Books, Books, Books!

There are countless excellent books written about ASDs and for individuals with autism. We have recently added more titles to some of our books pages here on CHART, and we have also added a brand new page: Books for Children!

There are new books to explore on the following pages on our site:

Books about Autism Spectrum / Aspergers

Books about Behavior

Books about Social Skills and Social Thinking

Books about Special Education and 2E

I have personally read many of the newly added books, and am looking forward to reading some of the others (particularly the book about the ASD Nest Model which has been added to the Special Education page).

This is a great time to pick up books about autism, because many are on sale at the Autism Society of NC Bookstore and AAPC (Autism Asperger Publishing Company) for Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month this April.

Do you have any favorite books about ASDs that you do not see listed? Please leave a comment here or on our Facebook page to let us know!

Fun Free Family Events This Month

There are two great fun free events coming up this month for individuals with special needs and their families:

2013 Spring Carnival for Children with Special Needs and Their Families

Time: Saturday, April 20th  11 am - 2 pm
Location: Brooks Avenue Church of Christ
700 Brooks Avenue
Raleigh, NC 

FREE fun and games
Hot dogs
Popcorn
Petting zoo
Crafts
Prizes

This event is worth the trip to Raleigh, even from Chapel Hill. We attended last year and were amazed at how much there was to do and how incredibly welcoming all of the volunteers were. Highly recommend!

ASNCOC Bowling

 

Time: Saturday, April 27th 10am
Location: Mardi Gras Bowling Center
6118 Farrington Road
Chapel Hill, NC

This event is sponsored by ASNCOC (Autism Society of North Carolina Orange Chatham Chapter) and UNC Autism Outreach.

Join us for an hour of FREE bowling with other individuals with autism and their families. Bowlers of all ages are welcome! Please email asncoc@gmail.com to Rsvp with the number and ages of bowlers. 

ASNCOC Coffee Gathering This Friday

The ASNCOC (Autism Society of North Carolina Orange Chatham chapter) monthly coffee meeting is coming up this Friday. It is a great opportunity to get together with parents, professionals, and others who care about someone on the spectrum. Stop by for coffee and casual conversation during this Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month.

Friday, April 12th
10 - 11am
Caribou Coffee in Chapel Hill (corner of Franklin and Estes)

The group gathers in the meeting room. The chapter has to buy a Caribou gift card to reserve the room, so please stop by and get the card to buy your coffee. Cash donations are cheerfully accepted to cover the cost of the card.

All are welcome. Hope to see lots of old friends and new faces there!

Summer Social Skills Groups for Boys with ASD, Asperger's & ADHD

Solomon Kobes in Chapel Hill will be offering several sessions of Social Skills Therapy Groups this summer for boys with ASD, Asperger's, or ADHD. Groups start the week of June 24th and run for 8 weeks. 

Image via School A to Z.

 

Group description:

Does your child want to make friends but struggles to do so? 

Does your child make friends but has trouble keeping them? 

Does your child “march to the beat of his own drum? 

Could your child benefit from positive peer interactions to build self confidence and self-esteem?

 

The sessions are as follows:

8 - 10 years old: Tuesdays at 3:30pm

9 - 11 years old: Thursdays at 4:30pm

10 - 11 years old: Tuesdays at 4:30pm

12 - 13 years old: Wednesdays at 3:30pm

14 - 17 years old: Wednesdays at 4:30pm


For information and to schedule a placement evaluation contact Solomon Kobes, LCSW by email via his  website or by phone at (919) 240-5548. Evaluation and group sessions are covered by Medicaid and typically insurance reimbursable as “out of network” with private insurers. Payment by credit card of $466 in one or two installments. Discounted to $440 for cash/check payments.

Autism Acceptance Is Important, But Awareness Still Matters

In case you have not heart yet, April is Autism Awareness / Acceptance Month. This is a great opportunity for everyone connected with the autism community to share information, stories, and promote acceptance. We were fortunate enough to spend World Autism Awareness Day at one of the most aware and accepting places on the planet - the Autism Society of North Carolina's amazing Camp Royall. If you have never had the opportunity to go, it is worth the trip - first and foremost, it is a really fun place. Camp Royall is also very welcoming, and everyone there is wonderfully free of judgement.

