So last weekend, I took my son, Ed, to the movies. We went to see 1917, he is genetically programmed, I believe, to enjoy history and he picked it over Dr Dolittle, thank God. Before we went he had raided the fridge for lunch and had an interesting mix of leftovers, but I was grateful to have them gone.  

About 45 minutes into the film Ed bolted from his chair and ran to a waste bin as the contents of his stomach revolted. I apologized to the people sitting behind us and wondered how I was going to get him out of the theater without creating a major toxic waste site. I left him hovering over the trash barrel and ran to the concession stand, asked for a popcorn bucket, explained my "situation" and that there was a barrel that should be removed, then ran back towards the theater only to find Ed in the corridor yelling "Mommy where are you?"  Of course he didn't have his jacket, so I handed him the bucket and ran into the theater, apologizing to people who had left their seats in the vicinity of the barrel, ran down the row where we had been sitting and grabbed Ed's jacket. I turned and he was sitting in his chair - I said "Ed, let's go home" his response was an adamant "NO watch movie" I tried again, but he was not budging, so I sat down and hoped for the best. Seriously how much worse could it get? Surprisingly he was fine the rest of the movie . 

As we were leaving the theater we came up behind three elderly ladies clucking about how rude it was that we didn't leave. I thought about doing a few minutes of autism awareness with them but one caught sight of us and said SHHH , and the most vocal lady said "I DON'T CARE". I knew they had no way knowing that Ed has autism and  GI issues that make this sort of episode just something we take in stride. I  also know that elderly people sometimes can be outspoken with no filter, heck, I can be counted among them myself some days, so I decided to simply take the high road and ignore them as we walked on by.

 We talk a lot about acceptance and tolerance. This time it was my turn. It's best to pick and choose your battles. That's life on the spectrum.

Next week is school vacation. You'll be able to go out in public with a group of supportive peeps, I'd have killed for one on Sunday! We'll be closed on Monday for Presidents Day, but Tuesday we'll go bowling, Wednesday we've an evening at Recess 2 for teens & young adults & their parents, Friday we'll be exploring Egypt at the Fitchburg Art Museum and Saturday we'll have a Swim & Pizza at the Whitins Community Center, all the details are below and registration is open for these events. 

After vacation, Spring will be just around the corner.  Have you registered for the Walk Run yet?  We'll be offering Floortime classes beginning in March. See below for more details. This is a logical followup to the Autism 101 classes if you have a young child. It's a steal at $25/family. However, unless we get sufficient enrollment by February 28th this course is in danger of being cancelled. 

 

 Have a great week 

Sue 

 

2020 Autism Super Hero 5K Walk & Run

Hi (Contact First Name)

I wanted to personally introduce myself to all of you! My name is Maryann Johnson, and I began at the Autism Resource Center on Feb. 3rd as the Development and Events Coordinator. I am so excited to join the team here at the Autism Resource Center. I have worked in the Worcester non-profit community for 12 years doing fundraising and I live in Millbury with my husband and 3 young children. I can't wait to get to know all of you. 

My first big project is the Autism Super Hero 5K Run & Walk- 20th Annual Family Fun Day. There are a few ways to get involved. 

1) To register for the event as a participant  click here. 

2) Volunteers are a critical part of the days success. To register to volunteer  click here.

3) If you or a business you know are interested in sponsoring the event please reach out to me at [email protected]

I look forward to meeting all of you, 

Maryann 

Registration is now open 

Register your Team Today ! 

  

For Families of Children 

Joey's Fund

 

To read more and to apply for a Grant click here to visit the Doug Flutie Jr Foundation's website page 

For Families of Children 

Floortime® for Parents

   

 HMEA's Autism Resource Central, in collaboration with The Astra Foundation, is pleased to provide DIR® /Floortime for Parents, starting in March and running through April.

DIR® is an abbreviation for Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-based. DIR® is a model, a framework, for thinking about a child's complete development, from infancy into whole joyful personhood. While DIR® can be a helpful way to think about any child's development, it is particularly useful in working with children with developmental delays. In this course, we'll discuss the basic principles of DIR®, and learn about Floortime, a strategic, emotion-driven way of playing and interacting with a child that helps a child initiate and respond at higher and higher developmental levels. We'll also discuss the importance of understanding each child's unique sensory profile and how to incorporate this knowledge into Floortime sessions. Participants who attend at our site in Worcester will be provided with a copy of The Child with Special Needs as part of their registration fee. Those who register for live streaming of the course may purchase the text at Amazon. Due to popular demand, this course will include the opportunity for parents to have 1:1 consultation with their child with instructor Sarah Measures on two separate dates as the program progresses. The Course will take place at the Autism Resource Central on Wednesday Evenings. Course Dates are as follows: Wednesdays from 7 PM -9PM : Mar 11, Mar 18, Mar 25, Apr 1, Apr 22, Apr 29 with two individualized mentoring sessions with your child on Mar 14 and Apr 18th (family times to be selected). To register visit our website.

  

Opportunities for Adults 

 

             

Government Affairs 

 

     Leo's Letter: Social Security: A Step Backwards

February 6, 2020  Government Affairs, Leo's Letters, News

What a year it's going to be - not only in terms of what we can accomplish united, but what reversals we can prevent by sticking together.

Peter is 32 years old. He has autism and an intellectual disability. Last week, his mother spent hours on the 15 page "continuing disability review" (CDR) form. But the nature of Peter's disability isn't going to change this year, nor 10 years from now.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) wants to schedule 2.6 million additional CDR disability reviews.

Individuals such as Peter and others who have life-long disabilities will have to complete these to confirm that they should be on Social Security. The forms and additional information required will cost Peter's family time and money (medical reports, etc.).

And who will fill out these forms, if Peter's family is unable to complete them? The time to review the additional CDR forms also will cost the federal government, SSA, time and money - for unnecessary reviews!

Social Security is embedded in this nation's economy - for retirees and persons with disabilities. Families and individuals share their headaches dealing with our necessary bureaucracies. But they do it because Social Security is part of their family's or child's safety net. The additional responsibilities and paperwork will cost them more time and negotiation with an overburdened system.

Social security is vital for many of our constituents' well-being. This action as planned won't rid the system of "undeserving beneficiaries," but it will cause havoc in people's lives. You can read more about the issue here.