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Asperger's Syndrome (AS) Support Group - Billings - 2009-2010 Calendar

Who can attend?
Anyone whose life has been affected by AS

The meetings for the 2009-2010 Asperger Support Group are held at the Billings Clinic. All meetings are held in the Mary Alice Fortin Center, which is adjacent to the hospital cafeteria.

Thursday, September 10, 2009
7:00-9:00 PM
Mary Alice Fortin Center - Room E

Thursday, October 8, 2009
7:00-9:00 PM
Mary Alice Fortin Center - Room E

Thursday, November 12, 2009
7:00-9:00 PM
Mary Alice Fortin Center - Room E

Thursday, January 14, 2009
7:00-9:00 PM
Mary Alice Fortin Center - Room E

Thursday, February 11, 2009
7:00-9:00 PM
Mary Alice Fortin Center - Room E

Thursday, March 11, 2009
7:00-9:00 PM
Mary Alice Fortin Center - Room E

Thursday, April 8, 2009
7:00-9:00 PM
Mary Alice Fortin Center - Room E

Thursday, May 13, 2009
7:00-9:00 PM
Mary Alice Fortin Center - Room E

If interested in attending, call Paula: 248-6186 or Sandy: 373-5057 to confirm meeting dates and location.

Autism & Asperger Syndrome Conference - Billings - November 2nd

Improving the Behavior and Academic Success of Students with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Strategies that Work - Presented by Kandis LighthallSpecifically

Designed for Special Education Teachers, General Education Teachers, School Psychologists, Speech‑Language Pathologists, Paraeducators, and Administrators Serving Students with High‑Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome in Grades K-12

The price for this seminar is $215.00 per person and Seminar hours are 8:30am - 3:15pm at the Hampton Inn & Suites.

Montana Renewal Units Are Available

For More Information or To Register, Click HERE

Finding Mental Health Services a Frustrating Process For Families

Link: Full Article  Floods, tornadoes and his mother being killed in a car wreck. Those were the fears Carter Timmons recited when his doctor asked him what scared him. He was 7, an age when most little boys are more worried about the bogeyman than natural disasters or highway accidents. The incident was one of many that convinced Michelle and Curtis Timmons that something about their younger son was different. "We realized it was probably more than ADD," Michelle Timmons said. "There were little things that didn't make sense." Several years and medications later, Carter was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism characterized by social awkwardness and obsessions with specific topics.

Autistic Boy Steals Car, Flies Cross-Country

Link: Full Article  Kenton Weaver is 13 years old, has no photo I.D. that his father knows of and lives with autism. None of that stopped the Boca Raton boy from stealing his father's car in the middle of the night Tuesday, cruising more than 20 miles to a Florida airport and hopping a couple of connecting flights to San Jose, Calif. "I really enjoyed it," Kenton told "Good Morning America" simply. "I talked to a few people." Kenton's mother, Kim Casey, lives just hours from the San Jose airport in Fresno, Calif., but the boy's father, Dean Weaver, suspects it wasn't the destination that lured the boy to the airport, but the journey. Kenton has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism often characterized by an unusual preoccupation with particular subjects. According to Dean, his son was fascinated by airplanes.

Local Organization Provides Support To Adults Living With Autism

Link: Support  Jessica Wang once held a steady job in JP Morgan's cafeteria. But after the September 11th terrorist attacks, she was out of work. Living with Asperger's, a syndrome included in the range of autism spectrum disorder, she found it hard to find new employment for several years. "I was miserable that I had that learning disability," she recalled. "I kept blaming myself that there must be something wrong with me mentally." Wang says she was finally able to start turning things around with the help of Job Path, an organization with the mission of helping people with developmental disabilities find employment, educational opportunities, live independently. if they can, and become involved in their communities.

Recognition and Treatment of Asperger Syndrome in the Community

Link: Community Treatment Social skills training, psychotherapy, and behavioral training such as applied behavior analysis (ABA) may be helpful for people with Asperger syndrome. This review article describes treatments for people with Asperger syndrome.

heartspring.org: Camp SSTAR

We’re gearing up for the 2nd annual Camp SSTAR!  We look forward to expanding the program to include additional activities and increased opportunities to learn, grow, and create lasting friendships.  Camp SSTAR was developed to provide children with Asperger syndrome and high- functioning autism an environment that delivered a “scouting” experience like other camps.  What makes Camp SSTAR unique is that it delivers a fun and engaging camp experience that is the catalyst for deeper understanding of social situations, communication, and the value of friendship.
Visit the Camp SSTAR website at http://www.heartspring.org/care/campsstar/ to see some of the amazing achievements of last year’s campers!
Going to camp is a summer ritual for many children and young adults packed with activities that require social skills that make it a truly memorable experience.  For children with autism spectrum disorders this can be painful as activities like these tend to magnify their social difficulties.  Camp SSTAR 2009 offers campers a unique, fun and engaging experience while delivering additional tools they can practice and then use to navigate through a very social world. 

Apply online now!  Please complete the online application form or print the PDF version. You can return the application to Connie Coulter at ccoulter@heartspring.org or by mail at Heartspring ATTN Connie Coulter, 8700 East 29th St. North, Wichita, Kansas 67226. 

Applications must be received by May 1, 2009.

******All Applications will be screened for acceptance******
Acceptance to Camp SSTAR will not be based soley on a “first come, first served” basis.  Other considerations include: the availability of slots, the best available candidate (i.e. match)  for a particular group or activities, the identified need as expressed by the parent specific to social skills deficits and challenges, and the sincere desire of the child to attend Camp SSTAR. 

Camp SSTAR 2009 will be a one week camp, however, it will take place over a period of three weeks. Campers will attend ONE of the three weeks of Camp SSTAR.  Each week is designed for a specific age group and will allow for planning of additional activities, as well as more space to accommodate a larger number of campers in each age group for their specific week.

The Apprentice Group
Dates:June 8th-12th
Age:13-21
Time:June 8: check in at 8:00 - 9:00 am
June 8-12: day camp, 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Cost:$150.00

 

The Reporter Group
Dates:June 15th-19th
Age:4-6
Time:June 15: check in at 8:00 - 9:00 am
June 15-19: day camp, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Cost:$125.00

 

The Producer & Editor Group
Dates:June 22nd-26th
Age:7-13
Time:June 22: check in at 8:00 - 9:00 am
June 22-26: day camp, 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Cost:$150.00

Scholarships are Available

Social Skills Intervention for Children with Asperger Syndrome

Link: Asperger syndrome
The Junior Detective Training Program may be helpful in teaching social skills to children with Asperger syndrome.

School in Tampa Gives Students with Disabilities the Upperhand

Link: School of Hope
A parent offers an uplifting story about how, after years of difficulty at school, she and her son, who has Asperger syndrome, found hope at a new charter school. She says these amazing schools offer hope to parents who think there is none.

People with Asperger's Model Social Interactions on Second Life

Link: Second Life

University of Texas researchers are using the online world Second Life to help people with Asperger's syndrome practice social interactions. "Within the virtual world, they say they feel the emotion as they would in the real world, which role-play doesn't do. It's too artificial," said Sandra Chapman, chief director of the University of Texas at Dallas Center for Brain Health. "Once they begin to gain confidence in the virtual world, they can interact in the real world."