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ASMT's Community Bulletin Board is a listing of events, opportunities, and other items of interest to the Autism Community in Middle Tennessee and beyond. If you have an item you would like considered for submission to the Community Bulletin Board, please email Tonya Mirtes at
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Disclaimer The Autism Society of Middle Tennessee provides this information about local services and supports for those affected by autism and their families as a courtesy for our members and website visitors. ASMT does not control, monitor, endorse or guarantee the products or services provided, or views expressed by these agencies, organizations, or individuals. In no event shall ASMT, its board or employees be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage, loss, or harm caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, products, or services available on or through any such site or resource.
The Autism Society of Middle Tennessee strictly abides by our Options Policy with regard to endorsement or listing of any such program or resource.
Upcoming Events
Preparing for your child's future Family Voices of Tennessee, Capital Financial Group, and James E. Maurer & Associates are holding a free workshop to plan for their child with special health care needs Individuals with special needs have been shown to benefit in many ways from the experience of sensory stimulation. On October 1-3, 2010, the best and brightest involved in multi sensory stimulation research and practice will convene in Birmingham, Alabama for the International Multi Sensory Environment (Snoezelen) Symposium. This 8th annual event which is being held for the first time in the USA will be hosted by the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (www.cdhaf.org). The conference will bring together experts from over 12 countries featuring more than 30 renowned speakers who will offer thought-provoking lectures and workshops concerning the use of Multi Sensory Environments (MSE) and sensory enrichment. For the first time a large section of the program will be devoted to the brain, its development, plasticity and the impact of the environment. Our keynote speaker on this theme will be Dr. Jill Taylor a neuro-anatomist who at age 37, experienced a rare form of stroke, and chronicled her dramatic recovery in her bestselling book My Stroke of Insight, A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey. Multi Sensory Environments have been used to improve learning, health, quality of life and increased human potential in people with Autism, Alzheimer, Cerebral Palsy and many other similar conditions so this is an event not to be missed for occupational, physical, speech and recreational therapists, neurologists, nurses, psychologist, brain researchers, neuro-scientists, medical professionals, teachers, special education teachers, social workers, administrators, caregivers, and parents. Participants will learn about the latest breakthroughs and share information and resources on the many benefits of Multi Sensory Environments. For more information please visit: www.isna2010.org. Contact: Sandra Fornes, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Hidden Angel Foundation
Organizing Committee for ISNA USA
305-458-9335 or email at
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. *******************************************************************************************************************************
The Ann and Monroe Carell Jr. Families First Program provides parent training for families with young children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Through the generosity of the Carell family, the series is free of charge and is designed to help parents learn to enhance their child's social and communication skills as well as manage challenging behaviors. Families First Programs are held on Saturday mornings, as well Monday evenings.
Registration is required. Register by going to: http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/triad/events/default.aspx
All workshops will be held in Room 241 of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL Building.
Limited on-site childcare will be available with registration.
2010 Summer Schedule
************************************************************************************************* Aspergers/Autism Expressive Therapy Group (ADULTS 18 - up)
A 6 - week group that meets every week for 1 hour.
Participants will engage in guided music and art experiences that would facilitate:
WHEN: Starting August 19
Purpose & Benefits:
Guidance towards personal self discovery and insight
Relaxation and stress relief
Increasing self esteem and personal empowerment
Discovery of inner creativity
Integration of interpersonal skills
Experiences may include:
Mandala making
Expressive Art making
mask making
creative journaling
Music improvisation
Song writing
Music listening and analysis
relaxation through music listening
singing
playing instruments
COST: $150 per participant for entire six week series.
