February 8, 2012

Special Education 101 is an overview of federal and state law governing public school, special education procedures. Child and parent rights are discussed along with referral processes and practical tips for securing an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.

The cost for the training is $25.00* and participants receive:
*PowerPoint Training Handouts
*The Resource Guide for Children with Special Needs
*It’s A New Idea (a 60 page Special Education Manual)

Individuals may qualify for a 50% scholarship with appropriate proof of hardship.

To reserve: karen@aogh.org 713-957-1600 #14
(Please provide contact phone number and reserve 2 days in advance)

Event Flyer

February 11, 2012

The University of Houston-Clear Lake Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities is able to offer the Community Speaker Series to the public at no charge, thanks to the generous support of area businesses and organizations.

Please contact autismcenter@uhcl.edu for more information and to reserve a space.

Event Website

March 10, 2012

The University of Houston-Clear Lake Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities is able to offer the Community Speaker Series to the public at no charge, thanks to the generous support of area businesses and organizations.

Please contact autismcenter@uhcl.edu for more information and to reserve a space.

Event Website

March 14, 2012

Special Education 101 is an overview of federal and state law governing public school, special education procedures. Child and parent rights are discussed along with referral processes and practical tips for securing an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.

The cost for the training is $25.00* and participants receive:
*PowerPoint Training Handouts
*The Resource Guide for Children with Special Needs
*It’s A New Idea (a 60 page Special Education Manual)

Individuals may qualify for a 50% scholarship with appropriate proof of hardship.

To reserve: karen@aogh.org 713-957-1600 #14
(Please provide contact phone number and reserve 2 days in advance)

Event Flyer

April 11, 2012

Special Education 101 is an overview of federal and state law governing public school, special education procedures. Child and parent rights are discussed along with referral processes and practical tips for securing an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.

The cost for the training is $25.00* and participants receive:
*PowerPoint Training Handouts
*The Resource Guide for Children with Special Needs
*It’s A New Idea (a 60 page Special Education Manual)

Individuals may qualify for a 50% scholarship with appropriate proof of hardship.

To reserve: karen@aogh.org 713-957-1600 #14
(Please provide contact phone number and reserve 2 days in advance)

Event Flyer

April 14, 2012

The University of Houston-Clear Lake Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities is able to offer the Community Speaker Series to the public at no charge, thanks to the generous support of area businesses and organizations.

Please contact autismcenter@uhcl.edu for more information and to reserve a space.

Event Website

May 9, 2012

Special Education 101 is an overview of federal and state law governing public school, special education procedures. Child and parent rights are discussed along with referral processes and practical tips for securing an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.

The cost for the training is $25.00* and participants receive:
*PowerPoint Training Handouts
*The Resource Guide for Children with Special Needs
*It’s A New Idea (a 60 page Special Education Manual)

Individuals may qualify for a 50% scholarship with appropriate proof of hardship.

To reserve: karen@aogh.org 713-957-1600 #14
(Please provide contact phone number and reserve 2 days in advance)

Event Flyer

For children, ages 6 and up, we have Socializing On Saturdays (SOS) at the Down Syndrome Resource Center. This program will give the participants an opportunity to socialize thru activities and games that we have planned for the day.

S.O.S. happens the second Saturday of the month from 10am to 4pm with a limited number of participants.

Cost: $40

SOS Flyer

IDD PsychCare provides psychiatric and therapeutic services to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Houston and surrounding areas. Headed by a team of psychiatrists, PhD's, LPC's and LCSW's we are able to meet the needs of people served in the HCS, ICF/MR, TXHML programs and those using Medicare and private pay.

Psychiatric Services:

• Medication Management
• Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing
• Treatment Plan development and follow along

Psychological & Behavioral Services:

• Behavior Intervention Plans
• Coordination of Behavior Plans with ARD teams and day program
• Staff training (School, Provider and Day Program)
• Individual and Group Therapy
• Family Therapy

Employment Advantage has been providing specialized employment services to individuals with disabilities since 2002. We serve Harris and Montgomery counties, with our focus on the Humble/Kingwood/Atascocita and East Montgomery County areas.

We are an approved Provider for the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and have held a contract since 2002. We are an Employment Network holding a contract awarded to us by the Social Security Administration in February 2011.

Our services are delivered in a professional and individual manner, focusing on you to determine your talents, your work preferences and your career goals. Services include:

• personalized assessment of skills and talents,
• resume' development,
• interview preparation, and
• a commitment to help you find employment that matches your preferences.

