Both letters are important to read - and to act on!
Write some letters! The NIH and NIMH need to know we parents are watching!
JFS(ask to join the local AutismNews on-line list! )
P.O. Box 5551
Elgin, IL 60121-5551
To subscribe to this snailmail version of AutismNews donate $15 for 12 issues, checks made out to "JFS". Extra donations to help send complimentary copies to other first-time readers appreciated.
This is not written for profit - then it would
seem like WORK!!!!
| All contents herein copyright 2001 by the Newsletter Mom. Freedom to
recopy and share information fully granted as long as you credit the Autism
Newsletter.
Typos are to this newsletter as dust bunnies are to my house. Enough
said.
|
Back to autismnews.netMultiple Meetings
Conferences - Workshops
Dhylan doesn't live here anymore
A Mom's Letter to NIH
Wakefield Fundraiser Being Planned -
Sessions Amendment
More bad news from the NIH
Early Intervention (0 - 3) in Illinois is saved!
Photo Cards
5TH Annual I Run/Walk 5K
July 1, Romeoville
This group not meeting in June BUT has a family picnic planned for
July 1st! Call Miki at 815/886-0080 for the details if you are not on her
mailing list already.
July 2, Park Ridge 7:00pm
Parent-2-Parent for Special Students meets at the Maine Twp. Admin.
Bldg. , 1700 Ballard Road, Park Ridge.
This month's topic is Fragile X Syndrome- One Child's Story Presented
by Elizabeth Halemba-Mother of a 8yr old child with Fragile X. Up to this
past year, Elizabeth was lead to believe her son had Autism. One simple
blood test gave her a definitive diagnosis of Fragile X Syndrome. What
is Fragile X? How can it be misdiagnosed as Autism? What challenges do
Fragile X students face in attempting to receive a Free and Appropriate
Public Education? Why do Fragile X students and Autism students need differing
educational placements and treatment plans? Come join us for this informative
meeting. Find out where to go if you suspect your child has Fragile X Syndrome
and how to advocate for the Fragile X student. Eva: 847/699-1223, email:
[email protected]
July 9, Chicago 6:00pm
Parent support group of Illinois Masonic meets at The Pediatric Development
Center, 3040 N. Wilton, 2nd fl. Kidkare is available IF you RSVP ASAP.
Val: 773/296-5854.
July 9 , Peoria 6:30-8:00pm
Parent support group will meet at Faith Missionary Church, 1825 S.
Airport Rd. in Bartonville (close to Peoria) . This month Ketra A. Mytich,
J.D., attorney will be speaking to our group on special needs trusts. Contact:
Lauri Hislope 309-697-3300 or [email protected]
July 10, Villa Park 7:00pm
Parent support group meets at DuPage Easter Seals . Limited on-site
free kid-kare if you rsvp asap - please call Sharon Pike at 630/620-4433.
July 10, Chicago 6:00pm
The ASI Metropolitan Chicago Chapter meets at the Easter Seal Therapeutic
Day School, ITT campus, 3424 S. State St. Grace: 773-233-4716.
July 12, Algonquin, 7:30
Parent support group meets at Northwest Pediatric Therapy, 1320 Chase
St. Kim: 847/352-7678.
July 14 , Rockford 11am - 2pm
The Northwest Illinois Autism Support Group is not meeting, but having
a PICNIC in Lockwood Park! Call Merry Klemm for more info at 815/965-3379
July 15, Oak Park 3-5pm
Asperger/High-Functioning Autism Support Group will have a planning
meeting at an area restaurant (TBA). All members welcome if you bring your
ideas for next years meetings! Debbie: 708/383-1209
July 17, Bolingbrook 7:00pm
Far West Suburban ASI meets at the Bolingbrook Medical Center. 630/969-1094.
July 17, Gurnee 7:00pm
Well, make that the Grayslake group this month, as the group meets
for dinner and networking at Bill's Pub North. Call Eric for more info
at 847/543-4502.
