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Important Message for the Community
We at Arizona Autism United stand with those who have been marginalized and discriminated against for far too long. We firmly believe that racism and senseless violence have no place in our society. These beliefs are represented in our values:
#1 - Grow with Purpose
AZA United was formed by parents who recognized that underserved families needed more help. We began with a focus on providing quality services for minority populations and parents who needed resources in their native language. Ever since then, our mission has been to help as many families as possible in our community, and our approach has always been to meet families where they are. By doing that, we believe in celebrating who they are, just like we celebrate the uniqueness of each child. Our commitment to diversity has always been represented by the different shades of blue in our puzzle heart logo. As we continue to grow, our pledge to support diverse populations with intent and purpose is now stronger than ever.
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NEW BLOG: Summer Activities for Kids
Written by Juliann Miller, SLPA, Speech and Language Specialist
Summer is upon us, and our kiddos are needing activities to stay connected now, more than ever!
After 3 long months of quarantine, you've probably read every book (632 times), colored every super hero or princess page you could find, put together, lost, found, re-lost, and put together again, every puzzle in your house, and endured countless Peppa Pig/Mickey Mouse Clubhouse/Thomas & Friends video runs.
It might be time to refresh your inventory to get through the next chapter in these crazy times. Have no fear! The caring people at AZA United have compiled a list of a few of our favorite games, activities, and links to try out this summer.
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Clinical Family Coaching - A Unique Program for Families
AZA United offers a unique approach to behavior coaching called
Clinical Family Coaching
. The purpose of this program is to improve the stability
of family lives, by identifying high priority behavior challenges and training
family members to use effective behavior change methods.
Clinical Family Coaching is for children, adolescents or teenagers with autism and their parents/guardians in Maricopa County. Individuals are commonly referred to our program for the treatment of self-injury, physical aggression, noncompliance, extreme tantrums, elopement (running away from caregivers), and other high-risk behaviors.
This service takes
place in the home, via telehealth, or other natural environments. Our coaching staff is a well-
trained team of professionals and paraprofessionals overseen by licensed and
Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA). Parents or caregivers participate in each session.
Our approach to coaching is rooted in applied behavior analysis (ABA), though we embrace a
collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that includes participation from other professionals
working with the family (e.g., psychologists, case managers,
teachers and counselors). Our teams view problem behavior in the context of the whole family's
experience and seek to involve all members in the course of treatment.
Clinical Family Coaching services are accessed through the public behavioral health system and funded by Arizona's Medicaid program. To be eligible for funding, families must have their child enrolled in an AHCCCS or DDD health plan and be working with a case manager.
We have a Family Support Team that is available to assist families at no cost through the process of applying for eligibility and requesting services through a case manager. Simply contact us at
[email protected]
for help.
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Celebrating Our Newest BCBAs!
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As a human services organization focused on providing quality services to Arizona families, having a clinical staff highly skilled in evidence-based practices is critical for AZA United. We pride ourselves in providing our team members the opportunity to grow professionally within our organization, and we are proud to announce that AZA United now has 16 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) on staff. Today we celebrate the outstanding achievement of our three newest certificants:
Shannon Weller
Shannon is a Clinical Supervisor supporting a team of clinicians dedicated to working with families in service of behavior reduction. Prior to becoming a Clinical Supervisor, she was a field trainer, behavior coach and habilitation provider. She has specialized training in behavior reduction and is passionate about enhancing the quality of life for all families. She feels that there is nothing better than having a family meet a goal that was once a limitation placed on them by others. When not at work, you may find Shannon connecting with nature through a variety of activities.
Morgan Chipley
Morgan is a Clinical Supervisor as well, who supports a team of clinicians delivering in-home services to create behavior change. She began her journey as a field trainer and behavior coach. She is certified in PEAK relational training and has worked extensively with dangerous and challenging behavior reduction. Morgan is most passionate about changing families' lives and assisting families in living with vitality in the direction of their values. In her spare time, you will find Morgan hanging out with her family or diving into a good book.
Anne Palmer
Anne is
a Clinical Specialist whose on-the-job passion lies in creating and implementing the best programs for her clients to enhance their quality of life. She started as a habilitation provider and worked her way up through several roles including behavior technician and assistant clinical specialist. Anne takes pride in bringing good quality care to her clients and families, meeting them right where they are in the moment. She is an empathetic and understanding individual who loves making her clients laugh, as well as bringing musical aspects to her sessions. Anne loves to sing and play the piano. When she isn't working, you may find her at home with her dog, Spooky, giving belly rubs and working through a good puzzle.
Congratulations team! Well done :-)
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Announcements
Click here to check out this short video of some of our kids staying busy and having fun during quarantine. Well done guys!
Yes! AZA has a podcast for those professionals that enjoy listening to important and relevant discussions in the field of autism. Click here to enjoy our 21 episodes and subscribe to be notified when more are published.
The offices of AZA United will be closed on Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independence Day.
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Upcoming Events
Join us on
Saturday, July 11th
for our next Sibshops virtual event! These events will occur from 10 to 11 AM for children ages 7-9 and 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM for children ages 10-14. Sibshops are intended for sibs 7-14 years old.
Registration is FREE and required to obtain the login information.
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The Arizona Department of Education has a section on their website with many resources for students receiving special education services.
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