In addition, our services are available during the short term and the long term of your career development.

Our mission is to assist individuals with disabilities who desire to go to work, find meaningful and competitive employment that matches their skills and talents.

For additional information please contact us at (281) 358-6172.

Employment Advantage Flyer
Employment Advantage Brochure

TDLC's goal is to effectively serve families with special needs children by providing quality Applied Behavior Analysis, Speech Language therapy, Social Skills classes and Professional Counseling services in the Greater Houston area.

Company information and services

My name is Patrick Callahan and for the past 30 years, I have worked in a hands-on capacity with children with autism in public school settings. I recently took an early retirement to enter the private sector. I provide reasonable initial consult fees and competitive rates for services based on my 30 years of experience. My experience and expertise are with ASD children ages 3 to 12 years old.

Services Provided:

• In-home respite care (by the hour or day)
• Academic tutoring to age 16
• In-home behavior management strategies
• In-home communication strategies
• Home schedules
• Daily living skills
• Social skills
• Recreational outings
• IEP reviews
• Pre-ARD conference
• Consultation with parochial schools/day care centers

I am available 7 days a week. For resume, references and rates, please email with your name, child information, and services you may be interested in. Response time is one day.

Accessible Lifestyle delivers professional construction and remodelling services on both commercial and residential projects in Harris and surrounding counties of the greater Houston area. We specialize in custom projects incorporating universal design, accessibility and barrier-free features.

Our years of experience and certifications have given us a level of expertise and flexibility that allow our clients a piece of mind knowing they can trust us from start to finish. Whatever you need, we are a very knowledgeable and capable construction team that can get the job done right. We now have a Full Time Occupational Therapist on staff to complete home safety evaluations when needed. From design to completion, we can do it all.

When all is said and done, quality is the defining element of every project. From the design through the finishing craftsmanship, it's the quality of the work that will endure. Outstanding skills and real care are the characteristics that enable the Accessible Lifestyle team to deliver a high-quality, consistent quality product.

For more information visit accessiblelifestyle.com, call (936) 760-2601, or view the company brochure.

The American Music Therapy Association defines music therapy as "an established healthcare profession that uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals of all ages. Music therapy improves the quality of life for persons who are well and meets the needs of children and adults with disabilities or illnesses."

By using targeted music interventions a variety of goals may be addressed such as:

• Fine motor skills
  
• Gross motor skills
  
• Balance and/or gait
  
• Breath support
  
• Oral motor skills
  
• Communication/receptive language skills
  
• Memory skills
  
• Pain management
  
• Executive functioning/cognitive skills
  
• Social skills
  
• Self expression/self awareness
  
• Overall health and wellness
  
• Manage stress
  
• Express feelings
  
• Enhance memory

For more information visit www.musictherapycenter.org, or call (713) 298-1934.

• Need more transportation options?
• Want to go to work, to college, or to other places, but can't get there?

PEAC invites the estimated 1.8 million working-age Texans who have disabilities to tell them about their transportation challenges.

Answering this survey will identify opportunities for transportation coordination and services.

• English Survey
• Spanish Survey

All Texas Residents may call toll-free 1-877-542-5101 to answer the survey by phone.

PEAC also provides one-on-one technical assistance to people with disabilities who are experiencing public transportation difficulties. Call toll free 1-877-542-5101 or on the web at www.paratransittexas.org/ for assistance.

In the past 11 years, Dionysus Theatre has been the only inclusive theatre in the state of Texas. Bringing together actors with disabilities along with those who are able-bodied, Dionysus has entertained, empowered, enlightened and educated people across the state. (more)

Founded in 1960, the Leopold L. Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics at Texas Children's Hospital provides a variety of medically directed diagnostic services for infants, children and adolescents referred for suspected developmental and/or learning problems including children at risk because of problems associated with birth.

The Meyer Center offers an interdisciplinary, family-centered approach to diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment. The team includes developmental and behavioral pediatricians, psychologist, a neuropsychologist, and social workers. Speech/language therapist, occupational and physical therapists, and other medical specialists at Texas Children's Hospital are consulted as needed.

Texas Children's Hospital
6621 Fannin Street, CC 1530
Houston, Texas 77030
(832) 822-3400

Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Long-term follow-up of premature infants is provided through the Desmond Clinic.

Thursdays, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

In collaboration with the Down Syndrome Association of Houston, the Down Syndrome Clinic of Houston was launched to provide services to ensure the healthy development of children with Down syndrome.

Please contact the nurse coordinator at (832) 822-3478 for additional information.