June 26???, Oak Lawn 7:00pm
Parent support group may meet at Hope Children Hospital, sw corner
93rd & Kostner. I could not contact Amalia to confirm this date or
even if the group will meet in July so please call her before you attend.
Amalia:708/346-1356
July 31, Schaumburg 7:30pm
Northwest Suburban ASI Chapter meets at the Township of Schaumburg
Meeting Hall, 25 Illinois Blvd., in Hoffman Estates. Randee : 847/884-9194.
summertime, and many groups take a breather or have pool parties/picnics instead of proper meetings....... would that our kid's autism would take the summer off!
Chicago
Chicago South Side ASI chapter chillin' til Sept. See you at our August
12 pool party in Bolingbrook! Wanda: 815/469-5870
Flossmoor
Chicago South Suburban ASI Chapter meets not meeting this month. There
may be a pool party? Marie: 708/206-0379.
Hoffman Estates
Parents of daughters with Rett Syndrome can contact Paul at 847/310-8876,
email: [email protected]. or go to : www.RettIllinois.org for more info about
this group that will only sporadically have meetings.
Wheaton
Advocacy 200 not meeting this month. Brian: 630/690-6385 or 630/462-1980
Elmhurst
Parent group taking the summer off. Evelyn: 630/530-8551, ext. 108
Skokie
North Suburban ASI Chapter is taking July off. Michael: 847/541-9969
or email [email protected]
Geneva
Parent support group taking the rest of summer off. For more info check
the CTS website; www.commtx.com or call Shelley Swanson:630/208-8880
Freeport
Networking For Families will take some time off to look for a new "home".
If you need info about this group or have an idea where they could meet
call Nancy: 815/235-7553.
River Forest
The Illinois Interdisciplinary Council will not meet this month. Yes,
they will eventually meet. Jane: 708-771-1918.
new groups!!!!!
Plainfield
Support group that usually meets at 6:30pm at Lakewood Falls Elementary
School, 14050 S. Budler Rd. probably not meeting this month. For more info
about this group contact Lupe at [email protected] or call 815/293-0529
July????? Cary, 7:00pm
Parent of children on the GFCF diet know that there is a group for
you! Usually meets the first Wednesday of the month (Independence Day is
messing with this month's schedule - an alternative day/site was being
determined as I "went to press"). For more info about this group contact
Kelly Weaver at : [email protected] (preferred) or call 847/639-2858.
------------------------------------------------------------
The Rett Syndrome Association will be having its 13th Annual Dinner,
Dance and Auction at Drury Lane in Oak Brook on September 9. They will
have a new raffle, with a chance for participants to win some big monetary
prizes, this year. For more info contact Anthony Izzo at 847/253-6045 or
Barry Minerof at 773/762-2000.
NOTE - StarNet workshops give priority to parents living within their region. If there is a workshop you wish to attend but it is not in your region - let your local StarNet folks know. Note StarNet VI is moving and will have a new phone number as of July 1: 708/342-5370
July 10 & 11, Springfield
"Kids: Our Future" is the moniker for this year's Summer Institute
sponsored by Project Choices. Ginny Cooke and Bob Farley will discuss "Parents
as Partners and A Legal Perspective on Parent's Rights"; other speakers
will cover topics as diverse as "Successful High School Inclusion: Strategies
that Work"; "Differentiated Instruction"; "Forrest Gump and Multiple Intelligences";
Sensory Integration Principles in the Classroom", and many others. For
more information contact Project Choices at 630/778-4508, or check their
website at:
www.projectchoices.org
July 18 - 19, Peoria
"PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) Workshop"
Lori Frost & Diana Black present this two-full-day PECS workshop,
sponsored by Mid Central Association. Cost for non-MCA sponsored folks
may be as high as $250 (could go down if registration is high). For more
info about registering contact Shirley Crowe at 309/672-6715.
July 18 - 22, San Diego, CA
"Millennium of Hope"
ASA's National Conference on Autism. Information is available from
ASA Conference Registration, 4424 Montgomery Ave., Suite 201, Bethesda,
Maryland, hotline number: 1-888-233-2864, e-mail at: [email protected].
