Autism Town Hall - Chicago

A conversation with Dr. Temple Grandin

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:36:00 +0000

HBO and The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) recently held the Chicago premiere of the new HBO Films production, "Temple Grandin", which depicts the life of animal scientist and autism icon Temple Grandin. During the premiere, the TAP film crew had this conversation with Dr. Grandin.

HBO Film's Temple Grandin Trailers

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:20:00 +0000

Introducing the latest trailers for HBO Film's Temple Grandin. To learn how you can attend the world premiere on January 27th at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, visit The Hope Institute website or our facebook page.

The Autism Program partners with HBO for premiere of HBO Film's Temple Grandin

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:08:00 +0000

Email subscribers of this site...watch your email boxes for a special message.

The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) has partnered with HBO on the Chicago premiere of the new HBO Films’ production, “Temple Grandin”, which brings to the screen the story of the best-selling author, animal scientist and autism advocate.

The Chicago Premiere will be held on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The event, which is being specially targeted to the autism community in Illinois, will begin with a reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by a screening of the film at 7:00 p.m. Following the film, a panel comprised of persons with autism, family members, noted researchers and a media representative will discuss the film.

Starring Golden Globe winner Claire Danes in the title role, “Temple Grandin” paints a picture of a young woman’s perseverance and determination while struggling with the isolating challenges of autism at a time when the disorder was quite unknown.

Click Here to learn more about the movie, Temple Grandin and to win 2 tickets to the Chicago Premiere!

Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism National Town Hall Meeting Wrap-up (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:22:00 +0000

On Friday, November 13, 2009, more than 1,200 participants and facilitators gathered across the U.S. to discuss and develop an actionable platform to address the issues that affect adults with autism. 42% of those participating in the forum were either adults with autism or family members. In addition, 35% were program and service providers, with community leaders representing another 16% of participants. In Chicago, we were joined by numerous community leaders including Mayor Daley, Mrs. Daley and officials from throughout the city.

Participants in Friday's historic event had the opportunity to sound off on a variety of issues and vote on the importance of such issues. As a result, a clear set of common priorities emerged and new relationships were forged among participants.

Summary:

Cross-Cutting Strategies

Change existing and establish new funding streams so that the financial assistance follows the person, and can be used in a variety of ways to meet a person’s unique and evolving needs.
Increase the availability of qualified and motivated personnel who support adults with autism.
Ensure adults with autism have access to the supports they need to develop life skills necessary to live safe, independent and successful lives.

Housing Strategies

Direct support towards residential service models that are person-centered and actively seek to meet the needs and interests of adults with autism.
Expand both public and private funding for residential services for adults with autism.

Employment Strategies

Create and expand career development and vocational skills training programs for individuals with autism while they are still in school.
Ensure ongoing accessibility to employment supports (including both technical and social dimensions) for adults with autism.

Community-Life Strategies

Educate first responders about the challenging behavior that might arise in dangerous situations involving adults with autism so that they are prepared to handle these occasions in the safest and most effective manner.

*Source: AFAA National Town Hall Meeting Preliminary Report

Pictures from around the Chicago Hub

In January of this year, AFAA held a 2-day think tank including affected families and individuals, program directors, university professors, public policy authorities and specialists from both the public and private sectors. The Think Tank produced the first AFAA Think Tank Report. Click here to view the report.

Friday's National Town Hall Meeting was designed to identify and prioritize common goals. As a result, a preliminary report of shared themes was produced on Friday. Click here to view the preliminary report.

A more comprehensive report will be available in the coming weeks and will be posted on our site.

Where do we go from here?

The AFAA National Town Hall Meeting was designed to bring together a diverse group of individuals to address the needs of adults with autism and lay the foundation for the development of a unified agenda. In 2010, AFAA will host the third stage of the project, The Autism Congress. The Autism Congress will build a consensus statement outlining the existing challenges and providing cost effective, evidence-based solutions; from which a plan of action and organization can be derived.

For Participants, we hope that all of us continue to foster the relationships forged on November 13th. Therefore, please let us know what we can do to help you continue to build these relationships and organize for action. Use the comment form below (comments are not published).

For more information visit:

Preliminary Report of AFAA National Town Hall Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:25:00 +0000

Here is the link to the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting preliminary report. More than 1,000 people came together today to guide and create common goals.

http://www.thehopeinstitute.us/wp-content/uploads/Preliminary-Report-AFAA-final.pdf

Look for a post early next week discussing the event, speakers and participants.

Pics from AFAA National Town Hall Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:09:00 +0000

Captions will be added over the weekend

AFAA National Town Hall Meeting Setup

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:25:00 +0000

A brief look into the setup of the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting at the University of Illinois Chicago Forum tomorrow. Join us live throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter at @advancinghope and @AutismProgramIL

Chicago Outreach Radio helps to promote the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:32:00 +0000

Georgia Winson of The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) discusses the upcoming national town hall meeting, Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism

Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism on Outreach Radio from Communicating Hope on Vimeo.

