Home Safety Month – Burns and Scalds

Summertime can be a great time for cookouts and outdoor fires! While roasting marshmallows may be a fun activities for many kids and families, it is also important to know how to prevent and treat burns and scalds. For tips and facts about burns and scalds and how to prevent them, check out the Safe Kids Worldwide website!

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OLIVER: DOCTOR FACES INVESTIGATION

Almost five years after the death of autistic teen Oliver McGowan, the General Medical Council (GMC) has announced an investigation into the doctor who prescribed an antipsychotic that an inquest ruled was a “significant factor” in his death.

Dr Monica Mohan prescribed Olanzapine to Oliver, 18, at Southmead Hospital in Bristol in 2016.

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The Arc of Indiana communicates to a wide ranging audience through a variety of platforms. How are we doing? What can we do better? What should we be doing that we are not doing?

Please help us improve our communication efforts by completing our short 2021 Communications Survey. We welcome and appreciate your feedback!

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May 2-May 8th is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week! Check out the National Federation of Families website and join the conversation to raise awareness and end prejudice and discrimination around the topic of mental health. There are many ways to get engaged through events, activities, and tools throughout the week!

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Join in a webinar on Thursday, June 3, 2:00 p.m. ET, to learn about federal legislation to grow and improve home and community based services.

Only decades ago, there were few options or supports for someone with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to live and participate in their community.

Though we’ve made great progress, our current systems are holding us back from what’s truly possible. People still face long waitlists for services, shortages and turnover of direct support workers, and a lack of affordable and accessible housing.

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It is with great pleasure that we wish a warm welcome to Keana Thompson. Keana will be joining us for seven months as an intern as she completes her degree in Social Work from Indiana Wesleyan University. Keana sends this message to you – our ASK friends and supporters:

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At the end of the legislative session, State Representative Ed Clere authored a concurrent resolution honoring Direct Support Professions:

Whereas, more than 26,000 Hoosiers work in Indiana as Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), providing exemplary personal and critical support and services to thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD);

Whereas, DSPs provide individualized supports, including navigating daily life, employment, transportation, finances, medical appointments, and hobbies in order to help people with I/DD learn or retain their independence, become involved in their local communities, and hopefully lead a high quality life 1with family and friends;

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After his remarkable 2017 Boston Marathon qualification, the 500 Festival appointed Andrew as their first ever Running Ambassador. Andrew’s goal is to build community through running. #NOlimits2Caring is Andrew’s newest Running Ambassador initiative. Each time Andrew races, a small nonprofit will benefit.

For the 2021 Carmel Marathon, Andrew chose ASK as the nonprofit to support. His efforts have resulted in bringing not only critical funds but also awareness to ASK and our mission. Andrew chose ASK in part, because it was the organization that first supported his father, Craig, twenty years ago in navigating the special education process when Andrew was entering Kindergarten.

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Coronavirus has had an enormous impact on all Americans’ sleep habits, but COVID-19 has been especially hard on children with autism who already deal with sleep-related issues.

It’s an especially critical issue because a new 2020 CDC report analyzing 2016 school data shows that autism is on the rise. The biennial update reports that one in 54 children is diagnosed with autism by age eight, up almost 10% from 2014.

“The world of autism has changed considerably since we were founded in 2005 when the estimated prevalence was 1 in 166,” says Autism Speaks President and Chief Executive Officer Angela Geiger.

Living with autism has its challenges, but life is made considerably more challenging when one isn’t armed with the sleep the body needs to function properly.

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We would like to thank everyone that came to the March Indiana Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (IIACC) meeting! The IIACC, supported by FSSA, and facilitated by Hands in Autism® is the Council that assists in implementation and dissemination of innovative activities through facilitation, informing directions and increasing public understanding and awareness of the state’s collective priorities, activities, programs, policies, and research. We look forward to see you July 2nd 2021!

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Individual differences in basic perceptual and cognitive functions have been shown to affect speech perception, language and literacy skills, as well as social and emotional development.

In turn, individual differences in language and literacy skills have been shown to be highly predictive of overall academic achievement.

Both genetic and environmental factors have been shown to contribute to individual differences in basic perceptual, cognitive and language abilities.

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Paying for college is a complicated process for any aspiring student. It’s a process that raises a ton of questions: What’s a Pell Grant? What’s a Perkins Loan? Do I have to pay anything back? For students with a disability, those questions are even more complicated.