****July 28, Chicago
"Family / School Collaboration Conference"
Tom Parton, Family/School Consultant, and Annmarie Robinson, Parent
and Paralegal Advocate, will discuss how to resolve differences without
conflict; how to reach a positive outcome at special education meetings;
and more. This all-day, FREE conference is sponsored by the good old Family
Resource Center on Disabilities. You MUST register by July 20 to attend
so call 312/939-3513 asap!
****July 28 - 29, Chicago
"Vaccines The Risks . The Benefits . The Choices"
Sherri Tenpenny, D.O. will offer fellow physicians all the info that
they need to know to factually answer the most pressing questions parents
have about vaccines. Cost to attend is $349 (!!!). For more information,
please call (440)-268-0897 or (440)-572-1136.
July 31, Tinley Park
"An Overview of Sensory Integration from Occupational Therapy to Home
and Community"
Colleen Patton, OTR/L & Dawn Zibricky, RN, MS, CSN present an overview
designed to help you understand what may be causing varied sensory problems.
Strategies to help your child will be emphasized. For more info about this
StarNet VI workshop call 708/385-2199
August 7, Peoria
"Asperger's Syndrome - Characteristics, Identification and Instruction"
Diane Twachtmen-Cullen discusses the above. Cost for non-MCA sponsored
folks about $54 (could go down if registration is high). For more info
contact Shirley Crowe at 309/672-6715.
August 8, Matteson
"Instructional Formats for Teaching Young Students with Autism Spectrum
Disorders"
Steve Goodman, Ph.D. will cover strategies of discrete trial training,
incidental teaching, direct instruction and precision teaching along with
discussing each strategies implementation, benefits and limitations. For
info call StarNet VI at 708/385-2199
****September 14 - 15, Normal
"You Can Make a Difference"
All the StarNets are sponsoring this day of family-focused workshops
that will address topics including Transitions; Writing Effective IEPs;
Sibling Issues, and more. For more info call your local StarNet office:
Region I and III: 800/227-7537
Region II: 847/803-3565
Region IV: 618/397-8930
Region V: 773/553-3413
Region VI: 708/385-2199
(708/342-5370 after July 1)
(Use these numbers too to obtain info on the October 10 Madelyn
Swift workshop listed below).
September 17, Glen Ellyn
"ABC's and 1,2,3's of Autism: What is It? Where Do I Start? How Do
I Plan?"
Peg Mazeika leads this introductory workshop that explores the basic
learning characteristics of children with autism. The use of positive planning
and instructional strategies will be emphasized, along with environmental
and social supports. This is a StarNet II workshop so pester the good folks
at 847/803-3565 for more details.
September 21, LaGrange
"Supporting and Educating Students with Asperger's Syndrome / High
Functioning Autism"
Cathy Pratt tackles the problem of "challenging behaviors" and will
discuss positive behavior supports and the role of functional assessment
in behaviors and strategies for teaching alternative appropriate behaviors.
This useful workshop comes from the folks at StarNet II, and they await
your call at 847/803-3565 to ask for more information.
****October 10, Springfield
"A Day with Madelyn Swift"
Madelyn Swift, M.Ed., will discuss aspects of Discipline in the Classroom
(including what works, and why), and Dealing with Angry People: How to
be Heard without Shouting (h'mmmm, learn some tactic here before that next
IEP!). All the StarNet Regions are co-sponsoring this workshop, seating
limited to 20 folks per region so call your local region (phone numbers
on page 2) today! Folks attending the "Sharing a Vision" conference listed
next please note this workshop with Madelyn Swift requires a separate registration!
****October 10 -12, Springfield
"Sharing A Vision: Expanding the Possibilities"
7th Annual Illinois Collaborative Early Childhood Conference. For a
multi-page brochure listing all the workshops, and info on registering,
call Susan Ferry at 217/824-4776 or email [email protected]
October 26, Oakbrook Terrace
"Effective Programs for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in
the Schools"
Cathy Pratt, Ph.D. is the keynote speaker for the 17th annual conference
of the Center for Speech and Language Disorders. Conference brochures to
be mailed in August - call 630/530-8551 to be sure they have your address!
