Coffee & Chat

Come meet new friends, share ideas, get support and encouragement and find out about resources and more!  This group is facilitated by Theresa Zano-McMillian, TASA Parent Partner.

Sensory Friendly Films (Nanny McPhee Returns)

AMC Entertainment ® and the Autism Society of America have team up to bring families affected by autism a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis.  With Sensory Friendly Films, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down.  This film is open to any individual with a disability and to the public.

Family to Family Workshop: Social Skills Training and Frustration Management

The Family-to-Family Workshops Series provides practical suggestions for supporting individuals with autism. Family members, caregivers, and others are encouraged to attend trainings we hope you will find both inspiring and thought provoking. Topics will cover effective strategies in dealing with the daily challenges of ASD, Understanding Sensory Integration Disorder, and facilitating positive peer play. Workshops and materials are free of charge.

This Space is limited and reservations are required. The workshop is from 9:30 am until 3:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Please call 757-461-4474 to reserve your spot or RVSP with all of your contact information on Meetup! Sorry, Unfortunately, No childcare available for this workshop.

About the Workshop

This particular topic will be "Social Skills Training and Frustration Management" A dynamic and comprehensive presentation for parents and professionals working with individuals with social difficulties. This Video presentation is presented by Dr. Jed Baker. Dr. Baker will not be at the workshop.

This dynamic and comprehensive presentation is extremely valuable to all family members and professionals working with individuals with autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorders, learning disabilities, mood and anxiety disorders, and other issues that impact social-emotional functioning. Learn how to: build an individual's social skills in crucial areas such as conversation, conflict resolution, emotion management, employment, dating, etc.; develop an effective behavior plan; manage and prevent meltdowns; help create peer acceptance; and, assess social skills of individuals or groups.

Having earned an MA and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Albany, Dr. Jed Baker is now a behavioral consultant for several New Jersey school districts where, nearly two decades ago, he organized a group to help children with social communication problems. That group expanded and ultimately became the Social Skills Training Project under Dr. Baker's directorship. Dr. Baker also presents lectures all over the world on social skills training and is on the board of directors of the Asperger's Syndrome Education Network, Inc. (ASPEN). Jed Baker's work has been featured on ABC News, Nightline, and CBS's The Early Show.

Family to Family Workshop: Social Skills Training and Frustration Management (2 Day)

The Family-to-Family Workshops Series provides practical suggestions for supporting individuals with autism. Family members, caregivers, and others are encouraged to attend trainings we hope you will find both inspiring and thought provoking. Topics will cover effective strategies in dealing with the daily challenges of ASD, Understanding Sensory Integration Disorder, and facilitating positive peer play. Workshops and materials are free of charge.

This Space is limited and reservations are required. This workshop has been split up to a 2 day workshop and is from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm on September 14th and September 15th. Light refreshments will be served. YOU MUST ATTEND BOTH PARTS OF THIS WORKSHOP. Please call 757-461-4474 to reserve your spot or RVSP with all of your contact information on Meetup! Sorry, Unfortunately, No childcare available for this workshop.

For more information about the workshop see the listing above.

Family to Family Workshop: Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals

Made available again to those who were unable to attend previous workshop!

The Family-to-Family Workshops Series provides practical suggestions for supporting individuals with autism. Family members, caregivers, and others are encouraged to attend trainings we hope you will find both inspiring and thought provoking. Topics will cover effective strategies in dealing with the daily challenges of ASD, Understanding Sensory Integration Disorder, and facilitating positive peer play. Workshops and materials are free of charge. Light refreshments will be served.

This particular topic will be Asperger's Syndrome, Vol. 1 DVD: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. We will watch a video presentation and have interactive discussions during and following the video presentation. Whether you’re a curious parent or a seasoned psychologist, this DVD is a perfect introduction to Asperger’s Syndrome. Tony’s personable approach to the Asperger’s way of thinking will enlighten you. He describes numerous intriguing case examples and offers practical strategies that worked for people with Asperger’s. In hour one, Tony provides a diagnostic description of a person with Asperger’s. In the second hour, he offers a social curriculum that includes countless ideas and activities. The third hour focuses on emotion management. This special edition DVD also has a bonus section on Tony’s life.

The Space is limited and reservations are required. The workshop is from 9:30 am until 1:30pm. Light refreshments will be served. Please call 757-461-4474 to reserve your spot or RVSP with all of your contact information on Meetup! Sorry, Unfortunately, No childcare available for this workshop.

Autism Spectrum Disorders New Parent Workshop: Strategies for Families with Young Children

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Strategies for Families with Young Children is a six-hour workshop designed to introduce families to the characteristics and needs of children with autism spectrum disorders and effective strategies that can be used to assist these children. This workshop is designed for parents who have young children who have been identified with an autism spectrum disorder within the past year. However, the content is applicable to any parents who are looking for strategies to support their young child with an autism spectrum disorder.

This workshop will be presented by Autism Society, Tidewater Virginia Staff.  Materials provided by Virginia Autism Council with permission granted.

This Space is limited and reservations are required. The workshop is from 9:30 am until 3:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Please call 757-461-4474 to reserve your spot or RVSP with all of your contact information on Meetup! Sorry, Unfortunately, No childcare available for this workshop.

Family to Family Workshop: Social Skills Training and Frustration Management

The Family-to-Family Workshops Series provides practical suggestions for supporting individuals with autism. Family members, caregivers, and others are encouraged to attend trainings we hope you will find both inspiring and thought provoking. Topics will cover effective strategies in dealing with the daily challenges of ASD, Understanding Sensory Integration Disorder, and facilitating positive peer play. Workshops and materials are free of charge.

This Space is limited and reservations are required. The workshop is from 9:30 am until 3:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Please call 757-461-4474 to reserve your spot or RVSP with all of your contact information on Meetup! Sorry, Unfortunately, No childcare available for this workshop.

For more information about the workshop see the description in the workshop above.

General Meeting

Childcare available upon request by contacting us at 757-461-4474.

IEP - 101 presented by Cheryl Ward, Educational Consultant with the Endependence Center

Please come out and join us for an interactive meeting to gain working knowledge of how the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process works.

Note: We decided to deviate from our original format of having two speakers due to the amount of material to discuss.

Coffee & Chat

Come meet new friends, share ideas, get support and encouragement and find out about resources and more!  This group is facilitated by Theresa Zano-McMillian, TASA Parent Partner.

Respite Night

Autism Society, Tidewater Virginia is pleased to offer respite nights for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Respite Nights will be an indoor inflatable playground. Through a generous grant and volunteers from the City of Virginia Beach Police Department and peer volunteers the Autism Buddies, respite nights will provide parents an opportunity to go to dinner, shop or spend time at home relaxing. Space is limited and Reservations are required.

Check Back for more updates or join our online meetup group at www.meetup.com/tidewater-autism to get a full listing of upcoming events.