Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN)
Empowered Families: Educated, Engaged, Effective
Vol. 5, Issue5
In This Issue
Traducelo Ahora!
SPAN Family Fun Day
Protecting Children's Programs in the Federal Budget
New Adolescent and School Health Website
National Parent Helpline
Think College
Contact Us
Quick Links
SPAN Website
SPAN Job Posting
Schedule of Training Events
Upcoming SPAN Events
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network
Newark, NJ
June 8,10 am - 12 pm
Using Multiple Intelligences to Help Children Learn
Visiting Nurse Assoc. of Central Jersey
Red Bank, NJ
June 8,6-8 pm
More workshops & events
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Upcoming Events & News
We Hope You'll Join Us!
SPAN Family Fun Day
at
Freedom Fest Fair
Thursday, July 14, 2011
10 AM - 3 PM
78 Route 526, Allentown, NJ 08501
$10 per person (2 & under FREE) includes...
Unlimited Rides, Free exhibits, Live Entertainment & more
Sponsors and Exhibitors welcomed!
Purchase Your Tickets Online!
SPAN Executive Co-Director Participated at theAutism Awareness Month Summit
Autism Awareness Month Conference
SPAN Executive Co-Director Diana Autin participated in the White House Autism Awareness Month summit on April 25. Following a welcome by Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama, and a keynote presentation by Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, four workgroups of parents, self-advocates, autism-related organizations, and local, state, and federal government officials provided input on the current status of services for children, youth and adults on the autism spectrum in the areas of education and employment, health, community services, and research. Click here to access the words of welcome and the keynote address.
SPAN Establishes a Statewide YouthAdvisory Council
SPAN has established a Statewide Youth Advisory Council (SYAC) of 20+ diverse youth with and without special healthcare needs. The SYAC is working to develop strategies to provide youth with special healthcare needs (YSHCN) with the skills and opportunity to be strong voices in decisions affecting their transition to adulthood. SYAC members have participated in the White House Youth Calls, the National Move Advocacy webinar series on the history of child welfare and advocacy, and are represented at quarterly Community of Care Consortium for Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs stakeholder meetings. Members have met to identify their initial priorities, including understanding health insurance, Medicaid, and healthcare reform. The SYAC has also set up a Facebook page, with a young adult SYAC member as moderator. Find more information on Transition to Adult Systems of Care.
Full-Day Summit on Autism Spectrum Disorders
On April 29, SPAN joined The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities of the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Autism Speaks and the Autism Society in sponsoring a full-day summit on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Important topics covered during the morning session included understanding the science and public health approach for ASDs, state and community perspectives, and making a difference in the lives of families. In the afternoon, the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services and NJ Department of Human Services continued the discussion with a focus on NJ-specific ASD updates and issues. The afternoon session featured SPAN's Co-Director Diana Autin speaking about SPAN's Integrated Systems Grant for children with ASD and other developmental disabilities and Carolyn Hayer, SPAN's Director of Parent and Professional Development, speaking on how autism impacts families among other speakers focused on New Jersey-specific ASD updates and issues.
Information and Resources
National Survey Key Findings: Protecting Children's Programs in the Federal Budget
A poll released on April 26 by First Focus, a national children's
advocacy group, reveals strong public support for protecting federal
investments that benefit children. In a battery of survey questions identifying a series of potential cuts that Congress may consider in the broader budget debate, the survey finds that voters are more likely to hold harmless programs affecting kids than any other programs on the chopping block. Voters also are more concerned about protecting children's programs than a variety of other federal programs, such as transportation funding for highway construction, national defense, and medical and scientific research. More information.
CDC's New Adolescent and School Health Website
The Center for Disease Control has a new Adolescent and School Health Web site which features:
·  Updated information on adolescent health, including a new section on protective factors
·  A calendar of adolescent and school health events
·  Easier navigation to help you find the information they need
·  Interactive menus and widgets where you can select, view, and analyze data about youth risk behaviors
·  New landing pages for school health, tools and training resources, health topics, and national, state, and local programs
·  Individualized pages for different visitors: parents and teachers
·  Partner Success Stories
Check back often as they continue to update the site over the coming months.
National Parent Helpline
TheNational Parent Helpline, a new telephone and web-based resource for parents and caregivers dedicated to strengthening families,provides emotional support and helps parents identify solutions to parenting and family challenges. The National Parent Helplineis available to all parents and those in parenting roles. Trained advocates provide parents and caregivers with the help, referrals, and resources they need, and in turn those parents use their knowledge to build stronger, healthier communities.
Think College
Doors to colleges are opening for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in many different ways all over the country. Think College website is designed to share what is currently going on, provide resources and strategies, let you know about training events, and give you ways to talk to others.
Contact Us For Info or Assistance
Our experienced SPAN Information Specialists provide telephone assistance to parents, educators and service providers to enable them to advocate for appropriate education and health care services for children and youth. To reach our Information Specialists, give us a call at 973-642-8100 or 800-654 SPAN (7726).
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