Once there was a little boyC. 2001 Sally Meyer
who lived with his mommy and daddy
Oh he was so perfect, so cute.
His hair was curly, his eyes were grey
and he laughed and played like
other little boys.But Dhylan doesn't live here anymore.
Once he used to clap his hands in glee
when his Daddy came home.
He used to hug his Mommy when
she picked him up.
And when his sister played with him he giggled and the sound was like musicbut Dhylan doesn't laugh here anymore
Once in the spring, he picked
a bunch of flowers
and on chubby legs ran to
bring them to me,
I picked him up and held him tight and he hugged me and didn't
push me away.But Dhylan doesn't love here anymore
When he was two he went away,
his smile disappeared
like the sun behind the clouds.
His eyes lost their sparkle,
and there were no more cuddles
in the evening.Dhylan didn't live here anymore.
When he was four he went to school early in the morning
and I waited for him to come home, on that old familiar yellow bus.
Then we walked home together, not holding hands.Dhylan didn't need me anymore.
When he was five, I used to
sit by his bed
and tell him how much we loved him, and he would laugh as he reached to wipe away my tears.Dhylan couldn't understand me anymore.
When he turned six, he began
to smile again,
and he understood what we said.
He got a familiar twinkle in his eye.
Could he be coming back a little?
Could we find our son
the one we had lost?No...... that Dhylan doesn't live here anymore.
And when he grows up to be a man,
I will remember
the Dhylan who used to live here,
so long ago.. . . .. . . . . .And the one who came
to take his place,
how happy he makes us,
how much joy he brings.
He sees things we are not able to see, and hears music
where we hear only silence.
He dances to music
that we can not feel,
his eyes are innocent,
his soul is pure. To know him is
an honor and to love him
is a joy. To be loved by him is a miracle, and a blessing.and this Dhylan, is going to live here forever more.
Autism is not the end of the world. . .
just the beginning of a new one
Just open your eyes. . . . .and see
Terri Mykland
To: NIH People Researching Autism:[see Catherine Johnson's letter on next page for another idea on what to write the NIH about! Both moms have valid complaints here!]I am the mother of a boy with autism who is almost eight years old. He was diagnosed at three, and since that time, I've been educating myself about autism so that I can be an informed parent for him and help him have the best life possible. My research has taken me far beyond the traditional areas of genetics, psychology and brain function that most people have associated with autism in the past.
A couple years ago, our doctor and I started doing some testing on my son, attempting to see what body systems are involved in his autism. We discovered a serious amount of gastrointestinal imbalance (this made sense to me, as he was colicky as an infant and had chronic diarrhea for years). We also discovered peptides in his urine and immune system reactions to most substances he eats, which indicates that his food is passing through his intestinal walls in large undigested chunks (peptides). This is quite abnormal. As our immunologist said to me, "a normal seven year old child should show none of these (30 or so) reactions to foods he eats". Further testing also indicated that my son has a high level of mercury, lead and other metals in his body. My son, like many autistic people, functions much better when he takes particular vitamin supplements, but I know of no research that has figured out exactly why this is, or why these children are deficient in these substances and how to help their body make these things on its own.
I am telling you all this about my son because I have done a lot of reading and can tell you that thousands of parents of other autistic children are discovering similar malfunctions in their children's bodies. Any medical discovery starts with anecdotal reports, and I have to tell you that I have read of many, many cases like my son's in which these children also exhibit significant gastrointestinal and immunological abnormalities, as well as heavy metal poisoning. I know of many other parents who have also discovered viral problems in their children, and others who have discovered that their children improve greatly on a diet free of casein, gluten and other substances. In the absence of formal research on these areas, parents of autistic children have been performing their own amateur research, reinventing the wheel with each child as we test our theories, while the majority of research is done on the traditional areas such as genetics and scanning the brain.
