Resources: Where to Find Help

Resources: Where to Find Help

State and Local Services Ages Birth to 3 - A statewide, family-centered early intervention service system called Child and Family Connections can help you set up a free assessment. If your child qualifies, the system will provide services such as speech/language therapy and occupational therapy. Funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Cook County: 800.585.1963 Lake County: 900.585.1953 Ages 3 through 6 - Your local school district will provide education services at no cost to you. Contact your local school district and ask to speak with the person responsible for special education services. Chicago North Shore Support Groups North Suburban Autism Society of Illinois, Richard Fink, 7503 Wilson Terrace, Morton Grove, IL 60053 847.583.5080 PELS Support Group, Jane Gallery Aspergers Support Group, Rinna Maletsky 847.432.1874 Resources: www.autismtoday.com ww.autism-society.org www.autismillinois.org www.wiu.edu/starnet Northbrook Public Library Autism Collection Best Practices for Diagnosis & Service/Questions to Ask Providers: Do you provide a comprehensive, psychological /developmental assessment for diagnosing autism spectrum disorders, including a follow up recommendations and feedback session? Is your staff trained in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and Autism Diagnostic Interview? Do you have a team of people including a psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and medical professional (psychiatrist, neurologist, developmental pediatrician)?

Little Friends, Inc. Lifeskills Training Center for Children with Autism (LTCCA) SATURDAY RESPITE PROGRAMS For Adolescents with Asperger's High Functioning Autism For Children on the Autism spectrum ages 5-10 It is the mission of Little Friends, Inc. to empower children and adults with special challenges to live, learn, work, and participate in the community. What is the purpose of the Saturday Respite Program? To provide age-appropriate socio-recreational activities geared toward the client's interests. To provide adolescents with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism a social environment that is consistent and structured. To provide families whose adolescents have a developmental disability with a break one Saturday per month. How often will I receive Respite services? You will receive one Saturday per month of Respite Services. Dates of attendance are the last Saturday of every month. Parents are responsible for dropping their child off at the Lifeskills Training Center for Children with Autism, located in Glen Ellyn between 10-10:30am on the last Saturday of the month. Will participate in age-appropriate socio-recreational activities with five other adolescent children during the day. Parents are responsible for picking their child up at the end of the day between 4-4:30pm. Cost: $30.00 per Saturday. Ages - Adolescent Program: Must be between the ages of 12 and 16 years old at intake. Saturday Respite is for adolescents with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. Ages - Child Program: Children on the Autism spectrum ages 5-10, which is also once a month. Community Training: Will engage in activities that are age-appropriate, interesting to the client, characteristic for typical peers their age, and which could transition to home. The community training is facilitated through augmentative systems that allow the clients to decide as a group of peers the activities to be planed for the day, as well as encouraging appropriate peer interaction, and practicing community skills such as ordering food and paying for purchases. Sample Activities Include: Going out for lunch, picnics, movies, zoo, bowling, laser tag, arcades, walks, museums, games etc. . . . Parents interested in either program can e-mail here. Lauren Friedrich, Respite Coordinator Little Friends, Inc. 851 Bloomingdale Rd. Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 email \| map:
Pivotal Response Treatment The Koegel Autism Research & Training Center is overseen by Drs. Robert and Lynn Koegel. The major goals of the center are increasing our understanding of autism spectrum disorders, the development and implementation of state-of-the-art pivotal response treatments, as well as the improvement of elementary and secondary education efforts for children with autism and other severe disabilities. The center's primary interests lie in research and training (both pre-service and in-service), focusing on family support and on the education of children with autism in community environments and classrooms with their typically developing peers. More information: http://education.ucsb.edu/autism To Watch PRT in Practice: http://www.brookespublishing.com/autism/prt/video.htm
The SCERTS MODEL http://www.scerts.com/index.cgi?page=scerts
Sensory Equipment/Occupational Therapy Equipment
Online Support Site Deerfield Autism Support Group of IL Joel Kogen
LEGO®CLUB Beth Weis, a mother of a young adult with Aspergers and a business owner, is forming a LEGO®CLUB in Deerfield. This club will be comprised of children on the autism spectrum and their siblings. There will be team-building, collaborative projects, supersized activities,community events, and more! The club will be meeting at the Deerfield Park District. Beth is seeking interested participants ages 6+ and qualified facilitators. More information: Beth Weis www.brickology.com
Have Dreams Non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of autistic children 515 Busse Hwy. Park Ridge, IL www.havedreams.org Kris or Bobbi 847-685-0250
Autism Home Support Services, Inc. 85 Revere Dr. Suite AA Northbrook, IL 60062 O 1.847.564.0822 M 1.630.544.1211 F 1.847.205.1970 Kenn Miller
Brain Balance Achievement Centers As a means of background, we work with kids aged 4-14 with neurological and learning disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, Dyslexia, OCD, Tourette’s, and other related disorders. All of these fall under the term Functional Disconnection Syndrome. What research has shown us is that our children that have these disorders all have certain areas of their brain that are under-developed or are immature while other parts are more developed and even over-mature in some cases. We focus on those under-developed areas through our initial 1,200 point assessment from a sensory, motor, and neuro-academic perspective. Once these are identified, then we customize a program just for a child that targets these immature areas of the brain. When we get these immature areas to grow, that’s when you see a child really start to flourish. http://www.brainbalancechiago.com Tim Carr, Director of Operations Brain Balance Achievement Center of Vernon Hills

State and Local Services
Ages Birth to 3 - A statewide, family-centered early intervention service system called Child and Family Connections can help you set up a free assessment. If your child qualifies, the system will provide services such as speech/language therapy and occupational therapy. Funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Cook County: 800.585.1963
Lake County: 900.585.1953

Ages 3 through 6 - Your local school district will provide education services at no cost to you. Contact your local school district and ask to speak with the person responsible for special education services.

