Marketing & Outreach  - Are you great at organizing and promoting? Put those talents to work for us and give your creative side the opportunity to advocate and advance the mission of our organization!

Fundraising & Event Planning – Does everyone love your parties and you are not shy about asking for support for a worthy cause? We have several events and fundraising projects simmering and waiting for your magic touch!

Website and Media Development  - Experienced with basic website (WordPress) updating, or have strong writing skills with interest in learning technical skills in this area? Polish up your skill set by volunteering in the activity.

Board Leadership – Are you an ASW member and ready to take the next step to support this organization? If you are passionate about leading ASW into the future, consider a position on the ASW Board.  Also, Board members often hold seats on several state and national autism policy and advocacy forums. If public policy and legislation is your calling, please consider a role on the Board of Directors. Let your voice be heard!

We will be reviewing considerations for volunteers and Board of Director positions at the next board meeting on  February 18th. If interested in these or other areas, please contact info@autismsocietyofwa.org or call the office at (360) 515-8910.

About

The Autism Society of Washington is the first and oldest "go-to resource" for autism support in Washington State. The website is maintained by board members and volunteers. Contact us for information on how you can get involved.

Answer:
Zero.

In addition to providing  trainings and workshops to educators and families, ASW set out to become the ultimate resource for autism in the days before other support groups, agencies, or organizations ever existed.

And then came Internet.Fast forward 26 years. Veteran visitors may recall ASW’s historic first website launched in 2000:

But after an upgrade (see 2006 image) and yet another facelift in 2009 (see image), we still needed more flexibility and content management, leading to our current website that was launched in October 2011.

Today’s site includes new features that are reinstating one of ASW’s original roles as a “go-to resource”:

 1. Resource & Event Calendar

Replaces the previous “Regional Information & Event Guide”. This new calendar format allows you to search by keyword, regions, category….. whatever you are looking for.

The Suggest An Event form enables us to list additional information directly from other organizations and agencies; an added benefit to the autism community. Since ASW is a volunteer organization with just one part time employee, the posting contributions of organizations and individuals like you help keep this resource going.

2. Research postings

 Studies and surveys are now being listed.  Contact us to submit post-ready listings. Please remember to include date for post expiration.

 3. Links to Twitter and new Facebook Page:


Like us? Then “Like” us! Previously ASW was a “group” page. We are now running an active Facebook page where website updates are automatically posted, as well as special announcements and messages.

4.  ASW Blog

 Stay tuned for postings from members of the ASW Board of Directors and Professional Advisory Board (PAB), along with postings from members and guest bloggers.  New listings by authors and comments have been added.

AND COMING SOON…..

5. Professional Service listings*:

Therapists, counselors, legal, medical, etc. Yes, you heard it here first – ASW will soon be listing a variety of service providers on its website.

Much has changed and progressed since those days when the word “autism” was a vaguely familiar word–if recognized at all, or perhaps conjured an image associated with institutions.  “Autism awareness” is a familiar term that now presides over promotions and fundraisers nationwide. Media and information abound among a plethora of autism-specific services and organizations.

But one remnant of those pre-awareness days remains:

ASW continues its role as a major source of information, resource listings, and support for autism in Washington state. More efficiently than ever before possible – accomplished largely through our website. So use it and share it. That’s what makes makes it grow and improve. And for those behind the scenes contributing and supporting, that’s what makes it worthwhile.

Your thoughts or comments? As always, we appreciate feedback and constructive criticism, and hereby open the comments below.

*Please note that ASW does not endorse or recommend providers in the professional service listings, and that listings will be posted for information purposes only. Please contact with questions or suggestions on these listings.

About Sharon Zima

Sharon Zima is ASW's webmaster and manages the Resource & Event Calendar. She works with autistic students in high school special education and has been on ASW's Board of Directors since October, 2009.

