Publisher’s Letter
Autism means different things to different parents. The spectrum of Autism includes profoundly Autistic children to very high functioning Autism. While the children on either end of the spectrum may have very little in common with each other, the parents of those children share some common trials.
The specific purpose of the April issue of Parents Guide is to help those parents whose children struggle with Autism or similar developmental problems. Many times Autism can be more frustrating for the mom and dad than for the child.
Being a parent is challenging enough. When your child has Autism it can be overwhelming. The good news is Autism Awareness continues to grow. Yet one wonders if the awareness is attributable to more cases of Autism or an increase in attention and education. Perhaps the answer is both.
Over the course of the next several months Parents Guide of Las Vegas will publish interviews with parents who are successfully raising Autistic children. If you would like to share your story with other parents please send an e-mail to Share@ParentsGuideLV.com.
Best,
Mark Sherwood
Publisher
Autism Related Resource List for Southern Nevada Families
Please see ParentsGuideLV.com/Directory for more information.
Asperger’s Syndrome/High Functioning Autism Support Group
(702) 436-7996
Contact: Barbie Lauver
aspergerhfagrp@aol.com
aspergerhfagrp.com
Autism Society of America
www.autism-society.org
Autism Speaks
Las Vegas, NV 89124
(801) 834-3171
Contact: Brandy Wiegand
brandy.wiegand@autismspeaks.org
www.autismspeaks.org
Desert Regional Center
1391 South Jones Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 486-6200
Fax 486-6334
mhds.state.nv.us
Easter Seals Southern Nevada Autism Services Program
6200 W Oakey Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 870-7050
Fax 870-7649
Contact: Deb Meinberg
dmeinberg@eastersealssn.org
sn.easterseals.com
FEAT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment)
FEAT provides information on treatment resources for families with children diagnosed with autism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and related disorders.
717 South 3rd St.
Las Vegas, NV 89118
(702) 368-3328
www.featsonv.org
GoodFriends
Las Vegas Young Adult HF Autism/LD Meetup Group
Las Vegas, NV 89123
(702) 361-0866
Support group for Las Vegas young adults with high-functioning autism/learning disabilities.
www.meetup.com/LasVegas-Goodfriends
Goodfriends
Las Vegas Young Adult HF Autism/LD Meetup Group
10139 Donald Weese Ct
Las Vegas, NV 89129
(702) 818-5120
Contact: Phyllis Cohen
cohenx3@aol.com
autism.meetup.com/343
Lili Clair Foundation
Lili Claire’s mission is to help all children living with a neurogenetic condition, and to provide hope and support for the families who love them.
The Lili Claire Foundation
3540 W. Sahara Ave., #182
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 862-8141
E-mail: staff@liliclairefoundation.org
liliclairefoundation.org
Pediatric Neurology
Steve Glyman, MD
(702) 731-9110
880 Seven Hills Dr. #200
Henderson, NV 89052
Kirby Reed, MD
(702) 733-2074
3006 S. Maryland Parkway, #460
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Pediatric Neurologists
(702) 796-5505
2020 E. Desert Inn Road
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Sri Halthore, MD
Donald Johns, MD
Alfreda Maller, MD
Dr. Julie Beasley
(702) 386-2780 (Assistant Darcy)
(702) 386-2780
2000 S. Jones Blvd. #140
(Between Sahara & Oakey) 89146
Dr. Stacey Edwards
(Adults)
(702) 382-1960
Fax 382-4993
Las Vegas, NV
Melissa Kalodner, PSY.D.,
(702) 615-5777
(702) or 838-0742
7351 Prairie Falcon Road, #160
Las Vegas, NV 89128
Fred Mancini, School Psychologist
Social Group w/Dr. Beasley
(702) 386-2780
2000 S. Jones Blvd. #140
Las Vegas, NV 89146
Nevada Institute for Autism
The Nevada Institute for Autism is the only holistic autism/behavioral disorders treatment center in the State of Nevada using the proven scientific protocols of Dietrich Klinghardt, M.D., Ph.D. Our mission is to educate and support parents of children with autism and other behavioral-neurological challenges and to provide realistic hope, practical guidance about nutrition, and holistic healing therapies to maximize children’s health, comfort, and readiness for education and development.
