Family Voices Indiana

Parents often drill into their children’s heads all the pertinent information a child would need if he or she got lost or separated from them: name, parents’ names, phone number, etc. Since many children with Autism aren’t able to articulate that information well, we parents need to get creative when teaching personal information to kids with Autism. My daughter is verbal. Usually. She’s gotta be comfortable and secure to use her voice. Last year, some of the school staff was shocked when in April, they finally started hearing the words I swore all year long that she had. Meanwhile, at home, there are days when she just won’t stop talking! Still, even when she does feel comfortable enough to speak, her articulation isn’t great. Of course we can understand her, but a stranger would really struggle. Before she could speak much,  I bought an I.D. bracelet for her  that read, “I’m cute but I can’t speak well” and listed her name and my phone number. She wore it for about a year unti

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the three reports released by the National Council on Disability (NCD) on the ACA and disability. These reports can be downloaded as follows: Implementing the Affordable Care Act: A Roadmap for People with Disabilities   The Impact of the Affordable Care Act: A 2015 Status Report   Monitoring and Enforcing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for People with Disabilities

From Indiana Association of United Ways: Legislators often offer their own progress report updates at local "Third House" sessions or "meet your legislator" sessions.  We at Indiana Association of United Ways work to maintain the calendar of Third House meetings throughout the state.  Check the calendar for a date and location near you . Upcoming meet your legislator events are being held in the following communities: Clay County -  2/20, 10:00am Columbus - 2/22 and  2/29, 7:30am Goshen -  2/20, 8:00am Greater Greenwood -  3/4, 11:30am Greater Lafayette -  2/27, 7:30am Hancock County -  3/1, 7:30am Hendricks County -  2/29, 7:30am LaPorte County -  3/4, 7:30am Owen County -  2/20, 7:30am Valparaiso -  2/26, 7:30am If you attend,  drop us a note  to share a little about your experience. We are hearing that sessions are very well attended and covering a full range of issues important to legislators.  The  Indiana General Assembly  has moved up d

Most moms will tell you they remember it as if it was yesterday…the day their child was diagnosed with a disability. It’s devastating–there’s no way to sugar coat it. It’s awful and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But for as devastating as that time in our life can be, it can also be very confusing. There is often a huge disconnect between doctors and educators and the service providers who are out there for our kids. During the days after we learned what our new life was going to be, I remember at times feeling manic like I had to do everything at once…and at times not even wanting to get out of bed. And everything in between. So what do you do when you learn that your child has a disability? The one thing I wish–I wish that someone had handed me a list like this. I’m a solution-oriented person by nature, and if I had been handed some action steps of what to do, I would have felt more in control. Because it certainly felt like my life was spiraling out of control. So here are some th