of Western Kentucky

>

>*********************************************************

>Events planned in :

>

>Saturday, April 7th, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

>Barbecue pork chop sandwich fund-raiser

>Wal-Mart

>U.S. Highway 41 North

>, KY

>Sandwiches: $3.50

>Tuesday, April 10th

>6 p.m.

>Support Group Gathering

>435 First Street

>Kramer Room

>, KY

>* Proclamation by the city to designate April as “Autism Awareness

Month”

>

>* Airing of our Public Service Announcement throughout the month on

WSON

>

>* Tuesday, April 17th, 6:30 p.m.

>Wolfs Banquet Center, corner of First and

>Green Streets.

>Speaker: Jeff , Director, Social Security

>Administration.

>Topic: Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security

>Income Eligibility, Entitlements, and Work Incentives

>

>* County High School stu