Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc.

This summer the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin collaborated again with the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin to host 2 weeks of bike camps for individuals with disabilities.  Over 60 individuals learned to ride bikes this summer thanks to this program. See TV coverage of our Milwaukee camp here.

We would like to thank CVS Caremark for their grant in support of this program.

We had awesome volunteers, parents and campers who all worked together for success - over 85% of our campers were independently riding at the end of the 5 day program.  Congratulations to you all!

Emily Iland will be in Milwaukee for 2 talks on January 10th, 2009, on balancing family and sibling needs in families who have a child on the spectrum. Ms Iland is the author of Autism Spectrum Disorders A to Z, which was recognized as the book of the year by the Autism Society of America in 2006. She is the parent of 2 young adult children, a son on the spectrum and a typically-developing daughter.

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For exciting basketball action, join fellow
ASSEW members for the University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee Lady Panthers Basketball team as they
take on the Butler Bulldogs in a conference matchup.
The game starts at 2:00pm on Saturday, January
31st at the Klotsche Center, 3409 N. Downer
Avenue on the UWM campus. The group will meet
at the box office one-half hour before the game.
Admission for ASSEW members is free! Email
info@assew.org or call the office to register: (414)
427-9345 by January 23rd. Pre-registration is
required for an accurate ticket count. For registration
we need the names and a phone number for the
people attending.

75 families are expected to celebrate the holiday season together, but it’s their commonality that often causes them to feel alone.

“When my son was diagnosed with autism, the doctor told us the incident rate was two in 10,000,” says the Autism Society of Southeast Wisconsin’s Executive Director Emily Levine. “Today, it’s one in 150.”

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Title: Parenting Series: Planning Vacations: Traveling with Autism
Location: Nicolet High School D-Wing Library, Glendale, WI
Description: A Free Parenting Series for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Featuring a panel of parents. Nicolet High School is located off I-43, just south of the Good Hope Rd. exit.

Please email info@assew.org or call (414) 427-9345 to register or for more information. The workshops is FREE but we do request that you register. The Parenting Series is designed for parents with young children but all are welcome. Childcare is not available. Schedule subject to change.
Start Time: 9:30
Date: February 14, 2009
End Time: 11:30

Dr. Deborah Fein of the University of Connecticut was the keynote speaker at the Snyder Conference at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin on November 21st, 2008. The day started with pediatric grand rounds, which was filled to standing room only. Dr. Fein addressed the crowd about the importance of screening toddlers for autism spectrum disorders, as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Fein is one of the developers of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (MCHAT).

After the grand rounds, the Snyder Conference continued with input from pediatricians on the challenges of adding another screening requirement to busy pediatric practices, the fears some families face regarding autism and vaccinations, and the differences in providing care in urban and suburban practices. Other speakers included Dr. Richard Barthel from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Nissan Bar-Lev from CESA #7, Bill Murray and Julie Bryda from the state Department of Health and Family Services, and Emily Levine from the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin. At the end of the conference, Dr. Fein discussed research showing how some children make substantial progress through ABA therapy.

The ASSEW sponsored Dr. Fein’s visit to Milwaukee, using funds raised at Dylan’s Run. We are grateful to Dr. Richard Barthel and the planning team at Children’s Hospital for arranging this conference, bringing quality autism information to Southeastern Wisconsin.