Monthly Milestones | March 2015

It is hard to believe with all the snow surrounding us that spring is just days away!

That means if you haven't already made plans for the summer, it is time to do so. Summer activities are a great opportunity for your child to strengthen his or her social skills and cultivate and develop peer relationships. Our Camp, Social, and Recreational Tool Kit offers some great tips on how to find the right summer program for your child.

If you need help, call us at (216) 464-7600.

Ilana & Mia

Announcing our Keynote Speakers for 2015!

We are proud to announce our Keynote speakers for this year's conference: Barry Prizant, Ph.D CCC-SLP, and Sondra Williams, Author, Poet and Speaker.

Last month's newsletter focused on Dr. Barry Prizant. This month, we introduce you to Sondra Williams.

Sondra Williams i s a parent of 4 children with the diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome. She is a member of the Autistic Global Initiative (AIG) which is a group under the Autism Research Institute in San Diego, California. Sondra was appointed by the governor of Ohio to serve on the Ohio Autism Task Force, served as a board member on the Autism Society of Ohio, the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence and was also appointed as a parent advocate trainee under Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) at Ohio State University.

Sondra was significantly impacted by autism as a child and as an adult. Through her life experiences, she has gained skills and abilities and is now considered a higher functioning person with autism. As a young teen, Sondra lived in institutional settings, was overmedicated and often restrained. Sondra's personal experiences point to the intrinsic link between a better understanding of autism and the impact on the quality of care for individuals with autism.

Read about our other keynote speaker, Dr. Barry Prizant, on our website.

Registration is now open!

Early Bird and Group Rates are available now.

Register today!

Sponsors, Exhibitors & Advertisers

Maximize visibility and participation in our conference and to the community at large!

Benefits include:

An opportunity to showcase products and services to an engaged audience

A great way to access potential clients

Exhibitor Walks - designated exhibitor-only time

Click here to become a partner with Milestones and become a sponsor or exhibitor today!

Special Thanks To Our

LEAD SPONSOR

Questions? Contact Maya Holtz Groys at 216-464-7600 ext. 107

or [email protected]

It's That Time of Year Again!

Milestones invites you to

form a team or donate to a team for our annual bowling fundraiser.

Join in on the fun and

help support local families impacted by autism.

Date: Sunday, April 26

Time: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Two Convenient Locations:

Freeway Lanes of Solon &

Buckeye Lanes of North Olmsted

Questions?

Contact Becca at 216.464.7600 ext.104 or [email protected]

Share Your Experiences

and Help Others

Dr.'s Lisa Meeks (The University of California) and Tracy Masterson (John Carroll University) are co-authoring a book on Safety titled: A Guide to Staying Safe for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum.

The book will be informed by the real experiences of individuals on the spectrum, in their own voice. As part of this project, the authors are looking to interview young adults on the spectrum (ages 16-22) and their parents about their experiences on the topics below:

Independent Living
Social Aspects of Adult Life (Drinking, Dating, Making Friends, Bullying)
Social Media and Online Safety
Relationships and their respective boundaries
Managing Stress/Depression

Interviews can be done in person, via Skype, in writing, or as part of a focus group. All interviewees have complete control over their content and can choose whether or not to participate in the book after their interview. All interviewees can also choose to be identified in the book using their real first names (or an alias).

As with the previous book, Helping Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Express their Thoughts and Knowledge in Writing, all proceeds from the sale of this book will go directly to Milestones Autism Resources.

If you would like to be interviewed for the book or help inform the information in the book, please contact Lisa Meeks or Tracy Masterson for further information:

Lisa Meeks [email protected]

Tracy Masterson [email protected]

Happy 6th Birthday Emily!

Many thanks to Emily Langel for donating her

birthday gifts to Milestones!

If you are interested in donating items to Milestones,
please contact us at [email protected]

12th Annual Autism Seminar Series

Practical Intervention Strategies

Sleep and Preschool Issues

in ASD

Presented by Max Wiznitzer, MD

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

UH Westlake Medical Center

960 Clague Road, Suite 1600

Westlake, OH 44145

Click here for full schedule & details

Reduced rates available

RSVP or questions: [email protected]

Presented by University Hospitals.

Co-sponsored by Milestones Autism Resources.

2015 Cuyahoga County Transition Expo:

Preparing for Life After High School

Saturday, April 18, 2015

8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Regina Hall, Notre Dame College

Admission is FREE!

Visit with more than 80 exhibitors and gather

valuable information at 16 breakout sessions

Download brochure with the breakout schedule here.

For questions contact Ed Flagel: [email protected]

Co-sponsored by Milestones Autism Resources.