There have been some excellent articles and blog posts written about acceptance (check out The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism for an ongoing series about acceptance, written by a variety of self-advocates and parents), but I think there can be a tendency among those who have lived in the thick of the autism world for a long time to say, "Yes, yes, we are aware already!" and to want to focus on what comes next, ie, acceptance and support. Jo Ashline wrote an excellent post about what it means to be aware and to live life with autism that will resonate with many parents.

However, it is important that we do not mistake awareness of the word "autism" with actual awareness and understanding of what it looks like in real life. There are tremendous strides yet to be made on all fronts, including educating parents, professionals, schools, extended families, and the general public. Although the rate of autism diagnosis has jumped dramatically in the U.S.,autism is still diagnosed later in minority children, including the African-American, Hispanic, and Asian communities. In addition, there is a growing belief that girls on the spectrum are often missed, as ASDs can look different in girls than boys. Twice-exceptional children may also have a harder time receiving an early diagnosis because their cognitive strengths often mask some of their challenges.

For many families, just getting to the point of a diagnosis is a challenge, because of lack of awareness among professionals. How many well-meaning pediatricians have reassured parents that their child cannot have autism because he or she makes eye contact? What about the speech-language pathologist who mistakes a large vocabulary for strong pragmatic language or the therapist who does not realize that a bright child can nonetheless struggle with the sequencing of daily life activities (speaking from personal experience)? One autism mom describes what autism looks like very nicely in her post "More Than Just Quirks" on the blog Beautifully Quirky.

Once an autism diagnosis has been made, it is indeed time to work on the process of acceptance, starting with the parents and immediate family. There are numerous books on the subject, but today I am going to focus on a trio of books written by North Carolina parents:



"Asperkids: An Insider's Guide to Loving, Understanding, and Teaching Children with Asperger Syndrome" by Jennifer Cooke O'Toole: Written by an Aspie and mom of children on the spectrum, this book affirms that "different doesn't mean defective" and offers insight on how to connect with and educate your own "Asperkid".



 
"Journey with Julian" by Dwayne Ballen: There are comparatively few fathers blogging about autism, and Mr. Ballen's writing shares his journey toward acceptance of his son Julian's autism and his acceptance of Julian as a young man. I had the privilege of seeing him speak at the 2012 Autism Society of NC Annual Conference, and what really struck me was his perspective about the need for fathers to change their own pre-conceived ideas of what a son should be like, and coming to accept that their version of happiness may be unique and different than our own. It might be a good Father's Day gift for the autism dad in your life.



"A Friend's and Relative's Guide to Supporting the Family with Autism" by Ann Palmer: This book is a great one to share with friends, grandparents, and extended family members. It is full of practical tips about how loved ones can support the parents and child with ASD, and equally important, gently suggests what things not to do. This is a good book to share with grandparents and others who would like to help, but do not know how. After all, acceptance starts with understanding.


There are also many books written to help individuals on the spectrum come to greater self-awareness, understanding, and acceptance. Books also exist written especially for siblings, teachers, and Spanish-speakers. The Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore is a great resource for books about autism awareness and acceptance.

Maybe the best way for us to promote autism acceptance is begin by including everyone in the discussion about awareness: parents, self-advocates, minority families, professionals, extended family members, and the broader community as a whole.

Teen / Young Adult Programs At iAspire

iAspire of North Carolina in Cary offers unique programs for an under-served group: teens and young adults with Asperger's and HFA. Their motto is: "Building connections for teens and young adults with Asperger's, the people that love them, and the community in which they live and work". The model is to build confidence, self-esteem, social skills, job readiness, and daily living skills through fun programs that do not feel like therapy.

Current and upcoming programs include:

• Bowling
• Basic Cooking
• Tae Kwon Do
• Hanging With Friends
• Woodworking

For more information, visit their website or contact Karen at 919-244-5863 or karen@iaspireofnc.org.

March ASNCOC Coffee

The next Autism Society of NC Orange Chatham (ASNCOC) coffee gathering will be held on Thursday, March 7th at 10am.

Join us at the Caribou Coffee at 1408 East Franklin Street (corner of Franklin and Estes) for coffee and casual conversation. It is a great time to meet other parents and people who care about those on the spectrum. Everyone is welcome - we hope to see lots of old friends and new faces!