Published: December 26, 2008
Age
of Autism Awards 2008 People of the Year Honorees
By
Dan Olmsted
Published: August 27, 2008 08:41 pm
Support Groups: Aug. 28, 2008
For
more information and/or sites, contact the numbers listed.
All counties:
• Together in Autism support
group meets online 9 p.m. every Wednesday. Visit website www.togetherinautism.org and click on chat room to sign up. For more
information email Shauna at togetherinautism@aol.com
Published: May 22, 2008 06:33 pm
Readers' Forum: May 23, 2008
Thanks
for support of organization
Thanks to a mid-western paper our very first autism awareness
walk on Saturday, April 19, was a great success.
Because of the paper's support and coverage of our walk,
many lives were touched, connections have been made, and you helped us raise awareness to the community about the free information
and support available.
Special thanks to Megan, Amanda, Max, Deb and Stephanie, we couldn’t have done it
without the support of the paper. You are providing vital information to the autism community. You helped “Together
in Autism” bless those in need.
We would also like to say thank you to each and every person who took part
in our walk, along with various media outlets in the mid-west such as WTWO, WTHI, Hi-99 and the walks local Wal-Mart.
— Shauna L., founder
TogetherinAutism.org
Published: April 17, 2008 11:04 pm
Walk
set to help raise autism awareness
Together in Autism shows Valley "we are here"
A
Valley mother hopes to save other families from having to investigate their children’s autism diagnosis in isolation.
Shauna L. recently started the support group Together in Autism to provide information, support, links to resources
and – hopefully someday – a complete autism wellness and information center in the area.
On Saturday,
the group is staging an awareness walk at noon for anyone who is interested in learning more about autism or Together in Autism.
Shauna, whose 5-year-old son is autistic, said she started the group because when she first started learning about
her son’s condition, “There were few to no support groups” in the area.
With the increase in
autism diagnoses, that is changing, she said, but parents are still hungry for information and connections with others experiencing
a similar situation.
Autism is a variable developmental disorder that appears by age 3 and is characterized by
impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate with others and
by stereotyped behavior patterns.
It is estimated that 1 in 150 children has autism. April is Autism Awareness
Month.
“Our Web site supplies a guide map from pre- to post-diagnosis and is known for listing all available
resources that are in the autism community,” Shauna said.
The site includes signs and symptoms of autism,
information on where to go for a diagnosis, health insurance information for autism, links to other autism Web sites and a
link to various book and article titles on the topic.
“I did not want any families to go through the nightmare
of having to become an investigator at the time of diagnosis,” Shauna said.
As for her dream to see
an autism center established in the Valley, Shauna said, “We need a place where there’s all resources available
for the autism community, as well as physical and mental wellness of the caregivers. We have no options, most in your area
have to go to Chicago or Indianapolis,” she said.
Shauna recently became acquainted with members of
a local branch of Autism Speaks, a national organization, she said.
“I have spoke with them and am so glad
to see them, along with a few other national groups popping up in the area,” she said, adding that when she learned
of her son’s diagnosis, she researched for a local branch of Autism Speaks, but did not find one at the time.
Shauna said she wanted to organize the citie's first autism walk during the month of April to “get
together and show the Valley we’re here.
“Autism affects entire families emotionally, physically,
and there’s a major lack of insurance coverage,” she said.
“One of our many goals is to meet
each family’s unique needs,” Shauna added. “Everyone is on their own journey, so we are ever-evolving
…
“We want everyone to know that they are not alone. We are together in autism,” she said.
Together in Autism is on the net at www.togetherinautism.org.