CONTACT:
Theresa Adamchik
ATR-BC, LPAT, LPCC
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Business (502) 509-5380
Mobile (502) 592-3416
www.LouisvilleExpressiveTherapies.com ************************************************************************************************************************* Summer and Fall TRIAD training opportunities from the Department of Education:
1. TRIAD Summer Institute will be offered twice during the summer, July 13-16 and July 20-23, 2010. It will focus on Integrating Different Methodologies for teaching students with autism. Held in Nashville, each of the four-day Summer Institutes, sponsored by the Division of Special Education, is open to two, four-person teams from each grand region of Tennessee (24 participants in all). Each team will concentrate on developing a program for a particular student with autism in their school, and will receive a follow-up site visit later in the year. The team needs to bring information about the student's IEP, behavior plan, cognitive functioning, etc. Teams can consist of teachers, parents, paraprofessionals, SLPs, psychologists, etc.; or, any school personnel who provide direct service to the same child with autism.
2. The Administrators’ Academy is a two-day training taking place in each region of the state. It is open to fifteen participants in each session (a total of 45) and is geared specifically toward building-level administrators (e.g., principals and assistant principals) for the purpose of providing information on best practices for students with autism so that administrators may evaluate programs and provide teacher support.
East TN Knoxville September 8-9, 2010 Application Deadline: Aug.8, 2010 Middle TN Nashville Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2010 Application Deadline Aug. 30, 2010 West TN Jackson Oct. 26-27, 2010 Application Deadline Sept. 26, 2010
3. Training opportunity for Para-Educators who work with students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the public schools. This two day training will take place in each grand region of the state and will be open to sixteen (16) trainees in each location.
East TN Knoxville August 25-26, 2010 Application Deadline: July 20, 2010 West TN Jackson Sept. 15-16, 2010 Application Deadline: Aug. 10, 2010 Middle TN Nashville Sept. 8-9, 2010 Application Deadline: Aug. 3, 2010
4. During the 2010-2011 school year, the TN DOE will again collaborate with TRIAD of Vanderbilt to provide hands-on teacher training to those staff who work with children with autism. The training consists of three days of lecture and experience with children who have autism, plus the opportunity to receive a site visit in the trainee’s setting within two months of their training. Please contact Linda Copas with the TN DOE for an application.
Basic K-6 September 22-24, 2010 Basic K-6 October 20-22, 2010 Basic Middle/HS November 17-19, 2010 Advanced K-12: January 26-28, 2011 (This training is open only to those who have completed the basic training and have been recommended for advanced training on the site visit written feedback).
5. The Tennessee Department of Education and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center TRIAD are pleased to announce a new two-day focused workshop designed specifically for general education teachers. This free workshop will combine lecture, small group discussion, and the development of classroom materials to accomplish the following outcomes:
· Identify the characteristics of autism spectrum disorders and how these characteristics impact teaching and learning · Identify evidence-based intervention strategies to address the unique learning needs of students with ASD · Develop a plan to integrate these evidence-based intervention strategies into the classroom and school settings
Each two-day regional workshop will be able to accommodate thirty (30) general education classroom teachers. Admission will be by application only. Please do not apply if you are a special educator, administrator, or paraprofessional.
East TN session Sept. 28-29, 2010 Middle TN session Oct. 5-6, 2010 West TN session Oct. 12-13, 2010
For information about TRIAD/TN DOE trainings, you may contact Linda Copas, TN DOE, at
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or 615-741-7790 or Nicolette Brigham PhD, TRIAD, at
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or 615-936-2163. For registration or application requests, please contact Linda Copas.
********************************************************************************************** The Volunteer Advocacy Project is a training program for individuals who are willing to become advocates for families as they navigate their way through the world of special education.
The training is held twice every year in multiple sites across the state.
The next training will be held in the fall of 2010 on six Saturdays from 9AM-3PM (CST).
