what's happening

Many questions are asked and decisions are made in the middle and high school years. This is the time that prepares your son and daughter for their future. Futures that are full of promise and success happen because of hard work and planning. Each child’s future is different. Some will move on to college, other to work and some to community based activities. What does your child’s future include? Do you know what needs to happen at school and home so your child can realize their dreams? If not, help is available!

Beginning in October monthly information sessions will be held to answer some of the many questions parents and students may have. They will be held at the Middletown High School (601 N. Breiel Blvd.) Media Center (library) from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Please note if school is closed due to weather, the meeting will be canceled. Everyone is welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served. Here is a schedule of dates and topics:

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital presents:

Looking for a way to keep track of phone numbers, medications, & therapies? Want to improve communication with your providers in the hospital and community? Want to have your records all in one place? Sign up for a FREE Care Notebook class sponsored by Children’s Hospital! "Get A Jump on Organizing School Records with a Care Notebook" will be held on Tuesday, October 5, 2010, Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Liberty Township, Room A2. To register or for more information about the Patient/Family Care Notebook, please contact Amy Clawson at 513-636-4723 or amy.clawson@cchmc.org Download flyer

Kelly O'Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders presents

Next Steps: For Families of Childen with Autism Spectrum Disorder is a five week series of classes for families. Classes teach parents POSITIVE strategies for dealing with behaviors for their child with ASD. It is recommended that parents attend all five classes. There will be brief "homework" assignments. Classes will be held on Oct. 11, 18, 25 and November 1 & 8 at Children's Hospital Liberty Center Campus. Cost is $25 per family to attend the services. You must register by calling Jamie at 513-636-1377 or email jamie.fellers@cchmc.org Download handout

Getting Started: Building Skills and Learning Strategies for Helping Your Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder is a four week series for families whose child has recently been diagnosed with ASD. This series covers information about ASD, community resources, family coping, and intervention strategies. Classes will be held on Oct. 29, Nov. 5, 12 & 19 from 9:30 -11:30 AM at the 3430 Burnet Avenue Building in Cincinnati. Cost is $25 per family to attend the series. For registration and information call Jamie at 513-636-1377. Download handout.

Make-It - Take- It: Visual Supports for Autism Spectrum Disorders will be held on Wednesday September 23 from 5 -7 p.m. at Children's Hospital, 3430 Burnet Avenue location. Session will show you how to make and use visual supports for home, school and community. Cost is $10. To register or for more information please call Jamie at 513-636-1377. Download handout

Miami Valley Regional Center and State Support Team 10

2010 Parent Conference will be held on Saturday Oct. 23 from 8:30 -4 p.m. at 4801 Springfield St, Dayton, OH 45431. Sessions will include: Guardianship, Section 504, Becoming an Advocate for your Child, Estate Planning and Transition of Incoming and Exiting Preschoolers. For more information or a brochure contact Kelli at 937-236-9965 or kelli.cook@mcesc.org Download flyer

Legal Issues Update will be held on Monday, Oct. 4th from 8:30 -3:30 at the Holiday Inn Dayton Fairborn 1675, 2800 Presidential Dr, Fairborn, Oh 45324. Bricker and Eckler, LLP will discuss updates on implementation of the Operating Standards, IEP, ETR, and monitoring by ODE. New statutes, regulations, recent case and hot topics will also be covered. For more information call Dena or Kelli at 937-236-9965. Registration is $20 and you must register through STARS. Please download flyer for registration and payment instructions. Download flyer

School to Adult Transition Series is an information series for special needs students and their parents sponsored by Butler County Developmental Disabilities Board. It is held at Janet Clemmons Center, 282 Fair Ave in Hamilton from 6 -7:30 pm on specific Wednesday evenings. Students must register for the student session and be eligible for DD services. All parents of students with special needs are welcome to attend. To register or for more information call Patty at 513-678-9195. Download flyer

The Autism Expo 2010 will be held on Saturday, September 25 at the Live Oaks Campus in Milford from 10 -4 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Stephen Shore and other free information and activities will be available throughout the day. For a list of breakout sessions, vendors and providers please check www.familieswithasd.org/autism_expo

Introduction to Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis by The Cincinnati Center for Autism will be held on Oct. 2 &3 from 12 -4 pm. The cost of training is $25 for parents and is a great opportunity to gain knowledge on autism and the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). RSVP by Sept. 25 by emailing info@cincinnaticenterfor autism.com. Call 513-874-6789 for location. Download flyer

