DVD up for 2010 ASA Excellence in Media Award!

"How Can I Be a Good Friend to Someone with Autism?" is being nominated for the Autism Society of America's Excellence in Media Award this year! We need a statement from you about how it's impacted your classroom. Please send a well-written sentence or two to chelsea@goodfriendinc.com in the next few days to send along with the nomination essay.

What do you say, Middle School?

Have you heard that 1:110 children in the U.S. has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? That’s a lot of kids, when you

compare to most other childhood conditions. Good Friend is dedicated to making sure these students with ASD have good friends in their community. For the past two years, we’ve been conducting staff and student services in elementary schools to create autism awareness, teach acceptance of differences, and foster empathy for students with ASD. Chelsea Budde and Denise Schamens, co-founders, have been to state, regional, and national conferences on autism and education as parents and professionals and have heard a running theme: Good Friend needs a product and service at the middle school level tailored to them! So let’s talk about it!

• WHO we're looking for: 100 positive people who have something to say. A mix of 50 students, some with autism and/or other special education needs and some “regular ed” students. Plus 50 adults: 10 parents, 10 general education teachers, 10 special educators, 10 paraprofessionals, and 10 other school service providers (including therapists, guidance counselors, social workers, bus drivers, etc.).
• WHAT we're planning: A Community Conversation, “Let’s Talk Good Friends and Autism”, in the World Café style (www.theworldcafe.com/what.htm). A light dinner and refreshments will be served.
• WHY we're hosting this event: The target audience for Good Friend’s video will be students in grades 6-8, ages 12-15, so it needs to answer the questions this group has. The curriculum developed for the staff and students needs to be relevant to their experience.
• WHEN it's scheduled: Thursday, March 11, 2010; 6-8 p.m.
• WHERE we'll meet: Steinhafels’ Community Room, W231 N1013 County Hwy. F, Waukesha
• HOW to get involved: Contact Denise (phone 262-391-1369, or email denise@goodfriendinc.com) by February 8 and provide your name, age, phone number, email address, and category (as described above in WHO) *. *This information will be kept confidential within the Community Conversation.

Spaces are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, so RSVP quickly!

This event was made possible by a generous grant from the Natural Supports Project of the

Waisman Center and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

$3,500 is great ... but $25K would be better!

We are so thankful for each and every person who came our our "Tackling Autism Awareness" event earlier this month. You helped us raise $3,500 to promote autism awareness, acceptance, and empathy! And now we have another opportunity to raise funds ...

Chase Community Giving is offering $25,000 to 100 nonprofit organizations ... and we want to be one of them! Please vote for Good Friend Inc. (zip code 53186). It only takes a second, but without LOTS of votes from each of our supporters and all of their friends, it can't happen. Please spread the word!

2nd Annual "Tackling Autism Awareness" FUNdraiser SAT., NOV. 7!

Pre-register NOW to attend Good Friend, Inc.'s 2nd annual "Tackling Autism Awareness" silent auction FUNdraiser on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 1-4 p.m., at Steinhafels in Waukesha! With a sports theme and family-friendly entertainment, there's a little something for everyone. For him, a Big Ten game. For her, get some holiday shopping done. For the kids, face painting, arts & crafts, and temporary tattoos. For all, snacks and beverages. Plus, a screening of "How Can I Be a Good Friend to Someone with Autism?", our original DVD that creates autism awareness and teaches acceptance!

All this and more is FREE with pre-registration! Just email denise@goodfriendinc.com and let her know your name, number of guests, and email address/phone number by Oct. 30. ($2 per person at the door.)

Tell your neighbors! Invite your friends! And check out this short list of fabulous auction items that WISN-12 meteorologist Lance Hill will hype as he hosts the event again this year:

overnight stay at Chula Vista Resort with 4 waterpark passes

two admission passes to Six Flags Great America

Family Fun Pack from the Milwaukee Wave

signed baseballs and team wearables from the Milwaukee Brewers

packages from Tupperware, Miche Bag, St. Francis Brewery & Restaurant, The Chancery, and MORE!!

