April 2019 Newsletter

Community Events

 

Looking for fun stuff to do? Check out April Happenings  for a complete list of things to do around town.

 

Upcoming Events
April 3

April 10

April 11

April 12

April 15

April 15

April 17

April 19

April 22

April 24

April 25

April 27

April 29


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News
April is Autism Awareness Month and Tues., April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. 

There are several events taking place in Eugene and throughout Oregon to help promote inclusion, understanding and acceptance for those living with autism, including: Autism Awareness Walks, the Bridgeway House Run for Autism and The Reluctant Dragon play featuring the Bridgeway House Theater Troupe, and an Autism Swim at Tamarack Pool.

Also check out these Autism Awareness Activities you can do as a family in your community.
Important Survey for Parents
Keep an eye out for an important survey arriving in mailboxes now! 

The  Oregon Office of Developmental Disability Services has mailed a survey that will track its performance compared to other states. The i ndicators look at employment, rights, service planning, community inclusion, choice, as well as health and safety.
 
It's important families complete this survey and share how they feel about the services they are receiving. The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete. Parents can also complete the survey online.
Upcoming Trainings & Events
Parents and students can learn about inclusive employment and college at the Adult Transition Summit: College & Career Success for All on Fri., April 5 in Portland.

Scholarships are still available for parents to attend the  All Born In Annual Conference  on  Sat., April 6 in Portland, which will have sessions about Universal Design for Learning and best practices for teaching all children. 

Parents are invited to learn about the wraparound process designed to help children and families at  the Wraparound Family Partner Orientation on Tues., April 9. 

The Oregon Family Support Network will host a Family-led Legislative Advocacy Training for children's mental health on Tues., April 9.

Parents can learn about tools and support available to help them employ personal support workers at the Being a Successful Employer Training on Thurs., April 11. 

A Thought Field Therapy (TFT) Workshop on Thurs., April 11 in Portland will introduce parents to evidence-based approaches for relieving stress and reducing anxiety

Learn about supports, interventions and strategies that help people who experience autism at the Autism 101 Training on April 19.

Parents call learn how to advocate to help their child with special health care needs at the Your Child's Health Care Workshop on Mon., April 22 in Florence.

Parents are invited to learn about meaningful ways to engage and train supporters of a person's Individual Support Plan (ISP) at an ISP Training on Mon., April 22. 

Learn the keys to Using the Crisis Cycle Model to diffuse a crisis situation at a training on Thurs., April 25. 

Families can get health and nutrition information and learn about safety resources at the Public Health Fair in Cottage Grove on Sat., April 27.

Families are invited to join Families Connected at the Little Hands Art Center to make Eco Friendly Art on Sat., April 27. 

Attend the One-Page Description Training on Mon., April 29 to learn how to share your child's strengths and support needs with others.

Join Families Connected for a fun day at the Capitol for  DD Advocacy Day  on Tues., April 30. Email  Nancy  to join the Families Connected carpool. Portraits from the book Dreams Without Limits will be on display!

Registration is open for The Arc Oregon 2019 Convention to be held May 3-4 in Wilsonville. 
Information & Resources 
The April 15 deadline for filing taxes is approaching. The Oregon Tax Code provides a tax exemption for parents of eligible children with disabilities. To claim this exemption, read page 12 of the 2018 Oregon Income Tax Booklet .

The Northwest Regional Education Service District has compiled a list of Summer Camps available in Oregon and Washington.

Research Opportunity 
Oregon State University is looking for families who have a child between the ages of 8- 17 years with or without a developmental disability and who have a family dog to participate in a  research study on the development and evaluation of a novel imitation-based dog assisted intervention to increase joint activity and social well being for children and teens.