L.A. Asperger Syndrome Parents' Support Group Home Page

LAASPSG goes international: to see our website in Belarusian, click here!

(дзякуй (thanks) to Nadejda Dobkina)

The Official* Home Page of the

Los Angeles Asperger Syndrome Parents’ Support Group.

Note: Even though the new version of the psychiatrists’ and insurance companies’ diagnostic “bible,” the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (the DSM-5), will omit Asperger Syndrome, we will continue to meet. The issues associated with AS – distinguishing it both from “hard-core” or Kanner’s autism and from neurotypical disorder – will not go away simply because the book has changed. The insurance companies and care-givers are likely to make it harder for us to get services due to the redefinition, but our group will continue to help your efforts where it can.

As cooler heads prevailed, the idea that we should change our name to the “Los Angeles High-Functioning End of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Spectrum Parents’ Support Group” (LAHFEotASDSPSG) was dropped. The candidate that’s currently winning the mental primaries is the “Los Angeles Syndrome Formerly Known As Asperger Syndrome Parents’ Support Group (LASFKAASPSG). We’re thinking of asking a musician from Minneapolis to develop an abstract symbol to represent this name. Another possible name is the Los Angeles High Functioning Autism Parents’ Support Group (LAHFAPSG). If anyone has a better name, please tell us.

Until further notice, our name will stay the same.

Our current logo, as designed by our son:

We – the Los Angeles Asperger Syndrome Parents’ Support Group – are a group of parents, relatives, guardians, and care-givers interested in helping our children, relatives, and others having Asperger Syndrome (AS), because of the way in which it affects our children, parents, spouses, siblings, and our own lives. The “children” have been of ages from 2 until above 60. AS is a lifetime issue, though it need not be a disability.

We also talk about similar issues, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), high-functioning autism (HFA), Pervasive Development Disorder-NOS, Sensory Processing Disorder, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Nonverbal Learning Disorder, Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder, Hyperlexia, Mild Autism, Autism-like, Actively Odd, and (last but not least) Asperger Syndrome Lite.**

[Despite our constant, insistent, monotonic, and downright unwelcome lobbying, nagging, one-directional lecturing, and across-the-board perseverating (causing much rolling of the eyes), the DSM muck-a-mucks and mugwumps haven’t accepted the categories of “nerd,” “dweeb,” “wonk,” “geek,” “Leonard,” “Howard,” “Raj,” and last but not least, “Sheldon” – but we discuss them, too.]

Because the issues are usually very different, our group is not really the best place for the parents and other supporters of those with “hard-core” or “classical” (Kanner’s) autism, even though many professionals see AS as a “mild” version of hard-core autism. The issues can be very different.

This group is also not aimed at those with AS themselves (though they are welcome to attend).

For more information, see our FAQs below or our long FAQ list.

We meet monthly to discuss these issues, either for general discussions or discussions with invited experts. It’s always on the second Wednesday of each month, always from 7 to 9 p.m. It’s moved away from the old Julia Ann Singer center, but not far away (it’s just across the grass). Please join us!

If you want to sign up from our “e-blast” list (which will send you news about research and conferences concerning Asperger Syndrome), write to laasperger@gmail.com. Our monthly announcement list is dedicated to sending meeting announcements only. We also have an on-line discussion group available at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspies_LA/. The group is very active these days.

Monthly Meeting

Speaker: the group as a whole.

Topic: whatever people want to discuss.

When: Wednesday, March 14, 2012, from 7 to 9 p.m. (We meet on the second Wednesday of each month, come rain or shine, snow or sleet, hail or non-local disaster.)

Where: Since the beginning of 2009, we have no longer been at the same old place, which is now called the “Henry & Marcia Baron School for Exceptional Children.”

We’re in the Community Room in the new Julia Ann Singer center, which is in the “Taper Building” westward across the grass from the old Julia Ann Singer Center (now the Baron School) within the Vista del Mar campus: if you’re at the front door of the old place, turn 180 degrees and look for glass big doors near a basketball hoop and the picnic table to find our current meeting place.

