October Newsletter (2012)

                

October  2012                                                          E-News                                          Vol. 2, No. 10

Table of Contents

       I.            Calendar Events

    II.            Upcoming Events

A.    Free workshop at Dyess Air Force Base

B.     Abilene Children’s Performing Arts Series- Beauty and the Beast

C.    ADHD Seminar and support group

D.    REACH brings entertainer to Abilene to bring awareness

E.     October Meeting Presents: Lori Copeland, Ph.D., LPC

F.     November Meeting: Speaker/Author D’Ann Renner | book signing!

I.  Calendar Events

   REACH for a Difference --monthly family support group for families impacted by autism spectrum conditions and other neurodevelopmental delays; meets on the first Tuesday of every month in the United Way facility located at 240 Cypress Street, Abilene, Texas, at 6:00 P.M.

 

      REHAB (West Texas Rehabilitation Center) Family Support Group- This group meets every 3rd Tuesday at 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the WTRC Boardroom, 4601 Hartford, and Abilene, Texas.  Parking is provided in back.

   King David’s Kids – King David's Kids   "King David's Kids" exists to minister to developmentally delayed children & their families. We seek to minister the love of Jesus to each child, sibling, & parent - offering love, acceptance & hope.   Parent/Guardian support groups are held bi-monthly during the fall & spring, Support group meeting dates:   Sept 25 - Oct 9,23 - Nov 6,20 - Dec 4 - Jan 15,29 - Feb 12,26 - Mar 5,19 - Apr 2,16,30   If you have any questions or would like to obtain an application contact the KDK office at: King David’s Kids, 754 S. Treadaway, Abilene, TX Phone: (325) 672-8837, Fax: (325)677-9144, E-mail: kingdavids_kids@yahoo.com

  The Legacy Complex – is a new all-inclusive therapy center in Abilene, Texas specializing in equine-assisted therapy. Along with specialized and licensed counselors, the special horses are empathetic to the people they help in the individual healing process. Equine-assisted therapy is multi-faceted in its reach and can be used on all-ages and disabilities, and especially those with autism. Equine-therapy assists autistic patients in their social skills, balance and control issues. Great success has been seen with autistic children working with horses in therapy sessions, and we look forward to partnering with REACH to assist autistic children in the Big Country. The Legacy Complex is located at 4301 North Danville Drive across from KTXS News on HWY 83; for more information visit our website www.legacycomplex.org or find us on Facebook as The Legacy Complex or twitter @legacycomplex.

   Adaptive Recreation Center  - General Purpose of Adaptive Recreation Services: to provide specialized leisure and adaptive recreational activities for persons with disabilities. PROGRAM HOURS: Monday-Friday 9 a.m-3 p.m. PROGRAM FEE: $32 per month.  http://www.abilenetx.com/recreation/adaptive.htm
  Website Reminder  

 Reach for a Difference wants to remind readers that the website is being updated almost daily. It can be found at http://www.reachforadifference.org. The website is one of the ways Reach will be creating the roadmaps to resources.

II. Upcoming Events

Free workshop on the "Contents of the IEP" at Dyess AFB. If you do not have access to the base, you will need to RSVP so we can get you in the gate.   Does your child have a well written ARD/IEP (Individualized Education Program)? How do you know? Are the goals clear and measureable? We will cover all of this and more!   Thursday, Oct. 4 - Meet at 4:30pm, workshop begins at 5:00pm   Where: Dyess AFB (meet at the gate, corner of FM3438/Dub Wright Blvd. & Arnold Blvd.)

Abilene Children's Performing Arts Series (CPAS)    

Sun Oct 14, 2012
- Sleeping Beauty -A delightful musical adaptation from the original story by Charles Perrault follows the plot of the traditional fairy tale, but adds delightful surprises

All shows are performed on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. at the historic Paramount Theatre in downtown Abilene (352 Cypress).
ThunderTix Online Ticketing. Contact 325-677-1161 for questions about Tickets.

