October 2014 Check out the SMART-One, Inc. website at www.smartoneinc.net or contact us via e-mail Happy Fall! Find our page by searching for “SMART-One Inc” or by visiting https://www.facebook.com/pages/SMART-One-Inc/106375132733491 SMART-One, Inc. is a non-profit, parent-run corporation offering services, materials, resources, and programs for special needs individuals of all ages and their families. SMART-One Programs and Activities Please call the listed contact person before attending your first class Newport News SMART Cheerleading Courthouse Way Community Center • 14302 Old Courthouse Way • Newport News, VA 23602 1st and 3rd Tuesday • 6:30 to 7:30 PM • Contact Veegee Silva at (757) 696-2540 Showstoppers Drama Troupe (starts back on October 9) Courthouse Way Community Center • 14302 Old Courthouse Way • Newport News, VA 23602 Every Thursday • 6:45 to 7:45 PM • Contact Beth Scott at (757) 234-6967 SMART Gymnastics (new date and time) World Class Gymnastics • 343 Bell King Road • Newport News, VA 23606 Every Sunday • 5:30 to 6:30 PM • Contact Veegee Silva at (757) 696-2540 Computer “SMARTs” Courthouse Way Community Center • 14302 Old Courthouse Way • Newport News, VA 23602 2nd and 4th Friday • 6:30 to 7:30 PM • Contact Veegee Silva at (757) 696-2540 Hampton Kid-SMART Martial Arts Northampton Community Center • 1435-A Todds Lane • Hampton, VA 23666 Every Tuesday • 6:15 to 7:15 PM • Contact Veegee Silva at (757) 696-2540 Tot-SMART Play Group (for special kids 2-8 years old) Sarah Bonwell Hudgins (near cafeteria) • 1 Singleton Drive • Hampton, VA 23666 Every other Saturday • 12:00 to 2:00 PM • Contact Nickie Brown at (757) 725-2378 Yorktown Kid-SMART Swim Smart York County YMCA • 101 Long Green Boulevard • Yorktown, VA 23693 Every Sunday • 3:30 to 4:30 PM • Contact Maurice Beaulieu at (757) 865-1572 Suffolk SMART Gymnastics World Class Gymnastics • 1000 Bowen Parkway, Suite D • Suffolk, VA 23435 Every Saturday • 12:00 to 12:30 PM • Contact Veegee Silva at (757) 696-2540 For more information, please contact the instructor of the class you are interested in, or contact Veegee Silva at (757) 696-2540 SMART-One is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization. We are a 100% volunteer organization, run by parents of special needs children and adults. 100% of our funding is provided through donations. All donations are gladly accepted and are fully tax-deductible. To donate, please make checks payable to SMART-One, Inc. and remit to 787 Wilderness Way, Newport News, VA 23608. Autism Society Tidewater Virginia - Peninsula Group Thursday, October 30th, 6:30 – 8:30pm (Note: At our new location! Please see below for details.) We hope to see you at this month’s meeting! Please RSVP if you plan to attend through www.meetup.com/tidewaterautism or email us at [email protected]. Event: Autism Society Tidewater Virginia - Peninsula Group meeting Topic/Speaker: An overview of the Tricare ABA Benefits by Katja Kox-Fishe’, AMFAS This presentation is geared towards military autism families and will provide an overview of the history and status of the Tricare ABA benefits and the continued advocacy efforts surrounding it. Date/Time: October 30th, 2014, 6:30-8:30pm Location: 11790 Jefferson Avenue in Newport News Access the rear entrance of the Peninsula School for Autism (new site) - Lower Elementary School & Community Outreach Center (next to the Hampton Roads International Montessori School) Details: Free childcare is provided at this event. RSVPs for childcare are required by October 23rd, and space is limited. Contact [email protected] to request childcare for this meeting. Registration paperwork, waiver agreement and cancellation policy apply. About AMFAS: American Military Families Autism Support is a grassroots effort started in 2008 by military families, for military families, providing news, information, contacts and options for military families dealing with autism spectrum disorder. We are military families who have experienced the intricacies of care, both on and off installations. We do not look to raise money, just support for military families. Our mission is simply to provide news, information, community and support to all military families dealing with autism spectrum disorder. Our vision is to increase awareness of autism, provide information to fill in the gaps between military installation support, build a support system for family members affected by a diagnosis of autism and increase feedback and partnership among military support services and families. Speaker Bio: Katja is from Belgium where