The good news: A disability is not an impediment to a college education. There are plenty of resources for those who need help applying and paying for it.

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First Steps is partnering with an IU Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student and needs your help! They are seeking feedback to improve First Steps services to families. Families will be asked to attend one 60 to 90 minute online focus group in order to share your family’s experience in the First Steps Program.

The results will help design a training for First Step Providers that will lead to improved cultural awareness and family engagement and ultimately better outcomes for children served in early intervention.

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Hannah Carlock, director of public policy, provides a legislative update for the second week of the 2021 legislative session comes to a close.

Watch: 2021 Legislative Update – Week Three of Session

Keep up to date! Sign up to receive Action Alerts and Legislative Updates and find information on how to contact your public policy officials in our Action Center.

Share Your DSP Story
We need your help! Legislators need to hear stories from self-advocates, family members, Direct Support Professionals, providers of services to people with I/DD and community members about how DSPs impact your life and community. We will be presenting these stories to legislators as we advocate for a much needed wage increase for DSPs.

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Moving the autism field forward in times like these is tough. Yet, for nearly 55 years, we’ve hit the ground running each January, and, despite the challenges, we are determined to keep moving autism research and education forward as in the past. Planning has already begun for this year’s research grant program, scientific meetings, and our international outreach, in addition to free, online webinar programs. We will continue to keep the autism community posted about our new initiatives and programs through our website, autism.org, and our e-newsletters. Stay tuned!

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A2W is a national program that partners with autism support organizations, inclusion employment organizations, and colleges and universities to recruit, select, and train individuals diagnosed with autism. A2W identifies opportunities for individuals with autism looking to jump start their career in IT or Business Operation roles. A2W has current openings in Florence, KY for Quality Assurance Analysts! These are full-time openings that offer a competitive salary, full medical benefits (medical, vision, dental), and a 401k!

Job Description

A2W Informational Flyer

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“I created the Indy Autism Project with the goal of creating a city that leads with kindness and sees the strengths in our differences. People on the spectrum deserve a world that works for them and allows them to achieve their personal goals. Great leaps forward come from those who see the world differently. Indy is ready to embrace our neurodiverse community for who they are.”

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The Arc News in Indiana, our print newsletter, is in the mail, but you can read it now on our website: The Arc News in Indiana – Winter 2020

This issue features our 2021 public policy agenda, important information on our campaign to increase direct support professional wages and our 2021 advocacy guide.

You will also find feature articles on The Arc Master Trust, Erskine Green Training Institute, our exciting new Circles of Support campaign and more.

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Governor Eric Holcomb and Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch have announced their 2021 public policy agenda. We greatly appreciate Lt. Governor Crouch’s inclusion of issues impacting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In her remarks, Lt. Governor Crouch said, “The pandemic has challenged every Hoosier in unique ways, and it has certainly shed light on the very real needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities – Hoosiers with autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. In light of COVID, we will continue to review our work related to employment, technology and workforce support. Our goal is to prioritize specific improvements related to employment, use of technology, social connectivity, and direct workforce support for our Hoosiers dealing with intellectual and developmental challenges.

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Congress is expected to pass a short term, one week spending bill on Wednesday or Thursday to allow time for further negotiations on both government funding and COVID relief ending on December 18. The short-term bill is expected to pass without issue. It will also include a one week extension of the Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. This program provides funding to help move people with disabilities from nursing facilities to community residential services. The Arc US is hopeful that this extra week will allow for a multi-year MFP extension to be part of what ultimately becomes law, along with COVID relief.

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HANDS in Autism® wants to thank all the state’s Local Community Cadre (LCC) stakeholders who participated in LCC events and activities over the last year. Despite the many challenges experienced, the state’s advocacy of autism and related disorders has been phenomenal, as evidenced by the work completed! We currently have all seven LCC regions actively working to address their region-identified needs in quarterly meetings, cadre activities and community trainings. Cadre members are working hard to address local needs such as increasing community ASD awareness, addressing needs of transition-aged youth and those with dual-diagnosis—and looking at resources to support First Responders and Educators.

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Thanksgiving is a time to pause and give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.

In this time of gratitude, we share our sincere thanks with leaders and staff at our 43 chapters across the state for your dedication to serving and advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, particularly during this challenging year.

Thank you to our 30,000 plus members for your ongoing support of The Arc movement.

