Resources exist for affected families

LOCAL RESOURCES

Sikeston Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities

Sikeston Regional Center is a Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities agency. It provides service coordination to all eligible persons who reside in the counties of Cape Girardeau, Perry, Bollinger, Madison, Ste. Genevieve, Scott, New Madrid, Mississippi or Pemiscot.

112 Plaza Drive, Sikeston, Mo.

(573) 472-5300; 472-5391 (TDD)

Judevine Center for Autism (regional office)

Serves families with in-home training programs and interventions, assessments for autism and training for professionals working with people who have autism.

909 Broadway, Cape Girardeau

(573) 339-9300

SUPPORT GROUPS

Christ Church of the Heartland Support Group

Support group for all disabilities

720 Bertling, Cape Girardeau

334-7726

Ethan and Friends for Autism

Group is putting efforts toward starting an autism school in Southeast Missouri.

Mike Sciortino, 335-9221

Dysfunction of Sensory Integration Support Group

(573) 262-3948

People First

An international self-advocacy organization for adults who have disabilities.

Phone Tracy DePriest or Gloria Shell at (573) 472-5300 to learn more.

STATE RESOURCES

Project ACCESS, Southwest Missouri State University

ACCESS provides support and technical assistance to school districts serving students with autism. Parents may request topic-specific informational packets from an inclusive list.

(417) 836-6755

www.smsu.edu/access

Center for Innovations in Special Education, University of Missouri-Columbia

CISE has a large lending library of autism resources. CISE also publishes an Autism Resource Guide for Missourians.

(800) 976-CISE

www.cise.missouri.edu

Missouri Developmental Disabilities Resource Center, University of Missouri-Kansas City

Information and referral service of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development. MODDRC can help locate needed services and information related to developmental disabilities.

800-444-0821

www.moddrc.com

NATIONAL RESOURCES

Autism Research Institute

Devoted to conducting research and to disseminating the results of research on autism to parents and professionals. Offers a quarterly newsletter and information packets.

4182 Adams Ave., San Diego, Calif. 92116

(619) 281-7165

www.autism.com/ari

Autism Society of America

ASA is a leading source of information and referral on autism to parents and professionals.

7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 650, Bethesda, Md. 20814-3015

(800) 328-8476

www.autism-society.org

More Advanced Autistic People Services Inc.

MAAP offers information and advice to family members of more advanced individuals with autism, Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder. A quarterly newsletter is available.

Box 524, Crown Point, Ind. 46307

(219) 662-1311

www.maapservices.org

INTERNET RESOURCES

Missouri Families for Early Autism Treatment

Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing world-class education, advocacy, and support for the state of Missouri autism community.

www.mo-feat.org

Family Village

Resource for all disabilities. Offers chat rooms, links, lists of resources. Easy to navigate.

www.familyvillage.wisc.edu

Oops É Wrong Planet Syndrome

A parent who has Asperger's syndrome and also has a son with autism developed this Web site.

www.isn.net/~jypsy

Autism resources

Maintained by John Wobus, has links to other sites about autism.

www.autism-resources.com

What You Need to Know About Autism/PDD

This Web site contains information on autism characteristics, treatments and issues.

www.autism.about.com

Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights

Helps parents become informed and effective representatives for their children in early childhood, school-age and vocational settings.

www.pacer.org

SOURCE: Sikeston Regional Center for Development Disabilities