We hold a day meeting and an evening meeting on the third Thursday of each month during the school year.  If a meeting has to be moved to a different Thursday to avoid conflicts with holidays, school vacation breaks, etc., members will be notified in advance. 

Morning meetings are from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Evening meetings are from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  We will have a short sharing time at each meeting to discuss what works for you.  Speakers will have a one-hour presentation to allow for the sharing time at the beginning and a time for questions and answers at the end of the meeting.

Check this page frequently as this schedule will be modified as information is obtained and verified.  We will be contacting speakers and presenters.  If you would be willing to talk to our support group and are available for an unscheduled night's meeting please contact  the webmaster.  To view the calendar of scheduled meetings at a glance, click below.

 

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Day and Evening  Guest Presenter:  Mrs. Gail Cook:  How to Prepare For a Successful School Year  Gail Cook, a retired mainstream teacher who also taught special children (before "inclusion" was the buzz word), will share with us important tips for a successful start to the new school year. Gail will provide valuable insight into what our new teachers need to know about our children to develop a strong teaching relationship, and how we as parents can facilitate that relationship. Although school has already started, it's never too late to communicate effectively with our teachers!  Gail is currently the librarian at Mt. Bethel UMC and she has been compiling the special needs collection in the church library for our use. Please take time to check it out before or after the meetings.

Thursday, September 20, 2007:

Day:  Dr. Mel Levine’s “Developing Minds Series”  Meeting Facilitator: Brian Cuthrell  The “Developing Minds” video series is a twenty-two volume series that was developed by “All Kinds of Minds,” a private non-profit organization affiliated with the University of North Carolina and co-founded by Dr. Mel Levine—a developmental/behavioral pediatrician. We will be watching a video that addresses the general topic of “Understanding,”—what really goes on in the minds and bodies of children who have a difficult time processing information and understanding ideas. After viewing this video, Brian Cuthrell will lead attendees through a discussion of the video’s main messages. Brian facilitated the presentation of Dr. Levine’s “Feelings and Motivation” video to our support group last year, and it was so well received that many members requested that Brain return this year for the purpose of presenting another video in the series. Brian is a member of our support group, and is a father of three young children, one with Aspergers Syndrome. In addition to applying many of the principals from the “Developing Minds” series in his own home, Brian also has a background in corporate and business training.

Evening:  Guest Presenter: Robert W. Montgomery, Ph.D:  “The Meltdown”  We are delighted to have Dr. Montgomery as a return presenter. He spoke to our support group in May 2006 and October 2006 –each time to very receptive and enthusiastic audiences! He is the Director of the Autism Spectrum Assessment Program at Reinforcement Unlimited, located in Woodstock , Georgia . He has over two decades of experience working with diverse populations across a range of settings. He is the only Board Certified Behavior Analyst who is also a traditional licensed clinical psychologist living in Georgia . At this meeting, Dr. Montgomery will be discussing “The Meltdown,” including behavioral interventions for recognizing the onset of a meltdown, diffusing emotions before they get out of control, and working through them once they occur.

Thursday, October 18, 2007:

Day: Libby Tuner, Ph.D.:   “Children with Autism and Typical Peers—Bridging the Gap”  Children on the Autism Spectrum, regardless of functioning levels, desire to be accepted by typical peers in their schools and neighborhoods. But how does a parent go about explaining Autism or Aspergers to typically developing kids? One effective way is through the use of video recordings. In this meeting, Dr. Turner will show us two videos: 1) A Coulter Video that describes the benefits of interacting and befriending children on the spectrum, and 2) A home-made video that was prepared specifically for a child with autism and his classmates. After watching these videos, Dr. Tuner will discuss how the absence of information among typical peers often results in the misinterpretation of behaviors as being “rude, mean, scary, or weird.” Conversely, accurate information enables a child’s diagnosis to be brought into the open, and opens the door for better relationships with typical peers.

Dr. Turner is a Child Clinical Psychologist with a specialty in the evaluation and diagnosis of learning differences and developing disabilities. Formerly a Pediatric Psychologist at the Marcus Institute and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory Medical School , she currently works in private practice at Spencer Gelernter and Associates, proving comprehensive psychological evaluations for children and teens, ages 3 to 21.

