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| Dear Friend of AANE,
Happy New Year! I want to kick off
2008 by thanking everyone who supported the organization
in 2007 in so many ways: with a donation, with volunteer
hours, with furniture for the new office, and much more.
We have very exciting plans for the coming year, with
the hope of including more people in our community via
an updated website (soon to make its debut), video
conferences, online forums, and stronger chapters.
In anticipation of our new website, we have
launched a new online payment system through Auctionpay
to make it easier for you to pay for membership, make a
donation, or register for a class. Auctionpay's
encrypted site ensures your credit card information is
completely secure, and by making your payment online,
you can receive immediate confirmation of your
transaction. Many of our members have requested online
payment as an option for memberships and donations, so I'm
pleased we now have this system in place for
you to do that.
In closing, I want to
thank everyone who has donated to our Annual
Appeal thus far; your
generous support is much appreciated. And don't forget
our special promotion: Donate $100 or more to AANE's
Annual Appeal and receive a pair of
tickets (by request with your donation) for
one night of the upcoming screening of Billy the Kid at
the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA,
running from January 25-31. To make your gift
and get your name on the VIP list, contact Kristen White
at (617) 393-3824, ext. 319, by January 21.
With best wishes for
2008,
Dania Jekel,
MSW
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"Seeing
with a Different Eye"
Art by Adults with
AS
at the
Cambridge Multicultural Arts
Center
41 Second Street,
Cambridge, MA
January 7 - February
1
Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 6
p.m.
Reception
January 10, 6-8
p.m.
Paintings, drawings,
photography, sculpture and poetry by AANE adult
community members
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Register Now!
Advanced Workshop
for Educators, Professionals
& Parents
Marlborough, MA - January 23,
2008
8 a.m. - 12 noon
Best Western Royal Plaza
Hotel
Topic:
"Social Thinking Live! Teaching Social Skills in
Elementary Classes"
Presenter: Lori Hodgins
Brazell
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AANE Online
Support Groups
One of the
most valuable benefits of AANE membership is the
opportunity to join our online support groups (Google
groups) for parents of children or parents of
teens.
If you ever feel like you need to find other
parents who "get" what your life is like raising a child
(or children) with AS, these groups are for you!
Both groups are forums where you can share your
concerns, questions, and successes with other parents.
If you are looking for an understanding community of
parents who are also "walking in your shoes" and can
offer support, empathy, and information to ease your
stresses and celebrate your successes, please join the
age-appropriate group today. Both groups are moderated
by AANE staff to insure the building of a strong support
community for all parents to feel that they are not on
this journey alone.
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January Parent
Workshop Openings
Seats are available in
the following workshops for parents. Advance
registration with payment is required. Click here for a brochure
containing full workshop descriptions and registration
information.
Both workshops will be held
at the AANE office, 85 Main Street, Suite
101, Watertown, MA. Please call (617) 393-3824 if
you have any questions.
Understanding
Asperger Syndrome: Interventions and Strategies for
Parents
Monday, January
14
7-9:30
p.m.
Fee: $35
Designed for families of
newly diagnosed children, this workshop offers
"first-step" help for parents as they begin their
journey as parents of a child with AS.
Advocating
for Your Child with AS in the Public Schools
Wednesday,
January 16
7-9
p.m.
Fee: $35
For parents of all
school-age children, this workshop is designed to help
empower parents as advocates for their children in the
IEP
process. |
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Transition Planning
Workshop Series for Parents of
Teens
with Terri McLaughlin of
the
Federation
for Children with Special Needs
January 17,
2008
Transition
Planning 101
January 24,
2008
Transition: Next Steps &
Strategies
plus Q &
A
Fee: $10 per family per
workshop
Both programs
above will be held at the AANE office, 85 Main Street,
Ste. 101, Watertown,
MA. |
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Divorced from an AS
spouse?
We're hoping
to form a new group, "Divorced from an AS Spouse: Issues
of Co-Parenting," in the near future. If you would like
to participate, please contact Grace
Myhill at (617)
504-3116 or email gmyhill@gmail.com. |
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Social Events for High School Students
and Parent Workshops Begin this
Month
A series of social
events for high school students and concurrent parent
workshops will be held from January
- May beginning Sunday, January 13. For more
information and registration, click here or
contact Stephanie (617-393-3824, ext. 307); email
Stephanie.Loo@aane.org.
January
Support Group for Parents of Teens
The next Watertown support group meeting for
parents of teens is Tuesday, January 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Contact Stephanie (phone/email above) for future
dates. |
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Save the Dates
Bullying and Asperger Syndrome:
What Can We Do About
It? with Nick
Dubin
Workshop for teens and young adults with
AS
March 1: Portland, ME
March 2: Newton, MA
Asperger Syndrome Connections 2008
with Dr. Daniel
Rosenn
October 3 & 4: Marlborough,
MA |
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Interested in Training for
your School or
Organization?
AANE will tailor a
program that meets your exact needs. We have both
professionals and adults with AS who can speak on a
variety of subjects to help your staff understand
Asperger Syndrome. Please contact Dania Jekel at (617)
393-3824, ext. 303.
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Introductory
Workshop on
Teaching Social
Skills
Elsa Abele's
popular two-day workshop, "What Can I Say? What Did
You Say?," will be held on March 13 & 14 and May 6
& 7 at the Espousal Retreat Center in Waltham, MA.
The workshop is appropriate for both parents and
professionals wanting to further their
knowledge to help children, students, or
clients increase their skills in social communication
and pragmatic language. Class size is limited so early
registration is highly recommended. Click the following
links for information or
to register
online. |
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We hope you found
this newsletter helpful. Please consider making a gift
to sustain and expand the work we do. More than
ever, AANE needs the financial support of our members,
educators, web visitors and others in the Asperger
community who rely on the services we provide. Click on
our website at: http://www.aane.org/brochures/donationform.pdf | |
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