Workshops and Programs at LifeLinks

I just received the e-mail newsletter from LifeLinks. They have lots of things going on!

LifeLinks Family Support Center is hosting two FREE Sibshops this spring: Sibscene, for teenagers, and Sibshop, for kids 8-11(ish!). Sibshops are fun workshops for siblings of children with special needs. Attendees talk about their siblings, play games, and make new friends! All events are held at the LifeLinks office at 285 Mill Road, Chelmsford.

Sibshops for kids 8-11(ish!) will be held on Saturday, April 2 and Saturday, April 30from 3:00-5:30pm. The program is free and children do not need to attend both sessions.

Sibscene is a new workshop for siblings ages 12-16. On Saturday, April 9 and Saturday, May 7, from 3:00-5:30pm teens will hang out, watch a movie, and make new friends who also have a sibling with special needs.

To sign up, please contact Amy Young at 978-349-3039 or ayoung@lifelinksinc.net.

We will be hosting daytime workshops at our new facility! The workshops are scheduled from 9:30am-11:00am at our 285 Mill Road, Chelmsford building. There will be resource and discussion time at each meeting.

Wednesday, April 27: Attorney Lisa Morrow will present the School Discipline for Special Education Students training. She will address students' protections under IDEA, discipline and IEPs, and more.

Tuesday, May 10: An attorney from the Children's Law Center of Massachusetts will present a training on the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI).

Join other families to network and get a break outside of the house! There is resource and discussion time at each meeting.

Thursday, April 7: Let's Get Organized! Massachusetts Family Ties will present their workshop on ways to organize all of your paperwork.

285 Mill Road, Chelmsford 6-8PM

Tuesday, April 12: Watch Key of G, a documentary about families, transition, and creative independent living.

Best Western, Chelmsford, 6-8PM

Thursday, April 28: Margolis & Bloom and Attorney Melanie Margolis will present Protecting Children with Special Needs in Divorce.

285 Mill Road, Chelmsford, 6-8PM

Free gift for all who attend!

Prizes for lucky attendees!

Drinks and light snacks provided

Can you believe another school vacation is just around the corner? April vacation, the week of April 17, is only weeks away! LifeLinks Family Support Center has some FREE fun family activities planned!

Roller Kingdom! Tuesday, April 19th from 3:00-5:00pm, join us and other families for an afternoon of roller skating and socializing! We have rented out Roller Kingdom in Tyngsboro so only LifeLinks families will be in attendance. Free skate rental and pizza and soda included!

Bowling! Friday, April 22 from 3:00-5:00, we will be bowling at Brunswick Lanes in Lowell. Come hang out, bowl a couple of frames, and socialize with other LifeLinks families!

Are there other activities you'd like to do? Let us know!

Please RSVP for these activities. Call 978-349-3040 or email familysupport@lifelinksinc.net.

Special Events at the Library

Don't forget that we've got some special events coming up at the library. This Saturday at 10:30 AM is a storytime for special needs kids and their families. On Tuesday afternoons in April there is a support group for special needs siblings. For more information click on the links to the right. We hope to see you at these events!

Drumlin Farm Events for Those Age 17+ with ASD

I received an e-mail about this program from the Sage Crossing Foundation. This event is for individuals with ASD age 17 and older.

SAGE Announces April Workshops at Drumlin Farm

SAGE Crossing Foundation is delighted to announce two workshops to be held in the upcoming month, again offered in cooperation with Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA.

What: “Introduction to Life on the Farm”: Workshops with SAGE Crossing Foundation
Where: Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA
When: 9am-1pm on Saturday, April 9th (Workshop 1) and Saturday, April 23rd (Workshop 2)
Who: SAGE programs are currently open to individuals on the autism spectrum[1]*
How: Email hannah@sagecrossingfoundation.org to request a screening application or submit a completed application

The first workshop will be held on Saturday, April 9th, and the second workshop will be held on Saturday, April 23rd. Both programs will run from 9am-1pm. These workshops will serve as an introduction to “life on the farm.” SAGE farmers will have the opportunity to participate in horticultural activities in the garden, animal care, and farm-based crafts. Participants will gain recreational skills, as well as knowledge about the natural environment and the day-to-day working life of an operating farm.

