July 2021 | ISSUE 167
AZA United Receives the AZ "Top Workplaces" Award

Arizona Autism United has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2021 honor by the Arizona Republic! The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey partner. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, such as alignment, execution, and connection. AZA United is a mission-based people-centered organization that celebrates the uniqueness of our employees and provides many paths for professional growth. It makes us extra proud to see how much our teammates love working here!

"During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance," said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. "When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business."

A huge thank you to everyone on Team AZA for all you do to help our community every day!

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for ASD

NEW BLOG AVAILABLE: Can CBT help individuals on the autism spectrum?
 
As children with autism grow into adolescence and adulthood, they must learn to navigate a complex social world that is full of mixed signals. Maintaining self-confidence is critical when things get uncertain, and that can be a very vulnerable area for people on the spectrum. One way to overcome these challenges is to strengthen resiliency, which is a key focus of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
  
Resilience—the ability to adapt to difficult situations, and to harness your inner strength to rebound from a setback or a challenge—is fundamental to living a fulfilling life. A lack of resilience can cause a person to dwell on problems, feel victimized, become overwhelmed, or turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms... 
Tips for Individuals with Autism Seeking Jobs

Finding your first job can be exciting, but it can also provoke anxiety if you don’t know how to start the process. For teens on the Autism spectrum, navigating the job search and interviewing process can be especially challenging.    
 
Cindy Walker, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Manager of the Counseling Services at AZA United, offers this advice: “Social settings and new situations usually bring anxiety and stress. But if teens take a few extra steps to prepare, it will help make the experience less anxiety provoking and more successful.”  
Here are a few tips for teens to get started...
Contact our Family Support Team Anytime

For any parent of an individual with developmental disabilities, receiving support and guidance from a peer parent throughout their journey is critical. At AZA United we have a Family Support Team that any parent can access to receive a 1:1 appointment. This is a free service for the community. There are no fees to speak with a Family Support Specialist.

Whether help is needed with guidance for those parents who's children have been recently diagnosed or parents that are at a point where additional help for their family is needed, our Family Support Team is available and grateful to be of service. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact us!

Announcements

This fall we will be announcing a new interactive event for families and community members. We can't reveal too much right now, other than this: superheroes will be summoned!

Make sure to check out our next newsletter issue for the announcement!
Upcoming Events

Join us on Saturday, August 7th, from 10 to 11 AM for our next Sibshops events for siblings. Registration is FREE and required to obtain the login information. Email or call us at Sibshops@AZAunited.org - 602-773-5773.


Our Grupo de Apoyo Unidos en Bienestar (Therapeutic Support Group in Spanish for parents), will meet again on Thursday, July 29th from 5:30-7:00. Click here for information & registration in Spanish.
Link of the Month

The Activities for Autistic Kids Online (A.A.O) program was developed and is run by a group of high school students who have experience in volunteering with children with special needs. They hold classes through zoom meetings to provide free online classes and activities for autistic children. Their goal is to create a fun, safe, and inclusive environment for kids with autism through recreation, crafts, culinary arts, and yoga.