AIM is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of people with autism by connecting the autism community and providing education and resources to families, communities, and providers.

AIM provides funding for our program called AIM To Help which provides grants for Benton and Washington County families impacted by an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The grants provide individuals on the Autism Spectrum with funding that may be used for a wide variety of supports and programs.


In order to qualify for a grant a recipient must:

·       Be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

·       Reside in Benton or Washington county

·       Not be on the Medicaid Waiver Program

·       Provide supporting documentation for the diagnosis of Autism

Grant Amounts:
Grants will range up to $500

Grant Requests:
Grants can be used to cover the costs of generally accepted autism treatments or equipment that are neither fully covered by insurance nor provided by school systems.

Examples of possible uses for grant money:

Social Skills Training           Education Books/Videos     Horseback Riding Lessons
Sensory Integration               Computer Software               Education Conference Fees
Vision Services                     Swimming Lessons               Training Materials
Music Classes                       Therapy Services                   Sensory Equipment
Play Therapy                        

Grant Money will not be approved for the following:
School Tuition
Electronics such as iPads, Kindle Fires, Tablets, and eReaders will not be approved for children under the age of 7 years old

Application Process:
To apply for funds please complete the enclosed application, supply the requested information, and return to the following address below:

AIM
PO Box 866
Bentonville, AR 72712

Notification of eligibility acceptance or denial will be made via email. Therefore a valid email address is required upon application.

Application Deadline & Important Dates:

Application Deadline      Postmarked by September 10, 2014
Notification                       October 15, 2014
Grant Pick Up                  November 20, 2014 6-8pm
                                            Location will be supplied within notification emails

Download instructions and Application below as a pdf or word doc.

We all felt really inspired by this video - look how well Matt is doing for himself and the goals he will soon be able to attain.
~ NWACPRC Staff

"Matt is a young adult with autism living at home. He's the smile behind SMILE Biscotti. His business is part of the Rising Young Entrepreneur Program through SARRC, the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center. He's blazing a trail while raising community and legislative awareness for children and adults living with Autism.

Watch my video and meet Matt! Purchase SMILE Biscotti to support Matt and help raise Autism awareness."

http://www.smilebiscotti.com/

Shine a light on Autism! World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), celebrated on April 2 annually, was adopted by the United Nations in 2007 to shine a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis.  WAAD activities increase and develop world knowledge of the autism crisis and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe. Autism is one of only three health issues to be recognized by the United Nations with its own day. Go here for more information: http://liub.autismspeaks.org/welcome

NorthWest Arkansas Community College is excited to announce that they are currently accepting applications for the 2014-2015 academic year as part of the general scholarship program.

Two of the available scholarships are eligible only to students who experience specific types of disability :

1. David Duff Correll Scholarship, available to students living with an Autism Spectrum diagnosis.

2. Elaine "Ellie" Hamilton Memorial Scholarship, available to students living with chronic illness.

Qualifying students are strongly encouraged to apply! Learn more and apply online at their website.

THE APPLICATION PERIOD CLOSES ON MARCH 7, 2014!

If you have any questions about these scholarship opportunities, please speak with a Disability Resource Center Staff Member.

The Institute for Behavioral Training (IBT) this week released ten of its top tips to minimize challenges for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during the holiday season. IBT is a leading training institute that provides innovative programs to meet the current and emerging needs of parents, caregivers, healthcare providers, and human service professionals across the globe.

“The holiday season is usually a time for celebration and joy, but many families of children with autism find that it can also be a time of stress,” says IBT director Cecilia Knight, MA, BCBA. “These children typically have a tough time coping with change, including different places and different people, and they are often sensitive to loud sounds, bright lights, and even touch. These ten tips are effective for many families with children with autism.”

Knight says families can prevent or reduce most stressful situations with the following ten tips:

1. Make a schedule of activities each day (using pictures or words) to ensure that expectations are clear for the whole family. Set this up ahead of time to help prepare your child for the events of the day and minimize negative reactions to unexpected activities. Also, don’t over schedule the day! Make sure there are plenty of opportunities for breaks and down time.

2. Have your child assist in the order of events or reinforcement schedule for each day (grocery store first, arcade second, then library). This will provide him/her with choices and a sense of control over portions of the day.

3. Take a day trip. Visit a museum or sporting event together; boredom can be your worst enemy.

4. Bring toys, video games, or other entertainment to keep kids occupied during commutes or wait time.

5. Remember to take visual cues (i.e., schedules and communication devices) with you on outings.

6. Try to identify the most important part of an occasion and limit your participation to that time period. Visits, family gatherings, and large events can be stressful for kids/teens. If Aunt Edna’s Thanksgiving Extravaganza always lasts four hours, plan to arrive just in time for the meal and then leave in a reasonable amount of time to avoid meltdowns.