Space is limited, and will be reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis. In order to be better able to adapt its programs to participants’ needs and interests, SAGE has revised its screening application. To reserve a space in the program: please send an email to Hannah at hannah@sagecrossingfoundation.org to request an application, or to submit a completed application.

*If the prospective participant typically requires a one-on-one aide (in other words, unless he or she can function successfully with a one-to-three staff ratio), we will need him or her to come with an aide.*

The program fee is $25 per workshop. Cost should not be prohibitive, however, and if it presents a barrier to participation, please contact Hannah at the email above to pursue the possibility of a scholarship. Payment should be submitted as a check made out to SAGE Crossing Foundation and mailed to 69 Lancaster County Road, Harvard, MA 01451, or can alternately be made through Paypal via SAGE’s website, http://www.sagecrossingfoundation.org/.

After registration, further information and guidelines will be sent out to participants and their guardians. SAGE looks forward with much excitement to working with you in the programs ahead!

Games

I just came across this site. It's called "Autism Games" and was created by a speech pathologist. I haven't had time to try it out yet but it looks as if there are different levels.
http://sites.google.com/site/autismgames/home/games-pages

Autism Technology Resource Fair

I received this information from staff at LifeLinks about an upcoming Autism Technology Resource Fair at Tufts Medical Center:

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 - Autism Awareness Day
Tufts Medical Center main lobby
800 Washington Street, Boston
10am-noon
AUTISM TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE FAIR and MORE!

Dear Parents/Guardians,
I am thrilled to tell you about the exciting exhibits at our fifth annual Autism Awareness Day resource fair on Wednesday, April 6th from 10am to noon in the Tufts Medical Center lobby. This year's event will focus on Autism Technology but you will also be able to get information on: · how to get your insurance to cover ABA under the new autism law (and how to figure out whether the law applies to your insurance company)· how to get in-home therapy for your family, a family partner for yourself, and a therapeutic mentor for your child through the Children's Behavioral Heath Initiative if your child is eligible· your concerns and questions about special education law and autism· Asperger's-specific information, services, and programs· a wide variety of Boston-area autism resources for your child and your family· autism research studies your family can participate in· social skills programming and parent training opportunities· and more!

Here is some of the cutting-edge technology (many of it under $10!) that you will learn about at the fair:· An app that helps you track your child's meltdowns and gives you information on how to prevent them from happening in the future· Wearable tracking equipment that you can activate if your child wanders, returning them home to you in minutes· In-pocket technology that gives your child who has difficulty speaking a voice, wherever he/she is· An app that helps a child understand their emotions and learn how to regulate them· Devices that assist with organization, education, and leisure time activates· And much more!

In addition, one of our exhibitors is launching new apps focusing on sleeping, toileting, and other activities of daily living and is looking for parent volunteers to test them at home for FREE to provide feedback so COME EARLY to sign up!! Also, if you are able to stay, there will be a fantastic presentation at noon titled "Future Technology for Autism: Emotion and Sensory Processing" in the auditorium next to the lobby by MIT Professor Dr. Rosalind Picard, Director of MIT's Autism Technology Initiative www.media.mit.edu/research/autism-communication-technology-initiative.

I truly hope you can make it and please feel free to email me if you have any questions. See you there!
Bernadette Murphy Bentley
MPA Autism Resource Specialist
Center for Children with Special Needs
Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center
800 Washington Street , #334
Boston, MA 02111
Phone: 617 636 1305
Email: bbentley@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
Web: www.ccsnboston.org

Lenten Retreat for Special Needs Mothers

A Lenten half-day retreat will be offered for mothers of children with physical, developmental and/or emotional challenges on Saturday, March 26th, 8:30 AM to noon at the Sisters of St. Joseph, 637 Cambridge St., Brighton, MA 02135. For more information or to register, please call 617-747-2056 or e-mail Maryrita.weschler@csjboston.org.