Mondays, 8:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

ESCAPE Family Resource Center is offering "Home Improvement Classes for the Entire Family." ESCAPE has a variety of parenting skill enhancement programs. Each program can be facilitated with the entire family or with parents only to accommodate the need. Some program fees do apply; please call (713) 942-9500 for further information. Se habla espanol.

Click here to view a flyer of available classes.

http://www.learntoparent.org/

Parents who have children with mentally handicapping conditions can have difficulty finding time away.  Between the struggle of the child's needs and the difficulty of finding people who are capable of caring for those needs, getting away even for a few hours can become a near impossibility. This is where HARC comes in. On Friday evenings from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., HARC provides “Parents Night Out” programs where the children can have an entertaining evening and the parents can enjoy up to four hours away.

HARC's “Parents Night Out” program gives an enjoyable evening for children.

A typical evening will include games, crafts, music, movies and loads of fun events.  The programs are created to offer the participants a great time in a nonsectarian environment. While HARC plans for inclusion programs with a large variety of group activities, HARC also has 1:1 activities for children who are not ready for group events.

A $25 fee is requested per child.  Partial scholarships are available, and second child discounts apply.  Since children with handicapping conditions also often relate well with their “typical learning” siblings, special invitation rates are  offered for these siblings. Parents Night Out is restricted to children ages 4-18 years of age. All allergies, diet restrictions, and other special needs are to be made known in advance.

For more information about HARC's Parents Night Out program, see
www.harc-hou.org or call 713-271-6001 for more details.

To visit the HARC brochure online click here.

3rd Friday of each month

PM Pals provides a Friday night "off" for parents with special needs children. Children receive one-on-one attention and structured play events and the parents receive 4 hours all to themselves. Here are some details about the program:

• Children ages 1 - 12 years old with any type of special needs are invited
• Their siblings (aged 1 - 12 years) are encouraged to also attend
• Provides a safe and fun environment with a mature and trained volunteer, including medical specialist
• All children receive a one-on-one "Pal" for the evening, who guides them to various activities (games, crafts, creative play, etc.)
• There is a "special event/guest" each PM Pal night
• Drop off time is 6:00PM - 6:30PM. Pick up time is 9:30PM - 10:00PM
• This is a free service, open to the public

The program is located at St. Luke's United Methodist Church
3471 Westheimer Road
Houston, Texas 77027
Westheimer Rd. at Edloe/west of Buffalo Speedway

Please contact Julie Miller at (713) 402-5044 to sign up or for more details.

The TEAM Project began in October 2003 with a grant from the US Department of Education to Partners Resource Network, a nonprofit agency that has served parents of children with disabilities throughout Texas since 1986. The TEAM Project is part of a statewide network of services to parents of infants, toddlers, children and youth with all types of disabilities.

There is no charge to parents for the services of the TEAM Project. Services are available in English and Spanish.

The TEAM Project provides training, information, and support to parents of children with all types of disabilities.

The TEAM Project helps parents to:

• learn more about their children's disabilities
• better understand their children's rights
• improve their skills in communication, evaluation, and decision making
• gain inner strength to deal with the "job" of advocating for their children
• know that they are not powerless and they are not alone

Workshops on:

• Educating parents with special needs children
• Educational rights, ARDs, IEPs, IFSPs
• Positive Behavioral Supports
• Transition Planning
• Parent/Professional Partnerships
• Assertiveness and communication

Information and Referral about:

• Disabilities and challenging needs
• Educational rights
• Special education services
• Local, regional, state and national resources
• Statewide membership organizations

Assistance in:

• Preparing for an ARD/IEP meeting
• Understanding a child's records
• Linking with another parent
• Organizing a parent support group
• Record keeping and letter writing
• Communicating with school personnel
• Preparing for mediation

Resources:

• Quarterly newsletter
• Publications
• Bilingual staff (Spanish/English)
• Website
• Annual parent leadership institute

Coordinating Office
3311 Richmond, Suite 334
Houston, Texas 77098
office: (713) 524-2147
toll free (877) 832-8945

email: prnteam@sbcglobal.net

website: www.partnersTX.org

IntraCare North Hospital is pleased to announce the opening of our new

Special Needs Adaptive Program (SNAP)

We have identified a need in our community to serve patients with both behavioral or psychiatric conditions that meet the criteria for inpatient hospitalization and special needs related to developmental issues such as mental retardation/autism and co-occurring..

Our program addresses both of these areas by stabilizing the behavioral/psychiatric condition while providing programming in a manner that is appropriate for patients with special needs related to their developmental issues.

