End of 2006 E-Newsletter

Dear readers,

The holidays are a wonderful time of year, but they are also
stressful. With so many things happening it is easy for friends and
family members to forget how things that we take for granted as part
of the holidays - bright lights, music, people ringing bells at
collections sights - can be overwhelming from a sensory standpoint
for a person on the autism spectrum.

Explaining Autism to Family and Friends:
A few years ago Vicki Gayhardt wrote an article - or Holiday letter
to family and friends - from the perspective of the person with ASD.
This was written for the purpose of it being sent to relatives,
friends, and hosts of holiday gatherings that might need a crash
course in what to expect from their guest on the autism spectrum.
This letter is written as if the individual on the autism spectrum is
writing it personally. We share it again at this time so that you can
forward it along to increase awareness this holiday season. The
following paragraphs are the beginning of the letter. Click on the
link to see the complete text.

Dear Family and Friends:

I understand that we will be visiting each other for the holidays
this year! Sometimes these visits can be very hard for me, but here
is some information that might help our visit to be more successful.
As you probably know, a hidden disability called autism, or what some
people refer to as a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD),
challenges me. Autism/PDD is a neurodevelopment disorder, which makes
it hard for me to understand the environment around me. I have
barriers in my brain that you can't see, but which make it difficult
for me to adapt to my surroundings.

Thanksgiving & Christmas is one of the roughest holidays for me. With
large crowds and holiday shopping it can be very overwhelming, even a
bit scary. When planning a party remember that with my over sensitive
hearing and eye sight, Christmas trees and holiday smells can cause
me mild to severe pain or discomfort. If the noises are impossible to
control a personal stereo with headphones set to a safe level for
children may help drown out background noise and ease my
discomfort... (click here to read the complete letter).

Holiday Cards:


If you still need holiday cards, there is no better source than the
Autism Society of North Carolina. Orders placed by noon on Wednesday,
December 20 will be shipped via Priority mail and should arrive by
the weekend. As you can see above, the 2006 cards feature outstanding
colorful artwork by Jay Conrad, Vidal Tan, and Matthew Sara.

Cards measure 5x7 inches, which allows room to include a personal
note or space to include photographs. Each packet of cards includes
18 cards (6 of each design) and 20 envelopes. Packets sell for $12 a
single pack, or $10/pack for larger orders. Shipping and taxes apply.
Click here or on the graphic above to view and order your cards!

Good Sister, Bad Sister Jewelry helps promote awareness:
Good Sister, Bad Sister Jewelry is working to increase awareness of
ASD and the work of the Autism Society of North Carolina through
their Stone of Autism product line of jewelry.



For every Stone of Autism item sold the company will donate $5 to the
Autism Society of North Carolina. The Stone of Autism is worn to
create more awareness of this devastating and mysterious disorder. It
is worn to help bring to light that we need to be a more
compassionate, caring, and supportive society to those whom society
leaves behind. A purchase of the Stone of Autism will bring awareness
to the world and comfort to those who are touched by ASD.

This item can makes a great gift or awareness piece at any time.
Items include a necklace, earrings and bracelet. For more information
and to see more of the Good Sister, Bad Sister product line click
here or on the images above to visit their website.

The Autism Society of North Carolina appreciates the efforts of Good
Sister, Bad Sister.

End of Year Charitable Giving Changes from the IRS:
The Pension Protection Act of 2006, signed in August, allows
taxpayers who are 70 ½ or older to give away as much as $100,000 a
year from their IRA directly to qualified charities without
triggering federal income taxes. This money counts towards the
taxpayers required minimum distribution for that year. This new break
is available only for distributions in 2006 and 2007. Check with your
tax advisor for details.

The Autism Society of North Carolina also has a secure online
donation page to make it easy for supporters to make a year end
contribution. Click here to visit the Autism Society of North
Carolina donation page where you can use your Discover, MasterCard,
or Visa credit card to make a tax-deductible year-end gift.

License Plate Project:
Since the Society began collecting applications for the Autism
Society of North Carolina autism awareness license plate 262 people
have completed applications and turned them in to the Society office.
The NC Department of Motor Vehicles requires that we have and turn in
300 completed applications for production of the plates to begin.



Clearly, we are very close to reaching our goal but still need your
help and participation! We need 38 more people to complete an
application to make the license plate project a reality.

A regular Autism Society of North Carolina license plate (like the
one in the image above) costs $20. A personalized plate (including a
combination of up to 4 letters or numbers is $50).

We want to see these plates on NC roads by April - National Autism
Awareness Month. Since we began our plate campaign over 300 people
have turned in applications for specialized plates for Watermelon,
Western Square Dancing, and Shag Dancing. Let us make sure that NC
drivers also see the Autism Awareness license plate in the very near
future.

We need your participation for that to happen. PLEASE click here or
on the graphic above to download and complete the special license
plate form from the Autism Society of North Carolina website. Then
mail it to the Autism Society of North Carolina offices as soon as
possible. Thanks in advance for your help!

Membership Renewal:
Autism Society of North Carolina memberships are for a calendar year.
The 2007 membership mailing was delivered earlier this month. Please
renew your membership or join for 2007. Strong membership numbers
help the Society advocate for increases services and options
throughout North Carolina. Membership also includes benefits such as
reduced rates for summer camp, discounts on purchases from the Autism
Society of North Carolina Bookstore, and members-only rates for the
annual conference.

Renewing now saves time and will enable you to have your membership
number prior to applying for summer camp or registering for the
annual conference in January and February. o renew or join online,
click here to visit the membership page.

Annual Conference 2007:
The 2007 annual conference planning is well underway. The event will
be held at the Radisson Hotel High Point on March 23-24.

The pre-conference workshop will be presented by Dr. Jed Baker. The
title of the workshop is: Positive Behavioral Supports and Social
skills training for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and
related social-communication problems. Dr. Baker has authored many
titles and is Director of the Social Skills Training Project in
Maplewood, NJ. This workshop will be beneficial for professionals as
well as parents.









The conference keynote address - Looking for Autism Genes: Tiny
Needles in Big Haystacks - will be given by Dr. Michael L. Cuccaro,
of the Duke Center for Human Genetics. Dr. Cuccaro is an Associate
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and an Associate Research Professor
in the Section of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine. He is a
licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in autism and related
developmental disorders diagnosis. Dr. Cuccaro directs the clinical
component of the Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) Autism
Collaborative Team. Dr. Cuccaro will share information about research
that is happening at DUMC, but also explain why it is important to
pair research with one-on-one contact with individuals with ASD and
their families.

A full conference agenda and session info will be online later this
month. Mark your calendars and plan to join us in High Point on March
23-24, 2007!





The Board and staff of the Autism Society of North Carolina wishes
you and your family the best for the upcoming holiday season. In
recognition of the holidays, all Autism Society of North Carolina
offices throughout the state will be closed on December 25-27. Most
offices will operate with a reduced staff on December 28-29. For a
complete listing of offices throughout the state, click here.

For more information about any of the above items, please contact the
Autism Society of North Carolina state office at 1-800-442-2762 or
send an email to info@....

Sincerely,

The Autism Society of North Carolina