Anti-Bullying Summit

presented by Siegel, Agins and Gilman LLC

This full-day program is designed to teach people about their legal rights and remedies, and how to use the legal system to avoid liability or to threaten liability.

Open to parents and professionals.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

55 W. 12th Street, Columbus, OH

Click here for registration and additional information

Contact Amy Resch at (216) 291-4332 or [email protected]

Mia Buchwald Gelles Interviewed on
My I'MPossible Dream

This past January, Milestones'
co-founder was interviewed on Voice IT Radio by Karen Hale. Mia and Karen discussed how Milestones serves the local autism community.

Check out the interview here!

Pediatric Innovation Summit

When: June 11-13, 2015

Where: Global Center for Health Innovation (Cleveland Convention Center)

Join us for the Cleveland Clinic Pediatric Innovation Summit for an evidence-based review of topics in pediatric care including new data, screening tools, and treatments.

This conference is primarily targeted to health care professionals but families and caregivers will find the afternoon symposium on autism and ADHD informative and provide them an opportunity to clarify management and treatments for patient care.

For more information, visit the Cleveland Clinic's website.

News of Note

Training Aims to Tackle Autism Knowledge Gap Among Doctors

Source: Disability Scoop

Supplement Maker Accused of Misleading Parents

Source: Disability Scoop

How a Family Car Wash Has Changed the Lives of People with Autism

Source: ABC News

I Know What Causes Autism

Source: Huffington Post

Saliva Test Shows Promise for Diagnosing Autism

Source: Disability Scoop

Ohio Teen With Autism Achieves Dream of Playing Basketball

Source: ABC News

1 in 68 children are

diagnosed with autism.

Milestones is here to help.

Follow us!

March 2015

In this Issue:

Conference 2015 Keynote Speakers

Conference Registration

Conference Sponsors & Exhibitors

Strike It Big!

Interview Opportunity

Birthday Donation

Autism Seminar Series

Transition Expo

Anti-Bullying Summit

My I'MPossible Dream

Cleveland Clinic Summit

News of Note

March Events - Full Listing Here

75+ SOCIAL/REC OPPORTUNITIES!

3/4 Medusa Salon Sensory Night, Canton

3/4 Cooking Basics, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/5 Social Club Creative Crew: Adults, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/5 Music, Drum & Movement, Mayfield Adaptive Recreation, Mayfield Village

3/5 Social Club: Adults, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/5 Indoor Water Exercise, Mayfield Adaptive Recreation, Mayfield Village

3/6 Teach Me to Play, Connecting for Kids, Westlake

3/6 Social Club: Kids, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/6 Game Night at IDEA House, Uniontown

3/6 Walsh Jesuit High School Buddy Club, Cuyahoga Falls

3/6 VIP Night Out Respite, Grace Church, Akron

3/6 Make a Tie-Dye Shirt, Lake Metroparks Adaptive Rec, Painesville

3/7 Adapted Ballet/Tap Combo, Beyond Words Music & Dance, North Royalton

3/7 Adapted Jazz Dance, Beyond Words Music & Dance, North Royalton

3/7 Adapted Musical Theater, Beyond Words Music & Dance, North Royalton

3/7 Traditional Musical Theater, Beyond Words Music & Dance, North Royalton

3/7 Sensory Storytime, Parma Public Library

3/7 Family, Fun and Focus Saturday Series, Cleveland Clinic, East Cleveland

3/7 Young Life Capernaum Club, Hudson

3/7 12th Annual Blue Ribbon Fun Fest, Solon Blue Ribbon Program, Solon

3/8 S. A. F. E. Bowling Party, Autism Society of Greater Cleveland, Lakewood

3/8 Yoga Buddies Series, Orange Recreation, Pepper Pike

3/9 An Evening for Us at North Chagrin Nature Center, Cleveland Metroparks, Willoughby Hills

3/9 An Evening for Us at the Nature Center, Cleveland Metroparks, Willoughby Hills

3/13 Rotary Camp Respite Weekend, YMCA, Akron

3/13 House of Readers Book Club, Westlake Porter Library

3/13 Monthly Dance, Catholic Charities, Cleveland

3/13 Pizza Bowl, Mayfield Adaptive Recreation, Oakwood Village

3/14 Kitchen Connections, the KIDnections Group, North Olmsted

3/14 Sensory Storytime, Bay Village Public Library

3/14 3rd Annual Danie's Day, John Carroll University, University Hts.

3/14 Fitness for Fun, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/14 Cinema Cruisers, Solon Blue Ribbon Program, Solon

3/14 Sensory School Age Program, Orange Public Library

3/14 Young Life Capernaum Club, Hudson

3/14 Take a Break Respite, Grace Church, Middleburg Hts.