To families and people with disabilities across the state, please know we are always here to support you, and thank you for the difference you make every day.

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The Washington Post has developed a lengthy, heart wrenching feature story about a DSP from The Arc Greater Prince William County, the residents of the group home where she worked, and the important work that DSPs do providing supports in the community.

This could be shared with your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators Braun and Young to communicate why any COVID relief bill needs to address support for people with I/DD and I/DD providers.

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Though these are challenging times, we hope these stories offer a look into the many diverse perspectives in our community, and provide inspiring and uplifting content when we need it most.

Meet Matty W.

At Autism Speaks, we take pride in sharing stories from our community and providing a platform for people with autism and their families to provide unique perspectives about life on the spectrum. We celebrate individuality and diversity, and aim to recognize both the triumphs and the struggles of people from all walks of life.

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Tim Boyle is one of the keyworkers on whom society has relied to keep the country moving during the Covid crisis. Tim, who was diagnosed with autism in 2018, had been out of work for a year before joining a traineeship with Mencap. With the charity’s support, he got a role working in the Clipper Logistics distribution warehouse in his home town of Northampton – and has not looked back. He is taking on more responsibilities, such as administration duties, and has completed training to be a company first-aider. He is also using his new skills to mentor other new trainees in the warehouse.

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Greetings!

The holiday season is upon us, and in typical times this can be a joyful yet stressful for people on the spectrum and their families. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting so many aspects of our lives, I want to wish everyone a very peaceful and healthy start to the busy weeks ahead.

Here at ARI, we continue to serve our community as best we can in these unprecedented circumstances. Since much of our organization’s programming relies on technology to connect professionals, researchers, and parents, we have stepped up this work by sponsoring extra webinars, organizing COVID-19 resources, and completing our rigorous grant review and award process. We have also expanded our international outreach efforts to 27 countries and published a new multidisciplinary book on anxiety, and we continue to keep up-to-date with the latest research by reaching out to many of the top scientists in the field. We are grateful to be in a situation that allows us to continue to serve the autism community during this pandemic.

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Throughout the week of November 9, The Arc of Indiana and Self-Advocates of Indiana invite you to join in our virtual conference and Impact Awards presentation. All times listed are EST.

9 Workshops + 3 Keynotes + 2020 Impact Awards

Thanks to our sponsors, all events are free, but you do need to register!
Workshop registration closes Monday, November 9th, 9:00 a.m.
Keynote and Impact Awards registration ends Thursday, November 12th, 3:00 p.m.

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Suffolk University seeks participants for an online survey that aims to understand the experiences of mothers ages 25-55 who are parenting individuals diagnosed with autism during the Covid-19 pandemic. Suffolk reached out to ARI for assistance reaching mothers who may wish to participate.

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Will you Take the Challenge?
Are you willing or are your friends and extended families willing to take the Networked for Autism Challenge?

We receive so many emails and calls from Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas, Grandpas, friends, colleagues, and neighbors of a loved one affected by autism. They want to know what book to read to help, what they should say to show their support- they want to show their pride for someone they care about who has overcome autism challenges.
Here is one solution of value for all of you. Will you take the Networked for Autism Challenge today? Create a team to show your pride and make positive impact for the autism community.

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When: November 14, 2020 & December 8, 2020

Where: Science Central

RSVP: https://www.visitfortwayne.com/event/aws-foundation-special-abilities-days-at-science-central/25953/

Tickets are FREE to members of the community with special abilities with pre-registration.

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This is an opportunity to recognize the dedication of family members who provide continuous care to loved ones. Caregivers are constantly balancing the many needs of their families with little time left for themselves. Due to COVID-19, caregiving is more isolating than ever.

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Portsmouth, RI – The National Autism Association announced today that it has been awarded a $130,000 Department of Justice (DoJ) grant under the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) for its Big Red Safety Box program. The program provides free safety boxes to U.S. families within the autism community in an effort to prevent wandering/elopement behaviors.

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Vote!

Election Day is just days away! Early voting sites are now open across the state. Go to indianavoters.in.gov/ to check your voting status, find times and locations where you can vote, and if you cannot go to the polls and did not request an absentee ballot, request a “traveling board” to come to your residence to cast your vote. If you are voting by absentee ballot, return your ballot as soon as possible.

For more information, check out our Election Guide.

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