GOLF TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER

Our first annual golf fundraiser will be Friday, Aug 5th at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Hampton Cove in Huntsville.  We have some wonderful prizes lined up like a hole in one automobile from Bentley Auto; a weekend getaway package, Wine and Dine package and a host of other great prizes.  You can download the tournament brochure at our website: http://www.aspergerconnection.org/.  If you would like an electronic version or have questions, please shoot us an email at aspergerservices@gmail.com.  Thanks for your support!

WRETCHES & JABBERERS Coming to Huntsville May 12th @7:30 pm

To purchase tickets in advance for this ONE TIME ONLY showing of this awesome movie, please follow this link: http://www.movietickets.com/house_detail.asp?exid=rmp&house_id=9994&rdate=5/12/2011

Asperger's Syndrome Workplace Survival Guide: A Neurotypical's Secrets For Success

Barbara Bissonnette, Principal of Forward Motion Coaching, has successfully crafted a guide that makes "sense" when working with adults who are entering the workforce or who already have jobs in the workplace.  It is very hard for most of them to survive and most of the time, statistics have shown that even if a person with AS is fortunate to find themselves employed in today's economy, it is just as hard to remain employed due to miscommunication, missing social cues and simply not having a good grasp of the Neurotypical workplace. 

As a NT who is in middle management in the workforce, I see much of what Barbara talks about in her book almost everyday. There are hidden messages and people talk "code" all around me everyday.  It is up to me to actually figure out what people are truly saying to me and what they truly mean.  I receive communication from my peers, co-workers and customers as quickly as the wingspeed of a hummingbird daily from many different sources, usually all at the same time: in person, by phone, by email, by blackberry and by intercom.  It is a lot to deal with even for the most outgoing and social employee so imagine how it must feel to someone with AS.  While there are many wonderful suggestions, examples and advice in this book that I feel is a "must read", I think Barbara's goal of this book is well spoken from this excerpt from her book:

"Every job  requires some form of communication with other people..........The expression that you only get one chance to make a first impression is true.  Research has shown that most people begin forming opinions about others within the first 30 seconds of meeting. Once an opinion is formed, it is usually hard to change.  The impression that you make during the first days and weeks in a new job will be lasting.  In addition to being evaluated on your ability to perform the job, you are being evaluated on whether you "fit in" to the organization."

If you or someone you love has AS and they are looking for assistance in how to navigate the NT employment world, this is an excellent resource.  You can read more about Barbara and this book at her website: http://www.forwardmotion.info/book2.html

************* Spring FundRaiser *****************

 

Support those in your community who need assistance by purchasing a yummy Papa Murphys pizza in the Decatur, Madison or Huntsville locations.  Thank you for helping make our fundraiser a success!

2010 Teacher of the Year

Gail Seemann, MS, LPC is motivated to serve those on the Autism Spectrum because she has a daughter who has a diagnosis of PDD NOS/Aspergers.  In July 2009, Gail assumed the role of Disabilities Services Coordinator at UAHuntsville and there, she began a social group for students with AS.  Currently, Gail has left UAH to focus on her new private practice, LifeStream Famly Counseling where she will be specializing in working with clients with AS of all ages.  Gail is presented her plaque by Glenn Siegel, Asperger Connection Junior Board Member.

2010 Service Provider of the Year



Congratulations to Marla Aldrich, the Asperger Connection Service Provider of the Year for 2010. Marla is the Special Education Coordinator for Shelby County Schools in Central Alabama. She has been an advocate for all the special children in the Shelby County system including those on the Autism Spectrum. Marla is presented a plaque by Kerry Mataya, Asperger Connection President.

2010 Volunteer of the Year

Jason Elmer was nominated for the Asperger Connection Volunteer of the Year for 2010. He is presented the award by Aaron Tanner, Junior Asperger Connection Board Member.  Jason is a valuable member of our volunteer force and a leader not only for the AS individuals that he serves but for other volunteers as well.  Currently he is a Social Skills Counselor for AASCG here in Huntsville.

UPDATE: This conference was wonderful! If you had the opportunity to attend, you hopefully came away with some very practical information and ideas of what the future can bring in the way of diagnosing AS and the new DSM-IV changes. This was a good session for both parents, those on the spectrum and teachers/nurses/psychologists/doctors/etc who work with those with AS. Thank you so much for attending and making the Conference such a success!
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Conference Supporting Asperger Connection Non-Profit

Please share the good news! Dr. Brenda Smith Myles will be presenting in Birmingham on Tuesday, March 8 from 8:45 am - 2:00 pm. The workshop brochure is attached in pdf format and is intended for parents, teachers, and professionals that want to gain more knowledge about Behavior Interventions & Transition Strategies for individuals with High Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger Syndrome (AS). Early registration fee is through March 1, so families and teachers will want to go ahead and register.