Autism and Wandering

A serious concern for parents of children (even teen and adult children) on the Autism Spectrum is the challenge of wandering or running away. Many people on the Spectrum are unaware of safety issues such as traffic. Autism Speaks has created a petition that calls on Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to research the issue of wandering as well as methods of prevention. For more information read http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/as-ass031711.php.

Special Friends Storytime: A Storytime for Special Needs Kids and Their Grownups

Please join us for this storytime for Special Needs kids and their families! Stimming children are welcome! Children who have a hard time sitting still are welcome! Brothers and sisters are welcome too!

Come join us for stories, movement, and music.

Come meet other special families from the area.

Saturday, April 2nd at 10:30 AM

We look forward to seeing you!

Sensory Friendly Movie!

A sensory friendly showing of Hop will take place on April 2nd at 10 AM at the AMC Theater in Tyngsboro and Methuen. For more information check out http://www.amctheatres.com/SFF/.

Insurance Workshop for Parents

This was passed along to me from staff at LifeLinks:


The Tewksbury Special Education PAC will be holding the following presentation:

ARICA (Act Relative for Insurance Coverage for Autism)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Presenter: Amy Weinstock, Insurance Chair, AFAM (Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts)
1 Griffin Way, Room 204
Tewksbury, MA 01876
This location is handicap accessible.

Poster Contest

It's time for our annual National Library Week Poster Contest!

• Only entries drawn on the official entry form will be accepted. Get your entry form at the Children's Desk.
• One entry per child
• Entries will be accepted until noon on Monday, April 4, 2011.
• The contest is open to all children Preschool through Grade 4.
• All entries become the property of the Pollard Library and will not be returned.
• Pictures will be displayed at the library during National Library Week (April 10 through April 16) during which time the public will vote for their favorites. Votes will be accepted until 5 PM on April 16, 2011.
• Winners will be announced during the week of April 18, 2011.
• Schools may enter a maximum of 20 posters per school.

Special Needs Siblings Support Group

Cancelled Unfortunately we did not have enough children sign up for this program. We will try again in the fall. In April, staff from the Thom Anne Sullivan Center will be conducting a support group for special needs siblings at the library. This group is for children in grades 1 - 4.* Children will make new friends and gain information through games, discussion, and activities. This is an opportunity for them to share their unique experiences of living with a sibling with special needs. Parent information about concerns and situations frequently experienced by siblings will be available. Space is limited and sign up is required. To register stop by the Children's Desk or call 978-970-4122. Tuesdays, April 5th - April 26th 4 PM - 5 PM *If you are interested in a similiar group for younger siblings, please let us know and staff from the Thom Anne Sullivan Center will work on such a program at a later date.

Lifelinks Has Moved!

Lifelinks has moved and they are having an Open House. Here is that information:

Please come and visit the New Family Support Center Location.
Tons of food ~ Prizes ~ Information ~ Resources
March 10
6:00 – 8:30 PM
285 Mill Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824

6:00 – 7:00 Building Tour and Parent Support Group
7:00 – 8:00 Presentation: benefits of Chiropractic
8:00 – 8:30 Questions and Answers ANNOUNCE PRIZE WINNERS!

Please RSVP if you can attend! Hope to see you there!
978-251-0610 Ext.6039

Music Program for Children and Young Adults on the Spectrum

In 2007 the Boston Conservatory of Music partnered with the Autism Higher Education Foundation to create the Boston Conservatory Program for Students on the Autism Spectrum. The program pairs each student with a teacher. Also on the student's team is a special education teacher, a speech pathologist, music therapist, as well as professionals in the music industry who themselves have an ASD diagnosis. The program provides actual music lessons rather than the traditional music therapy for young people on the spectrum and is among the first of its kind. Participants travel from across Massachusetts to attend. For more information about this program read http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/fenway-kenmore/2011/02/at_the_boston_conservatory_aut.html.

Lindt Chocolate and Autism Speaks

Lindt Chocolate announced last week that it is partnering with Autism Speaks to raise funds for autism causes during the Easter season. Lindt will contribute portions of sales from the Lindt Gold Bunny to Autism Speaks. For more information about this read this article: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lindt-partners-with-autism-speaks-for-third-year-expands-easter-giveback-program-116818478.html.