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ASCEND’s Meetup Group

New ASCEND Professional Member 

Nellie's Schoolhouse
35 Old Covered Bridge Rd
Newtown Square, PA 19073

We connect children with autism, depression and anxiety to well trained and well behaved dogs. We are an ambulatory classroom in which our screened volunteers and their dogs visit children and their families in their homes over a predetermined period of time (after school and on weekends). As a parent of an autistic, depressed or anxious child, you are encouraged to explore and learn about the opportunities available for your youngster to be a member of Nellie's Schoolhouse. The relationship between a child and a dog has been proven to be powerful and life changing.
Contact: Tom Richards - Executive Director 610-212-0516

ASCEND Professional Member News

Top 10 Things to Know Before Heading Off to College
By:Terri Weiner at Transition Steps to Success where our mission is to provide specialized Occupational Therapy services to help individuals make successful transitions and launch satisfying, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
Someone you know may be preparing to venture off to college: they have made the trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond and are getting excited for their new lives. For the adults who are helping them to prepare for this next step, it can be an anxiety- provoking time. We've compiled a list of the "Top 10 Things You Need to Know Before Heading Off to College."  Use these suggestions as a tool for your "T ransition  to  Success"  at college. This quick list was created as a way to inspire you towards a new level of independence. Please save this and share it. 

New Books Published: 
Patience Domowski, LCSW, of Patience's Behavior Therapy, recently published books which may be helpful to those on the autism spectrum: 
Lily Makes Friends- book about making friends/social skills.
Julian Learns- book about following directions/anger.
An (un)common sense guide to parenting- parenting book which includes a section on autism.
Brianna and the Blue Monster- book about depression for kids. Violet and the Worry Warthog- book for kids with anxiety. 


Helping Adults with Autism Age Well in the Philadelphia Area
By Erin Arvedlund for Philly.Com
What happens when adult children with disabilities become senior citizens? It's a growing reality that Judith Creed Homes for Adult Independence (JCHAI) is grappling with as its adult clients become seniors, some in their late 70s. While trusts remain one of the best planning techniques for families with means, many adults with disabilities have more immediate needs, such as finding jobs and places to live, and learning new skills.

As the number of children with autism grows, so do awareness and special places to play
By: Rita Giordano for Philly.Com
Toby, 3, bubbling over with a preschooler's boundless enthusiasm, was running laps around the city of Philadelphia one recent Friday morning as his dad Tim Schellenberg tried to keep up. "Dad! Look!" called out Toby, racing ahead.  Okay, it was a Lego version of Philadelphia - but a 1.5 million-brick, sprawling replica, including a nine-foot high Liberty Place that towered over Toby. The cityscape is one of the highlights of the new Legoland Discovery Center at the Plymouth Meeting Mall.

In the Media

Why Judges Need Autism Training Just as Much as Police Do
By: The Autism Site
Judges in Pennsylvania got some new on-the-job-training recently that can help them bring fairness and justice into their courtrooms when defendants with autism come before them. More than 1,000 judges in the state are required to participate in continuing education that helps them understand and recognize autism when they see it in court and better interpret the responses of people with autism.

Penn Study Finds High Quality Early Intervention for Children with Autism Quickly Results in Costs Savings
From: https://www.pennmedicine.org
PHILADELPHIA - One in every 68 children in the United States has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neuro-developmental disorder that results in difficulty socializing and communicating needs and desires, and often is accompanied by restricted interests or activities. Research has shown that early intervention leads to better outcomes for children on the spectrum. But the cost of early intervention is high-ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 per year for intensive early intervention-and health care insurers, state and local early intervention programs often are reluctant to pay for it, thereby making it difficult for families of children with ASD to obtain these expensive services.