The dates are:
September 11, 2010
September 18, 2010 October 2, 2010 October 16, 2010 October 30, 2010 November 13, 2010
Fee: $30
Location: Near Vanderbilt University & by Video Conference in Johnson City, Martin, Chattanooga, Memphis, and Knoxville
Requirements:
• Willing to attend all weekly sessions
• Willing to shadow an advocate at a special education meeting • Willing to advocate for four families of children with disabilities
Training will cover:
• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• State law • No Child Left Behind • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
For more information go to: http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy/vap/
To request an application contact: Meghan Burke at
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New Resources
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy -Hard Chamber in Franklin
Wonderful new therapeutic service will soon be available in our community! Dr. Daniel Kalb of Cool Springs Family Medicine is adding a Fortius 420, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Hard Chamber to his practice. Until recently, the closest hard chamber for public use was Birmingham, AL. Many families, like my own, have gone as far as Florida and California to access this therapy. We are lucky to have this coming to our community and now many families can access HBO therapy and experience its benefits for children on the autism spectrum, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury and much more. Dr. Kalb is also offering a deeply discounted promotional package for 40 hyperbaric sessions. The promotional package is half off the regular cost of this 40 session package. There is a limited amount of packages available, so reserve your spot now if you are interested. The offer will end Sept. 15 or until the available packages are sold out. Below, you will find a link to a website with all the details about treatment, the chamber, and cost.
The chamber is roomy enough for a one to two children and an adult to fit comfortably. Information on the difference between a soft chamber and a hard chamber can be found on the website listed below.
Additional information about the Fortius 420 chamber, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the special offer can be found at http://hardchamber.com. You will find that many of your questions can be answered by visiting this website. Email
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with any additional questions, to recieve more information, or to have someone contact you by phone.
Additional information about the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be found at a number of websites, e.g. hbotreatment.com.
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Nashville Children's Theatre is delighted to announce the launch of its first ever drama classes specifically designed for kids on the Autism Spectrum! We are offering classes on Wednesday afternoons in the fall and on Saturday mornings in the spring. These classes are made possible through generous support of the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Predators Foundation.
Full information and instructions for enrollment are on the link included below. Please note that we offer financial assistance and invite families to apply.
Contact: Julee Brooks
Director of Education
Nashville Children's Theatre
25 Middleton Street
Nashville, TN 37214
615-252-4671 or 615-254-9103x218
www.nashvillechildrenstheatre.org
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The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is pleased to announce a new program that offers peer support to people supporting adults with disabilities.
The Families United Network (FUN) is a volunteer-based free telephone support network designed to offer peer support and information to parents, siblings, or other caregivers who are providing support for adults with disabilities.
How does FUN work?
Callers are matched with trained peer partners who have experience in the areas in which the caller has concerns. Information and support is provided over the telephone.
Who are the peer partners?
Peer partners are:
· Current Vanderbilt KC Community Advisory Council members (in Nashville and Memphis areas) · Parents, siblings, or other family members · Parents who have been the beneficiary of peer support and who have completed training
For more information, contact Carol Rabideau (615) 936-5122,
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Vanderbilt Kennedy Learning Assessment Clinic
A clinic providing academic assessments for students with learning challenges
Who the clinic serves:
Students ages 5 to 25 who are experiencing academic learning challenges.
How the clinic can help:
The goal of the academic assessment is to help families understand their child’s unique pattern of abilities across an array of skills including motor coordination, handwriting, reading, listening, verbal and visual learning, planning, use of strategies, and working memory.
Features of the program:
• Assessments are provided by a developmental pediatrician, a reading and language specialist, and a psychologist.
• The initial time commitment for parents and students is a full work day and a 1-hour return visit for parents 2 weeks after the assessment. • Parents receive a multidisciplinary written report including interpretation and
recommendations specific to their child. • Parents may choose to share the reports with teachers, IEP committees, school districts, therapists, tutors, and/or medical professionals to assist parents in advocating
for their child’s educational needs.
Contact:
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New Respite Care Resource!!!
Home Helpers is a wonderful resource for families with children who have a spectrum of different needs. We are available to provide care for your children in your homes whenever you need it - whether you have to go to work, running errands, doing activities with your other children, or need time to just unwind. We are thrilled to be a resource for you and your families. Please contact Kim Shotts, Director of Client Services, (615-823-5454 x104) with any questions and to schedule an introductory meeting or visit www.HomeCareWithLove.com for more information.
