2015 Autism Beach Bash

This past Sunday, the annual Autism Beach Bash and Surfer's Healing was held in Belmar. An absolutely incredible event. There were surfers from Hawaii, Puerto Rico and California to help out, Whole Foods and Surf Taco donated all of the food, the town of Belmar supplied the lifeguards, and there were 7000 people at the event.

In addition to the NJ.com link, I'm also linking a video of the 2013 event, which you really have to watch.

http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2015/09/surfers_help_children_with_autism_turn_the_tide_in.html

http://www.autismfamilyservicesnj.org/beach-bash/

OMG! I would have loved to have gone to this. Is there a mailing list or something I can get on to find out about it for next year?

Eta: never mind I just saw a place to sign up for emails on the second link

carolanne said:
OMG! I would have loved to have gone to this. Is there a mailing list or something I can get on to find out about it for next year?

carolanne - Our grandsons, ages 6 and 11, were there. They're both on the autism spectrum . The eleven year-old has Asperger's which is on the autism spectrum. This was their second year. Next year, I'll post about the event on MOL, when I learn the date. One of the surfers helping out is a very good friend, and said that this is the high point of his summer.

Asperger's has always been a part of the autism spectrum.

What is hideous is that the support systems in our state have a big break between children's services and adult services. We are being informed that when my daughter turns 21 in a few weeks, we may have to go for 8 months with no services because the school district is responsible for her. Never mind that the children's services have been offering her services. Never mind that the school district has only offered one school for her to attend, that is not a good placement for her. We have started to cobble together a bit of a life for her, and now we are being told it is coming to an end. The way funding has been done seems to be changing over, and no one seems to know what exactly is happening. What a nightmare!

gerryl - I wish you and your daughter well, and hope that the nightmare ends. As the grandparent of two autistic grandsons, I have the utmost respect and admiration for the parents of autistic children. The parents that I have met are remarkable.

I did see on the Autism New Jersey website that beginning July 1, the Department of Developmental Disabilities is transitioning to a fee for service model, but the exact rules haven't been posted yet.

They're not posted because, as I was told again today, one agency is saying one thing, another is saying another. I can't imagine what it would be like for people without means and education. I am pretty resilient, but it is exhausting and disheartening.

cramer, actually asperger's as a diagnosis no longer exists officially. But yes, it is on the spectrum and really in many ways is the best way of understanding more verbal/social people who still have significant challenges caused by autism spectrum disorder.

The name Asperger has gone by the wayside like the term manic depression. People feel like the name better describes a type of disability. Kay Redfield Jamieson, a clinical psychologist who wrote/writes extensively bi-polar, and also has been diagnosed thusly, said she prefers the term manic depression.

@gerryl--I am PMing you

carolanne and gerryl - Thank you. I should have known that and will discuss with Mrs. C - she's a school pyschologist (as is our DIL.)

eta - "Does Asperger Syndrome Still Exist:" http://autism.about.com/od/aspergerssyndrome/f/Does-Asperger-Syndrome-Still-Exist.htm