Oceanside Parents' Support Group

Contact Eric & Erica Epstein at oceanside106-parents@yahoo.com if you are interested 
in participating in a support group that they have started for parents of special needs children in the Oceanside area. 
The second meeting is scheduled for 04/14 @ 07:30pm
(location to be determined). Phone: 646-244-1011.

The Gillian Film: 

A documentary film about the exceptional life 
of a disabled young woman

More info...

“I recommend this film to anyone interested in disabilities, social processes of stigmatization and medicalization, and teachers and students in the sociology of health.” --Barry Saunders, MD, PhD. Dept. of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Gillian Film is a moving portrait of an exceptional young woman who works at a local veterinary clinic, rides horses, takes dance classes, and is developmentally disabled. When Gillian decides to move out of the house, her mother must come to terms with letting go.

Intimately captured by Gillian's own mother, The Gillian Film explores the importance of social inclusion and independent living for people with disabilities by intricately covering the basic needs for transition to independent living. Ultimately, through an examination of one life defined a little differently, The Gillian Film explores how we might transform our understanding of the meaning and worth of people with developmental disabilities.

“…it will help students to gain an appreciation for how much they are like people who have disabilities, and that it will help them to understand how families struggle to raise children who have special needs and how they must help them to become independent just like other parents do with their children.” --
Cheryl Hertzer, School of Education, Marian College

44 Minutes • Closed Captioned • VHS & DVD

Sprout Film Festival

We invite you to experience film and video related to the 
field of developmental disabilities. 

People with developmental disabilities as subjects and performers remain marginalized in film and television. The festival aims to raise their profile by showcasing works featuring this population. 

Visit The Sprout Film Festival web site. 

Frank Nappi, an English teacher at the Oceanside High School 
has arranged to donate half the proceeds of all pre-order sales of his new novel , "The Legend of Mickey Tussler," to Autism Speaks. The price of the book is six dollars cheaper than it will be once it hits the shelves in March. Please pass the word along to anyone who loves baseball and/or has been touched by autism. 

Amazon.com
Frank Nappi.com

  Nassau County NF (Neurofibromatoses) Support Group

Are you or is your child affected by neurofibromatosis? Do you feel the need to connect with others whose lives are affected by NF? This Support Group is a meeting for those living with or affected by NF. It provides an arena for open discussion, fellowship and education. The Children’s Tumor Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) medical foundation, dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by neurofibromatosis (NF). 

Monthly Meetings - Hempstead, NY
More info Victoria Ascher 516-833-6461 (H) 
www.ctf.org

Five Towns Jewish Community Special Education Initiative 
offers after school religious programs for children 6-12. 
Contact Andrea Bernstein, MS, PD at 516-319-9856

Creative Movement Classes for Children with Special Needs (ages 4-17) for kids who love dance 
call Miss Jessica at 718-326-1708