Brenda Smith Myles Ph.D., a consultant with the Ziggurat Group, is the recipient of the 2004 Autism Society of America’s Outstanding Professional Award and the 2006 Princeton Fellowship Award. Dr. Myles has made over 500 presentations all over the world, and she has written more than 150 articles and books on Asperger Syndrome and Autism including Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage, and Meltdowns (with South- wick) and Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success (with Adreon). The latter is the winner of the Autism Society of America’s Outstanding Literary Work.

She is the co-chair of the National ASD Teacher Standards Committee. She also serves on the National Institute of Mental Health’s Inter- Agency Autism Coordinating Committee’s Strategic Planning Consortium and the Autism Society of America’s Panel of Professional Advisors. Dr. Myles is also on the executive boards of several organizations, including the Organization for Autism Research and MAAP Services, Inc. In addition, she was recently acknowledged as the second most productive applied researcher in ASD in the world from 1997 to 2004.

2nd Annual Flower Power Fund Raiser 2011

Our second Annual Spring Fund Raiser has begun and we would like to share it with you! Our Flower Power Asperger Connection website can be found at: http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/campaign?campaign_id=4402 .If you see something that you like, please place an order. Remember that half of the money that is made through Flower Power for our campaign, comes back to Asperger Connection. You will be helping to provide scholarships for services for those with Aspergers in the North Alabama and Central Alabama area.

Please pass the above weblink to your family and friends. Post a notice at work in your common areas asking those that you work with to please checkout the website and place an order if interested. The key to our fund raiser being a great success is Y O U!

The shipping rate to anywhere in the United States is a flat rate of $5, regardless of how much you order. We the Board of Directors appreciate your taking the time to check out the website and for passing this info onto your family and friends. If you have any questions, please email us at aspergerservices@gmail.com and we will be happy to answer your questions about our fund raiser.
Happy Planting and here's looking forward to another beautiful

S P R I N G !!

AC Booth at the Madison Street Festival

Wonderful weather and lots of folks visited with us on Saturday at our booth at the Street Festival in Madison, Alabama. We would like to thank our volunteers who donated their time on Saturday and their talents to make our first effort with the MSF a success. Thank you!

AC Booth at Madison Street Festival - October 2nd

You are invited to join Asperger Connection at the Madison Street Festival this year in downtown Madison, AL on Saturday, October 2nd. We will be handing out information about our non-profit and other organizations available in the area who offer social skills and employment services for AS individuals and their families. We will also have opportunities for festival goers to purchase raffle tickets for chances to win: Raffle I - Vacation hotel package for 3 days/2 nights anywhere BlueGreenOnline has resorts/hotels which is all over the world, value $300; Raffle II - Julie, an American Girl Doll and book, value $100; and Raffle III - sports package containing memorabilia from Huntsville Stars Baseball Team, Huntsville Havoc hockey team, UA SEC Football Team and Tennessee Titans NFL Team, value $250. Tickets are $1 each or you can purchase them in bulk to receive extra tickets; 12 for $10 and 25 for $20. Drawings will be at the end of the Festival around 3:45 pm and winners do not have to be present to win.

We are looking for volunteers to donate slots of 2 hours to man our booth at the festival. If you would like to volunteer your time for a worthy cause, please email lindatabr@knology.net for a schedule of times that are available. Even if you cannot volunteer, we hope that you will come by and say hello. Please tell your friends to look for us at the Festival.

AUGUST is Asperger Syndrome Awareness Month

Last week, both Mayor Tommy Battle (Huntsville) and Mayor Paul Finley (Madison) signed a proclamation naming August 2010 as Asperger Syndrome Awareness Month. The need for such a proclamation is evident. North Alabama is experiencing a growth in the number of individuals being identified with Aspergers. The need for community awareness will become more evident in the years to come as we try to meet the growing demands for employment and housing issues for our young adults and adults in North Alabama.

A special thank you to Angela Collier who is an Advocate/Consultant/Service Provider in North Alabama for bringing the attention of Aspergers Syndrome to both Mayors with this proclamation. To all who came out to support this effort, Asperger Connection would like to thank you for your time and dedication to making a difference in the lives of those with AS.

