I know this information is out there, but I'm having a hard time uncovering it. I have a friend in the military whose son has been diagnosed with a rare form of autism, and there are no services where we live for him. The Air Force is offering them a humanitarian move (to a place where he can receive services) and she hasn't a clue where to begin in choosing a place to go. I only know about the districts in which I've taught. Any suggestions?
207143
Check with national autism parent support sites like\n\nhttp://www.autism-society.org\n\nor\n\nhttp://www.php.com/\n\nGood luck!
93820
Hi you dont say where on the spectrum your son is. Autism manifest itself as differently as the kids do so as a parent of an autistic child here are my suggestions:\n\nTalk to the district special education coordinator they will tell you what schools have the best resources that will benifit your child. \n\nYou will also likely need to have your child tested to see where he is at academically this will help with where to place them in school. Many schools have classes designed for autistic kids with more routine less stimulation and more one on one time.\n\nIf you need accommodations you can get them in the form of a 504 plan that gives a mainstreamed child accommodations such as needs to record teaching to replay it have specail testing accommodations or a more formal IEP which gives you class placement and accommodations both.\n\nIf it is feasible you might also look into Montissori learning it is more expensive than public schools but often is very good for autism\n\nlast you might look into homeschooling there are many ways to do this and you can custom tailor cirriculm to meet your childs needs at any given time\n\nAutistic kids can learn but it is not on the typical childs time frame nor is it in the same way but they do learn even when it seems like they are not\n\nThere are many web sites that have lots of good ideas and you may have to try some different things before you find which is right for him\nGood luck
315700
DON'T WAIT UNTIL HE STARTS SCHOOL!\n\nEarly intervention is key in cases of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Nonverbal Learning Disorder, and delayed speech.\n\nPlease ask her to take the following steps immediately:\n\nFind a pediatrician that specializes in children with developmental disabilities.\n\nContact the school system for a complete evaluation (this is free, and could have been before the child trained 3!).\n\nThe school system will choose a team of professionals to evaluate the child, including, but not limited to a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, a school adjustment counselor, a school psychologist, a teacher and an expert in special education.  His parents  will be part of the team, and they may bring any experts they so choose to the team meetings.\n\nThe child's new pediatrician will submit a recommendation for the services the child needs.  The child may require an independent evaluation by additional specialists (pediatric neurologist, etc. to develop a treatment plan.\n\nMake sure that the team adopts the recommendations of his pediatrician and specialists in their entirety; appeal the team's decision, if necessary.\n\nThe team will develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that specifies the services to be provided and the frequency of the provision, as well as the modifications that will be made to "regular" education to accommodate him.\n\nHis parents have the right to accept or reject the IEP, in whole or in part, and appeal same, in whole or in part.  If they choose to appeal and another, independent evaluation is required, the school must pay for the evaluation.\n\nThe school system is required BY LAW to provide early intervention services beginning at age 3, so he will probably begin in a special program, immediately.\n\nThis is a very complex subject not easily dealt with in this forum, however the above is a start.  DON'T WAIT!
390305
well i agree they should get more...but a great alternative is the disabled american veteran's van program. it is a free ride to and from the va hospital for any vet. all you have to do is call your nearest dav and they will help you arrange it!
52022
Most police stations have a department that maintains a database that people can have their autistic children on file with their info, picure and condition. It's a safety measure parents can take in case their autistic child is one who tends to wander, allowing the police to locate them quicker, before they fall into harm's way.  Talk to your local police station about this if you'd like. Once they are more familiar with your brother, it will help a lot if they do receive strange calls from him.  It's also a really good safety measure in case he ever does bolt from the house.
