2nd Annual Post Tax Season Shredding Event

Join Concierge Financial Organization for a free post tax season document shredding event on Saturday, April 18. Concierge Financial Organization is partnering with the Louise Graham Regeneration Center to securely destroy your documents. Bring a donation of canned goods for use by the St. Petersburg Free Clinic in order to take advantage of this service.

The Louise Graham Regeneration Center provides document shredding services to many organizations across our region, including the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department and the IRS.  In addition to the services offered, the center’s primary mission is to provide opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to maximize their independence through the provision of quality life skills training, paid employment and participation in the community at large.

This is not only an opportunity to have your documents shredded but to help support the Louise Graham Regeneration Center and St. Petersburg Free Clinic.

Date:  Saturday, April 18, 2015
Time:  10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location:  3637 4th Street North, St. Petersburg
*We’re sorry, but commercial shredding will not be accepted at this event, however, monthly on-site pick-up services are available through the Louise Graham Regeneration Center separately.

 

Cookie company benefits disabled adults

Here’s a story about Casey’s Cookies, a company that helps disabled adults. I have purchased their cookies for business functions and know it is wonderful company helping people in our community who may not have a job. Please take a minute to learn about Casey’s Cookies and use them if you need cookies for a function at home or at work. They distribute cookies all over the U.S. One of their bigger clients is Google in New York.

Click here  to find out more about Casey’s Cookies. To order cookies click here.

New program 2nd Sunday of month at Great Explorations for Kids with Special Needs

Here’s a fun event for families with children with special needs at the Great Explorations Children’s Museum. It’s the second Sunday of the month.

Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Date: Second Sunday of each month except May 2015 (2015 dates: January 11, February 8, March 8, April 12, June 14, July 12, August 9, September 13, October 11, November 8, and December 13.)
Location: Great Explorations Children’s Museum
Cost: $5 per person and FREE for Great Ex members.
Register/Info: (727) 821-8992, ext. 209

Great Explorations Children’s Museum Website

In January, Great Explorations launced their new Great Connections program, a monthly event especially for children with special needs and their families. On the second Sunday of each month, Great Explorations will close to the general public from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., modify lights and sounds, and provide a “cool down” room for families who need to take a break.

Address:
Great Explorations Children’s Museum
1925 4th Street North
St. Petersburg, FL 33704

Horses and Therapy with Saddle Up

Are you looking for somewhere to go with your child this weekend? Pinellas Park has a wonderful place called Saddle Up Riding Club, Inc. It is located at 9301 62nd Street in Pinellas Park, FL. The phone number is 727.520.3132. This is a place you can go to learn about horse and have fun riding them. They offer lessons on the weekend. Check out there levels of classes. It’s called Barn Time for Kids. They also have birthday parties at the farm for kids. Kids with disabilities are welcome to enjoy the fun.

For more information visit their website.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Looking for something to do today?

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s something special you can do with your children today.

Special children’s event across all participating Barnes & Noble locations in Tampa Bay. This special event includes a story time and activity.

Saturday, February 14 at 11:00 a.m.  Valentine’s Day Storytime and activities featuring the book I Love You Just Like This!

Tampa Bay Locations:
Barnes & Noble Shops at Wiregrass
28152 Paseo Dr Suite 100
Wesley Chapel, FL 33543
(813) 907-7739

Barnes & Noble Carrollwood
11802 North Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33618
(813) 962-6446

Barnes & Noble Dale Mabry
213 North Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33609
(813) 871-2228

Barnes & Noble Brandon Square
122 Brandon Town Center
Brandon, FL 33511
(813) 661-9883

Barnes & Noble Clearwater
23654 US 19 North
Clearwater, FL 33765
727-669-1688

Barnes & Noble St Petersburg-Tyrone
2501 Tyrone Boulevard
St. Petersburg, FL 33710
(727) 384-5200

Be Proactive vs. Reactive this Year

Here’s an article from the Parenting Special Needs magazine called Be Proactive vs. Reactive this Year. So many times our schedules can get booked and for children this can be overwhelming. By having your month organized ahead of time, you can make sure to schedule the activities that are important and leave the unimportant activities off the schedule.

You can read the full article here. 

Fun events for children with special needs

I saw this article and had to post. It has some different events that take place in Southwest Florida for kids with special needs. Check it out.