3/15 St. Patrick's Day Dance, Lake Metroparks Adaptive Rec, Painesville

3/17 Pump it Up Sensory Jump, Avon

3/17 ASPIES St. Patty's Day Special Needs Pot Luck Dinner & Fun Night, Akron

3/18 Bocce Training & Competition, Solon Blue Ribbon Program, Solon

3/20 Camp Cheerful Weekend Respite, Strongsville

3/20 Family Bowling Party, Orange Recreation, Solon

3/20 Game Night at IDEA House, Uniontown

3/20 Game Night, Mayfield Adaptive Recreation, Mayfield Hts.

3/20 ReCharge Respite Ministry, Strongsville United Methodist Church, Strongsville

3/21 Sensory Storytime, Fairview Park Public Library

3/21 Sensory Storytime, Mayfield Public Library

3/21 Sensory Storytime, Northwest Akron Public Library

3/21 Sensory Storytime, Westlake Porter Library

3/21 Peter Rabbit's Easter Egg Factory, Lake Metroparks Adaptive Rec, Painesville

3/21 Rotary Camp Family Dinner Chili Cook Off, YMCA, Akron

3/22 Omnimax Theater & Dinner Outing, Solon Blue Ribbon Program, Cleveland

3/22 "Dirty Dancing the Musical" at Playhouse Square, Mayfield Adaptive Recreation, Cleveland

3/22 Rotary Camp Day Respite, YMCA, Akron

3/22 Kids in the Kitchen, Westlake Porter Library

3/22 Arts for Us Concert, Music Settlement, Cleveland

3/22 Asperger's Adult Group Bowling Outing, Autism Personal Coach, Solon

3/23 Track & Field League, All-Star Training Club, Akron

3/24 Everyone Wins Basketball Season, Empower Sports, Euclid

3/26 Everyone Wins Basketball Season, Empower Sports, Cleveland

3/26 ASPIES Adults Laser Quest Outing, Akron

3/27 Rotary Camp Respite Weekend, YMCA, Akron

3/27 Sensory Storytime, Westlake Porter Library

3/27 Basketball Clinic, Empower Sports, Geneva

3/27 Monthly Dance, Catholic Charities, Euclid

3/28 Cleveland Museum of Art Outing, Solon Blue Ribbon Program, Cleveland

3/28 Adaptive Farm Fun, Lake Metroparks Adaptive Rec, Kirtland

3/28 "Home" - AMC Sensory Friendly Film, AMC Ridge Park Square Cinema 8, Brooklyn

3/28 Fitness for Fun, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/30 The World of Books, Solon Blue Ribbon Program, Solon

3/30 Dinner and a Movie, Lake Metroparks Adaptive Rec, Mentor

3/31 Glee Club, Lake Metroparks Adaptive Rec, Willowick

4/1 Medusa Salon Sensory Night, Canton

4/1 Cooking Basics, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

4/2 Social Club & Creative Crew, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

Weekly Events -

Saturdays- Continuing Adult Education Program, Catholic Charities, Cleveland

SUPPORT GROUPS

3/5 ASPIES Adults Meet & Greet, Akron

3/7 YMCA West Side Autism Support Group, Avon

3/8 Asperger's Adult Group, Autism Personal Coach, Rocky River

3/9 Parent Exchange, Autism Society of Greater Akron, Akron

3/10 Moms' Meet, Friendship Circle, Pepper Pike

3/11 Parent Support Group, Out of the Box Behavioral Solutions, Akron

3/10 Parent Mentor Coffee Hour, SST9, Alliance

3/10 EPIC Support Group for Parents, SST9, Canton

3/16 P.E.A.K. Parent Support Group, Berea

3/18 SWAN Autism Support Group, Kent

3/19 The Lake/Geauga County Autism Support Group, SST4, Painesville

3/19 Serenity Support Group, Cleveland

3/22 Asperger's Adult Group, Autism Personal Coach, Beachwood

3/24 Moms' Meet, Friendship Circle, Pepper Pike

3/25 Parent Support Group, Out of the Box Behavioral Solutions, Akron

4/2 ASPIES Adults Meet & Greet, Akron

Weekly Event -

Wednesdays- Parent's Morning Chat, AutismNE, Online

WORKSHOPS

3/4 Great Ideas in the Disability World , Vermont Family Network, Webinar

3/4 Planting the Seeds for a Successful Future , CCBDD, Beachwood

3/5 Raising the Facebook Nation , Stewart-Beavers Institute, Cincinnati

3/5 ABA Series - Data Collection , Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism, Independence

3/10 Your Child's Evaluation for Special Education Services (ETR) , MCBDD, Cuyahoga Falls

3/10 Special Education Legal Update Series , SST9, Massillon

3/10 Training, Supervision & Certification-Peer Support Providers , The TA Network, Webinar

