Co-Presidents' Message

AACC-ASA meetings are held on the last Tuesday evening of each month at Ruth Parker Eason School in Millersville.

Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m.

The agenda includes introductions and general announcements, followed by time for open discussion. A refreshment break is followed by a presentation given by the guest speaker. Then time is allowed for a follow-up discussion and further opportunity for group support and socialization.

New members and new ideas are always welcome. 

Come check us out!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for last month's meeting, which featured a presentation by Marjorie Shulbank about the new autism medicaid waiver.

At the meeting we also had an opportunity to meet and speak with several of Mrs. Shulbank's colleagues at the state level, as well as several members of our county's Special Education Division and staff from the Coordinating Center.

If you were unable to attend, and would like to learn more about the autism waiver, please contact either Pam Courson, our County Contact, at (410) 222-5474, or Boyd Pusey, MSDE's Autism Waiver Specialist, at (410) 767-1446.

At the meeting we also distributed a new brochure about the autism waiver and DDA-funded behavioral and family support services that was recently developed by our chapter.  If you need  additional copies of the brochure, it is now available on our chapter's web site in a printable format.

For our September meeting, we have planned something special: we are inviting school professionals to join us on that evening for a presentation by Elaine Williams, a Pediatric Psychology Associate at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital.  Mrs. Williams' presentation is entitled "What works: Practical information for school professionals working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders".

Mrs. Williams is a child development specialist in autism and related disorders. She has specialized in autism diagnosis and intervention for the past 20 years, providing evaluations, treatment consultations, and parent/professional education.   

We encourage you to invite your school's professional staff to join us on September 25th.

Lastly, we want to note that we recently distributed the new edition of our Chapter Directory, as well as a request for assistance in creating a new Chapter Resource Guide.  If you did not receive either of these items, or need additional copies, please contact us and we will have them mailed to you.

The Arc of Anne Arundel County is organizing a workshop for siblings (ages 8 - 13) of children with special needs. The workshop will be held at Shipley's Choice, 8601 Veterans Highway, Millersville, on the following Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm: September 22nd, October 13th, November 3rd, and December 1st.

In the workshop, the participants have an opportunity to meet other siblings in a relaxed, recreational setting, where they can discuss their common joys and concerns.

The fee for this 4-session workshop is $20.  For more information, call (410) 578-5169.