I am telling you all this to underline that research on autism should in no way be limited to genetics and brain function. I believe that numerous other issues such as gastrointestinal function, heavy metal poisoning, detoxification problems, immune system status and the possibility of viral factors in autism should be pursued with equal concentration and urgency.
Thanks for your attention, and for all the work you are doing in the area of autism.
Terri Mykland
[email protected]
Contents
______________________________
Mark your calenders for a fun evening, cruising the water's of Lake Michigan off Chicago's scenic shore on Chicago's First Lady. 125 folks will enjoy dinner and dance to live jazz while raising funds to help support further research by Dr. Andrew Wakefield. All this to happen Tuesday, September 4 - extend that Labor Day weekend! Celebrate the kids going back to school!
Ticket price not yet set - (we will let you know!) For more information,
or to offer to help, please contact Liz Birt at 847/840-8104 or Betsy Prohaska
at 847/854-6039.
Thanks to Joanna Roman for the following heads up:
The date for the ASI Golf Outing will be September 25, 2001 and
it will be at the Seven Bridges Golf Course in Woodridge. Volunteers will
be needed. The ASI office at 630-691-1270 can give you more information.
They will be looking for financial sponsors and volunteers to help with
the day of the event. Plans are well underway already and this should bring
in a lot of money for the organization.
from Catherine Johnson.
Ed and I have done a "CRISP" search of National Institute of Health funding (http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/), and it appears that no behavioral research is being funded by the NIMH at all.
We also discovered that Ivar Lovaas' "Young Autism Project",* the multi-site replication study of his discrete trial methodology, is not listed among funded projects for fiscal year 2001.
Ivar's grant expired in April. We haven't spoken to him; it's possible he didn't apply for renewal. We don't know.
We know only that the Young Autism Project, along with the Koegels' 20-year NIMH-funded project, is no more.
We searched both the NICHD (Nat' Institute of Child Health & Development) and the NINDS (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) as well. They, too, list no research grants awarded to behaviorists working in the field of autism. Various terrific neuropsychological studies are listed at all sites, but no behavioral or educational interventions.
A side note: while we were at it, we checked out the NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine).:
Nothing.
One study mentions the word "autism", but no one who actually has autism is in it. Pretty interesting when you consider the fact that many parents in the autism community embrace complementary treatments for their children.Ê
We're just getting the hang of the Department of Education's research structure, and are not as confident of our search skills there.
But so far the news is grim.
A NARIC (National) check of the NIDRR's "current research" program in autism yields these four listings and their current status:
NARIC: National Rehabilitation Information CenterÊnaric.com/search/
NIDRR: National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research,
a research arm of the Department of EdÊ
Collaboration Involving Families and Service Providers from Different
Agencies: Examining Its Effects on Interventions for Preschoolers with
Autism. No longer funded by NIDRR or funded under a new grant number. Check
REHABDATA/Compendium for documents. Pittsburgh, PA. H133F70008
Outcomes for Children and Youth with Autism.
No longer funded by NIDRR or funded under a new grant number. Check
REHABDATA/Compendium for documents.
Denver, CO. H133G70006.
Environmental Influences of Social Behavior in Children with Autism
and Typical Children.
No longer funded by NIDRR or funded under a new grant number. Check
REHABDATA/Compendium for documents.
Atlanta, GA. H133G10216. 4 of 4.
Facilitating the Social Inclusion of Adults with Autism and Other Communication
and Interaction Disorders.
No longer funded by NIDRR or funded under a new grant number. Check
REHABDATA/Compendium for documents.
Minneapolis, MN. H133G40084.
As far as we can tell all 4 of these projects fall under the "no longer funded by NIDRR" heading.
So I guess in the eyes of the Department of Education we now know everything we need to know about Outcomes for Children and Youth with Autism, everything we need to know about Environmental Influences of Social Behavior in Children with Autism and Typical Children, everything we need to know about Facilitating the Social Inclusion of Adults with Autism and Other Communication and Interaction Disorders, and everything we need to know about Collaboration Involving Families and Service Providers from Different Agencies!