(Making matters confusing, the old building where we used to meet still has the words “Julia Ann Singer” above the front door. But there is now a free-standing sign in front of the main entrance to the Taper building that says “Julia Ann Singer / Reiss Davis,” which is unfortunately visible from the South only.)

The Vista del Mar campus is at 3200 Motor Ave. (Los Angeles, 90064) between National and Pico, 1/2 block North of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway underpass. Our meeting place is near Edith Avenue (but entry from there isn’t allowed).

For directions, click this link to see maps. For an alternative set of directions to Vista del Mar, click on this link.

Why: Because we love you!

Mark your calendars and hire a child-care specialist! Our future meetings occur on April 11, May 9, June 13, July 11, August 8, September 12, October 10, November 14, and December 12 of 2012.

ASPIES_LA is an on-line discussion group under the aegis of Yahoo. If you want to join, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspies_LA/ and go through the process there. (There’s a blue button at the top right that can get you in.) The discussion has finally taken off and is quite lively. Members have organized get-togethers. Please join and contribute! (Please, no advertising.) Ask questions, please!

FAQs:

All parents, relatives, guardians, and care-givers are welcome. Drop-ins are welcome. This is not a members-only group. In fact, there is no membership list – and no fees. [We are, however, considering instituting a secret door-knock to get into our meetings.]

Unfortunately (alack and alas!), we cannot provide childcare. Please do not bring your children and teens to the meeting (unless it’s noted otherwise in our announcements), since it may interfere with the ability of adults to talk to each other. (Adult children and mature teens are of course welcome.)

Teachers and mental-health professionals are also welcome. (Reporters & researchers: please click here .)

Everything said at our meetings is kept in confidence, while our e-mailing lists are totally secret.

The organizers of the group are Jim Devine and Fran Goldfarb. Call us for information about Asperger Syndrome or about our support group at 310/543-5064. [This is our home phone. Call only after 7 a.m. and before 9 p.m., please. Also, we sleep late on weekends.]

We have e-mail at: laasperger@gmail.com, jdevine@lmu.edu (Jim), and beadsme@verizon.net (Fran). For e-mails, please use the word “Asperger” in the subject line, so that it’s easier to separate your wheat from the chaff of spam.

For more FAQs, click here.

Crucial Disclaimers: This web-page and all of its sub-pages are designed for educational purposes only. The contents of this web-site are not medical, legal, technical or therapeutic advice and must not be construed as such. The information contained herein is not intended to substitute for informed professional diagnosis, advice or therapy. Visitors should not use this information to diagnose or treat Asperger Syndrome or related disorders without also consulting a qualified medical, psychological, or educational professional.

Announcements: see a separate page.

ARTICLES:

Fran’s Articles.

à Fran wrote a short book for our son Guthrie (when he was about 15) on how to fly on an airplane by himself. It may be a useful template for others (and for other activities). Click here if you have Adobe Reader. If you can read Microsoft Publisher files, click here.

à She also wrote an article “How to speak Asperger’s” published in the book Our Journey Through Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism: A Roadmap, edited by Linda Andron (Jessica Kingsley Publ.) It appears along with a small book written by our son, when he was very young (age 7). If you want the original book, go to Jessica Kingsley’s page here. [We receive no royalties, but it’s a really good book.]

à A Letter to a camp counselor or teacher about a child with Asperger Syndrome. This one’s a classic!

à from the Village Glen Voice: A book report on Medications.

On the California Department of Education .

On the Regional Center for the Developmentally Disabled.

On IEPs (Individualized Education Plans).

Jim’s Articles. [that’s your humble web-meister!]

à the “Asperger Chronicles” (about our son’s experiences – and his own – with AS).

à A revised (and thankfully shorter!) version of this essay has appeared in the book Our Journey Through Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism: A Roadmap, edited by Linda Andron (Jessica Kingsley Publ.) Here’s a link to it. If you want the original book, go to Jessica Kingsley’s page here. [There is no financial incentive for us to advertise that book, but it’s very good nonetheless. If they actually paid us, the book would be even better!]