ROCKINGHAM – The Autism Society of North Carolina “provides support and promotes opportunities that enhance the lives of individuals within the autism spectrum and their families.”
The Richmond County Chapter of the Autism Society will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Thursday, March 8, from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. at Sandhills Children’s Center. The Chapter meets on the second Thursday of each month, excluding July.
These meetings provide a place for families of children and adults with autism to ‘meet, share, and learn about autism.’ Sandhills Children’s Center provides child care during the meetings.
Justin Clark, Program Director of the Center, stated, “Various topics are discussed at each meeting. Anyone can come, those needing assistance, those with disabilities, parents with special needs children and teachers working with special needs students.”
Speakers at the meetings hold seminars on topics such as navigating IEPs and accessing available services. Thursday’s seminar topic will be Tech Tools: Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship. The speaker will be Nancy Childress, an Exceptional Children’s Instructional Specialist with Cumberland County Schools as well as parent of a young adult with autism spectrum disorder.
In a description of the seminar, Childress states the group will “explore a variety of web-based resources for parents and students related to responsible use of the internet.” They will “discuss the use (and sometimes overuse) of technology and how to maintain safety and privacy for children as they access the Internet.”
Amy C. Vanwyk, Regional Chapter Coordinator for the South Central Region Autism Society of North Carolina, stated, “Receiving a diagnosis of autism for your child can be overwhelming, as a parent. Our workshops serve as a roadmap to help guide you through the process of managing all that this diagnosis entails. Workshops range from what to do after the initial diagnosis to planning for adulthood, and everything in between. As a parent with a child on the spectrum, I can attest first-hand how truly life-changing this level of knowledge can be.”
The Autism Society of North Carolina, including the Richmond County Chapter, provides resources like educational material, access to events/calendars, and current topics of discussion.
The address for Sandhills Children’s Center is 108 Crow Run in Rockingham.
For more information, join the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/asnc.richmond or email richmondchapter@autismsociety-nc.org
