Renowned DAN! Doctors Coming to Jacksonville for Autism Seminar

Sisters In Science, Spirit and Spunk Conference: April 30, 7-10pm

After a walking the zoo with the “lions, tigers and bears”, come train for the next leg of your autism marathon with a little “Science, Spirit and Spunk”!

Do you live with or care for someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Then you know the patience, love and endurance it takes to survive on a daily basis. Come recharge your batteries at a unique audience-driven forum on Friday, April 30th from 7:00 to 10:00 PM at the University of North Florida. The event will take place at the Student Union Auditorium.

Long time friends and practitioners in the revolutionary and challenging field of Autism treatment and recovery, Liz Mumper, MD, Maureen McDonnell, RN, Stephanie Cave, MD, and Julie Buckley, MD will gather for an evening of sharing lessons learned in years of experience working with children and families impacted by Autism.

Geared toward caregivers on the marathon of Autism recovery, the speakers will provide science, spirit, and spunk to members of the audience. Coming together with the intention of rejuvenating and supporting one another, these clinicians will briefly discuss diverse topics and then open the forum to questions from the audience.

Thanks to our Corporate Sponsors of the HEAL Zoo Walk !

The HEAL Foundation would like to thank the following corporations for their donation of goods to help offset costs at the HEAL Zoo Walk for Autism on Sunday, April 25. 

Please also join HEAL in thanking Facepainters Mikki and Stephanie, Kyle Walsh, our cartoonist, and The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens for creating a wonderful collaborative art project for everyone to participate in. 

Summer Camp Update

Are you doing a summer camp for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?  Please email HEAL with details and we will post in our Newsletters. 

Did you know that summer is right around the corner? You can still sign up for the exciting summer camps that are offered on the First Coast.

The Little Star Center is offering a nine week summer program for children on the spectrum. Campers will learn both functional and social skills.

Diocese of St. Augustine (DOSA) runs several camps over the summer for children and adults with special needs. Each camp caters to a different age group with Camp Care specifically for people affected by autism. If you would like more information regarding any of DOSA’s summer camps please visit their website: http://www.dosacamps.com/index.html

Girl Scouts of Gateway Council offers a week- long day camp to children living on the First Coast. Each parent is asked to pay $50 to cover the cost of food. Students can learn more about this program through their school system.

Special Day at the Beach
The City of Jacksonville Beach has just announced the dates for the 2010 Riding the Waves with Autism Surf Camp. Camp will take place June 28-29. Please contact The City of Jacksonville Beach at (904) 247-6236 or visit their website at http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/index.aspx?nid=99 for more information.

Joey Travolta Film Camp
 Film Camp provides the opportunity for children ages 10-17 on the spectrum to learn about and participate in the film making process. Dates for this year are June 21-July 2, 2010. In order to participate, students must be Nominated and Registered by a teacher or therapist. To download the application materials and learn more about the camp, please visit: http://www.filmlabproductions.com/heal-foundation/

Camp Cummer
Camp Cummer is not specifically a camp for special needs children. However, they provide the opportunity for children on the spectrum to attend. Camps start June 14 and go through July 23. Each session is one week long and for children in grades one through six. For more information regarding Camp Cummer, please see http://www.cummer.org/education/classes-chi2.cfm for more information. To register for camps, please call (904) 355-0630.

For other camps in and around the First Coast area, please visit: http://jax4kids.com/index.php?page=summercamps%3E%3Especialneeds

If you are looking to go further away...

Learning on a Log in Decatur, GA near Atlanta provides day camps for children affected by autism. For their information, please see: http://www.learningonthelog.com/our-programs/summer-camp/

HEAL’s Outreach Coordinator, Janeen Herskovitz, is Spreading Her Wings!

Part-Time Position open at HEAL

Many of you know Janeen Herskovitz as the HEAL point person for families affected by Autism.  Janeen has been with HEAL for two years as our Outreach Coordinator.  Running support groups, reviewing grants and working with newly diagnosed families has been Janeen’s passion.  She is now taking the next step as she completes her Masters in therapy.  Janeen is leaving HEAL and going to counseling full time.  She will still run the support groups (Phew!), but HEAL is looking for someone to handle some of her other tasks. 

This position will still be titled Outreach Coordinator.  The job duties will include planning and hosting a monthly HEAL gathering, and creating and executing other events throughout the year.  In addition, this person would be the point of contact for families that contact HEAL looking for advice, suggestions or a shoulder to cry on.  If you are interested in speaking with us about this position, please send your resume via email to info@healautismnow.org.

Please join us in wishing Janeen the best as she begins her career as a therapist.  HEAL is grateful for her support, guidance, and hard work through these last two years.  Words cannot describe how saddened we are at her departure.  We look forward to working with her on HEAL Support groups in the future!