she married her soldier 17 years ago. Her autism adventure started when her son was diagnosed at age 3. Her background in business and languages did not prepare her for this journey and it pushed her to take every workshop and training possible ranging from Wrightslaw to Dr Carbone to Partners In Policymaking and everything in between. Wanting to help parents like herself she volunteers for the Autism Society and for AMFAS where she is the lead for Plans and Policy. She has provided testimony before at Capitol Hill and at Tricare HQ to advocate for ABA benefits for military families. As long as the Army permits it home is Williamsburg where her son is in fourth grade and her daughter is in first grade. 28 • Newport News Parks, Recreation & Tourism Therapeutic Recreation After School program at Courthouse Community Center For school age children ages 2 1/2 – 22 with physical, emotional, developmental and/or mental disabilities. Programs are geared to enhance living, leisure, and social skills through a variety of activities including arts and crafts, group play, swimming, field trips and much more. Target population includes: -Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disabilities -Autism Spectrum Disorders -Neurological Disorders -Physical Disabilities Open from after school to 6:30pm. Fees: After School $80 with a one-time, non-refundable assessment fee of $60 Mark your calendars for Disability Awareness Day on October 25, 2014 – Entertainment and Vendors Needed! The Therapeutic Recreation Program The TR program provides a world of opportunities for children and adults who have special needs to participate in a wide range of recreational and leisure programs. OUR MISSION: Providing opportunities for building social character, promoting healthy lifestyles, and developing creative thinking through recreation and leisure activities. Attention All Men Who Have Children or are Caregivers, Loved Ones and supporters of children with special needs!!! There is a new support group starting up just for you!! ACED (Advocating Champions Empowering Disabilities) has begun having meetings at Sarah Bonwell Hudgins (also known as Eggleston services), which is located near Thomas Nelson Community College at 51 Battle Rd Hampton, VA 23666 .starting at 12pm. andjoin joinother other Call to learn howCome you can men where you can get support, give support, get information, advocate and bring awareness to the community. We welcome all men with interest in the special needs community. For more info please contact Danny Hodges at 236-3889 or Nickie Brown at 725-2378. Hope to see you there!! Next meeting is Sat. JUNE 21ST AT 12PM. AUTISM EXERCISE PROGRAM BEING DEVELOPED BY NORFOLK YMCA New research is showing the many developmental benefits for specifically designed adaptive physical exercise to help children on the autism spectrum gain higher levels of functioning. Studies in the field of applied kinesiology are illuminating the many health and neurodevelopmental benefits of tailored exercise programs. Daily exercise improves cognitive development, posture, muscle tone, motor planning, and muscular strength and endurance. All the big words aside, exercise programs are effective treatments for people on the autism spectrum. The Blocker YMCA in downtown Norfolk has agreed to prepare a tailored exercise program for children on the autism spectrum. YMCA District Vice-President Adam Kahrl says “We have decided to try this initiative as it fits within the mission and goals of the YMCA to build healthy communities that we care about. Our Exercise Manager Chris Fitzmaurice has a personal interest in this subject and he will be developing this new autism exercise program over the summer.” Part of the proven results come from work being done in the Chicago area by the Exercise Connection (ecautism.com ). The plan is for this YMCAexercise program to be rolled out in September based upon the interest level. We are trying to gauge how much interest there is from parents of children on the autism spectrum for this type of focused exercise program. (Ages 4 – 18). Please distribute this information to all that you know that are affected by kids on the autism spectrum. (And also we would be interested in knowing if there are adults with ASD that are interested in this type of an exercise program too.) The exact details of the program etc. will be provided later. If you have an interest in this, then please email [email protected] Or if you do not have email then call my personal number of (757) 305-8397 Thanks, Brian MacNeil, Norfolk