7. Create fun in the home with inexpensive ways to entertain your child/teen. For example, create scavenger hunt, organize arts and crafts activities, build a fort, or play a family game of Twister.

8. Have reasonable expectations, and pick your battles! If your child/teen is a picky eater, focus more on table manners or his/her interaction with family during the holiday feast, instead of pushing him/her to eat a plateful of new foods.

9. Be consistent; schedule lunch, snacks, TV, chores, outdoor activities, or arts and crafts during the same time each day to avoid frustration during vacation.

10. Identify the holiday stressors; either work on them ahead of time or manage them in the vacation schedule. For example, if the endless hugs from family will set your child/teen on the wrong course for the day, then you might need a plan in place to practice that interaction. If that is not possible, then try to manage the situation in the moment with simple and reasonable rules: “Hug three people, and then we will go do something fun together.”

For more information about IBT, visit www.ibehavioraltraining.com.

article provided by http://northdallasgazette.com

In the informative videos below, you'll find out about the recent changes in names for PDD/NOS and what they are now referred to, according to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition).

En Español aquí

The worry of a child wandering is great enough on it's own -- but when that child has special needs the stakes are even higher.  The online journal, Pediatrics, published a survey results from over 1200 families containing children with autism. It revealed that 49 percent of those children wandered off at least once after the age of four. Of that 49 percent, nearly half of the children who disappeared for a period of time, were away long enough to be labeled as “missing.”

The response to this needs to be diffusing this fear with information and knowledge so that parents are prepared and preventative. We have several resources that touch on what wandering can look like with kids that have special needs, ways to have them prepared if it ever happens to them, and several different resources that can help make sure that none of these situations turn dire. There are resources at the links below, and an inforgraphic with a rundown of information below that.

Packet on Missing Children with Special Needs

Autism Wandering and Elopement Initiative

Big Red Safety Toolkit

Child Locators

Why do Children with Autism Wander?

  AIM of NWA is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and adults with special needs.

AIM provides funding for a program called AIM to Help which funds grants for Benton and Washington County families impacted by an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The grants provide individuals on the Autism Spectrum with funding that may be used for a wide variety of supports and programs. 

In order to qualify for a grant, a recipient must:

·        Be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder

·        Reside in Benton or Washington County.

·        Not be on the Medicaid Waiver Program

·        Provide supporting documentation for the diagnosis of Autism

Grant amounts:

Grants will range up to - $500.00. 

Grant requests:

Grants are used to cover the costs of generally accepted autism treatments or equipment that are neither fully covered by insurance nor provided by school systems.

Examples of possible uses of grant money:                                        


Social skills training  
Sensory Integration
Vision services
Music classes/instruments
Educational Books/Videos
Computer software
Swimming lessons    
Therapy Services
Horseback riding lessons
Education conference fees  
Training Materials     
Sensory Equipment

Application process:

To apply for funds, please complete the enclosed application forms and return to:

AIM of NWA 16385 Armour Rd
Springdale, AR 72764


Once your application is received, it will be reviewed to determine if you meet the above guidelines. Grants will be issued by November 15, 2013. If your application is approved, we will mail you the AIM to Help grant for immediate use.   If we cannot meet your request, you will receive a letter explaining the decision.  

 

Deadlines for Grants

September 30, 2013               Deadline for all 2013 applications

October 31, 2013                    All grants will be reviewed/ notified by this date

November 15, 2013                2013 Grants will be awarded by this date

January 31, 2014                    Thank you letters for grants are due

An automated conversation coach helps socially anxious users practice speaking skills for job interviews, dates, public speeches, and other settings. It may be especially useful for people with social phobias, Asperger’s, and high-functioning autism.

Find the entire article here: http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/16548/20130614/virtual-conversation-coach-social-awkwardness-public-speaking-anxiety.htm

You may have heard of the After School Program, and if your child goes to school in the Springdale ISD you might be interested in some details:

During the school year, the program runs until 6:00pm at the child's school, only in Springdale ISD, K-6 ( except Jones Elementary which  doesn't have enough kids enrolled to have a program).

The Cost is $60 per week or $55 if you can automatically debit from an account.

The summer program is at JB Hunt Elementary for children from any district. The cost is $125 per week and they can be there from 7am-6pm. They serve a hot lunch and two snacks almost all summer and the materials and activities are all included in the fee.

The program is working on employing someone who speaks Spanish.

They do accept some children with disabilities into the program - a limitation is no changing facilities, so the children must be able to use the toilet.

They have had high-functioning children with autism in the program and have also made accommodations for a someone who uses a wheelchair (but who was able to use the toilet well).

If you are interested in this program, you can go find out more at www.afterschoolprog.com


- NWACPRC Staff