Heidi has a BS in Civil Engineering from Purdue. After the birth of her son Jacob, she elected to stay home to ensure his needs were met. Heidi is very involved in many organizations;last year she was appointed by the Governorâs office to be on 3 Medicaid Reform committees, looking at overhauling the entire Medicaid system.Heidi currently has an advocacy distribution list of over 2,500 members to promote awareness of the advocacy issues that affect children and adults w/ disabilities & empower parents. March 6, 2007
Dearest Advocates:
Thought you might be interested in the below information. Only with getting involved attending events, filling out survey’s, communicating our concerns…………….are we going to continue to have our voices heard for our children! YOU are your child’s #1 advocate. Hope you find this information useful. Sincerely, Heidi
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The following is a message from David Tolleson with the City of
Special Populations Awareness Month in
Advocacy Opportunity: 7:30 PM, Monday, March 19th, in front of
(Heidi Comments: I realize this is a school night but it always helps for the City to see the faces of the children. You don't have to be a resident of
Educational Seminar for Special Needs Families
SPECIAL NEEDS CONFERENCE --
This educational event is designed for parents and families of special needs children, as well as anyone interested in learning more about Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ADHD, ADD, Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Non Verbal Learning Disorder and more).
The conference will feature an expert physician panel, including:
Amy Thornhill Pakula, MD - Dr. Pakula is a Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician and Director of Developmental Pediatric Clinics at the Marcus Institute. She specializes in early identification of, intervention for, developmental and behavioral problems in children during infancy and the pre-school years.
Cobb County Schools Parent Mentors - The parent mentors can help educate on what the school system has to offer special needs children.
Stephanie Pretti, OTR/L - Ms. Pretti, Occupational Therapist, Children's Healthcare of
Deborah Matthews McCormick, MS., NCC, LPC - Mrs. McCormick is a licensed counselor with experience in helping both children and their families.
The panel will discuss the diagnosis, treatment (pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic), education and expected outcomes for children and will conduct a question and answer segment with parents and families.
Online reservations are available at northstarchurch.org. Paper registration forms may be printed online. Please contact Jeff Hardin at 678-427-5380 or Tricia Levy at 404-245-2870 for more details.
There is no cost for the seminar, and childcare is available by reservation only.
The following is a message from Stephanie Moss, Part C Coordinator, Babies Can't Wait.
We need to hear from you! The Babies Can't Wait program,
As part of this process we are conducting an online survey of our stakeholders, including families, service providers, our own staff, and our community partners, both public and private.
Our time frame is extremely tight. The online survey will be available only Monday, March 5, 2007 through Friday, March 16, 2007 http://s urveybcw.caresolutions.com
Because of your work on the front lines, your input and assistance is critical. We are asking you to participate in the survey yourself as well as help get the word out and encourage others in your community – families, service providers, LICCs, school officials, child advocates, etc. – to participate. Attached is a flyer you can email, copy and distribute.
Please be assured that all survey responses will remain anonymous – an independent consulting firm will collect and analyze the data and provide the BCW with summary reports.
Thank you in advance for your participation and your help in getting others to participate!
(Heidi’s Comments: Even if your child is out of the BCW program, please take a moment to fill out this survey. BCW needs to hear from EVERYONE in order to continue to provide services to families from birth to 3 yrs old.)
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The following is a message from Susanna Mitchell with the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities:
Please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=181193386114 to complete a brief survey on Disability Day at the Capitol 2007. The survey will be available until Friday, March 9.
Thank you everyone who already completed the survey. We appreciate your feedback!
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