The Fall Conference & Provider Expo by the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities will be held on Thursday, Oct. 21 from 9:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Miami University Hamilton Campus in the Wilkes Center. Families and students are welcome to attend and learn about the providers/ vendors in Butler County, sessions of interest to students and families and enjoy lunch. This is a free event and it is not required that you attend the whole day. Schedule will be posted at www.butlerdd.org

The $mart Money Series for Special Needs Planning is sponsored by The Arc Hamilton County and The Paragon Financial Group. Making Your Money Work for You will cover the following Info & how 2’s: Wills, Trusts, Government Benefits, Guardianship and Formal/Informal Supports. The series will help capture your vision for the future and make it a reality for your family. It will be held on Saturday, October 16, 2010 from 9a.m. – Noon at 7755 Montgomery Road, Suite 250, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. The presentation is free. For Reservations and more information contact Patty McMahon at 513-821-2113 ext. 113 or Patty@archamilton.org More information is available on the presenter and special needs trusts at www.chriscollierclu.com and www.askscottsilver.com

Catching Kids Before They Fall: How Sensory Processing Disorders Affect Young Children's Learning and Behavior by Carol Kranowitz will be held on Friday, October 22, 2010 from 8:30 -4:30. It is sponsored by The OT/PT Department at the Miami Regional Center. The seminar will be held at Beavercreek Church of the Nazarene Family Life Center , 1850 North Fairfield Rd, Beavercreek, OH 45432. Cost is $205 which includes lunch. For questions contact Lori at 937-236-9965. Download brochure for a complete agenda and list of training topics. Downloand registration form only

CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention / Hyperactivity Disorder) meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month at First Baptist Church of Mason (735 Reading Rd.) from 7 -10 p.m. Speakers talk for 75 minutes followed by discussion and support. A $3.00 donation is requested for non CHADD members. For more information call 513-459-6080. Scheduled training's include

The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child by Richard Lavoie is a Parent Education Seminar sponsored by Springer School and Center and The Family Resource Center of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The workshop begins with an exploration of some of the common misconceptions related to student motivation and some of the common strategies that are, simply, ineffective (competition, reward systems, punishment). Specific approaches and strategies will then be presented that will enable parents to motivate students...and maintain that motivation throughout the school year. This seminar, based on the book by the same name, encourages parents to examine and identify each child’s “motivational” style and to design motivational strategies that will inspire the child to reach his or her potential. Parents attending this seminar will understand the three basic truths about motivation, explore the six factors that motivate human beings and receive practical, pragmatic strategies encouraging motivation.

The workshop will will be held at Xavier University's Schiff Family Conference Center at the Cintas Center on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Registration information is available at www.springer-ld.org

BRIDGES Parent Trainings for 2010-11 for parents of children with special needs and concerns will be held at Nagel Middle School Media Center, 1500 Nagel Rd. in Cincinnati, OH 45255 from 6 -8 p.m. Free pizza will be provided by Mio's Pizza. Registration required. To register call Tina at 513-616-6111 or tina.brophy@foresthills.edu Download flyer Training dates and topics are:

The Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) for Students with Disabilities will be held on July 18 -21, 2011. It is a four day leadership training program for 11th and 12th grade high school students with disabilities. Many young people with disabilities now have more options and more challenges than at any other time in our nations's history. This forum is geared to prepare them to take advantage of the unprecedented opportunities and to fully develop as constructive, contributing members of our society. Student delegates will develop a "Personal Leadership Plan" which will include a specific action plan that empower them to reach goals in education, employment and community.

At least 35 high school students will be selected to attend through a competitive selection process. There will be no cost for students/participants to attend this forum. For more information contact www.gcpd.ohio.gov/YLF/index.html or email Donno.Foster@rsc.state.oh.us Download brochure

Rumble in the Jungle Dance sponsored by GE Volunteers/PIC will be held on Wednesday, September 15 at Fairfield Banquet & Convention Center at Tori's Station, 74 Donald Dr. in Fairfield from 6 -8:30 pm. Former Bengal's Richard Carey and Robert Jackson will be at the dance to sign autographs. Come enjoy the fun, talk with friends and dance to music from a live band! Tickets are $1 at the door. For more information call Cathy at 420-2570, ext. 25 Download flyer

Special Olympics bowling will continue at Eastern Lanes, 6943 Coles Rd. in Middletown. Bowling will start back up on Saturday, Sept. 11th at 1:00pm and continue every Saturday through May. Please arrive at 12:45 so bowling can begin promptly at 1:00. All participants must provide their own transportation and if needed a caregiver or parent to provide necessary assistance. If you have questions or need more information call Susan at 513-392-5541.

