MAC Calendar - MAC Calendar

Join us for a support group for parents of children with autism. Childcare is available, call Kristin Issacs at 707-344-4387, to reserve childcare. Suggested donation of $5 for childcare. Dessert and coffee will be served.

Come for great snacks, friendship, and fun. Return home with a longer list of care providers for children with special needs! All children are welcome and entertainment is provided. Sponsored by The LaChris Connection.

Join the Transition Sub-committee and help us improve resources for individuals ages 16 and older!

Dan Phillips, MS, CCC-SLP, presents this lecture on augmentative communication and technology. For registration information, visit http://www.marinautism.org/AutismLectureSeries09.pdf.

Speaker Diane Engelman, PhD. Fee: $5 (free to CHADD members and Star parents). Registration: Dorothy Khosrovi at 415-456-8727, ext. 117 or dorothy.khosrovi@staracademy.org.

Speaker, Alanna Freeman, Occupational Therapist. Fee: $5 (free to CHADD members and Star parents). Registration: Dorothy Khosrovi at 415-456-8727, ext. 117 or dorothy.khosrovi@staracademy.org.

Monthly support group in San Rafael, call Doug at 415-785-4319 to confirm the time and place.

Niños con Necesidades Especiales & Consultas Sobre El IEP 3er Sabádo de cada mes en el Canal Alliance, San Rafael a las 10 am 415-475-2145

Información de Recursos en Sonoma 2do Jueves de cada mes a las 11 am en Becoming Independent, Santa Rosa.1-800-578-2592

Come and meet other families in this support group led by two parents who have children/teens on the spectrum. Share experiences and network around common needs. Meets the 3rd Thursday of the month in San Rafael. To RSVP or request morninformation, call 415-884-3535.

What to know about IEP transition meetings, inclusion, and preparing for elementary school. Workshop is free. Registration required two day before the workshop, call 415-884-3535 to register.

Please join the Youth Sub-Committee work on improving resource for school-aged children with ASD in Marin! Please contact Karen Kaplan with any questions, karensupportsu@comcast.net.

The 2010 Developmental Disabilities: Update for Health Professionals will focus on ASD across the lifespan. The conference will be held on March 11-12 at the Laurel Heights Conference Center in San Francisco, CA. Visit the website for more information.

Join us for a morning of exploration with Dr. David G. Amaral of the UC Davis, M.I.N.D. Institute! Dr. Amaral will give the keynote address, "Neurobiological and Neuroimmune Approaches to Understanding Autism." Following his address, break-out groups will look at the available resources in Marin and what resources still need to be developed.

This event is FREE! To pre-register, send the names and contact information of attendees to Katrina Ferreyra, at kferreyra@lifehouseagency.org.

To take care of your children, take care of yourself! Learn simple and practical techniques to reduce your stress. Presented by Barbara Easterlin, PhD, Assistant Professor, UCSF HALP Clinic. Corte Madera Town Center Community Room. RSVP required: 415-884-3535.

Kidspace is offering special groups for siblings of children with challenges, led by Blair Wellington, MFT. Two distinct groups will be offered: 6-8 year old siblings will meet at 3:15, and 9-12 year old siblings will meet at 4:30. The cost is $75/week. Please contact Kidspace for more information, info@kidspacetherapy.com.

Presenter: Leah Kuypers, M.A., OTR/L Learn about The Zones of Regulation (ZoR), a cognitive-behavior based strategy that helps students become more aware of and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, managing their sensory needs, and improving their ability to problem solve conflicts. The workshop is $20 for parents and $30 for professionals. RSVP by emailing rsvp@cwtherapy.com.

Practical ideas are provided that can easily be incorporated at home, school and in the community.

The Zones of Regulation Teaches Clients:

Teaches identification of feelings and emotions
How to identify their level of arousal and sensory needs
Which calming strategies work for them
The impact of calming strategies and when to use them

Join Nanci Bell, Co-Founder and Director of Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes. Her presentation will outline and elaborate on recent research establishing that imagery is a critical factor in cognition and language comprehension. Admission is $10 for members and $45 for non-members. To register, visit www.parentseducationnetwork.org.

Goals of the Seminar
After receiving the diagnosis of autism for a beloved child (or children), parents typically struggle as they search through various resources to locate information needed to help their child the fastest. The goal of the one-day Autism Journey Orientation is to provide parents and caretakers the “jump start” they need at the beginning of their journey from parents who have “been there, done that.” In addition to sage advice, parents who attend will receive: an overview of beginning therapies and biomedical intervention, where to go for what information, and recommended first steps. The seminar will be given by experienced parents who volunteer their time in providing the education new parents need.

Who should Attend?
This one-day seminar is geared for parents and caretakers of children affected by autism. Content will be provided in an “overview” presentation with web and book resource information for additional details. This seminar is geared to parents and caretakers new to the autism journey (less than 18 months) who have not yet started a behavioral/educational program or biomedical testing and interventions.

