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About CT FEAT
"ConnecticuT Families for
Effective Autism
Treatment"
(CT FEAT) is a non-profit organization formed by parents and family
members to provide information and support to the families of children with
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Many of us experienced tremendous difficulties
in obtaining accurate diagnoses for our children. Once we were given a
diagnosis, it typically was not accompanied by up-to-date treatment information.
In order to learn about the most effective treatment options, we were obliged to
waste precious time doing extensive independent research. And then came the most
challenging obstacle of all: securing effective, appropriate, affordable
treatment for our children.
The parents at CT FEAT want to help the families who come after us to
learn about, and have access to, effective treatment as soon as possible
following diagnosis.
OUR PRINCIPAL GOALS:
1. To provide educational and networking opportunities to families
interested in treatment programs based on the principles of applied
behavior analysis ( ABA ) and other treatments validated by research
2. To expand the availability of high quality professional services by
supporting education and training opportunities in ABA
3. To provide information resources regarding effective treatments
validated by research
OUR
RESOURCES:
1) An Un-moderated "Parents Only" Internet
Discussion List that provides Connecticut parents of ASD children with a
forum to discuss issues of concern. The only requirement for
participation is that you agree to protect the confidentiality of the
other families on the list. To learn more about the listserv, and how to
subscribe, go to the ctfeat listserv.
2) Parent
Resource and Networking Meetings, which take place periodically
depending on interest and the availability of volunteers to staff them.
These meetings usually take place in either Waterbury or Rocky Hill. The
only requirement for participation is that parents agree to respect each
other’s privacy and confidentiality.
3)
Speaker Events and Conferences presenting the
latest information on effective treatment practices.
4) The Nancy Leahy-Shea Memorial
Scholarship for Professional Development in Applied Behavior Analysis
(ABA). CT FEAT supports expanding the number of highly trained
autism professionals in CT by funding this scholarship which is awarded
to CT educators (including special education teachers and speech
therapists) interested in pursuing national certification as a Board
Certified Behavior Analyst. Scholarship recipients are selected by the
CT FEAT board of directors.
5) A Newsletter
which contains news of interest (e.g. book reviews, conference
announcements, etc.) and a Brochure which describes our
organization. To subscribe to our newsletter, please email us at:
info@ctfeat.org.
6) A Web site, which provides an
array of information resources, including an employment bulletin board
which helps prospective employers (e.g. schools, agencies, parents) and
employees (e.g. behavior analysts, therapists) find each other.
7)
Outreach, Education, and Advocacy to increase knowledge about effective
treatment and resources to provide it.
OUR STRUCTURE
CT FEAT grew out of an informal
parent support network which formally incorporated as a non-profit organization
in 1998, making us eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Our bylaws provide that all members of the Board of
Directors shall be parents or family members of children with Autism Spectrum
Disorders. There are currently seven regular directors and three advisory
directors, with Board representation from every region of the state.
Connecticut Families for Effective Autism Treatment (CT FEAT) is a non-profit
organization staffed by volunteers. Since we are an all volunteer
organization with limited resources, we can only serve Connecticut
families, to whom we provide information and networking opportunities.
If you are a Connecticut parent or professional and would like to get
more involved with CT FEAT, you can call (860) 571-3888, write to P.O. Box
370352, West Hartford, CT 06137-0352 or E-mail at
info@ctfeat.org. We'd like to hear
from you!
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