Therapeutic Recreation for the Disabled has a newsletter that lists different activities throughout Butler county. Click here for Fall 2010 activities. To receive a copy please write Therapeutic Recreation for the Disabled at 1920 Fairgrove Ave., Suite E, Hamilton, Oh 45011. Information is also posted on their web site at http://therapeuticrec.bravehost.com

The Annual ARC Family Picnic will be held on Sunday, September 26 from 3:00 -7:00 at Camp Campbell Gard rain or shine. Meat, beverages, paper plates and utensils will be provided. Please bring lawn chairs and a side dish to share (no desserts please). Reservations call Betty at 513-779-4691 and Clara at 896-9379. If you are not familiar with the Arc here is your chance to learn more about this great organization. The Butler County ARC is a non-profit human rights organization of family members and friends committed to improving opportunities for individuals of all ages with developmental disabilities. Please visit facebook for the latest ARC information http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Arc-of-Butler-County/132104826828025?ref=ts

Fun and Fit is a directory of great resources for people with developmental disabilities to find recreation, leisure and fitness programs in the Greater Cincinnati area. To access the directory go to www.cincinnatichildrens.org/funandfit

Music Therapy for individuals with disabilities is available through Melodic Connections. For more information about adapted guitar, piano lessons, and group lessons visit the web site at www.MelodicConnections.org or call Laura at 937-877-8287.

Sensory Bounce located at 2109 Lyons Rd in Miamisburg, is a fun place for children with sensory issues and their families. The private sensory bounce group is made up of families of children with sensory issues and the noise is kept to a minimum. It is a great place for parents to socialize and network with other parents. No RSVP is necessary, just show up. Private Sensory bounces are held on the second Monday of each month from 5:30 -7 p.m. and cost $8 at the door. Parents play for free. Remember to bring your socks!

ADHD support group has formed in the south Dayton area (Kettering). The group meets at Christ United Methodist Church, 3340 Shroyer Rd. on the third Tuesday of each month at 7pm. Meetings also include monthly presentations by a child psychologist. Childcare is available if you call in advance. For more information, please call Terry at 937-293-3151.

A Peer Support Group sponsored by the Butler County National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Butler County Family and Children First Council has been formed. They meet the second Tuesday of every month from 7 - 9 p.m. at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 4601 Fairfield Ave. in Fairfield. Questions call Lynda at 513-887-5519.

Epilepsy Support Group of Butler County meets the 4th Thursday of the month at Janet Clemmons Center, 282 Fair Ave. in Hamilton from 6:00 -7:30.

Parents Anonymous helps parents or caregivers deal with the stress of raising children. The meetings are co-led by parents and a professionally trained facilitator and welcome anyone involved in parenting a child. The group meets every Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the YMCA, 244 Dayton St., Hamilton. For more information call 863-6129.

Asperger's Syndrome, PDD and High Functioning Autism support group meets the first Monday of every month at Christ United Methodist Church, 3440 Shroyer Rd. in Kettering at 7 p.m. Free childcare is provided by the church. For more information, or to be added to the groups mailing list call Audrey at 937-433-4505.

TS (Tourette Syndrome) Plus center located at Cincinnati Children's Hospital satellite in Mason will offer the latest information on Tourette Syndrome to families. Various featured speakers will present the last Friday of each month. For more information please contact Cindy at 513-677-0075 or 1-800-543-2675 for a list of times and speakers.

Tourette Syndrome Support Group in Dayton offers education and support to parents of children with Tourette Syndrome. Group meets quarterly. For times and more information call 937-641-3497.

Cystic Fibrosis Parent Support Group meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 7:00 -8:30 at Children Medical Center in Dayton. Call 937-641-3440 for more information.

Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association (MVDSA) meets the 3rd Thursday of each month from 6 - 8:30 p.m. at the Job Center, 1133 Edwin C. Moses Blvd. in Dayton. All family members are invited to attend. Family membership in the group costs only $15 a year.

Parent of BiPolar Children Support Group meets the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Sabin Education Center at 3333 Burnett Ave., 2nd floor, rooms D-24 and D-25. Call Pam 513-467-0423 for more information.

Dynmoc Duos User Support Group meets at Bobbi Fairfax School, 4999 Kingsley from 6 - 8 p.m. in Cincinnati. For further information call Sue at 513-241-2600.

Deaf Kids Club sponsored by Community Services for the Deaf provides recreational opportunities for deal kids and teens throughout the Dayton area. The group meets at the Dayton Deaf Club on Valley St. For more information contact Michelle at 937-640-8032.

Downs Syndrome Society of Greater Cincinnati has numerous support groups available for parents and grandparents. Call 513-761-5400 for more information and a complete listing.