Our staff are trained and experienced in working with this patient population. We are proud to have Dr. Javier Ruiz and Dr. Victor Oderinde as Medical Directors for this program.

• Patients 8 to 14 years of age
• Patients must have a behavioral or mental illness diagnosable under DSM
• Patients must have a special developmental need such as mental retardation or autism within the mild to moderate range. IQ scores of 50 and above would be appropriate.
• Patients must not have additional medical needs beyond those currently accepted for treatment in our facility. The exclusionary criteria for medical stability will be applied to these patients just as it is for all patients seeking admission.
• We will consider all admissions and inquiries on a case by case basis.

Please call (281) 893-7200

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Down Syndrome Resource Center
7015 W. Tidwell Building G Suite 108
Houston, TX 77092

The club will provide a unique opportunity for its members to practice social skills and gain self confidence in a safe, welcoming environment. It will give them the opportunity to have their own place; make new friends; to be themselves; discover new talents and goals; become leaders; make decisions, and to have fun. With guidance, the members will plan and run their club’s activities and occasional outings – all the while practicing their social thinking skills.

For more information and to join the club, please call 281-639-2788 or email us at harc@harc-hou.org

Adult Social Club Flyer

10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

North Houston Autism Play Group is for children ages 1-12 (up to 5th grade) including their parents and siblings. This group will provide social opportunities for children with autism & their families while building a support network in Harris and Montgomery County .

Everyone attending must RSVP so that we know how many refreshments we will need. For more information, please contact Janet at nhautismplaygroup@sbcglobal.net or 713-962-0474

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

The Catholic Community of St. Cecelia
11720 Joan of Arc Drive
Community Center, Room 202

For parents and caregivers of children and adolescents with a brain disorder (ADHD, PDD/Autism, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, or any other emotional or behavioral concern). You are not alone!

For more information, call Debby Brown at 281-493-9854 or Diane Goyette at 713-896-1153.

The last Tuesday of each month

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• "El Grupo" is a support group that was developed in 1990 to assist Spanish speaking families that have the responsibility of caring for a family member that has a mental or physical disability.
• The group format helps to establish a safe, trusting environment which encourages members to address issues that are particular to their situation.
• Group facilitators are culturally sensitive and conduct the sessions in Spanish and English

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Jewish Family Service
4131 S. Braeswood
Houston, Texas 77025
(713) 667-9336

This group is open to anyone who has someone in their life with special needs. Please join us for lively discussions and a chance to connect with other Jewish parents and caregivers.

There is no fee for this service and this group is being facilitated by Jody Mizrachi, MA LPC-1 and Jamie Paul Weiner, MSW

For more information, please call Jody Mizrachi at (713) 667-9336 ext. 207

The second Monday of each month

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

The second Tuesday of each month

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

The second Saturday of each month

• Familias Hispanas is a Spanish speaking support group.

10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Weekly - Mondays and Saturdays

Mondays: 7:30 PM - 9:30PM
Saturdays: 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Mondays:
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Room 205
11612 Memorial Drive
Houston, Texas 77024

Saturdays:
West University Church of Christ
3407 Bissonnet, Westchester Street entrance (between Buffalo Speedway and Edloe)
Houston, Texas 77008

Recovery, Inc. is a self-help mental health organization founded in 1937 by the late Dr. Abraham A. Low, a Chicago psychiatrist. The Recovery method is a system or cognitive/behavioral techniques to help manage and control nervous symptoms and fears. Weekly meetings are open to anyone 18 years or older.

Recovery, Inc. has helped people struggling with: stress and tension, depression and fatigue, anger and fears, anxiety and panic, feelings of helplessness or hopelessness, sleep problems and worry, and other emotional problems.

Call (713) 466-3387 or email 171@recovery-inc.org, or visit the website, www. recovery-inc.org

2nd Saturday of each month

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Tzu Chi Foundation, USA, Southern Region
6200 Corporate Drive
Houston, Texas 77036

We are a support group for Chinese families with special needs, through regular monthly meetings, we offer:

• Special topic seminars by professionals
• Experience, ideas and information exchange among parents
• Linkage to community resources

Fun activities are provided by volunteers for your special ones while parents attend the monthly meetings. Special Olympics and other family gatherings are held periodically as well.

Call Lily Pan at (713) 970-8385 - email lily.pan@mhmraharris.org
or Ken Wang at (713) 981-8966 - email kuenswang@aol.com

Click here to view the support group flyer