Services available in Arkansas

I've talked to several people lately about the lack of services in Arkansas. Couple of things come to mine. First, ABA is hard to find in Arkansas. There are a few consultants in Little Rock and some school districts in NW Arkansas that use it - but not much anywhere else. Equestrian therapy is available in Little Rock, Sherwood, and Russellville - that I know of. Aqua therapy is in Little Rock only - at this time. Services in general seem to be focused in Little Rock mainly, some in Jonesboro, some in NW Arkansas, Conway, and a smaller pocket in Russellville. The further south and southeast you go in the state, the fewer things are available. There are also about 1000 people on the Waiver waiting list. I strongly recommend parents applying for a slot to participate in the Arkansas Govenor's DD Council. Here is the web site.
http://www.ddcouncil.org/family_services.html

This training provides a great introduction to the services that are available in the state and also how to get them!

NAA Chapter Meeting

Sunday, May 31, 2009 from 2-4pm

Where: Partners for Inclusive Communities
2001 Pershing Circle, Suite 300
North Little Rock, AR 72114
Directions: http://www.uams.edu/partners/directions.asp

Meeting Agenda:

* Chapter Business: We will discuss briefly our short and long-term goals for the group and provide information on opportunities for you to become more involved. Please bring and share any ideas you have for future speakers, events and meeting dates/times.

* Speaker: Jodi Eaton, a certified occupational therapist from Easter Seals, will present on the topic of sensory integration. She will provide a theoretical background on suspected causes of sensory integration dysfunction, therapeutic interventions used to treat the disorder, and practical activities that parents can use to help their child at home.

* Social: Time for socializing and support will be available after the speaker. Refreshments and door prizes (including a season pass to Wild River Country!) will be provided. Childcare not provided, but children are welcome to attend meeting with parents.

For more information about the meeting, please contact our current Arkansas NAA president, Cindy Fong, fongfam@charter.net, 803-0166 (home) or 952-6508 (cell).

Special Needs Parents in Pope County

If you have a special needs child, here is the meeting for you. On June 2, from 6 to 8 pm, Rodney Farley will be facilitating a meeting with speakers from local agencies about ARKids, TEFRA, and Waiver. This meeting is critical for parents that have children with a disability that are in need of services. The Arkansas Parent Advisory Council is sponsoring the meeting and it will be held at the MiChild Enrichment Center in Russellville. If you are a parent of a child under the age of 18 with a disability, this is the meeting for you! If you have questions, please call Rodney Farley at 1-800-482-5850 X 22277 or Kristi Bartlett at 479-264-5616.

This is your Brain on Autism

Good news! An interesting workshop from the field of Therapeutic Recreation is coming to Little Rock and Russellville. On June 12th (at Easter Seals Arkansas in Little Rock) and on July 10th (at Arkansas Tech), Phillip Pengelly, CTRS will be presenting "This is your Brain on Autism". This workshop is "a new and easy to understand perspective on autism" and is hosted by the Arkansas Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. The workshop utilizes the latest in autism research to explain why therapties work and why our typical way of instruction that we all learned as children, doesn't. This workshop is not about a new kind of therapy or treatment. It is about finally understanding the world of Autism as they see it and how we can easily understand how to utilize what we are already doing and making it much better. If you are interested in attending, please e-mail mrphillip2001@yahoo.com or call 501-766-1247.

OzarksFirst.com

Lawmakers Disappointed In Autism Coverage

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 @04:44am CST

(Springdale, AR) -- Arkansas state lawmakers encountered a roadblock for autism insurance coverage. Lawmakers and insurance companies were unable to agree on a state mandate to force companies offer insurance companies to offer coverage for children with autism.

Insurance Industry members believe government health mandates would be ineffective in solving the autism problem.

Legislators stated mandatory coverage could reduce autism expenses to $3.6 billion instead of the $7 billion it is currently at. Lawmakers plan to bring the discussion up again during the 2010 regular session.

(Copyright 2009 Newsroom Solutions, LLC)

From NWA Online...

Lawmakers Question Autism Coverage

Last updated Tuesday, May 5, 2009 1:47 PM CDT in News

By THE MORNING NEWS

SPRINGDALE — Failure to require health insurance to cover autism was a major disappointment of the last legislative session, lawmakers participating in a forum said Tuesday.

Insurance industry witnesses at the legislative session were very good, "but their testimony is heartless. That is a strong word, but I really mean it," Rep. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville, told at least 80 people attending the Arkansas Kids Count Coalition post-legislative conference.

Failure to pass the autism bill was the session's biggest disappointment for him, said Rep. Les Carnine, R-Rogers. Rep. Lindsley Smith, D-Fayetteville, said she believes there could be a legal case made against lack of coverage on the issue. Smith is an attorney.