Six-year-old Marshall Wingfield loves people, but he becomes overwhelmed in public and has always been a bit of a homebody, his mom says. “He wants so much to fit in and have friends,” said Elaina Wingfield of her son, who was diagnosed with autism last year during his kindergarten year. “But his challenges make…
Run/Walk for Autism: A Day “I Can Just Be Me!”
Two years ago at the 2014 Triangle Run/Walk for Autism, 7-year-old Abigail was in tears after crossing the finish line. She told her worried mother that she was sad because she didn’t win the race. Abigail’s parents explained to her that finishing first was not their goal. The little girl with autism took the lesson…
2016 Legislative Wrap-Up: Education Budget and Bills
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. It is the second of three parts wrapping up the NC General Assembly’s 2016 short session. Teacher and school staff raises, education programs and supplies: The budget adjustments bill adds $240 million for teacher and school staff raises, plus an…
Make 2016-17 Your Child’s Best School Year Yet
It’s almost here again – back-to-school time! Are you ready? Or does the mere thought of a new school year make you anxious? The Autism Society of North Carolina wants to partner with you and your child for a successful school year. Please take advantage of the resources we offer. Toolkits: We have many easy-to-use,…
2016 Legislative Wrap-Up: The Budget
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. It is the first of three parts wrapping up the NC General Assembly’s 2016 short session. The NC House and Senate agreed on a budget adjustments bill for the second year of the state’s two-year budget, which allocates a total of…
College Options for Students with ASD
This article was contributed by Nancy Nestor, an Autism Resource Specialist in the Charlotte region, an autism mom, and a former teacher. This is the time of year when many high school students and their families are thinking about the next steps in their lives – touring colleges, taking the SAT or ACT, and starting…
Thank You, from One Mom to Another
Sherri Krewson Garner, Leader of the ASNC Crystal Coast Chapter, shared this post about her gratitude for another mom and leader. I want to express my deepest gratitude to another chapter leader! In 2000, after going through a divorce, I moved from Lincoln County to the coast of North Carolina to be near my…
Strategies for Solving School Challenges
This article was contributed by Katie Holler, an ASNC Autism Resource Specialist in the Eastern Region and mom to five daughters, four of whom have autism. Any parent can attest to facing difficulty at one time or another with their student’s IEP (Individualized Education Program). Perhaps you have disagreed with the other members of the…
Focus on Successful Transitions at ASNC Conference
The Autism Society of North Carolina held its annual conference March 11-12 in Charlotte. We will be sharing information from conference presentations in upcoming blog posts. Dr. Laura Klinger, Executive Director of the UNC TEACCH Autism Program in Chapel Hill, opened the second day of ASNC’s 2016 conference with a presentation titled “Autism Grown Up:…