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E-buddies!!!
E-buddies is a penpal program where a person with an intellectual disability is matched with a person without a disability through e-mail to form a one-to-one friendship. The program is open to anyone 10 years old and up. Matched pairs make a commitment to e-mail each other once a week for a year. Although it does not replace having a buddy in person, it still does provide an opportunity for socialization and helps improve communication skills over e-mail, which is an important skill in today's world! If you're interested, you can read more about it at http://www.ebuddies.org/
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New Speech Therapy Resource For Children With ASD
PipSqueak Speech Therapy is a private practice providing speech, language, and learning services to children with speech and language delays and disorders throughout the Franklin, TN and surrounding areas.
Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of children with speech, language, swallowing, and learning disabilities. Our therapists aspire to provide the highest quality of services with family focused intervention using a team approach. We are committed to using both traditional and new innovative therapy techniques that will enable our clients to maximize their communication potential.
Speech and Language services are provided at your child’s school, preschool, daycare, or home so that communication skills are learned within the child’s natural environment. We encourage parents and teachers to be active in the therapy process by incorporating communication strategies into the child’s daily home and school routines.
Contact: Josie Alston at 615-598-6301 or visit their website at http://www.pipsqueakspeechtherapy.com/
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New Research Projects/Surveys
The Ewing School, Inc., is a non-profit private school opening in the Nashville area specializing in the education of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In an attempt to better serve the community we have developed a short survey regarding location, needs and current education settings. Please take a moment to complete our survey and join our mailing list, if you're interested. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J5LMJH5 Thank you, Board of Directors, The Ewing School, Inc.
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The Arc FINDS (Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports) Survey Questions are being asked in areas of advocacy, education, transition, employment, housing, community participation, civic engagement/voting, transportation, caregiving, and demographics. It is written to allow for both the perspective of individuals with I/DD, as well as their parents/caregivers. It also assumes for the differences in service and supports required at different stages of life. This information will be shared initially at The Arc’s National Convention (November 3 - 6, 2010 in Orlando, Florida), as well as publicly on The Arc’s website. The Arc FINDS launched July 21 and will be accessible until September 1 to all families and individuals with I/DD, both in and outside of The Arc’s chapter network. There is no cost to participate and all responses will be confidential; it will take respondents about 30 minutes to complete the survey. If you have any questions, please contact Laura Hart, Director, Media Relations, at 202.534.3712 or at
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Participant Criteria Adults with or without disabilities
Parents of children with disabilities
Adults who work with persons with disabilities
People who care about the welfare of people with disabilities ************************************************************************************** What is a Successful Transition to Adulthood? When we discuss a positive transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities, what do we mean? Researchers and professionals sometimes take a limited view of transition success.
The goal of this survey is to understand what parents and individuals with disabilities themselves think is important in defining a positive transition to adulthood.
The results of this survey may be used to identify aspects of the adult transition that researchers should be aware of when evaluating adult outcomes, and that professionals should take into account when identifying and designing services to meet the needs of transition-aged youth with disabilities.
Who should take the survey?
Parents of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Your answers cannot be linked back to you.
You may skip any question, except the one that provides your consent.
Principal Investigator: Julie Lounds Taylor, Ph.D.
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The JEEP Project at Vanderbilt University is currently recruiting children with autism for a
communication intervention research project. The intervention is to help children communicate
verbally or to use an augmentative alternative communication device (AAC). Children will be
randomly assigned to either the verbal group or AAC group as part of the research.
To participate: children must be between 5-8 years of age and have a diagnosis of autism.
Children must have had at least 2 years of early intervention and still show slow progress or no
progress in talking. Children must not have other sensory disability (blind, deaf), syndrome
diagnosis (Down syndrome, Fragile X) or motor disability (cerebral palsy).
