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Cheryl Chafos honors her late son, Zachary, by advocating for autism training among healthcare professionals… His younger brothers were now so scared they often locked themselves in the bathroom. Cheryl and Tim were looking into group homes but none would take him while he exhibited aggressive behavior. But they couldn’t handle him on their own … away.  For 19 years Cheryl spent countless hours advocating on Zach’s behalf with school staffs, doctors, therapists, support agencies and others-as well as driving to therapies, consultations and events. She had spent the last 59 days up … is needed to better recognize and address mental health issues in those like Zach with challenging behaviors and high support needs. Research and clinical programs supported by Autism CARES Act could help develop more personalized treatment …
Bullying Facts & Figures… The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  defines it as any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths, that involves an observed or perceived imbalance of power, and either is or likely to be repeated. Common … and bullying. Note:  If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. It is free and confidential. …
Video: Meet Bryan B.… I’ve had throughout my life, I would never come this far. My parents and my sister sacrificed a lot for me. Without their support during every step of my journey, I would not have been able to achieve any of the things I have up to this point in … as a child in elementary school. She was at my speech and occupational therapy appointments every day – making sure I was supported. This is what helped me grow a lot closer to my sister as I got older and also helped me to better understand my … and a news piece about safe sex in sex education, among many other topics. As far as building a social life, I had a core group of friends, but I was able to get along with a lot of people. I had become much more charismatic by this time, too, so …
Members of the autism community explain how they overcame bullying to reach their full potential … felt worthless like I shouldn’t be here because I didn’t deserve to be. But with the help of my faith and the love of my supportive family and friends, I now go to an amazing school, make amazing grades, have an amazing and supportive group of friends! I’m also on the varsity cheerleading team and sing in my school’s choir!  Because of the experiences I’ve …
Reflecting on my nonspeaking autistic son's 40th birthday… home. I smile when you take selfies with me because you seem to like that. I continue to need your help, understanding, and support in many ways. Fourth.   Let go of your anger. You’ve written about how the loss of the perfect son you dreamed of … to speak, read, or write. Thanks to your love and advocacy on my behalf, I live the safest life possible for me in a group home where I can live with support out in the world.  I love our car rides and walks in the park when you visit. These days, when you come to visit, I …
Safety products and services… dementia and other related cognitive conditions. Project Lifesaver provides equipment, training, certification and support to law enforcement, public safety organizations and community groups throughout the country and nation. SafetyTat : SafetyTat is a fun and colorful temporary safety child ID tattoo …
Wandering prevention… and Education Coalition The Autism Wandering Awareness Alerts Response and Education (AWAARE) Collaboration is a working group of six national non-profit autism organizations whose mission is to prevent autism-related wandering incidents and … for Caregivers     The Big Red Safety Tool Kit from the National Autism Association is designed to provide direct aid and support to families of children with autism at risk.The kit contains the following resources: Caregiver Checklist Tool …
Thriving at home during the pandemic… tasks in blocks of time rather than longer sustained arcs. “Chunk” tasks like cleaning or responding to emails into groups to avoid exhaustion. This will leave longer blocks of time for recovery from tasks or demands. Adapt your interests … Sensory Being at home can actually be a plus when it comes to sensory needs. You can build or access your preferred sensory supports. The current situation may disrupt your meal preparation and personal hygiene routines. Tips: Frequent handwashing …
International Autism Organizations… your child may have autism, you may also have an autism organization in your country that could provide additional support (listed alphabetically by country). If you would like to have your organization added to this list, please email  … (Quebec) H2R 2W3 Canada Phone: (514) 270-7386 Fax: (514) 270-9261 Email:  secretariatfqa@contact.net   Autism Working Group Yukon 508 F Main Street Whitehorse, Yukon Canada Y1A 2B9 Phone:  867-667-6406 Fax: 867-667-6408 Email:  … dell'autismo Italy Phone: 39-06-65-00-00-63 Email:  autismo@tin.it Countries -J (back to  top ) JAMAICA Jamaica Autism Support Group c/o Kingston YMCA, 21 Hope Road Kingston 10 Jamaica, West Indies Phone: 876 926 8081 Fax: 876 929 9387 Email:  …
Autism and Eye Contact… Is he more likely to look up at you when you engage him on these subjects? This is a wonderful way to encourage him. Visual supports Of course, it may be that your son doesn’t make enough eye contact for you to be able to reinforce it on a regular basis. In that case, you might try some strategies to “catch his eye.” This can be as obvious as us using a visual support or touching the corner of your eye with a motion that starts within his range of sight and then reinforcing. … “ Visual Supports and Autism Spectrum Disorder .” Follow the link for free download. Behavioral therapy and social-skills groups If your son is already seeing a behavioral therapist, eye contact and attentiveness are wonderful skills for them to …