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Some Useful Local Sources on Asperger's Syndrome.
(Can’t find what you’re looking for? Maybe
it’s at National.html.)
(note: just because something appears in our list below doesn’t mean we endorse it. We don’t endorse anything. Not even the fact that the sun comes up in the East every morning! The order of the links also has absolutely no meaning. Please tell me at jdevine@lmu.edu if any of the links don’t work or if any of the information is incorrect.)
AGUA (Adults Gathering, United and
Autistic). AGUA is a
self run support and social group for adults with a diagnosis of either autism
or Asperger's Syndrome. Contact Arthur Ringwalt at (818) 840-9592 or email him
at arthur122@earthlink.net.
Meetings are held on the third Saturday of every month at
AGUA (Adults Gathering, United
and Autistic) Classic. AGUA Classic is a friendly self-advocacy support group for
adults with autism or Asperger's Syndrome. Meetings are held on the first
Saturday of the month, location varies. Contact Ken Brewer at (323) 296-2646 or
Derrick Hall at (323) 850-4434 [note change!] for information. For more
description and the answers to Frequently Asked Questions, click here. E-mail: aguaclassic@earthlink.net.
The Greater Long Beach/South Bay
Chapter of the Autism
Society of America. P.O. Box 15247 Long Beach, CA 90815-0247. Phone: 562
943-3335 (English); 562 941-1931 (en Español); and 877 AUTISM9. They hold
monthly support group meetings featuring speakers and topics in Whittier (562
943-3335), Long Beach (562 982-9129), South Bay (310 542-5408), and in Español
(323 221-6696). They hold several workshops and conferences throughout the
year, publish a quarterly newsletter, have books and videos available for sale
(while maintaining a lending library), and provide speakers for community and
school groups.
Los Angeles
Chapter of the Autism
Society of America. Message Center: 562-804-5556. Address: P.O. Box 8600. Long Beach, CA 90808.
The
California Chapter of the Autism
Society of America. Contact Dean Wilson at dwilson80@aol.com or the chapter’s
toll-free number at 1-800-700-0037. Mail: P. O. Box 8600, Long Beach, CA 90808.
Saugus/Santa Clarita area. If you’re up
in the general area of Saugus (Santa Clarita), you may be interested in a
parents’ group led by Emily Iland. Contact
her at: 28939 North Rock Canyon Drive, Santa Clarita. Phone:
661-297-4033. Her e-mail is emilyiland@socal.rr.com
In Ventura County, ASAP -- Asperger's Support
for Adolescents Plus: contact Troy or Irene at vcasap@roadrunner.com.
ASD Kids and Parents Playgroup is
a Southern California meet up group for kids (on the spectrum or neurotypical)
at various indoor playgrounds, parks, and kid-friendly spots.
The Southern
California/South Bay Parents Helping Parents is a parent-directed
family resource center serving children with special needs, their families, and
the professionals who serve them. It has a number of satellite programs and
affiliates, one of which is located in Southern California on the Palos
Verdes Peninsula. They list some useful resources at http://www.php4ldkids.org/others.html.
Orange
County Asperger's Support Group.
Call 949.854.7415 for more information about our support group and resources.
Email: ocasupport@gmail.com. We
currently have monthly meetings in 3 locations: Irvine, Placentia and Laguna
Niguel. Please see our link or phone us for meeting information.
This support group
is for adults with Asperger’s as well as parents of children of all ages with
Asperger’s. Children ages 11 and up attend our meetings and connect with other
children. Asperger adults attend meetings as well, connect with each other and
share their experiences with parents.
Karra Barber is the mother of a teenager with
Asperger's Syndrome has brought energy to her advocacy work in California. Her
website has a useful list of Asperger's support
programs in Northern California, among other resources. For
more info: http://www.aspergersresource.org/index.htm.
AASCEND
is the Autism and Asperger Syndrome Coalition for
Education, Networking, and Development, based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
AASCEND is a support and advocacy partnership of adults with High-Functioning
Autism and Asperger Syndrome, adults who identify with or are exploring whether
they are on the autism spectrum, family and friends of adults on the autism
spectrum, and professionals in the field of autism. AASCEND is committed
specifically to addressing concerns for adults on the autism spectrum,
including employment, relationships, and independent living, among others. It
recently had its 6th annual conference at San Francisco State University.