Seminar Agenda

Introductions & review of the agenda
What’s in a diagnosis?
Surviving the first year
Who Pays for WHAT??!
Biomedical (necessary tests and protocols)
Traditional Therapies (including: behavioral, academic, play therapies, social skills, speech & more!)
Dietary Interventions
Your Child's Legal Rights
Organization & Planning 101
Questions and Answers

Seminar Costs & Online Registration

Register Online
Parents/Caretakers: $28 registration per person OR $45 per couple
Scholarships are encouraged for families in need.
Available spaces are LIMITED! Be sure to register at least 10 days before the seminar!

Mail Registration

Please make your check payable to TACA
Mail fee to TACA at 3070 Bristol Street, #340, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Registrants MUST INCLUDE: name, email address, phone # and address.
Available spaces are LIMITED! Be sure to register at least 10 days before the seminar!

Refund policy
No refunds 48 hours before the event or for “no shows”

Babysitting
Sorry, babysitting and child care are NOT available at these seminars.

More Info
Please contact us.

Seminar Sponsor
TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) – Families Helping Families

Kaiser Permanente is co-sponsoring a new class with Planned Parenthood called, "Sexual Safety for Youth with Developmental Disabilities". It is open to the public. The class will be offered on Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 1:30-3:30pm at the Kaiser hospital in Walnut Creek, CA. See below for description and attached flyer. Please feel free to distribute widely.

Sexual Safety for Youth with Developmental Disabilities
The Sexual Safety class is a workshop for girls and boys with developmental disabilities ages 12-18, and their parents. This workshop provides a safe setting to promote communication between parents and children about sexual subjects, to discuss appropriate and inappropriate touch, and practice skills for protection against unwanted advances. Visual aids, discussion, and activities will be used to reinforce the ideas of the workshop. This is cosponsored by Planned Parenthood and Kaiser Permanente. Open to the community.
Location: Kaiser Walnut Creek: 1425 S. Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Fee : $20 per family
Registration : For information or to register, call (925) 887-5327 or email bzacovic@ppshastadiablo.org. Advanced registration is required.
Date: Saturday, Mar. 13 from 1:30-3:30pm

The Teen Recreation Integration Program provides recreation opportunities for teen and young adults with developmental disabilities, including autism. To participate in these activities, you must first register with the TRIP program. Contact Amanda Gracy to join TRIP and for more information about this activity at 415-686-9643 or amandaleighgracy@yahoo.com. Hope you will join us!

Please allow this to serve as an introduction to Woven Shade, a newly-formed nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. We are a group of families and interested professionals that have banded together to develop residential housing choices for adults with autism. The nonprofit is under contract to acquire 2.8 acres of land in downtown Sonoma just 4 blocks west of the main Plaza. Before we commence final design of the development, we are seeking input from families and potential future residents. We are conducting a series of focus groups at 5:00PM and 7:00 PM on March 9 (Marin) and March 10 (Sonoma). We welcome your participation and feedback on the project. We request that only families or potential residents participate as we want direct feedback from those who will directly benefit from the development in the near future.The groups will be limited to 8-10 persons on a first-come basis and be facilitated by a person knowledgeable about the project and the issues facing persons with autism. Attached is a proposed agenda, a list of possible discussion topics, some general background on Woven Shade and direction to each session. If you would like to be involved, please contact me and let me know which session and location you would like to attend. Due to limited space, we do need participants to RSVP in advance. Childcare will not be available. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Please RSVP to : Mark JacksonPresident, Woven Shade Inc.415-302-2526 cell / 415-455-9675 homemfjackson@sbcglobal.net

Join the Early Years Sub-committee for it's bi-monthly meeting working to improve early screening, identification, and intervention for children with ASD. This month the sub-committee is meeting in conjunction with the other community early year's roundtables for a joint meeting.

Join us for a presentation by CIP Berkeley's Program Director, Janet Miller, and a curriculum overview by staff. After the presentations, we will have tours of current CIP student apartments, located right next to the library. Lunch is included. Location: Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St., Berkeley, CA 94704. RSVP at www.cipberkeley.org.

The Teen Recreation Integration Program provides recreation opportunities for teen and young adults with developmental disabilities, including autism. To participate in these activities, you must first register with the TRIP program. Contact Amanda Gracy to join TRIP and for more information about this activity at 415-686-9643 or amandaleighgracy@yahoo.com. Hope you will join us!

Children and teens with disabilities and their siblings are invited to come for an afternoon of fun in a safe, caring environment. Games, crafts, music, and snacks provided! We will provide one-on-one buddies for all children/teens and there will be a nurse on-site. NO COST, but PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Contact Cheryl Vidales, 415-863-3382, x223 or cvidales@fbcsf.org.

Este taller es para padres de hijos con necesidades especiales e inclyue los siguientes temas: porque es importante que los padres esten involucrados en la educacion de su hijo(a), cuales son sus derechos y responsabilidades bajo la ley IDEA, que debe saber sobre el proceso de la evaluacion y el desarrollo del IEP, como trabajar en conjunto con los maestros y especialistas, que hacer cuando usted esta en desacuerdo.

Habra cuidado de ninos para los que se registren antes del 10 de marzo. Oficina de ParentsCAN, 3299 Claremont Way, #3, Napa, CA. 253-7444, x 106.