Upcoming Inclusion Events

If you're interested in learning more about parenting a child with special needs, improving inclusion in your city, or just having fun in support of a good cause, check out these upcoming events!

A Life with Stress, Balance, and A Plan

This Friday, April 8, ASK (About Special Kids) presents A Life with Stress, Balance, and a Plan. Parents of children with special needs live with added emotional, medical, social and financial challenges. These extenuating circumstances can often lead to feelings of loneliness, depression, marital and family problems and health issues. This training will focus on:

• Identifying types of stressors
• Identifying coping mechanisms and providing ways to incorporate them into everyday life
• The importance of good communication
• Setting up a plan for the future

Presented by: Gordon Homes, Sr. Financial Planner
Date: Friday, April 8, 2016
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location: Speedway United Methodist Church  - 5065 W. 16th Street,  Indianapolis, IN 46224
Cost: FREE
How to register: www.aboutspecialkids.org or 800-964-4746.

Coffee and Conversation: Inclusion Awareness in Fishers

Cecilia Coble, Fishers City Council at Large and mother of a child with autism, will discuss how to make Fishers a better city in terms of inclusion. Topics of discussion include jobs, transportation, housing, and services for the autism and special needs community. This is an opportunity for you to provide feedback and ask questions to better your city.

Presented by: Cecilia Coble, Fishers City Council at Large
Date: Monday, April 25, 2016
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: BACA Prep - 99 E. 126th Street,  Fishers, IN 46038
Cost: FREE
How to register: Register online
Contact: Contact Sarah Cox at 317-436-8961 or scox@thebaca.com

Laughs & Brews for BACA Charities

Point of View Comedy, an Indianapolis group that enjoys providing entertainment to benefit charities around the community, will present a comedy show to help raise funds for BACA Charities. Behavior Analysis Center for Autism (BACA) has a mission of raising resources to support research in the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and families who support ABA. Cost for the event is $30, which includes dinner and a beer voucher from Tow Yard Brewing. The funds raised from this comedy show will help fund adaptive programs at Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation in Carmel, IN.

Presented by: Point of View Comedy
Date: Thursday, April 28, 2016
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Tow Yard Brewing - 501 Madison Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46225
Cost: $30
How to register: Register online
Contact: Contact Sarah Cox at 317-436-8961 or scox@thebaca.com

Next Steps: Life After First Steps

Don't Let Your Child's Transition to Preschool Get Messy!

Sometimes children may still need therapy after they have completed the First Steps Program. The next public option for children older than three years of age to receive therapy services is through the special education preschool program provided by every local school district.

Join us for the "Next Steps: Life After First Steps" free, informative meeting that will help you understand what services are provided by your local school district and the process to access these services. This event will also allow you to meet and greet available school representatives from local school districts in Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan, and Tipton Counties.

At this event, you will be able to:

• Get your questions answered about Preschool Special Education Services
• Learn about School Bus Services and see the type of bus your child could ride
• Tour a Special Education Preschool
• Witness a mock case conference
• Gather resources from various programs and services
• Participate in a "make it & take it," hands-on preschool activity

Date: February 8, 2012

Time: 5:30 pm

Location: Fishback Creek Public Academy

                 8301 West 86th Street

                 Indianapolis, IN 46278

YOU MUST RSVP TO Kathy at 472-6104 by 2-1-12

    

Peanut Allergies; Information Needed

At Child Care Answers, many families have concerns and issues that cannot be addressed through our traditional child care referral process. Families of children with special needs are offered the opportunity for what we call an ENHANCED REFERRAL. These families are searching for care, where the traditional questions we promote as indicators of quality early childhood education and care are not enough to address their concerns. As Inclusion Specialist, I am available to assist families of children with special needs and providers who are caring for children with special needs answer those more indepth questions and concerns.

Recently a family called Child Care Answers looking for child care for a youngster with a severe peanut allergy. The child’s doctor had recommended a completely peanut free facility; as this child has complete anaphylactic (ceases breathing due to constriction of airway, often very fast… and very serious) reactions to peanut exposure. Currently our database does not give us the ability to record this data or search by this criteria. SO, I am starting a new “speciality” list that will be available to parents who have this specific need. Child Care Answers will continue to leave the final selection of child care to the family, and will continue to assist parents to decide what quality indicators are important to them, and we will never endorse or recommend any particular type of care or specific care provider. However, just as we maintain lists of coop preschools and Title XX locations separate from our main database for families who specifically request that information, I think given the increase in peanut and tree nut allergies it is to everyone’s benefit to keep a specialist listing for this as well.

Do you maintain peanut free classrooms? Is your facility completely peanut free? Please let me know. Email or call with your site information and I will add you to the specialist list.

Peanut Allergies DID YOU KNOW? (From The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network)
Some Hidden Sources of Peanuts
Artificial nuts can be peanuts that have been deflavored and reflavored with a nut, such as pecan or walnut. Mandelonas are peanuts soaked in almond flavoring.
Arachis oil is peanut oil.
African, Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes often contain peanuts or are contaminated with peanuts during the preparation process. Additionally, foods sold in bakeries and ice cream shops are often in contact with peanuts.
Many brands of sunflower seeds are produced on equipment shared with peanuts.

For more information on peanut and other food allergies please visit www.foodallergy.org


If you have questions about caring for a child with a severe food allergy or are a parent of a child with a sever food allergy and have questions about location care, please do not hesitate to contact me at Child Care Answers.

MFDSN

MFDSN (Minority Families Down Syndrom Network) invites everyone to attend their open Panel Discussion with some of Indianapolis Leading Health Care Practitioners on Saturday, January 10, 2009, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm. This event includes lunch and is free however you must register at register@indianadsf.org or by phone 317 925-7617 by Monday December 22, 2008. This event is open to all, but strongly encourage service providers, minority families and expecting and new parents of children with disabilities to come out and take this opportunity to speak with a diverse panel of experts. Both the panel discussion as well as print material will be in English and Spanish.