National Town Hall Update for Participants: Directions & Parking

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:19:00 +0000

Location:
University of Illinois Chicago Forum
725 W. Roosevelt Road

Parking Directions: The parking lot is at the northeast corner of W Roosevelt Rd & S Morgan St. The entrance of the parking lot is on Morgan St. just north of Roosevelt. It is parking lot 5c. The UIC Forum is located one block to the east, on the southeast corner of W. Roosevelt and S. Halsted. Parking cost is $8.00

Map

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CEU and CPDUs available for participants of AFAA National Town Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:02:00 +0000

The Autism Program of Illinois has announced that Illinois participants at the Chicago location of the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting will be eligible for continuing education credits. Illinois-licensed Speech Language Pathologists (SLP), Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Social Workers will be eligible for up to 5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for their participation in the symposium. Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPC)will also be eligible for 5 CEU’s for social workers. In addition, Illinois Educators attending the symposium will be eligible for up to 5 Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs). Under state guidelines one unit will be awarded for each contact hour.

The Advancing Futures of Adults with Autism National Town Hall Meeting will bring together more than 1,000 adults with autism, family members, caregivers, educators, advocates and community leaders to discuss and make recommendations for developing a national policy agenda for addressing the needs of adults with autism. The event will be orchestrated from a central hub at the University of Illinois Chicago Forum on November 13, 2009. The town hall meeting is designed to attract necessary attention to the issues relevant to adults with autism and to the future of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Adults with autism, family members, caregivers and educators are encouraged to register or apply for a limited number of scholarships.

The AFAA National Town Hall Meeting offers the once in a lifetime opportunity for participants with a broad range of backgrounds, including adults with autism, family members, caregivers, advocates and community leaders, to participate in developing a national policy agenda for adults with autism. In addition, participants will receive lunch, a 24 page participant guide, and The Autism Program of Illinois will provide a copy of our TAP Autism Resource Directory and a complimentary subscription to Tapped In, our monthly email newsletter for adults with autism, parents, caregivers and providers.

In order to maintain diversified program objectives, scholarships will be awarded on an individual basis.

To view our full press release click here

New video released to promote the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:29:00 +0000

The Hope Institute for Children and Families has released two short, yet powerful videos to assist in promoting the Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism National Town Hall Meeting on November 13, 2009. Please help us spread our message of Hope by sharing news of the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting with family and friends.

You can share these videos by visiting our Communicating Hope Channel on YouTube.

Scholarships available for national autism town hall

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:36:00 +0000

The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) is pleased to announce the availability of a limited number of scholarships for the November 13, 2009, AFAA National Town Hall Meeting. The AmericaSpeaks town hall format offers a tremendous opportunity to have an Illinois voice in developing a national policy for adults with autism. TAP recognizes that current economic conditions and the costs associated with the event have a direct impact upon attendance. As a result, we have secured a limited number of scholarships to offset the registration fee of the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting.

The AFAA National Town Hall Meeting offers the once in a lifetime opportunity for participants with a broad range of backgrounds to participate in developing a national policy for adults with autism. In addition, participants will receive lunch, a 24 page participant guide, and The Autism Program of Illinois will provide a copy of our TAP Autism Resource Directory and a complimentary subscription to Tapped In, our monthly email newsletter for adults with autism, parents, caregivers and providers.

In order to maintain diversified program objectives, scholarships will be awarded on an individual basis. If you would like to apply for a scholarship to attend the AFAA National Town Hall Meeting please complete our online scholarship application.

Click here to access our online scholarship application.

AFAA National Town Hall Meeting Scholarship Application

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:35:00 +0000

Loading...Information submitted through use of this form is utilized for scholarship assessment only. Your information will never be shared with any third party.

AFAA National Town Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) is presenting a National Town Hall meeting where Americans will come together across multiple cities on November 13, 2009 to create a policy agenda for addressing the needs of adults with autism. Over 1,000 people including caregivers, advocates, elected officials, family members, and adults with autism, will join the discussion to make recommendations on this important issue. The unprecedented scale and diversity of the AFAA National town Hall will attract attention to the issue and build momentum behind the policy agenda. To better understand how this unique Town Hall will empower your voice please visit: How The National Town Hall Works.

The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) will host the central AFAA Town Hall location in Chicago with nearly 400 participants. The satellite location with 50 participants each are sponsored by Alpine Learning Group, Autism Speaks, Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, Easter Seals, Global Communities of Support, Hallmark Community Solutions, New York Center for Autism, Organization for Autism Research, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center and the University of Miami, Center for Autism and related Disabilities.

The unprecedented scale and diversity of the AFAA national Town Hall meeting will attract necessary attention to the issues relevant to the aging population diagnosed with autism. Your support and participation will help to build momentum behind a critical policy agenda for a clearer future for those individuals who need it most.

To obtain registration information please visit our Registration Page

Please click to view/download our AFAA National Town Hall Meeting Brochure

Registration Information

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:16:00 +0000

In Illinois this opportunity will be held at:

University of Illinois Chicago Forum
725 W. Roosevelt Road., Chicago

Check-in starts at 9:30 a.m.
Program begins at 10:15a.m.
Registration Fees: $100 per person

Register and pay by credit card on-line at www.afaa-us.org/Chicago.

