September 2, 2011
September 2, 2011
Inside this issue:
1) Making Choices: Exploring Campus Recreational and Social Opportunities
2) September Medical Home Awareness Events
3) MSPTI Gulf Coast Regional Leadership Academy and Conference – Sept. 9-10
4) A Celebration of Life – Sept. 17, Gulfport
5) MSCCD “Imagine” Conference – Oct. 13-14, Jackson
6) It’s Done iPhone App Helps Brain Injury Survivors
1) Making Choices: Exploring Campus Recreational and Social Opportunities
More students on the autism spectrum are pursuing postsecondary options, including attending colleges, community colleges, and universities. While participation in academics is critical, social and recreational opportunities are equally important. For most of us, some of our best college memories are of our friends, shared experiences, and events we participated in. This article written by staff from the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at Indiana University and the Autism Research Institute can help guide individuals through various steps to finding new activities. These steps start with understanding a person’s current recreation profile, then looking at options and identifying individual interests, and finally, assessing and ultimately taking part in new opportunities. To see this article, visit
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/IRCA/Recreation2011.pdf
2) September Medical Home Awareness Events
Medical homes are a health care resource for Mississippi families! It is the one place where you can take your child for all their health care needs. This includes checkups/well visits, sick visits, accidents, special health needs and immunizations (shots). Does your child, youth or young adult with a special healthcare needs have a medical home? To learn more about medical home awareness events in September, visit www.usm.edu/ids/mics.
3) MSPTI Gulf Coast Regional Leadership Academy and Conference – Sept. 9-10
The Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center (MSPTI) will hold its Gulf Coast Regional Parent Conference and Parent Leadership Academy, Empowering Parents... Improving Outcomes, for parents and families of children with disabilities on Sept. 9-10. Separate application and registration is required. The Leadership Academy will be held Fri., Sept. 9, at the Gulf Hills Hotel in Ocean Springs. The Academy is open to parents and family members who have or have had children with disabilities in public schools. Participants will be selected on the basis of commitment and leadership potential. The Conference will be held Sat., Sept. 10, at the Gulf Coast Convention Center in Biloxi. The registration fee is $25; parent stipends are available. For more information or to register for both activities, visit http://www.mspti.org/news.asp?id=20 or call 1.800.721.7255.
4)A Celebration of Life – Sept. 17, Gulfport
Join multiple state and local organizations for a celebration of a great community for all individuals, including people with disabilities, at a Celebration of Life on Sat., Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Handsboro Community Center at 1890 Switzer Road in Gulfport. There will be food, door prizes, face painting, a bouncehouse, wheelchair softball and more. Sponsors include LIFE of Mississippi, the Mississippi Society for Disabilities, Metro Area Community Empowerment, WBOB, the City of Gulfport, and the Institute for Disability Studies and the Technology Learning Center at The University of Southern Mississippi. For more information call 228.388.2401.
5) MSCCD “Imagine” Conference – Oct. 13-14, Jackson
The Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities (MSCCD) and the Mississippi Parent and Information Center (MSPTI) will hold their 2011 Imagine Conference at the Hilton Hotel at 1001 County Line Road in Jackson on Oct. 13-14. The theme, Inclusion Through the Lifespan, reflects the reality that living with a disability presents an evolving set of personal, family, societal and therapeutic issues as individuals pass from infancy to childhood through adolescence and adulthood to senior years. Fees are $25 for advocates, $50 for families and $100 for professionals. For more information or to register call 1.800.721.7255 or visit http://www.msccd.org .
6) It’s Done iPhone App Assists with Memory Problems
A new iPhone App called It’s Done! is helping individuals with memory problems including brain injuries remember whether they turned off the stove, locked the door, or took their medication. For people dealing with short term memory problems, the app instantly confirms the completion of everyday routine tasks and can notify loved ones and caregivers that a task has been done. For brain injury survivors who use an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, the It’s Done! app is helping improve their quality of life. Available at the iTunes AppStore for $2.99, It’s Done! has received strong reviews from users. For other helpful software tools, visit IDS’ helpful software pages at http://www.usm.edu/ids/triad/software2/accessibility.html .