If you or your organization are interested in donating to or sponsoring this event, there's still time! Good publicity for a great cause and a tax write-off -- what could be better?! Contact Chelsea (414-510-0385; chelsea@goodfriendinc.com).

We also have a CELEBRITY CONTEST. Who do you know who'd be willing to come support autism awareness, acceptance, & empathy?

Visit our Facebook event listing: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125158774469&ref=mf

Be proactive this school year

As parents of children with developmental delays, Denise and I have been told to "wait and see" more times than we care to count. Wait and see if the skills emerge. Wait and see if he needs extra support. Wait and see if she's able to make friends. Wait and see if the kids tease his extraordinary qualities. Sometimes waiting is the prudent thing to do -- wait for the best, not the first; wait for what's right, not what's right now. However, what we've learned is that waiting to disclose our child's differences only sets everyone back.

We've chosen to be proactive about educating our own children's teachers and hope other parents do the same. We hope teachers and administrators don't wait for a crisis in the classroom or on the playground to work together with parents and guardians to get some peer sensitivity training underway. We hope education teams aren't hesitant to set examples of inclusion and acceptance. We hope they serve as models of life-long learning and growing, of reaching and striving.

Let Good Friend come into a staff meeting to do an in-service. Invite us to conduct a peer sensitivity workshop with your student's grade. Schedule a general student assembly during National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week. http://www.pacer.org/bullying/bpaw/index.asp By being proactive, you let others know that students with differences are not an after-thought, but an integral part of our communities.

Join Team Good Friend for Dylan's Run '09!

We have one month to put together an amazing team for this year's Dylan's Run, a family-friendly 2Mile Run & Walk held at the Summerfest grounds during Indian Summer, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 13, starting at 9 a.m. If you don't already have plans to be on a team, join us! We especially appreciate this event and the Autism Society of Southeast Wisconsin for our $1,200 grant to produce our DVD in Spanish (scheduled for release this month). Dylan's Run funds remain in our community to support those who care for and educate individuals with ASD.

For more information about the event, visit www.dylansrun.com. If you'd like to be a part of Team Good Friend, let Chelsea (chelsea@goodfriendinc.com / 414-510-0385) or Denise (denise@goodfriendinc.com / 262-391-1369) know by August 7th.

No time for lazy summer days with Good Friend!

Good Friend, Inc., is preparing for its national debut. Now that we have two state autism conferences under our belt, we thought it was time to take the Awareness-Acceptance-Empathy model to the next level.

Chelsea and Denise will attend the sessions as parents, will present "Disability Harassment and the Importance of Social Support" on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Turquoise AB room, and will be assisted by four volunteers in the exhibit hall at Good Friend's booth.

Register for the conference here: https://secure.expoplanner.com/aut2009/regform.wcs?intro=yes&formtype=new And plan to attend our breakout and visit our booth! Good Friend merchandise, including the SPANISH version of our DVD, will be available.

We are so thankful for all who have supported our mission and have enabled us to reach this point in our organization's development. We are looking forward to Good Friend's 2nd birthday, coming up on August 10. In the lifecycle of a nonprofit, this is an important milestone. Celebrate with us by attending one of our "birthday parties" at various Waukesha County partner restaurants. Watch for details.

Also, SAVE THE DATE for our 2nd annual Membership Meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Rotary Building in Waukesha. We will be presenting our Good Friend in Education Awards to some deserving people, sharing highlights from our 2008-'09 year, and unfolding a plan for our future. If you are not yet a member, PLEASE visit the Membership page of our website and complete the registration form. That way, you'll be sure to get your invitation to the event. And if your company would like to sponsor this year's meeting (only $500!), get in touch with Chelsea (414-510-0385; chelsea@goodfriendinc.com).

We look forward to seeing you soon!