To register and pay by mail please download our registration form and mail to:

Jan Draper
The Autism Program Service Network
5220 S. 6th Street Road
Springfield, IL. 62703

For more information call (217) 525-8332 or email: AFAA@thehopeinstitute.us

How the AFAA National Town Meeting works

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:14:00 +0000

The AFAA National Town Hall is designed, facilitated and produced by AmericaSpeaks, a leader that engages citizens in the most important public decisions of our time. The AFAA Town Hall will be a thoughtful, outcomes-oriented discussion and will not include long-winded speakers or panelists. The meeting consists of small, group discussions providing each participant the opportunity to give direct, substantive feedback. Network computers and wireless keypad technology will transform the individual discussions into synthesized recommendations representative of the whole room.

Be Sure To Register Today!

Pardon our mess!

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:13:00 +0000

Please pardon our mess, this site is under construction. Registration and further event information will be available soon.

Please subscribe to our feed or email updates and you will receive information as we update the site.

Press Release: Participants Sought For National Town Hall Meeting...

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:04:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR NATIONAL TOWN HALL MEETING IN CHICAGO TO HELP DEVELOP POLICY AGENDA FOR ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF ADULTS WITH AUTISM

CHICAGO (October 15, 2009) – Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA), a consortium of leading autism advocacy organizations and service providers focused on addressing the increasing and unmet demand for effective services for adolescents and adults with autism, announced today that it will hold a national Town Hall meeting at sixteen different sites across the country on November 13 with the goal of developing an actionable national policy agenda for life-long living and learning with autism.

Chicago will serve as the anchor site for the effort, with more than 350 expected to attend the meeting at the UIC Forum. Sponsors for the Chicago site include The Autism Program of Illinois, Trinity Services, and Autism Speaks. The sponsoring organizations are currently seeking participants for the event, which is open to adults with autism, family members, community members, neighbors, employers, service providers, representatives of funding and support agencies, elected officials and others. Those interested in participating can visit http://www.theautismprogram.org/ for further information.

At each site, participant work groups will seek to establish priorities for meeting the needs of adults with autism in several key areas, including employment, housing, safety, recreation, transportation and social opportunities. The Town Hall will be organized from the central Town Hall hub in Chicago, with more than one thousand participants across the country linked via live webcast. Proposals developed during the course of the day-long session will be voted on electronically by all participants to develop a focused national agenda for change.

“There is a tidal wave of children with autism who will become adults during the next decade and our society has yet to address how the need for services, jobs, housing and other opportunities to lead fulfilling and productive lives will be met,” said Peter Bell, AFAA co-chair and executive vice president of Autism Speaks. “These aren’t challenges we can keep putting off. The need for action is real and urgent, and the Town Hall is a critical step in developing an agenda that can ultimately be realized through legislation and other means of effecting change.”
“The time is now to consolidate and focus our efforts to significantly improve the quality of life available to adults with autism,” said Ilene Lainer, AFAA co-chair and executive director of the New York Center for Autism. “As a society, we have an obligation to secure a brighter future for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. By taking action now, we can ensure that adults with autism break free of the all-too-common status of dependency and become engaged, involved and ideally, tax-paying, members of their communities.”

“We are proud to be one of the Chicago sponsors of AFFA,” said Georgia Winson, Chief of The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP). “Over the past six years, we have succeeded in building a partnership in Illinois that is leading the nation in policy development and architecting a system of care for persons with autism. There is no better site for the anchor point for this critical national dialogue.”

The prevalence of autism in the United States has increased tenfold in the last decade, from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100. With this dramatic increase has come a greater demand for effective services for adolescents and adults with autism and for accurate information on what constitutes appropriate evidence-based intervention and practice. The need continues to far exceed the available resources. The Town Hall meeting is a first step in developing a national policy to address these issues.

For information about the AFAA National Town Hall, please visit http://www.afaa-us.org/.

About Autism
Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 150 children in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The prevalence of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.

About AFAA
Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) is a national consortium seeking to create meaningful futures for adults with autism that include homes, jobs, recreation, friends and supportive communities. This unique national consortium has united to set national priorities for adults on the autism spectrum and to transform public policy and programming for teens and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Throughout 2009, AFAA will collect information, develop strategic solutions and advance the national agenda.

Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, and the New York Center for Autism are the AFAA organization chairs. The AFAA partners are: Global Communities of Support; Alpine Learning Group; The Autism Program of Illinois; The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation; Easter Seals; Hallmark Community Solutions; Organization for Autism Research; Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center; and the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities.

About The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP)
Created by the Illinois General Assembly in 2003, The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) is the largest statewide autism resource network in the nation. With 12 satellite locations across the state, TAP impacts more than 16,000 Illinois families each year.

For more information, please visit http://www.theautismprogram.org/

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Contact Us

noreply@blogger.com (Jarid Brown) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:36:00 +0000

For more information contact us:

by phone: (217) 525-8332

by email: AFAA@thehopeinstitute.us