Evening: Gayle Born, M.Ed. and Mary Jane Trotti, M.A.,  Parkaire Associates: "Teaching Social Pragmatics and Developing Interpersonal Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders"  We are pleased to announce that Gayle Born and Mary Jane Trotti are returning to our support group to follow up on the social skills presentation that they gave us last year! Both are Educational Consultants and Learning Specialists with Parkaire Consultants, a private practice group that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders. They have extensive experience working with individuals who have learning disabilities and learning problems, and they facilitate a number of social skills groups for children and adolescents. During this presentation, Gayle and Mary Jane will discuss the various social skills strategies that can be implemented for children with autism, including children with lower-functioning skills as well as children with high-functioning skills.

Thursday, November 15, 2007:

Day: 

Evening:  Donna Jo Salhany, Ph.D., CVE, CRC:  "Homeschooling and the Special Needs Child"  The presentation will address the topic of homeschooling children with Aspergers and autism. During the evening, we will be exploring the following: Why consider homeschooling? Is homeschooling right for your child? What are Georgia's laws concerning homeschooling? What are some homeschooling options at a glance? What are some in-depth examples of Georgia at-home options, including Georgia Virtual Academy?

Thursday, December 20, 2007:

Day:  None

Evening: None

Thursday, January 17, 2008:

Day & Evening:   Jodi McMahon, CPA, CLU, ChFC and Pamela J. Hoppe, ChFC from MetLife’s Division of Estate Planning for Special Kids:  "Legal and Financial Planning for the Special Needs Child"   Parents of children with special needs have many serious questions about how to best provide for their children’s futures. Some of the most important issues to consider are: government benefit eligibility once a child turns 18, guardianship and conservatorship for minors and adults with special needs, and financial security for children even after the decease of parents. When making these types of plans, it is important to not only know what the issues are, but to also work with someone who can help sort out the various options that are available. Jodi McMahon and Pamela Hoppe are financial experts in the area of special needs planning. They spoke to our support group a few years ago—and helped many of us understand the complicated process of planning for our children’s futures. We are delighted that they are returning to speak with us again. They will familiarize us with a variety of legal documents, funding options, life insurance plans, and advocacy services that are available to secure the best possible outcome for our children. This is one of the most important presentations that our support group will host this year. Please make plans to attend either the morning or evening meeting. 

Thursday, February 21, 2008:

Day:  TBA

Evening: TBA

Thursday, March 20, 2008:

Day and Evening:  Debbi Scarborough, Co-founder of Cumberland Academy  "How to Find the Right Educational Setting for a Child on the Autism Spectrum"  Debbi Scarborough visited numerous schools, looking for the right educational setting for her son who has Asperger’s Syndrome. According to Mrs. Scarborough the process was “very frustrating,” and none of the places she found seemed appropriate for her son’s needs. Consequently, she joined forces with an experienced headmaster to form Cumberland Academy , a private, non-profit independent school for students with special needs.  Based on her experiences, Mrs. Scarborough will speak on the general topic of special education private schooling. She will discuss the process of seeking “the right education” setting for a spectrum child, such as being proactive “by going to the principal, the special needs area, or looking into other schooling options.” As part of this presentation, Mrs. Scarborough will provide us with a general overview of SB10, talk about the pros and cons of attending private school, and share a listing of Atlanta-area private schools that seek to serve children with autism spectrum disorders. After the presentation, Mrs. Scarborough will be available to talk with any parents who are interested in learning more about Cumberland Academy and its educational programs. We hope that you will make plans to join us, as numerous parents have expressed the desire for a meeting that addresses the topic of private schooling.

Thursday, April 17, 2008:

Day:  TBA

Evening:  TBA  

Thursday, May 15, 2008:

Day:  TBA

Evening: TBA

June 2008:

Saturday Family Picnic/Outing?  Date and Location TBD

July 2008:

No meetings This Month. Enjoy your Summer Vacation!

Note: This is a tentative meeting schedule for the year. Meeting themes, topics, and speakers might change due to speaker availability, member interest in other topics, and other emerging situations.