Asperger_Meeting

Asperger's Committee Meeting Minutes

Asperger Meeting

Friday January 13, 2007

Committee Members: Penny Chelucci, Heidi Mizell

Staff: Theda Ellis

Attendance was affected by the meeting date change, so we used this time to update what is happening at ASD. These are our primary outcomes to date:

1. ASD is hiring Heidi for 10 hrs/week to address AS and develop programming. We have no special funding for this.

2. ASD received a $7,000 grant from Chichester DuPont to develop train the trainer for social skills. We will also be writing a grant for an adult component and combining them. It will be important to work this effort through this group.

3. ASD is actively working with the Legislative Task Force on Autism, and has sent a questionnaire about services to physicians, vocational providers, and hopefully the social work and psychological association will also be sending our questionnaire out. The Task Force will be getting a Legislative Fellow who will be checking into services in other states to see what is available.

4. We are currently advertising for teens to participate in the first ever Social Skills Training for Teens, sponsored by ASD. There is a $400 charge for this service, which will be a 6-week program with an assessment and a report.

5. We have continued the monthly teen night out, which has been successful. The night out has moved to Neurology Associates, and we will hold it once each month, and wrap the social skills training dates around the Friday Night Out.

6. Theda spoke with Teri Snyderman about the adult group and offered a $200 sponsorship. Teri is going to ask her son to take it up with the members. Following that discussion, the DDC announced they need to support a self-advocacy group, so that information was shared as well.

While there is no great time, folks appear to be more available on Fridays at noon. Nights are better for some, but worse for others, so we may try to alternate.