Minutes to the first meeting

Meeting introduction:
These minutes will be imperfect.  I'm not a great note taker, especially when I'm engaged.  In the future, if anyone would like to volunteer to take minutes, you are more than welcome to do so!

I convened the meeting by introducing myself and stating some of my goals for the group and the blog.  I mean for the group and the ideas to be presented in this blog to be comprehensive for this area and not limited to my own input.  In the future I hope to make the comments submitted by others more visible.

I'm not a big rules person but I thought it was in all our best interests to present these basic assumptions:  Our children all have different needs, we will all make different choices for them, and we will respect these differences.  

Our primary goal is to be supportive.


Individual introductions:
After my spiel, we went around and made introductions.  I'll try to protect the privacy of those attending and instead list the concerns and resources that were brought up during this discussion.

Concerns:

• how to pursue diagnosis and services for an adult who's suspected to be on the spectrum
• how to help an ASD adult in his 40's build a support network as his parent grows more elderly and less able to provide all his social needs
• how to help a nine-year-daughter find supportive groups/activites for peer interaction
• how to find the right therapeutic mix to control aggressive behavior as a child grows and changes environments
• how to help a 17 year old girl succeed in high school and provide resources for her caregiver who has just taken on her custody and is now learning about Asperger's

Resources:

• Brain Balance program (possible speaker for future presentation)
• Marquette General Hospital and Pathways for diagnosis of adults and children
• Jen Frazier and Bill Waters were there representing Marquette-Alger Resolution Service.  
• Wanda Joseph was there representing their parent organization, Michigan Special Education Mediation.
• Two teachers from North Star Academy were there.  One of these teachers is currently pursuing the Autism Collaborative Endorsement.  The program is offered on-line through NMU, though the endorsement comes from the Michigan Department of Education once the 18 credit course of study is completed.  Both these teachers have had years of experience working with ASD kids and noted the rise in numbers. 
• Superior Alliance for Independent Living (SAIL) was mentioned as a resource for adults with disabilities
• John Bingel, the Transition Coordinator at MARESA (226-5143) was mentioned as someone who could help high schools students prepare for adult life and adults connect with services. 

Guest Speakers representing Michigan Special Education Mediation.
Wanda Joseph and local rep Jen Frazier gave a brief introduction to the free services that they can provide to schools and parents to help resolve IEP disputes.   Their mediators are trained to remain neutral and help meeting participants find solutions and avoid litigation.  As they explained, when a parent enters an IEP meeting, they are often the only one attending the meeting who is not employed by the schools.  It helps to have another neutral party involved.  Handout and pens were distributed.

New Business:
I had jotted down some ideas for discussion, but we ran out of time.  The next meeting is scheduled for 7:00 rather than 7:30, again in the Shiras Room of Peter White Public Library, on Wednesday January 5, 2011.