Here is a description list of the volunteer positions:

5th Annual National Buddy Walk
Washington, DC
Sunday, October 20, 2002

MEMO
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNTIES

GOODIE BAG DISPERSERS – Disperse the goodie bags to all participants upon their arrival of completing the walk. Total needed 15

REGISTEREES – To sit at the NDSS table to register those walkers that did not register via mail or e-mail. Total needed 10

REGISTEREES ASST. – To assist the Registerees by handing out the official Buddy Walk T-Shirts to those that have and will register for the walk. Total needed 15.

MEETERS and GREETERS – To assist participants with directions and parking to the Sylvan Theatre. You will be placed at the nearest Metro Stops and some street locations for those driving. Total needed 15.

SET UP and CLEAN UP – Assist with setting up the tables, chairs, snack area and other areas for the event. Total needed 35 people.

SPEAKERS – Siblings, teenagers and adults- needed to talk about being a Buddy to someone diagnose with Down Syndrome. Total needed 10 people.

Working on the Buddy Walk is a great experience! So volunteer!

Special Oympics is starting up some new sports like floor hockey and basketball. Please contact Gregg Meade at 410-923-0383 or use the link on our website for Special Oympics.

HAP : The handicapped athletic association of Anne Arundel County was established in 1966 to provide programs for citizens with disabilities. HAP offers softball, ten pin bowling, duck pin bowling and social events. Cindy Herring, President 410-551-5068 (call between 6-9PM)

Does your school have a Special Education Parent Liaison? The Special Education Parent Liaison is a parent of a child with disabilities. The liaison is a volunteer who helps other parents through the special education process. The liaison is available to answer questions, provide information and resources, or just talk about special education issues at home or at school. For more information, talk to your principal. The Special Education Parent Liaison Program is sponsored by the Partners for Success Resource Center, serving families and educators of students with disabilities in Anne Arundel County. You can reach the center at 410-222-3805.

Do you have the Special Education Rights…and Wrongs handbook from the Maryland Disability Law Center, Inc? This handbook is designed to give you many of the tools you will need to protect your child’s rights. Call: The Maryland Disability Law Center for your free copy at (800) 233-7201.

Solving the Relationship Puzzle

Opening Doors to Friendship to People in the Autistic Spectrum

Dr. Steven E. Gutstein

Coming to Northern Virginia

March 21 & 22, 2003 (Friday & Saturday)

Register at: www.autismoutreach.org

Description:

Until recently, parents and professionals had no alternative to the general expectation that a person with autism would live a life of loneliness, apart from others. Following years of clinical practice, teaching and research, Dr. Gutstein was unwilling to accept such bleak predictions. Through tireless effort and a desire to open the world of joy and excitement found through authentic relationships, his work culminated in the Relationship Development Intervention Program, RDI. Described in his book, "Autism, Aspergers: Solving the Relationship Puzzle", the treatment protocol developed by Dr. Gutstein addresses social emotional deficits in an easily understood, systematic manner. His creative methods have provided a path for emotional fulfillment for the thousands of children, adolescents and adults who might otherwise face an isolated future.

Course Objectives

By the end of the workshop, you will walk away with:

• Practical strategies and activities to use immediately
• How social and emotional objectives tackle deficits
• Face-to-face sharing of excitement
• Using partner's nonverbal expressions
• Synchronizing simple actions for mutual enjoyment
• Referencing and responding to a friend's interest level
• Enjoying variation and adapting easily to transitions
• The six levels of relationship development
• Instrumental vs. Experience Sharing
• Basic elements of the Relationship Development Assessment (RDA)
• How RDI works in a home based program
• How RDI social objectives easily translate into IEP goals
• Tips for facilitating small play groups

• What it's like to be an adult in the autism spectrum.
• Why do people even in the high functioning autism spectrum lead unsatisfying lives.
• Critical deficits that appear early in life: cognitive, emotional and social skills.
• Two Ways of Thinking: Absolute and relative information processing.
• Two Types of Social Development: Experience sharing interactions and instrumental interactions.

• Goals of RDI (Relationship Development Intervention)
• The RDI Model of Relationship Development
• Slides and Video Presentation
• Principles of the RDI
• Building a relationship development intervention program.
• Slides and video presentation of various ages and stages of development.

