MIND MATTERS
Alamo Head Injury Association, Inc.
OCTOBER, 2004
WHEN: Wednesday, October 27th -- 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center
2203 Babcock Road, San Antonio
PROGRAM: Survivors and Family members:
HALLOWEEN PARTY
Survivors, family members, and friends, come to the AHIA Annual Halloween Costume Party on Wednesday, October 27th. There will not be a regular educational or support meeting that evening. Instead, we will party Halloween style! Costumes are not required, but those dressed in costume will compete for prizes for the Most Original, the Prettiest, the Scariest, and the Funniest costumes.
Don’t forget that we’ll start EARLY – at 6:00 p.m.--
and there will be snacks, chips and soft drinks for all.
CAKEWALK
Yes, as in the past, there will be a CAKEWALK at the Halloween Party! To make this successful, we ask everyone to please bring a cake, cookies, or brownies to be used as prizes in the Cakewalk.
(Please note that the meetings and programs of the Alamo Head Injury Association (AHIA) are open to members, non members, guests, visitors and anyone desiring to provide or receive information and/or support.)
In our monthly meetings, we strive to provide speakers and/or programs that are informative and will benefit our members and survivors in some way. However, if you have come to our meeting seeking personal support or guidance and would prefer to speak with someone one on one, please let it be known, as there will always be someone available to talk with you.
THANK YOU TO OUR SEPTEMBER SPEAKER
AHIA wishes to thank Dr. Douglas B. Cooper for facilitating the discussion group for the family members at the September meeting.
KRONKOSKY FOUNDATION DONATION
AHIA wishes to thank the Kronkosky Foundation for their generous donation which was in honor of Adele Giles’ hard work, gentle spirit and dedication to making this community a better place to live.
SPECIAL EDUCATION IN TEXAS
Texas Continuous Improvement Process Public Input and Information Meetings
During the 2004-2005 school year, the Texas Education Agency and Education Service Centers will be hosting public input and information meetings to gather input on special education services for students with disabilities. The meeting for Region 20 which covers the San Antonio area will be held in the Spring of 2005. More information on the specific date will be announced later. The input from these public meetings will help the State identify and address areas for improvement and also build on current strengths related to the provision of special education.
Meeting Format
Meetings will be conducted in a structured format , with each meeting lasting approximately 3 ½ hours. Following a general information session, attendees will break into smaller groups to encourage all to participate and provide input.
Discussion Topics
During the meeting, your input will be requested on the following topics, which have been selected to assist the State and Regions in gathering information on previously identified improvement areas.
· Accessibility & Quality of Information
· Extended School Year Services
· Related Services
· Results for Students with Disabilities
Please Note
The meetings are intended to gather broad input regarding services across the State for students with disabilities so that the State may continuously improve those services over time. If you have individual, specific concerns, comments, or complaints regarding services you have received, please contact your local school district Director of Special Education.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
AHIA wishes the following people a very Happy Birthday!
Sherri Carroll……October 3rd
Carlos Tovar……October 10th
Bruce Nickles……October 12th
Terry McDonough……October 15th
Victor Prassel……October 18th
If you had a birthday in October and your name does not appear above, please let the office know so we can celebrate your birthday next year.
NOMINATION OF 2005 BOARD MEMBERS
Lupe Armendariz is this year’s chairperson for the nominating committee responsible for putting together a slate of officers for AHIA’s 2005 Board of Directors. If you would like to be a candidate or know of a member who is interested, please write in that information and send it to the office or bring it to the next meeting. There will be some changes made with the 2005 Board membership as follows: Corresponding and Recording Secretary will be combined as one board member and the Prevention Chairperson will be omitted from the Board. Want to volunteer?? Call today!
Understanding Self Determination
http://www.dads.state.tx.us/dadstalk/no_4/SelfDeterminationWkshp.pdf) is a one-day workshop for people with disabilities who are interested in learning about self-determination and consumer control. It is sponsored by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), and is an activity of the Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Grant from CMS. Participants will meet with other advocates and gain a better understanding of self-determination and service planning. The workshop will be held on November 2nd at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in the Commons Center complex at 10100 Burnet Road in Austin, Texas. Registration is $10, with lunch provided. A limited number of stipends are available. For more information, securing a stipend, and registering for the workshop, contact Beverly Roland, Advocacy Inc., at 512-454-4816.
3rd ANNUAL AHIA SYMPOSIUM
On February 18, 2005, AHIA will host the 3rd Annual Symposium for Professionals on Brain Injury. Again, Marcine Garis and her committee have been working very hard to make this another successful and profitable event for AHIA.
ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS
Entertainment books for the year 2005 are now available for sale and can be picked
up at the AHIA office. The cost is the same as last year, $20 for each book. Please try to support this AHIA fundraiser. Call Evelyn Tattini at the AHIA office at 614-4323 to reserve your books or you can pick some up at the Halloween Party.
Preparing for College: An Online Tutorial
Many resources on the Internet can be used to help high school students with disabilities
prepare for college, but they can be difficult to locate. A new DO-IT publication at
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/cprep.html guides students through
a set of preparatory experiences. Some of the resources included are good for parents
and teachers, too. This publication was recently published in the journal entitled Closing
the Gap (http://www.closingthegap.com/).
THANK YOU TO THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER SPONSOR
RESCARE PREMIER
800-28 BRAIN
512-396-1200