Hello! It has been a while since I posted. Has anybody else been a little distracted by the budget cuts and what they mean to our children? Yeah...I thought so. Thank you to all of the amazing warriors out there emailing, faxing, calling, and showing up at the legislature to advocate for the preservation of critical services. I am so grateful I am not a legislator right now; they have some terribly difficult decisions in front of them.

THANK YOU TO THOSE LEGISLATORS THAT ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR CHILDREN!! Thank you, especially, to Senators John Huppenthal, Russell Pearce, Thayer Verschoor, Carolyn Allen, Jim Waring, and Chuck Gray; Representatives John Kavanagh, Kyrsten Sinema, John McComish, and Robert Meza; and to staffers at the Capitol-- Victor Riches, Chief of Staff to the AZ House of Representatives, Wendy Baldo, Chief of Staff to the AZ Senate, and Melissa Taylor, Senior Policy Advisor. These are individuals who truly care about the children of Arizona, and have fought especially hard for those with autism. Drop them a note to say thanks (in all your free time, of course). I know we are all busy, but this is something positive you can do! Legislators (and these wonderful staffers) remember when people express gratitude for their hard work on our behalf; it can make a difference of just how much they are willing to fight when they are put against the wall.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: On another note, the next EVAN meeting will be Tuesday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m.in Gilbert. (Email if you need directions.) It was moved to the last Tuesday of the month, only for March, due to spring break. Our guest speaker will be Renaldo Fowler, Senior Staff Advocate for the Arizona Center for Disability Law. Renaldo will be speaking about advocating for your child's special education needs in the school system, and answering your questions. I know you must have a few--I certainly do. I hope to see you there!