Arizona Autism United
(602) 773-5773 [office] | | Upcoming Events Family Event at Airworx Hab-M Parent Orientation April 21 AZA United (Phoenix)
Annual Meeting for AZA Parents
April 21 AZA United (Phoenix) Fundamentals of ABA Training Class
May 19
AZA United (Phoenix)
"Ales for Autism" Beer Tasting
May 15 Nimbus Bistro (Scottsdale)
Contact us for more information on any of these events!
Do you want to know about more local events for families? Send us an email at Events@azaunited.org and we'll add you to our events notification email group. | | Thank you to our sponsors!
| | Link of the Month
The CDC recently announced that autism is now diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 88 children. In Arizona, the number is 1 in every 40 boys. In honor of the many, many children we serve today and will tomorrow, we present this video for Autism Awareness Month. CLICK HERE | | | | | | Speech Therapy is Now Available at AZA
 We at AZA United are thrilled to introduce you to Nicolette Judge Piano, CCC-SLP, who joins our management team as the Director of Speech and Language Services. Nicolette has worked directly with children with autism and their families for 10 years in many roles, and is leading the development of an array of new services that AZA United will now be able to offer all families. These services include speech therapy, feeding therapy, social skills lessons and playgroups, iPad communication training, and more. AZA United's program will specialize in integrating speech and language activities with ABA motivational methods and learning styles of children with autism. Services will be available for children of all levels and needs. Families who already receive ABA or habilitation services with AZA United will now have a transdisciplinary model available, in which the child's speech therapist and behavior analyst work together to integrate goals and strategies into a single consistent teaching approach. We are now conducting free consultations with interested families to begin as early as May. For more information, contact Nicolette@AZAunited.org or call our main office.
| | Summer Programs for Kids & Teens
 This summer, AZA United has a fun and exciting opportunity for kids and teenagers to make friends and try out some new experiences. In June and July, we will be hosting the inaugural Summer Enrichment Program at Spofit, the Sports & Fitness Center located right next to our office at the Disability Empowerment Center. In June, we have two sessions available for kids ages 5 to 11. In July, we have two more sessions for teens (ages 12 and up). Each day will include a variety of sports games and special activities, including karate, yoga, zumba, rock climbing and swimming. Space is limited and registration will be done on a first come, first served basis, so contact us now if you'd like to sign up! Scholarships are available for all families with financial need, thanks to a very generous charitable donation from grandparents Margaret & Paul Tiffany. But what about the little guys and girls? Since the summer program will be at SpoFit and the age ranges are broad, we are planning other summer activities for children 5 and under. Some plans in development right now include social events revolving around sensory play and interactive music activities. If you are interested in learning more, please email us at Summer@azaunited.org. More details coming soon! | | "Ales for Autism" - a Beer Tasting Event
 Good eats, great beer, cool silent auction items, amazing location - all to support a great cause! Join Arizona Autism United friends and families for a relaxing evening of appetizers, beer and some exciting silent auction items all within a relaxed, comfortable and welcoming bistro and brewery located in Scottsdale. Nimbus American Bistro & Brewery is a nationally acclaimed brew pub. NIMBUS Beer is brewed right here in Arizona & nationally ranked as one of the best craft brewed beers. All funds raised at this event will be allocated directly to programs that assist children with autism and their families in Arizona. Click here for more information and to get your tickets. Tell your friends, and see you there!
| | Community ABA Class on May 19th
 Join us on Saturday, May 19th, for the annual "Fundamentals of ABA" training class for parents, habilitation therapists, and anyone else involved in helping children with autism. The class discusses the common features and needs of children on the autism spectrum and strategies for success to teach new skills and increase positive behaviors. Terms and concepts that will be discussed include reinforcement, function of behavior, extinction, differential reinforcement, prompting, fading, behavioral shaping and much more. This class is an interactive presentation that includes group activities, video examples and useful handouts. For more information or to sign up, click here.
| | Join Us for a Family Event at Airworx
 We jumped, bounced, and hopped our sillies out with AZA United last year and we had a blast! We're going back on Monday, April 30, to enjoy the huge trampolines, inflatable slide, and more in a friendly and hospitable environment. Bring your siblings, cousins, friends and habilitators along. Pizza and drinks are available at the concession stand. Airworx is giving us the same discounted rates for jumpers as last year! Only $9 (plus tax) per person for 2 hours, and no charge for chaperones (parents or habilitators who will not be jumping). For more information and to sign up, click here.
| | Parent Summit this Saturday
 This Saturday, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm, AZA United will host the 6th Annual Meeting and Afternoon Coffee for AZA Parents. Each year we convene to share with you the state of the organization - what's happening behind the scenes, how are we addressing challenges, and what's on the horizon. It's a time for parents to share their thoughts and ideas in a public forum where all families can work together and be part of creating the future. This year, we'll be taking that a step further by bringing in a series of guest speakers who are involved in a wide variety of community projects that are tied to AZA. It's a great time for parents to find out what opportunities exist and to get involved in things that interest you. This invitation is open to any parent whose child has received any services this year from AZA United. If you haven't already signed up online, please email Aaron@azaunited.org to RSVP. Some of this year's guest speakers and topics that you won't want to miss include: - Christopher Tiffany - board decisions from the previous year
- Jim Adams - a project to make community college possible for all
- Mary Ann LaRoche - young adults making art at SEEDS for Autism
- Kathy Bogart - leader of the new Young Entrepreneurs Club
- Amanda Lewis - demonstrating iPad apps for kids & parents
- Larissa Beckstead - discussing Sibshops, a program for siblings
- Katie Murwin - family events from Kids with Autism Can
If you can't make it but wish you could, we will have a webcast option available. Reply to this email if you're interested. Hope to see you there! | | | Thanks for all you do, and don't forget to tell us what else we can do...for you! | | |
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