ASNC-Union County Chapter

The Union County Chapter of the Autism Society of North Carolina is the best source in Union County for connecting people who live with autism (and those who care about them) with resources, support, advocacy, and information tailored to their unique needs.

Announcements:

Our first meeting of the 2010/2011 school year will be held Thursday, September 16th at 7pm at Shining Light Baptist Church in Monroe. Thank you to Shining Light for providing us with our meeting space again this year!
Save the Date!!! Saturday, October 23 we will be holding a mini-conference for parents and caregivers that are first suspecting their loved one is affected by autism. Come and learn the common and not-so-common signs of autism and how autism is diagnosed. The conference will be held at our normal meeting location, Shining Light Baptist Church from 9am-2pm. This conference is free but we do ask that you register by emailing us at unioncountyautismsociety@yahoo.com so that we have enough information packets made.
Thank you to all that ate at one of our AwareFare Restaurants! And thank you to our AwareFare restaurants and corporate sponsors:

          Papa's Pizza to Go, Weddington   www.papaspizzatogo.com
          La Strada Pizza & Pasta, Wesley Chapel www.lastradapizzaandpasta.com
          The Coffee Table, Wesley Chapel www.wesleychapelcoffee.com
          Donato's Pizza, Waxhaw www.donatos.com
          Achieve Therapy Services www.achievetherapyclinic.com
          Chesterbrook Academy www.chesterbrookacademy.com
          Park Cedar Dentistry www.parkcedardentistry.com

We are now on Facebook! Look us up by our email Unioncountyautismsociety@yahoo.com.
A special Thank you to The Thoughtful Baker for providing yummy treats for our meetings.

Thank you to the Waxhaw Business Association for holding their second "Tossin' for a Cause" Cornhole Tournament to benefit the Union County Chapter of the Autism Society of NC! The event was held on July 3rd and raised over $900.00 for our chapter!!! We plan to use the funds for teacher grants and scholarships for camps or after school activites. Keep posted for application forms for both.
Last year's event raised over $600.00 which was used to fund activity and camp scholarships in 2010.

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Who We Are:
We are a chapter of the Autism Society of North Carolina, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our chapter is self-funded by membership fees, donations, and fund-raising events like Aware Fare. Our Board of Directors consists of parents/educators of children with autism that want to help and support other families living with autism. Meet our board members:
Kim Belk-Co-Leader
Karen Baker-Co-Leader
Jennifer Fabrizio-Treasurer/AwareFare Coordinator
Dawn Patterson
Dawn Hieronymus

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What We Do:

We provide support and information to families and educators living with autism through monthly support meetings, this website, newsletters, email distribution, activity scholarships, and teacher grants.
In 2010, we awarded teacher grants to the following schools: Wolfe School, Kensington Elementary, Sandy Ridge Elementary, Stallings Elementary, Benton Heights Elementary, and Rocky River Elementary totaling $1154.00. We also awarded activity and camp scholarships to 6 children in Union County totaling $1270.00.
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What is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of developmental disabilities-including classic autism, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PPD-NOS), and Asperger's Syndrome-that affect a person's ability to understand what they see, hear, and otherwise sense. It is a brain disorder that impacts communication, social interaction, and behavior. Individuals with ASD typically have difficulty understanding verbal and nonverbal communication and learning appropriate ways of relating to other people, objects, and events. No two people with ASD are the same. As its name implies, ASD is a spectrum disorder that affects individuals differently and with varying degrees of severity. Additionally, ASD is often found in combination with other disabilities.

ASD is the second most common developmental disability, following only mental retardation. ASD is more common than childhood cancer, cystic fibrosis, and multiple sclerosis combined. It is estimated that 1 out of every 90 people are born with some form of ASD.

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Signs of Autism:

A child or adult with an ASD might:

have language deficits or differences;
talk about or show interest in a restricted range of topics;
not point at objects to show interest;
not look at objects;

have trouble relating to others;

avoid eye contact and/or want to be alone;

have trouble understanding other people's feelings;

prefer not to be held or cuddled;

appear to be unaware when other people talk;

repeat or echo words or phrases;

have trouble expressing their needs;

laugh, cry, or show distress for no apparent reason;

repeat actions over and over again;

have trouble adapting when a routine changes;

have unusual reactions to senses;

be oversensitive or under-sensitive to pain;

lose skills they once had;

not play with toys appropriately;

have sleep issues;

have digestive problems and/or food sensitivities.