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HI I have a 9 y/o son with autism and I have run a support group with autism for years. I recently moved to Wisconsin, however I was from northeast Illinois prior to this move. If you would like to contact me through yahoo messenger or at haleigh_anna4u@yahoo.com, I would love to give you some info on schools and area's in Illinois with GREAT school programs for autism. The early years ( 0-5 y/o) are the toughest. If your daughter would like the opportunity to talk to a parent who has been there feel free to pass on my contact info. My son was diagnosed in 1998, at 2 y/o. He was diagnosed severe and I was told that he would never speak.  I found him great speech and occupational therapists that helped me start a communication program with him of PECS/SIGNS paired with verbal communication and a sensory "diet" to get him comfortable in his own skin. He received ABA within his preschool special ed program as well as speech and OT in school. I included him in everything if only for a short time so that he experienced many things. Many children with autism don't know what is expected of them in new situations and that causes them to have what the parent see's as bad behavior, but in a child who cannot communicate, these behaviors are his way communicating when verbal communication is difficult.  My son is doing AMAZING now. He is in regular ed 3rd grade for 70% of his day and communicates only 2 years behind his age level. There is and always will be signs of autism, but due to a lot of hard work, understanding and LOVE he is a happy, healthy and loving boy.
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This is the one area the VA does not deal with but should...spouses.  Family Services usually have some answers at the base.  Other than that I would call the VA, Social Work Service and ask if you can come in for a consultation with a worker (as a courtesy) tell them what you are seeking and how difficult it is and ask if they have a program for wives of PTSD patients.  Feel free to call the center director if you are not satisfied.  It really is a pity that they have not addressed this issue as wives spend 24/7 with these patients and are the caregivers without training. Keep going, call your congressman too.  Keep making noise...you have a lot of company but even the PTSD patients had trouble getting diagnosed.  It took about    7 years for them to be heard after Vietnam.  Persistence pays.  Good luck.
246549
Cubaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa missouri , nice ok, I think your best bet is \nto Project ACCESS\nA professional development initiative funded by DESE.\nProject ACCESS is a repository of current autism literature and training.  Created in 1985, it was (one of) the first state resource centers for autism in the nation.  Project ACCESS' mission is to assist DESE in meeting the goal of educational opportunity for disabled children and youth, by implementing activities designed to be helpful to Local Education Agency (LEA) personnel in providing appropriate services to young people with autism and pervasive developmental disorders, as well as others exhibiting behaviors characteristic of these disorders. In order to enhance the overall quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities, Project ACCESS will collaborate with the agencies of the Missouri Department of Mental Health and the Missouri Department of Health on projects directed toward that goal. Project ACCESS personnel and publications are dedicated to providing cutting edge, effective training and information to educators, care-providers, and others in the state of Missouri.  Project ACCESS' mission also includes the provision of various levels of training for field practitioners and parents.\n\nProject ACCESS Services Brochure\n \n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n \nMissouri Autism Consultants (MACs)\nMissouri Autism Consultants (MACs) are available for school districts that wish to have on-site consultation regarding programmatic questions for students with autism. Districts wanting this service may call Project ACCESS at 866-481-3841 to begin the process.\n\nMissouri Autism Consultants have been trained by Project ACCESS in the philosophy of viewing the whole child and his or her environment and structuring a program that fits both the child and the school district.  They have all completed, at minimum, the Missouri Autism Institute and three days of Project ACCESS consultant training.  Most have completed even more extensive training and all are experienced in working with students with autism in the schools. \n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n \nConsultants for ABA/DTT\nDuring the 2004-05 school year, additional consultative services for Applied Behavioral Analysis and the Discrete Trial Training methodology will be available throughout the state via approximately 30 ABA/DTT Consultants . These individuals currently are completing a rigorous course of graduate study through DESE scholarships at the Pennsylvania State University on the principles and application of behavior analysis for children with disabilities.  http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/EffectivePractices/ABApage.html \n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n \nAutism Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia offers quality diagnostic services and works with a variety of existing agencies.  Using a multidisciplinary approach, the center is designed to provide medical, psychometric, and nutritional support services to affected individuals and their families in conjunction with existing services.  The center will provide diagnostic evaluation and medical therapy for all autistic patients referred by the Missouri Autism Project, the Judevine Center, other physicians, healthcare agencies, parents and schools.  The center is funded in part by the Missouri Department of Mental Health.  http://www.genetics.missouri.edu/Autismhome.htm \n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n \nAutism Information \n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n \nAutism Conferences  NEW! \n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n \nInformation on Behavior Analyst Certification\nThis site provides National certification standards, how to become certifi
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I'm assuming your are talking about a site for the USA.\n1.  For federal info on nationwide laws about special education regulations and guidelines you should search for ADA the Americans with Disabilities Act.\n2.  For info at the state level their should be a site for the department of education and a site under that for "special education" or "special needs children" lists of statewide APS "approved private schools" and other resources will be there along with contact info for more local info from the "intermediate units" or administrative offices at a county level.  Most school districts have a "special needs" parents groups too.\n3   NAMI, the "national alliance for the mentally ill" also has sites for mental health consumers and for family members who are living with or advocating for children or adults who struggle with mental health issues.