I want to highlight this:

Fort Myers Miracle

Hammond Stadium, Lee County Sports Complex » 14100 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers » miraclebaseball.com

The Fort Myers Miracle and the Dave Clark Foundation will hold their 10th annualSpecial Needs Baseball camp in April. The Miracle team and coaches teach the kids a variety of baseball skills like hitting, throwing, catching and fielding as well as playing baseball games with them. The event, which includes lunch, is open to children up to age 18 and is free to participants and their families. For more information, call Ashley Adams at 768-4210 or email aadams@miraclebaseball.com.

and I also thought this was interesting. I know the Surfers for Autism events take place all over Florida.

Surfers for Autism

Surfersforautism.org

Statewide program that has a surfing day on Fort Myers Beach each fall.

Let me know if there are any other events for kids with special needs. Email me at scottrussell@tfamail.com

Services for children with special needs in Florida

When you find out your child has special needs, looking for services for your child can be daunting. Who do I contact? Where do I start? Just some of the questions you may be asking. In Florida there are special education services that your child may be eligible for. Here’s a article that may help point you in the right direction of these services. Click here for more information.

Places to take the kids this holiday season that are autism friendly

Did you  that more than 25,000 people live with autism in and around Tampa Bay. The University of South Florida has a community-based project called The Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD) that provides information and consultation to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and related disabilities. They have a fabulous website full of information and a variety of resources, materials, online trainings and tutorial and even community events.

There is a special section called Autism Friendly Business Directory. This is where they give you a list of businesses that are autism friendly including restaurants, entertainment, faith based organizations, health & wellness, travel, public parks and recreation and others.

Maybe you are looking for places to take the kids this holiday season. If you go on the website at http://card-usf.fmhi.usf.edu/index.html you will find Dinosaur World, Lowry Park Zoo, Great Explorations Children’s Museum, Glazer Museum, Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) and The Florida Aquarium.

Maybe you are thinking about staying at a hotel on the beach or in Tampa. There are several hotels including the TradeWinds Island Resort on St. Petersburg Beach, the Crowne Plaza Tampa Westshore and Wyndam Hotel Westshore. You can also book a vacation with ASD Vacations and be linked with a personal special needs travel agent.

When you click on the links to the locations you want to visit, you will find a page with information for adults and then pages you can review with your child prior to visiting the location. This is to help your child so they have advance knowledge of rules and potential sensory issues.

If you are a business or you know of a business that wants to become a part of the CARD Business Directory, you can go onto the website or call 813-974-2532.

I would love to find out what you think about this program and if this helps you with your planning for fun adventures with your child. Email me at scottrussell@tfamail.com or comment below.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Holiday Tips for Parents of Children with Autism

Here’s a  wonderful article by Jennifer Rava, MS, BCBA, the owner of Engage Behavior Health.

The Holiday season is a time when most of us want to focus on traditions, friends, and family. In the process, we have to turn our schedules upside down and our days become filled with excitement and sometimes chaos. For children who depend upon daily routines and careful planning of activities, times of fun and excitement can become moments of anxiety and stress. Here are some tips on how to stay focused and enjoy each moment!

Start by taking time to set your own expectations for the day. What are your main goals?  Don’t try to do more than the goals you set.

1. Don’t try to please everyone. Let your family and friends know what your goals are for the day.
2. Bring along an activity bag that your child can play with while you are busy.
3. Provide lots of reinforcement throughout the day.
4. Pace your holiday activities and take breaks before your child gets overwhelmed.
5. Bring items your children can use to cool down and relax with in a quiet room.
6. Have their most preferred foods available.
7. Practice, practice, practice!  Role-play family traditions, use video-modeling and social stories to help prepare your child for the big day.
8. Try to keep to your daily routine as much as possible. If your child eats dinner at 5:00 but your family is planning to eat at 6:00. Have your child eat at 5:00 and use their activity bag while the family eats at 6:00.
9. Take care of yourself. Try to avoid being overloaded with obligations. If you feel stressed, it can increase the pressure and tension on your children.  Remember to have FUN!

About Engage Behavioral Health

Engage Behavioral Health, is a leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis and Applied Verbal Behavior services. Engage’s unique, collaborative approach brings parents and health care providers together to provide treatment within a safe, natural environment. Through research-based, data-driven methods, Engage focuses on the needs of both individuals and their families. For more information, please visit http://www.EngageBehavioralHealth.com. Follow on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/EngageBehavioralHealth, or on Twitter at @EngageGroup_ABA