The California Regional
Centers are important sources of support for those with life-long
difficulties such as autism. This page also has important links to other
resources, such as Protection and Advocacy, which can help with legal appeals.
California
Department of Developmental Services. phone: 916 654-1690.
Way2 Educational Consultants
promises to provide the
tools you need to help your Asperger student succeed. From reviewing your
student's Individual Education Program (IEP) and providing the
necessary special education advocacy services, to teaching
your student how to use effective writing, math and reading strategies
to achieve success and learn to find the joy in learning.
The San Diego Autism
Society is also part of the Autism
Society of America.
The North San
Diego County Chapter of the Autism
Society of America can be reached at: North County Chapter ASA P.O. Box
131161, Carlsbad, CA 92013. Contact:
Merryn Affleck (760)479-1420. Their
HF [high-functioning]/Asperger Group meets 1st Monday of the Month from 7-9pm
at the North County Child Study Center by the Dove Library 6949 El Camino Real,
Suite 201, Carlsbad. Contact Sharon Evans at 760-758-7321 or msevans@nctimes.net or Vanessa Garcia at
760-945-2122 of vvgarcia@redhabanero.com
for more information.
Ventura County Autism Society of the Autism Society of America. Contact information: P.O. Box 2690
Ventura, CA 93002-2690. phone: 805-496-1632. E-mail: markhv62@aol.com.
Santa Barbara County Chapter, part of the Autism
Society of America.
A2Z Educational Advocates.
A2Z helps parents obtain special education services for their children. See also http://www.a2zedad.com/PALs.html
about the P.A.L. (Parent Advocate Liason) program.
F.A.C.T.: Focus on All-Child Therapies:
The well-known (and Los Angeles-based) social skills groups organized by Linda
Andron-Ostrow, LCSW, now have their own web-site. is a community based agency
dedicated to providing services to families of children with special needs. The
uniqueness of F.A.C.T. rests with its commitment to family involvement. The
agency was founded by parents who believed in the importance of providing
children and families living with autism and Asperger Syndrome and related
disorders with the support to maintain their integrity and function as active
members of the community. All members of the board are parents of children with
autism and Asperger Syndrome.
More Social Skills Groups: contact Pam
Mullen, Marriage & Family Therapist (licensed
SpecialKidsLA is a public
service web-site which provides information to the parents of special needs
children in the Los Angeles Area. It has information about the early start
program provided by the Regional Centers and information about the IEP process.
It has a calendar of events, a monthly email newsletter and a news section of
current special needs articles. It also has a directory of service providers
and a support group section where the Los Angeles Asperger's Parent Support
Group is listed.
The H.E.L.P. Group is one of Southern
California's leading children's organizations. The H.E.L.P. Group is a family
of non-profit agencies dedicated to serving children, adolescents, young adults
and families with a wide range of special needs related to social,
communicative and emotional development; learning disabilities; abuse and
neglect; mental retardation; autism, and Asperger's Syndrome. The H.E.L.P.
Group includes Village Glen (in both the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley
& Culver City), a school which specializes in helping kids facing
socialization challenges, including Asperger's Syndrome.
@LA
– Los Angeles Charitable/Support Organizations for the Disabled,
concerning developmental disabilities such as AS.
The Special
Needs Community Calendar provides information about
meetings of all sorts of support groups in the Los Angeles area.
Somewhat local:
Sacramento Asperger Syndrome Information
& Support.
“Founded in 1995, Sacramento Asperger Syndrome Information & Support group
maintains a focus of sharing information and giving support. We have speakers
and presenters on topics of interest periodically. There are no dues, just show
up at our meeting!”
Ø Please e-mail me at jdevine@lmu.edu if you have any questions or
comments -- or if you want to be put on our e-mailing list. If you want
information put on our web pages, contact me.
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This page updated by Jim
Devine, 3/21/2008. NOTE: the appearance of a link on
this page in no way represents an endorsement of that page by the Los Angeles
AS Parents' Support Group, its leaders (Fran & me), or its employees or
minions (none).