Faces 4 Autism's “Bubbles for Autism”/ Letter to Parents for Autism Awareness Pilot

March 31, 2014

Dear 1st & 2nd Grade Hartshorn Parents & Guardians,

Some of you may know that April is Autism Awareness Month, and tomorrow your child will participate in an activity to acknowledge this via the Faces 4 Autism activity “Bubbles for Autism”.  During recess the first and second grade students will blow bubbles up into the sky. Why bubbles?  Because bubbles represent joy, happiness, & laughter and bring people together.  The point of this event is to celebrate differences and raise autism awareness; and awareness is the first step toward acceptance.  

Autism is a socialization and communication disorder.  A new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows 1 in 68 children nationwide have autism; 1 in 45 children in New Jersey, which is reportedly the highest in the nation with the report indicating statistics showing 1 in 28 boys in New Jersey have autism.  This month you may see some items coming home from Classroom Resource Kits which Autism New Jersey has created to support teachers in understanding the disorder, and helping to spread Autism Awareness. 

If you or your child is interested in learning more about autism you can go to www.autismnj.org. To learn more about fundraising efforts to bring these activities and kits to our school you can go to http://www.realshorthills.com/real-house-tours-benefiting-autism-nj/.  Any questions, please contact Melanie@RealShortHills.com or feel free to call (973)768-1818.

Happy World Autism Awareness Day (April 2nd)!

Best,

Melanie Rosenbaum

(MSPEC) Millburn Special Education Committee building rep

(SEPAC) Special Education Parent Advisory Committee building rep

31st Annual NJ Autism Conference in Atlantic City

This past weekend I attended the 31st annual NJ Autism Conference in Atlantic City.  Governor Christie was scheduled as a keynote speaker and was a no show!  A good highlight was Julianna Kusz was in attendance.  She is the Director of Special Services for Millburn Township, and I saw her buying books from Brooks Publishing for our township!  Brooks Publishing is definitely a friend to Millburn, for the third year in a row they have given us books. Each year I have brought some books home to our town that are housed in the Hartshorn Elementary School. We (MSPEC) considered the public library to house these books, but we wanted those teachers (many of whom are not town residents) to also have access to these books. 

I have added 5 new titles to our library this year.  They include "Social Skills and Adaptive Behavior in Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders", "Autism Services Across America", and "The Special Educator's Toolkit".  I also purchased 2 books that may be found in the library titled "Autism in the family, caring and coping together", and "The Principal's Handbook for Leading Inclusive Schools" (that one I gave to Mr. Frattini, the school's principal).  All that you need to do is go to Hartshorn's library or contact the librarian to check these books out under your child's name. The teachers may check these books out as well.  

As for the conference, my very best take away (besides the books) was to learn that there is a new rise in higher education programing for people on the spectrum.  It was stated in more than one of the seminars I attended how people affected by autism spectrum disorder have many strengths; along with more and more employers are looking for individuals that can provide attention to detail, engage in savant thinking and commit stern dedication to tasks.  Most individuals on the spectrum possess these types of attributes, and with the right help and support go on to lead healthy normal lives. The school programs will aim to foster a bridge regarding chosen career paths by individuals on the spectrum and employers seeking those strong characteristics.     

The future looks bright.  Enjoy the books.