Sept. 16--After taking a break from meetings over the summer, the Autism Society of N.C., Richmond County Chapter, is gearing up to get back in the swing of things.
"I want to invite all the parents of children with autism to come to our meeting this weekend. It's going to be a great informational session for those who might not be familiar with services in the state and the community," said Essie Davis, ASNC parent advocate, who serves six counties.
The organization is looking to reach out to families and caregivers of children with autism, and is kicking off with a special meeting and breakfast in the FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital auditorium at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
"With special guest speakers, this will be a good informational session for families that have an autistic child," said Emily Tucker, chapter president. "This is a chance to discover resources and services available to children."
Maureen Morrell, ASNC special projects director, will give an overview of local chapters and talk about the history of ASNC; Steven King, ASNC regional service director, will discuss ASNC services; and Coileen Quinn, director of TEACCH Fayetteville, will explain the testing process and services provided through TEACCH.
"We found out that something was going on with my child when he was three," said Tucker. "Once we went through the long testing process that diagnosed him as autistic, he was able to attend Sandhills Children's Center until age five, when he was mainstreamed into a regular classroom."
Tucker said that TEACCH has been an invaluable resource to her family.
"They will even come to your child's school and work one-on-one with teachers to help them understand how best to integrate your autistic child into their classroom," said Tucker.
There will be plenty of time for questions during the meeting, and a chance for families to meet other caregivers going through similar circumstances.
"Being told your child may be autistic can be a scary thing," said Tucker. "Parents feel alone, they don't know what to do or where to turn. This meeting is a chance for them to discover some of those resources and talk with experts from ASNC.
"I tell people all the time that I would not change my child -- this is what makes him who he is, and I love who he is," Tucker said.
The Autism Society of N.C., Richmond County Chapter, meets every third Saturday at FirstHealth. For more information on meetings, call Tucker at (910) 334-1363. For more information on the ASNC Parent Advocate program, call Essie Davis at (910) 277-2887.
-- Staff Writer Kelli Easterling can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 18, or by email at keasterling@heartlandpublications.com.
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