Parents must be willing to be trained in the intervention and use it with their children during the
study. Parents must also be willing to come to Vanderbilt twice a week for 48 intervention
sessions each lasting 45 minutes. The study commitment is for 9 months which includes follow
up assessments. All testing and intervention are at no charge.
If interested in this research intervention study, please call the study coordinator Jennifer
Nietfeld at (615) 322-8160 or email her at
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. This study is funded by
Autism Speaks and is part of a research collaboration between the University of California at
Los Angeles, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
*************************************************************************************************************************** Researchers at the University of North Dakota are asking for caregivers of a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to complete an online survey in order to better understand several topics related to having a child with an ASD. More specifically, the survey asks a number of treatment-related questions regarding current treatment utilization, treatment history, reasons for stopping or starting a treatment, the decision-making process that goes into selecting a treatment, various questions about the child's diagnosis, the impact of the child's diagnosis on the family, and any services utilized by other members of the family. All participants’ information will be kept confidential and no identifying information will be linked to participants’ responses. This study is voluntary. Therefore, respondents can exit the survey at any time. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of North Dakota. Access to the survey is provided by clicking on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R6L5JP5****************************************************************************************
This research project out of Washington State University Vancouver, focuses on the experiences of children with autism and their families with health care settings. The survey can be taken online. It is located at: We can also provide paper copies of the survey for interested families without access to the internet.
Participation is of course voluntary. It is our hope that the survey results will shed light on how health care policies and practices might better serve children with autism and their families. Also, participants will have the opportunity to enter a drawing to win $50, $100 and $200 gift certificates from Amazon.com.
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1. Do you have a child 6-18 years of age with a diagnosed developmental disability?
2. Does this child with a disability have an older sibling 10-18 years of age?
If so, you and two of your children may be able to participate in a
project that will help us learn more about communication skills and siblings.
If you are interested, please contact:
Ashlyn Smith, M.A.
Georgia State University
Department of Psychology
404-413-6535
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************************************************************************************************************************** The Parent Stress Intervention Project
This study, being conducted through the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, will look at two ways to help lower stress and support parents of children with developmental disabilities, including autism. We plan to recruit 400 parents, including at least 100 fathers, over 18 months, starting in January 2010. Meetings will be held at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, the Metro Schools’ Martin Professional Development Center or in other community venues. If you or your existing parent groups would like to take part, contact us. The sessions are facilitated by four parent mentors, who are also parents of children with disabilities.
We will ask you to:
*Contact us and answer questions to see if this study is right for you. *Be randomly assigned to one of the stress reduction groups.
*Answer questions about your child and yourself 4 times (online or on paper; about an hour each time) *Come to 6 weekly meetings *Attend 3 follow-up meetings *Give us regular saliva samples to measure cortisol (a stress hormone) *Participant Criteria *Parents of children with a disability, including adult children
Compensation
*Free stress intervention with child care during meetings
Visit Requirements
9 meetings over 6 months
Download Brochure
Community Needs
****************************************************************************************************************** I am looking for respite care for my 17-year-old son, Jake, during the school year when Davidson County schools have off and Rutherford County doesn't. I am a teacher in Rutherford Co. and Jake goes to school in Nashville).
Contact: Alan Hardy Murfreesboro, TN (615) 890-2966
************************************************************************************************************************** Items needed for an adult with autism who lost everything in the flood! He has found a new place to live, but he is in need of the following items, which can be dropped off at the ASMT during office hours:
Microwave,
Appliance for grilling Pots and pans Computer and printer various other household items, as everything was lost ********************************************************************************************************************************
Mom in need, trying to recover from the flood! She lost everything.
She needs donated furniture (kitchen table & chairs, couch & living room chairs & general household accessories…she has a bed and that’s all),
school supplies (backpack, nap mat & basic school supplies for a 4-yr-old)
clothes (boys, size 4 or 5).
You can contact her at anytime at
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or (615) 474-8754.
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