I’m sure you can see that quite a few articles in this blog have nothing to do with Autism or being on the Spectrum. I frequently rant about what latest injustice has grabbed my attention. While this will give you a lot of insight into my personality, this has very little to do with you, your child on the Spectrum, or the challenges you face as a parent looking for answers.
With that in mind, eventually I will be moving most articles over to another WordPress blog that I will be creating as time allows. I hope to have the process completed by the end of the year. In this blog, I will re-focus on news that is Autism related, and how it might be affecting you.
I urge you to keep me informed by sending links to me so I can review them, and if it is Autism related, chances are quite good that I will post your link, give you credit, and hopefully broaden the discussion that raises the important questions that need to be raised concerning the many forms of Autism, how we continue to be marginalized, and what we can do to fight back against a system that appears to reward those with power and money, and disregards the rest.
Would you mind answering a few questions? These questions will help me understand better who I’m trying to help, and what daily life struggles you are trying to solve.
- Are you on the Spectrum, or suspect that you have a minor form like Aspergers?
- Do you have a child who has recently been diagnosed?
- Do you live in South Central Wisconsin? I ask because I am a board member of the Autism Society that serves a 10 county area – Dane, Columbia, Sauk, Iowa, Rock, Green, Lafayette, Grant, Richland and Crawford counties.
We have a resource directory, which is a good starting point for understanding the resources that may be available to you in your county. 90% is within Dane County, but there are bridges to education in other counties. Take a look near the end of the manual for Trainings and Workshops on page 27, and Treatment Services on page 28. It also mentions contacting your school district, as they will be a good resource as well. Also contact your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC).
The Autism Society also has a traveling education program. Erin Finger typically is the presenter; she can coordinate when and where a future presentation will be in your county. If you have further questions on this or anything else, please call our main office at (608) 630-9147.
While this directory is very focused on Dane County, that doesn’t mean there are no services in other counties! With a little time and effort, Google should be able to locate a more local alternative in your area. I’ve posted some of the Google Results here as a starting point. You should also get familiar with the Waisman Center in Madison, which is an exceptional program and facility with its roots in the JFK era. If you haven’t been to Day with the Experts, please consider coming the last weekend in January for the Autism version. They also have other disabilities that they address, and you should call them at (608) 263-3301 if you are interest in any of them.
Daily Life with Asperger's 