A vital part of the program at CI is to be able to provide parents an understanding of typical child development. Knowledge about the sequence of the development of skills is an integral part of helping parents understand the rationale and order in which skills are taught, practiced, and mastered as part of our curriculum and/or therapeutic programming. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) 3rd Edition – A Parent-Completed, Child Monitoring System – is a screening tool used in schools and pediatrician offices to help monitor a child’s progress and provide valuable information for educational and/or therapeutic interventions.

The ASQ is a compilation of 19 questionnaires of which the parent/caregiver completes according to the age of their child. Each questionnaire contains 30 developmental items that are divided into five areas: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal social. These questionnaires serve as a screening and aid in the process of accurately delineating whether a child’s development is delayed and in need of further assessment.

The developers of the ASQ have also created an excellent resource outlining age-appropriate developmental activities that parents/caregivers can do with their children at home and in other environments with the goal of encouraging continued growth across the five key developmental areas. To learn more about the ASQ system and access the full suite of activities resources, please visit www.agesandstages.com or contact CI.

The North Carolina Education Savings Account (NCESAA) provides two tyres of grants to parents of special needs students for private school tuition, tutoring, and equipment. Please visit their website to find out about the ESA+ and Opportunity Grants/scholarships. www.ncesaa.edu.

In October 2011, Cyzner Institute staff and families participated in the Carolina’s Walk Now for Autism Speaks event held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. It was a beautiful autumn day with a great turnout to support a very worthwhile cause. Through this event, Autism Speaks raised $450,000 to help continue to fund research, promote awareness and understanding, and support advocacy and legislative efforts for autism. Autism Speaks is the nation’s largest autism research and advocacy organization. The organization provides a wealth of information and resources for families living with autism.

Read more about Autism Speaks: www.autismspeaks.org.

The Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC) of North Carolina is a private non-profit organization committed to serving special needs children and their families. The Center works with parents, students, educators, and other professionals to improve the education and lives of children with special developmental, behavioral, learning, and/or medical health needs. The Davidson, NC office provides parent-training, referrals, resources, and support to families in the Charlotte area.

Read more about ECAC: http://www.ecac-parentcenter.org