Who knew?
But back to the NIH, traditionally most behavioral research in autism has been funded by the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health).Ê
We hear through the grapevine that all of the leading behaviorists in the field of autism have lost funding.Ê
Needless to say, younger researchers looking to make a career helping
our children are not gaining a foothold, either.
This is a disaster.
Our current shortage of therapists and teachers is critical, but without funding of the graduate research programs that recruit and train new therapists and educators the situation will rapidly grow desperate.
And the need for excellent behavioral researchers and research will become even more essential once medical treatments begin to emerge. Although we've learned never to say never, no one we know has suggested that one day medical research will come up with a pill that gives your child back a year in 3rd grade, or a pill that gives him backÊ the prom he missed because he was too autistic to date girls or drive cars. Unless the directors of The Matrix know something we don't, our kids aren't going to be having normal-childhoods any time soon.
The brain develops through experience with the environment, and our kids are missing a whole lot of normal experience. Medicine isn't going to fix that.
Biomedical treatments for autism will improve brain function.Ê
But they won't teach an adolescent how to talk, or a 10 year old how to have friends.Ê
The NIH's erasure of behavioral research in autism will be catastrophic for our kids.
Individual parents, and autism organizations, need to take action.
Any thoughts?
In the meantime, here is a copy of the follow-up letter we've sent to Steve Hyman at the NIMH. Please copy any or all of it and use it as your own. Copy, paraphrase, cite, quote, compose your own letter altogether -do whatever makes sense for you and your family or clients. [I do not have room for the letter here - email [email protected] and ask for a copy] But please do something.
Dr. Hyman's contact information is below, along with directions for using the CRISP search engine.
We heard again through the grapevine that the number of letters coming in from parents has already gotten people at the NIMH concerned.Ê
In fact, it sounds like things there are hopping.
And, if you could forward your own addresses and emails to Ed and me so that we can compile a list of parents and professionals who are concerned about this issue, that would be great. There is strength in numbers.Ê
We've set up a special email address:
Thank you!
Catherine Johnson, Ph.D.
coauthor Shadow Syndromes
former trustee, NAAR
Ed Berenson, Professor of History
Director Institute of French Studies
New York University
contact information:
Steve Hyman, M.D.
Director, National Institute of Mental Health
Neuroscience CenterNSC 8235-9669
6001 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892
[email protected]
301.443.3673
301.443.2578 faxåÊ
CRISP: Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects
crisp.cit.nih.gov/
click on Go to CRISP query form
under EnterSearchTerms type "autism" , scroll down to Institutes, Centers,
Division and click on the institute or institutes you wish to search. Scroll
down to Fiscal Year and select the year or years you wish to search, click
on Submit Query.
If you search the NIMH for fiscal year 2001 you will find that the Koegels and their colleague Laura Schreibman are listed as funded. They are not. There was a small amountof money left over at the end of their now-expired grant and they were given a no-cost extension that enables them to use the rest of the money rather than return it to the government.Ê
This allows the NIMH to list them as receiving funding in fiscal year 2001 when in fact their 20 years of NIH-funded research have now come to an abrupt and shocking end.
One last note: the de-funded Koegel study involves 40 children who will lose their therapies if this decision is not reversed.
40 children, 40 families.
Between the Mothers From Hell 2 and the Newsletter Dad's poking around various websites we think we may have figured out what is going on as of July 1st, when private insurance may start being tapped to help pay for 0-3 services. But things change, the paperwork of this new (for Illinois) system of funding is still being written out by the scribes of Springfield, and when we know more we will pass it on. Meanwhile, here is what info we have obtained. Thanks To Beth Randall for the bulk of this info and winking at my plagiarism of her email ; - )
While it is fantastic that so many folks worked so hard to save the 0-3 program from being reduced to serving a fraction of the little kids who need it, some concern has arisen from parents over the use of their private insurance to help fund their kid's services. Do note, FAPE does not kick in, folks, until the child turns 3 and the school district becomes responsible. Tapping into private insurance, and requiring most families to also pay some level of "co-pay" , may not seem desirable at first glance, but it is legal, and the specter of a lack of early intervention services for so many our littlest kidlets in Illinois is a far worse alternative.