Requirements for participating in this study: You must be in a heterosexual relationship and either married to or living with your spouse/partner. This is an online survey and will take about 30-45 minutes to complete. The survey will cover topics such as stress coping strategies, marital satisfaction, and parenting stress. Please complete the survey on your own, and then ask your spouse/partner to complete it on his/her own. Couples in which both partners complete the survey will have the option of entering themselves in a drawing for a $25 Visa gift card, with a 1 in 10 chance of winning! You will be asked to provide your names and a mailing address to which the card will be mailed.

Link for survey: https://atrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1C6LR3d8Ri0eDA0

Contact Information: matt.brown@ttu.edu or 806-743-2820 x 233

About

The Autism Society of Washington is the first and oldest "go-to resource" for autism support in Washington State. The website is maintained by board members and volunteers. Contact us for information on how you can get involved.

You see them everywhere in front of stores. Walking in, you know they will be there to walk past on the way out. You might avoid their gaze, not sure if you will support them.  “I guess I can spare some change,” you may tell yourself when are exit.  Out comes the wallet… and so you do.

Over and over this scenario plays out and they raise funds for needed programs.  I, too, support the Salvation Army. But what I won’t support is the emerging trend of collection boxes in the name of autism. They have no bells to ring, just compelling imagery, messages and promises. Shiny and colorful, they are so polished in their presentation. But what stands behind these groups may be something far different that what appears. Do they have IRS nonprofit status that confirms a review of their activities and finances and they passed muster for being a true charity? Do they have board members that are leaders, devoting volunteer time to help put programs into place, traveling great distance to get together and govern ethically and responsibility? Or perhaps they name everyone in the family along with impressionable friends or staff who unwittingly go along with what appears to be a just and noble cause. Just a little too similar to welfare fraud – family pets become dependents and so on.

So I ask, where is the money going? Who knows! In our state, one can register with the Secretary of State as a nonprofit, giving cobbled together articles of incorporation and name a token board and legally collect your money. Then what? Who knows.

This is the time for giving. Be generous. But be careful who you are giving to.

About Connie Allison

Connie Allison is the mother of an autistic daughter a consultant to nonprofit organizations since 1993.

The ASW Board of Directors will meet on Saturday, December 10 in Fife.

All members are invited and encouraged to attend. Please RSVP so we can alert the restaurant in advance. The agenda will include changes in contracting support for administration, bylaws revision, affiliate issues, board recruitment and policies, and website review.

We need people to serve on the board and committees, or just as a volunteer for a specific task. The ASW does not have employees so other than tasks which are contracted, the work of the organizations is achieved with volunteer effort. Please consider joining us as a volunteer or in a leadership capacity.

Date/Time:         Saturday, December 10 from 11 am – 4 pm

Location:              Mitzel’s in Fife, 5402 Pacific Hwy E (253) 926-3144

About Kristy Wessels

Kristy Wessels is the current president of Autism Society of Washington. She is a certified physician assistant, and has a son affected by autism.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-1872

About

The Autism Society of Washington is the first and oldest "go-to resource" for autism support in Washington State. The website is maintained by board members and volunteers. Contact us for information on how you can get involved.

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About ASW Admin

The Autism Society of Washington is the first and oldest "go-to resource" for autism support in Washington State. The website is maintained by board members and volunteers. Contact us for information on how you can get involved.

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About ASW Admin

The Autism Society of Washington is the first and oldest "go-to resource" for autism support in Washington State. The website is maintained by board members and volunteers. Contact us for information on how you can get involved.

The manual is in a PDF format and is 10.5 MB, so it many take a while to download depending on your internet connection. To access the manual, you will need to enter the following password: usaaa2011manual. There isn’t any password required to access PowerPoint presentations. Just click on the title of the PowerPoint presentation. You can also download the PowerPoint in a PDF format. If you have any questions, email us at conference_information@usautism.org.

About ASW Admin

The Autism Society of Washington is the first and oldest "go-to resource" for autism support in Washington State. The website is maintained by board members and volunteers. Contact us for information on how you can get involved.

All interested families are asked to RSVP as soon as possible.  Download flyer here.

About

The Autism Society of Washington is the first and oldest "go-to resource" for autism support in Washington State. The website is maintained by board members and volunteers. Contact us for information on how you can get involved.