3/10 Panel Discussion with Administrators on Special Education Topics , ASGC, Independence

3/10 Misconceptions of ABA & Current Best Practices , Zane's Foundation, Hudson

3/11 Providing "Real Time" Feedback to Teachers on Behavior , DEC, Webinar

3/11 Assumption of Responsibility for Self-Care for Patients with Disabilitie s, NYMAC, Webinar

3/11 Promoting Generalizable Social Skills for School-Aged Children , Autism Research Institute, Webinar

3/11 Building Bridges: Working with Faith Communities to Support People with I/DD , The Arc, Webinar

3/11 Understanding Ohio Waivers Programs and Accessing Services , SST3, Middleburg Hts.

3/12 Intellectual Disabilities & Autism , the TA Network, Webinar

3/12 Serving Individuals with ASD through Vocational Evaluation , VECAP, Teleconference

3/12 Understanding Ohio Waivers Programs and Accessing Services , SST3, Mayfield Village

3/14 Mindfulness Group , Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/14 iPad Apps and Boardmaker for Communication , Learning Disabilities & More, Connecting for Kids, Westlake

3/16 Employment Supports for Those with Physical or Sensory Involvement , Employment First, Webinar

3/17 Don't Look Now - You're Behavior is Showing , OCECD, Akron

3/17 Your Child's Individualized Education Program (IEP), MCBDD, Cuyahoga Falls

3/18 Investigating Adolescent Issues in ASD & the DSM-5 Criteria, Monarch Center for Autism, Webinar

3/18 Resources for Families of Children with Disabilities, Olmsted Falls School District, Olmsted Falls

3/18 UH Seminar Series: Sleep and Preschool Issues in ASD, Westlake

3/19 Effective Supervision Strategies - Parent Support Providers, the TA Network, Webinar

3/19 Family Advisory Council - High Expectations, Employment and Student Success, SST9, Massillon

3/19 The Ethics of Autism, Kent State University, Kent

3/20 ABA Series - Antecedent Strategies, Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism, Independence

3/20 Homework Strategies, Connecting for Kids, Westlake

3/24 Positive Behavior Support Training, Achieve Consulting, Highland Hills

3/24 Inclusive Campus Communities, Think College, Webinar

3/25 Insurance Concerns and Solutions, NYMAC, Webinar

3/25 Hope and Help for Individuals with Challenging Behavior, Autism Research Institute, Webinar

3/26 OhioMeansJobs K-12, ESC of Cuyahoga County, Independence

3/26 Out and About: Community Outings, Behavioral Intervention Institute of Ohio, Westlake

3/26 Meet and Greet with Therapists, Programs and Camps, Connecting for Kids, Rocky River

3/27 ABA Series -Behavioral Functions and Assessment, Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism, Independence

3/30 Congregational Strategies to Enable Inclusion, National Collaborative on Faith and Disability, Webinar

3/31 Transportation Forum: Impacting Persons with Disabilities, Disability Rights Ohio, Parma

THERAPY GROUPS

3/4 Music Therapy Class , Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/4 Mom & Me Therapy Class, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/10 Asperger's Boot Camp (ABC) for Adults, Autism Society of Greater Akron, Cuyahoga Falls

3/11 Asperger's Boot Camp (ABC) for Teens, Autism Society of Greater Akron, Akron

3/13 Music Therapy and More with MTEC, Connecting for Kids, Westlake

3/13 Buddy Building Group, ABA Outreach Services, Independence

3/14 Music Therapy and More with MTEC, Connecting for Kids, Westlake

3/14 Art Therapy - Beaded Shamrocks, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

3/14 Social Communication Group, KidsLink Neurobehavioral Center, Twinsburg

3/16 Therapeutic Horsemanship Program, Camp Cheerful, Strongsville

3/25 Asperger's Boot Camp (ABC) for Teens, Autism Society of Greater Akron, Akron

3/26 Asperger's Boot Camp (ABC) for Adults, Autism Society of Greater Akron, Cuyahoga Falls

3/27 Buddy Building Group, ABA Outreach Services, Independence

3/28 Art Therapy - Rainbow Garland, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

4/1 Music Therapy Class, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

4/1 Mom & Me Therapy Class, Brandon's Place, Oakwood Village

Weekly Events-

Tuesdays, Saturdays & Sundays- Little Language Learners Group, ABA Outreach Services, Independence

Wednesdays- Commanders of Communication Group, ABA Outreach Services, Independence

Saturdays- Social Butterflies Group, ABA Outreach Services, Independence

BENEFITS

3/13 Carroll's Got Talent to Support Milestones Autism Resources, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, John Carroll University, University Hts.