Asperger Connection Grant Received From CAS CARES, Inc.

Asperger Connection, North Alabama Division, has received a grant from CAS CARES, Inc. The check was presented by Mike Tallman who is on the board of CAS CARES to Asperger Connection board member, Linda Knowles and President of Asperger Connection, Kerry Mataya.

We would like to thank the CAS CARES board of directors for this award which will allow Asperger Connection to assist those in North Alabama with AS.

Fall Flower Power Fund Raiser

Believe it or not, fall is just around the corner and soon it will be time to plant those bulbs for beautiful spring flowers. Checkout our fund raising webpage at:

http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/campaign?campaign_id=3271

We had a successful spring flower campaign and are looking forward to doing the same for fall. Please share this link with your family and friends and ask that they take a look at all the beautiful flowers that Flower Power has to offer. Many people who purchased flowers this spring asked that we offer a fall opportunity to purchase bulbs because they were so pleased with the flowers that they purchased in the spring.

If you have any questions please click on the link at the bottom of this page to send us an email. Again, our many thanks to all of you for your kind and generous support!

Asperger Connection Board of Directors

A BIG Thank You to Black Water Hatties of Huntsville

The first ever North Alabama Asperger Connection Poker Run was a big success and we want to thank all the people who came and gave their time to volunteer for the event, the riders/bikers who gave up their Saturday to make the run and donate to our cause and to the businesses who were willing to host our event: Black Water Hatties in Huntsville, American Legion in Guntersville, Fraternal Order of Eagles in Scottsboro and Lisa's Lounge in Huntsville. This year was great but next year is going to be even B-E-T-T-E-R!!

New Mailing Address for North Alabama Division

The North Alabama Division of Asperger Connection, Inc. now have their own mailing address. It is:

Asperger Connection, Inc.

North Alabama Division

PO Box 2461

Madison, AL 35758

The Central Alabama Division of Asperger Connection, Inc. will continue to receive their snail mail at:

Asperger Connection, Inc.

Central Alabama Division

3979 Parkwood Road

Suite 115-144

Bessemer, AL 35022

AC North Alabama Fund Raiser

Full Scholarships Available

Full scholarships are now available for 3 families in need. Please only apply if this is a conference you need to attend, but are unable to afford. Requests should be sent to info@aascg.com.

6th Annual Asperger Syndrome Workshop
Improving Theory of Mind Deficits in Individuals with Asperger Syndrome
Friday, March 26, 2010
Birmingham, AL

More information about the workshop is listed at www.aascg.com.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone for helping make our Spring Flower & Vegetable Fund Raiser a "Blooming" success this year!!! We exceeded our goal of $850 for Asperger Connection. We are so thankful to have such a great group of supporters for such a wonderful cause.
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Asperger Connection's Spring Flower & Vegetable Fund Raiser

Our spring fund raiser has begun and we would like to share it with you. We have engaged Flower Power Fund Raising to allow those interested to purchase flower bulbs and vegetables online with profits going to the non-profit. Please take a few moments to checkout our fund raising website:
http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/campaign?campaign_id=1542/

If you see something that you like, please place an order. Remember that the non-profit will receive half of the money that is made through the website. You will be helping those individuals in the North Alabama and Central Alabama area with AS receive much needed services and counseling.

Please pass the above weblink onto your family and friends. Flower Power will ship to anywhere in the United States for a flat rate of $5. If you would like to have Flower Power contact your friends and family for you, there is a place where you can submit their names and email addresses on the webpage under "Refer A Friend".

Thank you for your time and for sharing our fund raiser with your family and friends. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at Lindakabr@gmail.com and I will be happy to try and answer your questions.

Happy Planting and here's looking forward to SPRING!

Announcing 2009 Teacher of the Year

Amber Hall of Huntsville High School

2009/2010 Teacher of the Year Award

Amber Hall is in her third year of teaching History at Huntsville High School. She is also an ESL teacher serving those with "unique abilities". She is involved with an at-risk group for girls, is a graduation exam tutor, a credit recovery teacher and sponsors the Anchor Club which is a service organization for girls. Amber is currently working on her Masters degree in History Education at UNA. She is married and enjoys cooking, reading, and spending quality time with her family and friends. Her students and peers are very fortunate to have such an advocate. Congratulations to Amber Hall, our Teacher of the Year for 2009!