Chicago North Shore Support Groups

North Suburban Autism Society of Illinois,
Richard Fink,
7503 Wilson Terrace,
Morton Grove, IL 60053
847.583.5080

PELS Support Group,
Jane Gallery

Aspergers Support Group,
Rinna Maletsky
847.432.1874

Resources:

www.autismtoday.com
ww.autism-society.org
www.autismillinois.org
www.wiu.edu/starnet
Northbrook Public Library Autism Collection

Best Practices for Diagnosis & Service/Questions to Ask Providers:

Do you provide a comprehensive, psychological /developmental assessment for diagnosing autism spectrum disorders, including a follow up recommendations and feedback session? Is your staff trained in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and Autism Diagnostic Interview? Do you have a team of people including a psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and medical professional (psychiatrist, neurologist, developmental pediatrician)?

Little Friends, Inc.
Lifeskills Training Center for Children with Autism (LTCCA)

SATURDAY RESPITE PROGRAMS
For Adolescents with Asperger's High Functioning Autism
For Children on the Autism spectrum ages 5-10

It is the mission of Little Friends, Inc. to empower children and adults with special challenges to live, learn, work, and participate in the community.

What is the purpose of the Saturday Respite Program?

To provide age-appropriate socio-recreational activities geared toward the client's interests.
To provide adolescents with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism a social environment that is consistent and structured.
To provide families whose adolescents have a developmental disability with a break one Saturday per month.

How often will I receive Respite services?

You will receive one Saturday per month of Respite Services.
Dates of attendance are the last Saturday of every month.
Parents are responsible for dropping their child off at the Lifeskills Training Center for Children with Autism, located in Glen Ellyn between 10-10:30am on the last Saturday of the month.
Will participate in age-appropriate socio-recreational activities with five other adolescent children during the day.
Parents are responsible for picking their child up at the end of the day between 4-4:30pm.

Cost: $30.00 per Saturday.

Ages - Adolescent Program: Must be between the ages of 12 and 16 years old at intake. Saturday Respite is for adolescents with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism between the ages of 12 and 18 years old.

Ages - Child Program: Children on the Autism spectrum ages 5-10, which is also once a month.

Community Training: Will engage in activities that are age-appropriate, interesting to the client, characteristic for typical peers their age, and which could transition to home. The community training is facilitated through augmentative systems that allow the clients to decide as a group of peers the activities to be planed for the day, as well as encouraging appropriate peer interaction, and practicing community skills such as ordering food and paying for purchases.

Sample Activities Include: Going out for lunch, picnics, movies, zoo, bowling, laser tag, arcades, walks, museums, games etc. . . .

Parents interested in either program can e-mail here.

Lauren Friedrich, Respite Coordinator
Little Friends, Inc.
851 Bloomingdale Rd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
email | map:

Pivotal Response Treatment

The Koegel Autism Research & Training Center is overseen by Drs. Robert and Lynn Koegel. The major goals of the center are increasing our understanding of autism spectrum disorders, the development and implementation of state-of-the-art pivotal response treatments, as well as the improvement of elementary and secondary education efforts for children with autism and other severe disabilities. The center's primary interests lie in research and training (both pre-service and in-service), focusing on family support and on the education of children with autism in community environments and classrooms with their typically developing peers.

More information:
http://education.ucsb.edu/autism

To Watch PRT in Practice:
http://www.brookespublishing.com/autism/prt/video.htm

The SCERTS MODEL

http://www.scerts.com/index.cgi?page=scerts

Sensory Equipment/Occupational Therapy Equipment

Online Support Site

Deerfield Autism Support Group of IL
Joel Kogen

LEGO®CLUB

Beth Weis, a mother of a young adult with Aspergers and a business owner, is forming a LEGO®CLUB in Deerfield. This club will be comprised of children on the autism spectrum and their siblings. There will be team-building, collaborative projects, supersized activities,community events, and more! The club will be meeting at the Deerfield Park District. Beth is seeking interested participants ages 6+ and qualified facilitators.

More information:
Beth Weis
www.brickology.com

Have Dreams

Non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of autistic children
515 Busse Hwy.
Park Ridge, IL

www.havedreams.org
Kris or Bobbi
847-685-0250

Autism Home Support Services, Inc.

85 Revere Dr. Suite AA
Northbrook, IL 60062
O 1.847.564.0822
M 1.630.544.1211
F 1.847.205.1970
Kenn Miller

Brain Balance Achievement Centers

As a means of background, we work with kids aged 4-14 with neurological and learning disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, Dyslexia, OCD, Tourette’s, and other related disorders. All of these fall under the term Functional Disconnection Syndrome. What research has shown us is that our children that have these disorders all have certain areas of their brain that are under-developed or are immature while other parts are more developed and even over-mature in some cases. We focus on those under-developed areas through our initial 1,200 point assessment from a sensory, motor, and neuro-academic perspective. Once these are identified, then we customize a program just for a child that targets these immature areas of the brain. When we get these immature areas to grow, that’s when you see a child really start to flourish.

http://www.brainbalancechiago.com

Tim Carr, Director of Operations
Brain Balance Achievement Center of Vernon Hills