Insurance billing will thus be mandatory for Early Intervention services-
however it will up to the individual provider to bill the insurance, receive
payment or denial, & forward the paperwork to the Early Intervention
system central billing office. This office will then make up the difference
if insurance, say, only pays part (or none - many insurers won't pay for
speech or o.t for our kids to begin with, so it is a moot point). There
will also be a change in the family co-pay for Early Intervention - it
has been a maximum of 100/year, now it will be a maximum of 100/month but
that will only be if a family makes over like 150 grand. (While Beth recalls
E.I. services having been free when her kid was younger, for my same age
boy in Elgin we had a co-pay far larger than $100 a year! Maybe it varied
from region to region???)
Anyway, if insurance denies the claim then Early Intervention will
pay up to the Early Intervention rate- so its not like if your insurance
only has 1 hour per week thats all you get - it just means your insurance
will pay for that hour & then Early Intervention will pay the rest
- back when we got it free thats what they did- just captured the $ that
was available & made up the rest with the Early Intervention federal
& state funds- if its done right - which is asking a lot for the Early
Intervention system- it won't be a problem for families- but just be vigilant
as most service coordinators are overloaded with paperwork already.
Certain services of the 16 billable services for Early Intervention
will not be required to bill insurance first. Developmental therapy, for
example, and transportation are two that will not be billed, because they
are flat out not covered by any insurance anyway.
STAGES Learning Materials, which sells high-quality photo cards ideal for teaching words, concepts, symbols etc. to children with autism, has announced the availability of a new set of 115 cards featuring occupations. I do not think Newsletter Editor is among them : - (
For more info contact them at:
STAGES Learning Materials
P.O. Box 27
Chico, CA 95927
1-888-501-8880
Why not patronize the local folks? Another, local source for photo cards:
MAK Home Therapy Resources
6209 Sundowner Road
Woodridge, IL 60517
630/852-3364
5TH Annual I Run/Walk 5K
Saturday, August 18, 2001
at the Lincoln Mall in Matteson, IL. This year's race is sponsored by I-CARE (Illinois Curing Autism through Research and Education) a newly formed non-profit to serve the families of this state.
I-CARE'S three main focuses will be as follows:
Schedule:6:00 - 7:15 AM: Race Day Registration & Packet Pickup
7:30: Start of 5k
7:35: Walkers' Start
8:00: Dave Rudolph Concert!
9:00: Kids Can Do Goody Grab Bag Run
9:20: Awards Ceremony (Lincoln Mall Center Court)
Place: Lincoln
Mall, Matteson, IL- Cicero Ave. & Lincoln Highway (Rte. 30)
Registration Fees: Pre-Race Day:
$17 (must be post-marked by August 10).
Race Day: $20 (**CARA Circuit, Gold Cup, or USATF Members:$2 discount**
)
Kid's Goody Grab Bag Run: $5
Features:
Certified 5k course (IL98036-JW) T-Shirt to First 500 Registrants
Official Gold Cup Race (Calumet Region Striders)
Bally Total Fitness has donated day passes to all race participants age 18 & over. This includes the use of their facilities, pool and workout room for the day of the event!!! Just show your results card and a picture I.D. to get in.
Awards:
Overall Male & Female plus 3 deep in these Age Divisions: 14
& under,
15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54,
55-59, 60-64,
65-69, 70-74, 75+; overall Male/Female Master Level.
Awards will be given for the Top 10 Pledge Collectors.
Lincoln Mall will award gift certificates to the top three overall female
and male winners.
For more information call: 708/798-0923
or see our website at: www.irunwalkforautism.org