1977
The best advice is to take the child to a developmental pediatrician or a pediatric neurologist for an evaluation. Here's a link to the criteria used to determine autism and related disorders.
307175
My daughter has an autistic brother. The numbers of how many people are autistic has changed quite a bit since his diagnosis. It used to be estimated at 1 in every 500 then it went to 1 in 250 then 1 in 166. I think it will end up that actually the numbers are more like 1 in 10. You are not alone and it IS okay to be an advocate for your sibling. When your parents are gone, you may be the one entrusted with his/her care. I'm preparing my daughter for that and she is getting ready for the eventuality of it.
40773
They have been linked for quit some time now. I research the condition just about every other day. This site ghas good info. http://www.autismtoday.com/index.asp
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When we needed to hire ABA therapists for our son, we contacted Monster.com and used a service of theirs (formerly called JobTrak) to solicit student candidates with some ABA training, child development majors, psychology majors, and/or education majors from various colleges and universities near our home.  We hired about 8 ABA therapists over the three years our son was in therapy (at any given time, he had 4-5 therapists working with him per week) and had success using this method.  Also, if you have a weekly PennySaver or similar free publication that is distributed by mail in your area, we had success with that as well.  \n\nI'm happy to say our son has almost totally recovered from autism, and I wish you the best in your search for ABA therapists.   You may also want to check out these websites:  www.centerforautism.com and www.tacanow.com for further ideas.
90861
As the parent of a special needs child I can tell you the other answers are right to a certian degree but my personal experience has been you need to do a lot of the legwork yourself. They do have to abide by best placement for spec ed which is not always in your home district but this will likely be something you have to find first. \n\nHere are somethings that worked for me getting my son best placement.This is assuming you have your testing done and an IEP or 504 plan in place. \n\nFirst call your district special ed coordinator make an appt to sit down and discuss your childs issues and what would be best for your situation some schools have excellent facilities for physically challenged but not mental some have awesome autism classes but not learning disabilities etc. There may also be theraputic day schools or residential schools that may be an option that you did not know about.\n\n After you figure out where your child should be ask for a meeting in writing and CC every one involved with your child principal teachers therapist (depending on your childs particular need) school district rep spec ed rep and make sure you also take in support for yourself. This might be a social worker advocate service coordinator of friend or if you need any variety of them.\n\n Present all of you documentation testing education plan doctors recommendations ect this will solidify why they should pay to tranfer your child to a different district.\n\nAnd as a last resort (one I have threatened but  never had to follow up on but say it like you did it) is to get an education atty to represent your child. If you need more info contact your state bar assc. or local legal aid office.\n\nYou do have rights as does your child and you may need to be harsh to get what you need but do not wait for them to act first it is so much better to be proactive your child is one of thousands to them and the best thing to do is keep yours in the forefront.\n\nGood luck!
184931
Try contacting a regional office to see if they can give you any information. Your local Albertsons store should be able to give you the information you'd need to start. Also try contacting the RedCross.
68548
A sick member of the family that needs to be cared for is one of the top reasons. Or if you have a special needs person in your family would be another reason to be compassionately relocated. I've included a few sites that you can go to for more info
549306
I have a Diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome and I went to a special school called Hillingdon Manor. It's an Inderpendent special school which was set up by a group of parents looking for a school for their children. It's been going for quite a few years now and they're always looking for staff. I'd suggest contacting them, I don't have their number so either search for it online or if you can't find it e-mail me at: Morpheusy2k4@hotmail.com Good Luck ;-)