March 21, 2003
8:00-9:00 am Registration
9:00-10:30 am Topics Discussed
10:30-10:45 am Break
10:45-12:00 Noon Topics Discussed
12:00-1:00 pm Lunch Break (included)
1:00-3:00 pm Topics Discussed
3:00-3:15 pm Break
3:15-4:00 pm Topics Discussed

March 22, 2003
9:00 am (Same as above, but no registration)

Location:

Dulles Hyatt
2300 Dulles Corner Blvd.
Herndon, Virginia 20171
USA

Dr. Steven E. Gutstein

Dr. Gutstein received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1980 from Case Western Reserve University. From 1980 to 1987 he was on the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical School, where he conducted research, developed innovative programs and published extensively on ways families can help their children cope with medical and developmental crises. As well as conducting his clinical practice, Dr. Gutstein is currently the co- director, along with his wife Rachelle Sheely, of The Connections Center for Family and Personal Development. He is on the clinical staff of Texas Children's Hospital. Drs. Gutstein and Sheely have been married for over 20 years and have two daughters, Hannah and Esther. Dr. Gutstein is the author of "Autism, Asperger's: Solving the Relationship Puzzle" as well as coauthor with Dr. Sheely on the recently published volumes, "Relationship Development Intervention with Young Children" and "Relationship Development Intervention with Children, Adolescents and Adults".

NDSS Parent Information and Advocacy Tips

This is the first in a series of information bulletins from the NDSS policy team to complement its legislative bulletins.

How was school today?

The beginning of a new school year is a good time to share information about parent-teacher communication. It is essential that the communication flow both ways. Parents want to know what is happening at school and they also want to provide information that is critical to their child's progress. Some communication strategies can be established during the IEP planning time. However, the teacher who will implement the IEP for the following school year is often not involved in its development. Therefore, even if a communication plan is outlined in the IEP it may not be appropriate for this teacher.

To work well, the communication plan must meet the needs of the parent, the student and the teacher. That is why there is no "formula" for successful parent-teacher communication. If you make it clear that you are respectful of the teacher's time constraints and paperwork demands, most teachers will respect your need for communication. The key is to be flexible and creative. It is important to emphasize that you want to support your child's teacher by following through at home, but you need information in order to do this. You also want to support the teacher by sharing strategies that have been successful, in addition to any other information that would help your child's performance at school.

One of the challenges of parent-teacher communication is to make sure both parties are clear on the need for high, but reasonable, expectations for the student. It is harmful if the teacher's expectations are too low and it is equally harmful if the teacher is frustrated because he or she thinks the student should be at a higher level or achieving at a faster pace than is reasonable for this child. It is important to check the work that is coming home to see if the expectations have been set at an appropriate level. If the bar has been set too low or too high you can either adapt the homework to model the work you believe your child should be doing or find some other way to communicate the need for different expectations.

The following are tips to assist you in setting up a communication plan. Some of these tips also apply to communication between private service providers (e.g. speech, OT and PT providers) and their counterparts at school:

1. Check with your state Parent Training and Information Center to see if they have information on developing communication plans.
2. Have a meeting with the teacher(s) before school starts to discuss your child and your expectations as well as the teacher's expectations. If possible, have the teacher participate in drafting the IEP that he or she will be implementing.
3. Keep a continuous dialogue with your child's teacher. Communication is not just for problems. You want to hear about the positive things your child has done and the teacher will appreciate your praise and gratitude when appropriate.
4. You can model the attitude you want the teacher to have toward your child. If you show the teacher that you celebrate all your child's achievements, (whether they are big or small, academic or social) the teacher can learn to celebrate with you and see your child through your eyes. If a teacher is only looking at the things your child can't do, you can turn his or her attention to the things your child can do. It is important to share your long-term goals for your child so the teacher understands the big picture.
5. Learn the paper exchange. Does your child bring work home? Does it need to be returned? How much homework? When are tests?
6. Establish a system in which you can receive information and give feedback on the work. Sometimes a simple numerical "code" is helpful to indicate the degree of assistance the student needed to complete a classroom assignment or homework (e.g., #1 for independence, #2 for visual cues, #3 for verbal cues and #4 for one-on-one assistance).
7. Many parents establish an exchange of information regarding behavior. It can be very helpful if behavior problems are approached with similar reinforcements both at home and at school.
8. Communicate with your child's teacher about concerns, issues and medications that might affect your child at school. Help the teacher understand the implications of your child's disability.
9. Request an IEP review if a problem arises that may require a change in your child's accommodations, services, goals and/or objectives.
10. Be respectful of the teacher's time. If you have a number of issues to discuss, you should arrange a brief phone conference or meeting rather than stop the teacher in the hallway.
11. Set up a folder/notebook to keep track of school information: phone numbers, school policies, school calendar, etc.,
12. Participate in school activities, especially the PTA.
13. Volunteer your time and skills to help in the classroom and on field trips. If your job or younger children make this difficult, there are often tasks that a teacher can send home for you to do (e.g., tally book club orders or field trip permission forms).