FRIENDS OF AUTISTIC PEOPLE'S MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS TOUCHED BY AUTISM: TO DO SO,WE FOCUS ON THE EDUCATION OF PARENTS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND LEGISLATORS ON AUTISM AND ADVOCATE FOR SERVICES FOR THE CHILDREN WITH AUTISM TO CONTINUE AFTER AGE 21 WHEN SCHOOL ENDS. WE HELP THROUGH CONSULTATIONS AND OUR MONTHLY PARENTS GROUP LECTURE PROGRAM.

LASTLY, WE WORK ON A SOLUTION TO THE QUESTION "WHERE WILL MY AUTISTIC CHILD BE WHEN I CAN NO LONGER CARE FOR HER/HIM?" WE ARE PLANNING A FARM LIVING & LEARNING ACADEMY, A VILLAGE WHERE THE GROWN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM CAN CONTINUE CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION WHERE SCHOOL LEFT OFF AND ACQUIRE MEANINGFUL SKILLS THAT INSPIRE SELF CONFIDENCE AND PROVIDE A VALUED ROLE IN SOCIETY.

Description:
We educate the public through lectures by autism experts and professionals in the field to bring about change in autism supports. We hold legislative forums to advocate mandated services anchored in the law for the children to receive services as needed across their life span. FAP also does phone consultations and referrals. WE do outrEach -we present lectures by autism experts to the community, we show documentaries , we provide volunteer opportunities for high school student; we organize fundraising events with celebrities to shift the public focuS on the talents and the need for autism supports of grown children with autism
We publish a newsletter twice/year and do email bulletins about 5 times per year.

History:
FAP's mission is to educate the community and legislators about autism and make them aware that, in order to be functioning and productive, autistic children depend on their autism supports to continue after age 21. Our goal is to help get services for them.

I founded FAP to help other autistic kids avoid what happened to my profoundly autistic daughter when she became 21 because she had become an "adult" in the eyes of the law, and therefore most of her autism supports ended. The end of autism services meant that she had to leave her peers at her boarding school, her home for the last eight years, and the end of her beloved job at a wholesale florist. It meant relocating to a group home in her home town where the staff was untrained and did not know how to interact and support an individual with autism who had no language. It meant no autism therapies, no speech services, regression, etc.

FAP's action plan includes providing lectures by renowned experts in the field of autism and forums with legislators. For example we held a forum at the Greenwich Library with Congressman Shays, and another with State Senator Judy Friedman and Representatives Dolly Powers and Kathy Tymniak and introduced them to autism. Through the first meeting at the Greenwich Library --with more than 75 parents who had brought their kids with autism -- Congressman Shays learned - and was shocked, I believe - what it is to be autistic, care for an autistic child and on the epidemic proportions and needs of the autistic population in general. After that he invited all the parents to a working meeting at his office and he became an advocate for autism issues on the Federal level. We had forums with most of the local and area legislators and most recently received a $5000 grant from the OAR to hold a legislative forum on the Federal level

We have recently had the privilege of adding Attorney General Blumenthal to our Board as an Honorary Member. Some of our most important educational outreach projects to date were the lecture by the internationally heralded scientist, professor, business woman and author with autism, Temple Grandin, in the 400 seat Cole Auditorium at the library in 2001 and the lectures by autism experts, neurologist Dr. Margaret Bauman at the Greenwich Hospital/Noble Room and Dr. Peter Gerhardt at the Nathaniel Witherell Home. Every time there was standing room only.

In 2000 FAP collaborated with the State to open the first autism focused group home in Fairfield County. Our sub-project is to make this home a model autism home where the staff is knowledgable in autism and supportive of their autistic charges. We have obtained a sizable grant earmarked to train the staff in autism supports to assure the residents will have a quality of life in their community based home because they will get the programs they need, such as speech/communication, sensory integration, social skill and vocational training. We are now working on our most ambitious project to date which is to develop the State's first farmstead for kids with autism.
Among the personalities who were FAP's special guests at benefit events were:
In Ocober 2004,world renowned pianist Andre Watts hel a benefit concert followed by a reception at Temple Sholom in Greenwich for FAP's Farm Project.
Awards: In September 2007, the president, Brita Darany von Regensburg, received the prestigious YWCA Spirit of Greenwich Award for Volunteering accompanied by a Citation by Attoney General Richard Blumenthal and a Congratulatory note by Congressman Chris Shays and CT Senator Bill Nickerson. In August 2007,Brita received the Red Cross Darien/Stamford Women of Spirit Award. In 2006, FAP Directors Brita Darany von Regensburg and Tibor Darany received the Volunteer Center's Volunteer Couple of the Year Award.
In October 2006, Attorney General Blumenthal awarded FAP a citation in recognition of the tireless work to improve the lives of autistic adults and their families through advocacy and support on the occasion of FAP's benefit event wiht Professor Dr. Ernestine Bradley holding a book talk on her book "The Way Home" and being honored with a reception at the Nagy-Felsobuki estate in Greenwich, catered by renowned chef Thomas Henkelmann of the HOmestead Inn. All three main stake holders of the event, Brita, Ernestine and Thomas hail from the south of Germany and united in giving back in gratitude to their adoptive country.

Contact people:

Brita Darany, President, (phone), (email) Tibor Darany, Director, Treasurer, (phone) Richard Slagle, Director, Vice President, (phone)

Address:

974 North Street Greenwich, CT 06831 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.autisticadults.com

Directions:

Merrit Parkway ,Exit 31, go north 3 miles

Miscellaneous Information

Does your agency have weekend volunteer opportunities?
	Yes
Does your agency have evening volunteer opportunities?
	Yes
Does your agecny accept court ordered communituy service volunteers?
	Yes
Does your agency accept and coordinate group projects for corporate volunteers?
	Yes
Does your agency accept and coordinate group projects for youth volunteers?
	Yes
Does your agency accept youth volunteers ages 8-13 with adult supervision?
	No
Does your agency accept youth volunteers ages 14-18?
	Yes