ACCESS NONPROFIT CENTER
April 2022
Family Resources Newsletter
April is National
Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month
Director's Story
Ardena Bartlett, MPA is the founder, director & member of Parenting Black Children an initiative funded by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Service Access and Equity grant. 
 
She is a proud parent of what she says is a Beautiful Black Boy, who is on the Autism Spectrum and served well by the Regional Center. With this said she is well aware of the need of raising a child with developmental differences. Through her struggle of gaining equitable access to receive services from the community and education, for her son, she realized that other parents and caregivers were experiencing the same challenges. She, out of her struggle, challenges, and passion to serve started the initiative Parenting Black Children to help address the inequitable access to services and programs. PBC's mission is to address the disparities in the Black/African American community as it relates to Regional Center services. Regional Centers are unique agencies only available in California to residents who have developmental disabilities. She along with other Black/African American families are on a mission to Decrease Disparities and Increase ACCESS to programs and services that have been often denied and delayed for Black children and individuals. Please support the efforts of PBC and other nonprofits with the mission to address disparities in the Black/African American community.
Parenting Black Children
Decrease Disparity Increase Access
CONNECT SUPPORT EDUCATE 2 EMPOWER

Parenting Black Children has created a Linktree to centralize all our resources, please list to access resource links.
Autism Awarness Month 
National Autism Awareness Month raises awareness for autism and Asperger’s syndrome during April. Autism is a complex brain disorder that often inhibits a person’s ability to communicate, respond to surroundings, and form relationships with others.

According to WHO, about one in 270 people in the world has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is a group of developmental disabilities that causes challenges in many areas of one’s life. Some of the profoundly affected areas include social, communication, and behavior. Children with ASD are usually nonverbal or they have restricted or repetitive behaviors. ASD also affects people of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

The month-long observance takes place during World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), celebrated each year on April 2nd. WAAD was adopted by the United Nations in 2007 to shine a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis. WAAD activities increase world knowledge of autism and impart information about the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism around the world.

HOW TO OBSERVE #AUTISMAWARENESSMONTH
  • Host an event supporting autism awareness. 
  • Attend an event and show your support for someone you know. 
  • Share your story and make your voice heard. 
  • While the MONTH also celebrates the stories and lives of those with autism, it’s also important to remember that autism is a lifelong condition with varying degrees of severity. It’s important to continue to support research for treatment and therapies that will improve the lives of those with autism.
  • Speak out about autism to help eliminate the stigma associated with it.
  • Use #AutismAwarenessMonth to share on social media.
  • https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-autism-month-april/

NATIONAL AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH HISTORY
National Autism Awareness Month began in 1972 as National Autistic Children’s Week. The Autism Society founded the event to increase awareness, advocate awareness, and spark change in schools, communities, medical facilities, and businesses.
RIVERSIDE
Date: Sunday, April 24th, 2022
Time: 11:30 am Check-in / 12 - 3 pm Resource Fair and Activities, Walk/Race
Location: 
March Field Air Museum, 22550 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92518

Autism Support Agencies and Groups
Click the following logos to visit their websites
Autism Parenting Magazine
If you are a parent or caregiver with questions about client services, please contact:

San Gabriel/ Pomona Regional Center 
Executive Office
Sal Gonzalez
Director, Compliance and Outreach 
Social Recreational Resource Development Survey for Individuals/Families

We are truly excited that social recreation services can now be funded by the regional center for individuals served over the age of three. Connecting with you to discover your needs is important to us. With this goal guiding us, we have developed an electronic social recreation services survey that we invite you to complete. The survey should not take more than 5 minutes to complete.

Instructions
Click on the survey link which will take you to the survey on your Internet browser. To select a language other than English, click on the drop-down menu found in the upper right area of the survey as seen in the example below. Simply click on your preferred language to begin the survey. The survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Once submitted, you will receive a receipt acknowledging your survey answers were recorded.  

Should you need any assistance; access to the Internet, access to a computer, physical support, or any other type of help, please contact Parent’s Place at (626) 919-1091 or at empower@parentsplacefrc.com. Parent’s Place is the family resource center for the San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center.

If you are a parent or caregiver with questions about client services, please contact:

Inland Regional Center 
Community Engagement Department: 
Lilliana Garnica
Cultural Specialist 
909-890- 4781 
April 25th
Meeting ID: 885 8210 1592, Passcode: 591332
TASK and Disability Rights CA
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Black Maternal Mental Health Support Group
April 28th, 2022
The San Gabriel Valley African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Community Action Team (SGV AAIMM) is launching a monthly support group for new and expecting black moms in the San Gabriel Valley: 
•    Facilitated by licensed mental health therapists
•    Intake evaluation
•    Warm handoff for mental health and social service referrals as needed
•    Assistance with coping, life transitions, self-care, and building a village of support
•    Tips and advice on infant health, development, breastfeeding, and care
•    Option to attend in-person or virtually
____________________________________________________
 
Additional Resources
New Black Cultural Events weekly