02health@aol.com
820 Rancho Lane
#62, Las Vegas, NV 89106
(702) 476-1809
Fax 388-2592
nvautism.org
Nevada PEP
Parents Encouraging Parents
2355 Red Rock St.
Suite 106
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 388-8899
Fax 388-2966
Contact: Karen Taycher, Executive Director
pepinfo@nvpep.org or mlewis@picnh.org
www.nvpep.org
Wrong Planet
The Online Resource and Community for Autism and Asperger’s.Wrong Planet is the web community designed for individuals (and parents of those) with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD, PDDs, and other neurological differences. We provide a discussion forum, where members communicate with each other, an article section, with exclusive articles and how-to guides, a blogging feature, and a chatroom for real-time communication with other Aspies.
www.wrongplanet.net
Sources: Autism Speaks and Autism Coalition of Nevada.
When to Take Your Child to a Pediatrician, an Urgent Care, or the Emergency Room
By Claudine A. Mendoza, M.D.
Your child gets sick. Where should you go to seek medical assistance? Does my pediatrician have an opening to see my child today? Can I wait until my pediatrician’s office opens tomorrow? Is my child sick enough for the emergency room where there are long waits, insurance issues, and a room full of sick people? With so many options and questions, how do you know when and where to take your child?
Every parent who has had a sick child has asked the same questions. There are many resources when your child gets sick. Your pediatrician is your main source of help and first destination when your child becomes sick. Your pediatrician can answer all of your questions and treat most illnesses and problems that are presented to his or her practice.
If you have questions about your child’s health, call your pediatrician. If your pediatrician is not available, you have the option of taking your child to an urgent care or the emergency room.
An urgent care clinic is usually able to handle most, if not all, of the illnesses and problems that your pediatrician’s office can see. Fever, ear pain, cough, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, eye discharge and redness, vomiting, diarrhea, and pain when urinating are just some of the examples an urgent care clinic can see.
Many urgent cares can also suture simple lacerations, see minor head injuries, treat asthma attacks, remove foreign bodies from the nose and ears, evaluate minor sprains, and splint injured extremities. In addition, an urgent care may have a laboratory to run basic tests and perform blood work. Some have an x-ray machine to check for fractures and do chest x-rays. Cheaper co-pays, shorter wait times than an emergency room, and quick turnaround times attract most parents to an urgent care.
Good Night Pediatrics is an urgent care center open from 5 p.m.–5 a.m. every night of the year, including holidays with pediatricians seeing newborns through 18-year-olds and accepts most insurances. Your child can be seen in a shorter amount of time than in an emergency room.
Sometimes children can have more serious illnesses or problems and should be seen in the emergency room. These problems include severe asthma attacks and difficulty breathing, prolonged vomiting and diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, and removal of batteries that a child has placed in his nose, ear, or swallowed. If your child is under the age of 2 months and has a fever, then he should immediately be seen in the emergency room. Head injuries with loss of consciousness and complicated lacerations can be seen in the emergency room as well as any changes in mental status, seizures, or serious extremity injuries or burns.
If you have questions or are unsure of what to do, call your pediatrician for advice on what to do and where to take your child if treatment is needed. If you believe your child’s life is in danger, call 911.
Claudine A. Mendoza, M.D. is a pediatrician at Good Night Pediatrics, an all-night urgent care just for kids every night of the year from 5 P.M. to 5 A.M.
Nevada PEP April 2011 Trainings
Nevada Parents Encouraging Parents
Understanding ADHD
Thursday, April 7, 2011 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Is Your Child a Target of Bullying?
Monday, April 25, 2011 6:30–8:30 p.m.
How is My Child Reading?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Families Are Important
Thursday, April 21, 2011 6:30–8:30 p.m.
IEP Clinic
Saturday, April 2, 2011 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Monday, April 18, 2011 6–9 p.m.
entendimiento del IEP
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011 6–9 p.m.
Positive Behavior Interventions
Monday, April 11, 2011 6–9 p.m.
Saturday, April 30, 2011 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Navigating Through Transition
Thursday, April 14, 2011 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Skills for Effective Parent Advocacy
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Journey to Adulthood
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 6–8:30 p.m.
Getting and Keeping the 1st Job
Saturday, April 16, 2011 9–11 a.m.
5 Part IDEA Series:
Evaluation and RTI
Tuesday, April 26, 2011 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Nevada PEP
2101 S. Jones Blvd Suite 120
Las Vegas, NV 89146
702-388-8899
702-388-2966 (Fax)
www.nvpep.org