August 2005 Newsletter

Meetings

This is a reminder that there will be no FAVAN meeting in August. We will resume our regular meeting schedule in September. Meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month. Details can be found on the Meetings page at www.favan.org.

State Guidelines for Autism Education Released!!!

The State of Connecticut has released the Guidelines for Identification and Education of Children and Youth with Autism. These guidelines have been under development for over two years and are the first document published by the state on education for students with Autism since 1998. These guidelines will likely set the standard for "appropriate" educational programs for the next several years. Copies can be downloaded from the Special Education Resources page of the State Department of Education web site or picked up in person at CT SERC at 25 Industrial Park Rd., Middletown. We will have about 20 copies available at the September Meeting.

Public Forums on the Guidelines for Identification and Education of Children and Youth with Autism

As part of the release of the new guidelines, the State Department of Education will sponsor six forums throughout the state with the panel that developed the guidelines. The forums will be held September through November. The closest session for most FAVAN families will be September 29 in Litchfield and November 1 in Windsor. Registration is required and forms can be found at SERC's Focus on Autism Initiative page.

Upcoming Conferences

There have been a large number of conferences and workshops on autism scheduled for the Fall and Spring. We have listed all the conference that we know about on the Conferences page of the web site at www.favan.org.

The Connecticut Special Education Resource Center (CT SERC) is sponsoring a large number of conferences and workshops for both school personnel and families. SERC sponsors a series of initiatives on special education including a Focus on Autism Initiative. There are several other programs that include workshops and conferences that may be applicable for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders including Positive Behavior Support Services Initiative and the Technology in Education Initiative.

Upcoming Events

The CT Autism Spectrum Resource Center will hold it’s 2nd Autism Spectrum Resource Fair on Saturday, October 1 at Southern Connecticut State University. Details are available at http://www.ct-asrc.org.

Please let us know if you have information about upcoming events in the area.