On October 20th from 6 - 8pm, there will be an ADHD Seminar & Support Group meeting at the Region 14 Service Center. This is for teachers as well as parents. Contact us for more information!

REACH is excited to partner with Disability Resources Inc. to bring an upcoming artist back to Abilene to help bring awareness to the community about autism in 2013. Stayed tuned for more information and dates about when this special event will be held.

This is Rodney Patterson and I hope this email finds you well my friend. I'm proud to give you guys the heads up that I've been selected by some amazing people in Abilene to help take part in a great cause. Some successful companies in Abilene have partnered up to help bring awareness about Autism to the community. Please contact Sara Collins to get the full details about this amazing event. She can be reached=reachforadifference@gmail.com. Check them out at www.Reachforadifference.org. I'm very excited to have been selected as their spotlight artist and be part of this special event & heart felt cause. I know you will see value in this amazing story.

God Bless,

Rodney Patterson     

www.Rodney-Patterson.com

REACH for a Difference

Presents:

Bob Gates (Jeopardy Host)

&

Lori Copeland,Ph.D.,LPC

When:  Tuesday, October 2^nd

Where: The United Way Of Abilene

           240 Cypress

           2^nd floor

Time:   6-7:30pm

Lori Copeland will be presenting on The Friendship Academy. Learn strategies and skills for making friends, keeping friends and enjoying friends.

Sponsored by the Family Psychology Center at Hardin-Simmons

Come prepared to show your skills and knowledge with fun, games and prizes brought to you by Bob gates.

Refreshments will be served.

Coming Tuesday November 6^th!

D’Ann Renner

Come hear D’Ann speak at REACH for a Difference on November 6^th 2012

United Way of Abilene

2^nd floor

6-7:30pm

Book signing and refreshments will follow.

D’Ann Renner’s motto is “Link Arms With God and Laugh at the Enemy.” Previously a businesswoman with a successful marketing career, she opted not to enter her company’s fast-track program. Instead, she and her husband adopted internationally, and Renner embraced the challenging profession of “Home Front Manager.” Of the career change, she says: “The work never ends but the rewards are eternal.”

Her new vocation took on an additional level of challenge when the Renner’s son was diagnosed with autism. D’Ann plunged into the special needs world, became active in several existing support groups and helped found another.

Renner’s style has been referred to as “humor-dipped truth.” She speaks on topics relating to developing strength through adversity and on special needs. She hosts the website, “Normal is a Point of View” which can be found at dannrenner.com. Her first novel, Dancing From the Shadows, will be released by Ambassador International in Fall, 2012.

When not fully occupied as a home manager, writer, and speaker, D’Ann advocates for special needs children and is the director of a Guatemala Child Sponsorship Program.

D’Ann and Bruce, her husband of 28 years, live in Johns Creek, GA, with their son plus a large dog and two cats who rule the household. They also have three adult daughters.

*Endorsements*

I intended to read just a chapter or two of D’Ann Renner’s novel but the story sucked me in, compelling me to read long past the time I should have put it down.  Renner portrays the heartaches and triumphs of raising a special needs child with humor and amazing accuracy.  I found myself laughing and crying along with the St. John family as they dealt with the extreme stress experienced by families with disabilities. I would recommend Dancing From The Shadows, not just to the autism world, but to anyone interested in turning denial into dancing, adversity into adventure. 

Jackie Moore,

Georgia Coordinator

TACA (Talk about Curing Autism)

“I love It! Dancing From the Shadows is a compelling glimpse into the real world of parents who are raising children with special needs- the love, the fear, the struggles, the joy. Inspirational and delightful, a good read.”

Lucy Cusick

Co-founder & Executive Director

FOCUS, Families of Children Under Stress

“I love the way D’Ann addresses the needs of parents in a way that is both informative and humorous.  Her deep understanding of life’s hardships and of the challenges of raising special needs children is apparent when she speaks.” Marti Vogt, Crisis Ministry Coordinator/Support Groups.