Autism Society of America

AACC-ASA meetings are held on the last Tuesday evening of each month at Ruth Parker Eason School in Millersville.

Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m.

The agenda includes introductions and general announcements, followed by time for open discussion. A refreshment break is followed by a presentation given by the guest speaker. Then time is allowed for a follow-up discussion and further opportunity for group support and socialization.

New members and new ideas are always welcome. 

Come check us out!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for last month's meeting, which featured a presentation by Drs. Annamiek Wilms-Floet and Neel Soares, who spoke about the developmental pediatric evaluation of children with autism spectrum disorders. If you wish to contact either Dr. Wilms-Floet or Dr. Soares, they can be reached by calling the University of Maryland's Department of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at (410) 706-6538.

Our March meeting will feature a presentation by Joan Lawrence of the Kennedy Krieger Institute's Department for Family Support Services. Family Support Services is a home- and community-based program for families with a child (birth - 21) who is developmentally

disabled, living at home, and residing in Baltimore City/County or Anne Arundel County.  The program provides support, resources, and coordination of services in a family-centered comprehensive service model.

In her presentation Ms. Lawrence will describe the mission, philosophy, and key elements of family-centered services; describe Kennedy Krieger's program and its services; and explain their process for making a referral for services. She will also speak about services provided by the Developmental Disabilities Administration, as well as providing information about other programs at Kennedy Krieger for children with autism spectrum disorders.  We hope you will join us on March 26th.

We want to let everyone know that our web guru, Barry Conner, has solved the problem that existed on our web site for those people who were attempting to get directions to our meetings. He has now established a link with MapQuest, which works quickly and easily and provides a user-friendly product.

In closing, we hope everyone remembers that April is Autism Awareness Month. We have several activities planned, including an essay contest for county educators, a special presentation by Dr. Cathy Pratt (see details below), and a Family and Friends Day celebration on Saturday, April 20^th.  Details about the Family and Friends Day celebration are provided in the flyer that accompanies this month's newsletter.

On Thursday, April 18^th, at 7:00 pm, the Howard County, Baltimore Chesapeake, and Anne Arundel County Chapters will co-sponsor a presentation by Cathy Pratt, Ph.D., Director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, entitled "Friendships and Fun: Developing Social Skills in Children with Autism". Dr. Pratt serves as adjunct faculty at Indiana University and at Indiana University-Perdue University in Illinois, and is the ASA's 3^rd Vice-President.

The presentation will be held at The Meeting House, Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia.  For further information, please contact the Howard County chapter at (410) 760-5595 or go to their web site at www.howard-autism.org.