1 in 31: Autism Today

Victoria Thiery - Know Limits

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Victoria Thiery. Victoria is a writer, producer, and director. She works alongside her husband, Austin.  Victoria specializes in character development and final edits, with a keen eye for emotional consistency, narrative cohesion, and refining stories until they feel honest, intentional, and complete. She joins us to discuss their latest project: Know Limits. Know Limits is a narrative television project centered on Colin, an autistic lacrosse superfan who uncovers corruption within professional lacrosse. Tune in to learn more or visit: https://thethierysfeature.com/

Chip Vincie - Sibling Perspective

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Chip Vincie. Chip's brother has been in the care of Anderson Center for Autism's for over 40 years. Chip joins us to discuss his journey to become his brother's legal guardian in 1999. Chip is an advocate for autonomy, but still helps to make decisions  regarding and advocates for his brother when needed! Tune in to learn more, or see Chip's list of resources/helpful documents below.

Chip's Guardianship Resources:

https://www.nycourts.gov/CourtHelp/Guardianship/17A.shtml - this is a not-bad guide to how the process works and what you need to get together. Includes instructions on the forms and links to downloadable PDFs.

Todd Fischlin is great and was my attorney. https://fishlinlaw.com/attorney-profile/

The New York Bar Association Referral Service will give you up to 3 referrals, based on what area of the law you need help with. You can consult with each of them for free for up to 15 minutes to figure out who's the right one for you. There's a suggested donation (the referral service is a nonprofit) but it's low. https://nysba.org/new-york-state-bar-association-lawyer-referral-service/

FORMS:

* 17A Guardianship petition - this is the form where you ask to petition to be guardian (or move from standby to main guardian), including the contact info for you, your loved one, and the contact info for anyone who *could* have a competing claim
* Combined Oath/Designation - this is a one page form where you swear you'll be a responsible guardian, and also which county surrogates court can accept processes if you're not around
* Affidavit of Proposed Guardian - this is where you provide information about yourself - your address, education (where you went to school and what years), why you would be a good guardian

Standby Guardianship Forms: The standby guardian will also have to submit these forms:
* Combined Oath/Designation
* Affidavit of Proposed Guardian

 * Affidavit of Examining Psychiatrist or Physician - this is what the doctor will have to fill out with the appropriate code for the disability

* Waiver of Process Consent - anyone who *could* also become a guardian should fill this out, basically saying "I'm not going to pursue this claim".  Ideally, you'd get the person to fill this out ahead of time. In my case, my ex-wife was originally the standby guardian, but we'd divorced and I'd remarried by the time my mother had married. I asked my ex if she would fill out this waiver ahead of time, and she agreed and filled it out, had it notarized, and got it back to me.

* Notice of Petition - a one-or-two page form informing the court that you're making this petition for guardianship, and listing the standby guardian(s) (you can have several), and who else should get a notice of petition (if someone could contest your claim)

* Affidavit of Mailing of Petition - this basically states that you in fact mailed all the people who should get a notice (like someone who has a potentially competing guardianship claim) - I didn't have to fill this out.

* Form 3909 - this is where you have to list all the addresses that you and the standby guardians have lived at for the last 28 years, as well as any aliases you've used, like your maiden name. In my case, I changed my last name to my stepfather's.

* To be on the safe side, I included my change of name documentation (I think nowadays they just issue a new birth certificate)

* If you're moving from standby to main guardian, you will want to include:
    -- A copy of the original "Notice of Guardianship" that the state sent the guardian
    -- the death certificate of the guardian. 

    -- Just as an aside, when someone dies, whoever is stuck with the arrangements should request at least 10 death certificates. The funeral home will give you a certain amount as part of their costs, but will charge you above that. It's not expensive and every bank, insurance company, and other institution will want an original

FILING OUT THE FORMS:

The good news is that these forms are now available as PDFS that can be filled out on your computer, and some counties have electronic filing.

NOTE that these forms change sometimes and so does the number of forms required, so please hit up the website above for the latest info.

I would recommend filling out the forms yourself and then letting the lawyer look at them before filing. Filling them out yourself will save you legal fees but getting them to check your work will ensure you're not missing anything.

Deven Unadkat - StationMD

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Dr. Deven Unadkat DO, MPA, FACEP. Dr. Unadkat is the President & Chief Medical Officer of StationMD. He is also a board-certified emergency physician, recognized physician leader, and a founding partner at StationMD. He has practiced clinically over the past 18 years in large academic centers, community hospitals, free standing emergency centers, and has been delivering care via telehealth to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) throughout the country. StationMD’s mission is to provide the highest quality of medical care for individuals with I/DD, fostering independence and improving quality of life for our patients and those providing their care. Tune in or learn more at https://stationmd.com/

Michael Gilberg - Special Education and Disability Rights Law

This weekends 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Michael Gilberg. 

Michael is known as 'an advocate for children with disabilities who walked in their shoes.'. He has many years of both Special Education and Disability Rights Law and Advocacy Experience. Attorney Gilberg also has his own personal experience as someone on the Autism Spectrum. He received his J.D. from Pace University School of Law in 2007 after receiving both his B.A. and M.P.A. also from Pace University. Attorney Gilberg spent his entire educational career prior to college in special education, despite not ever being given the proper identification and diagnosis. Tune in to learn more about his story, and the services he offers to families, or visit his website: https://www.michaelgilbergesq.com/

Dr. Lauren Lestremau Allen - Empire State University

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Dr. Lauren Lestremau Allen. Dr. Allen is a thought-leader in the Autism field. She is  an  Assistant Professor at SUNY Empire State University in the Applied Behavior Analysis Master of Science program and the Assistant Director of the SUNY Empire Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports (CAARES). She is also a Licensed Psychologist (NY, MD), Licensed Behavior Analyst (NY), Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Dr. Allen discusses many topics including how to support neurodivergent individuals in schools, in the work-force, and in the community. Tune in to learn more!

Tiffany McDowell - Joy Bar Coffee Co.

This weekend's guest is Tiffany McDowell. Tiffany is the owner of Joy Bar Coffee Co., which currently has two locations in High Point, North Carolina. Tiffany and her sister Mallory wanted to create a space where neurotypical, and neurodivergent people could meet, work, feel welcomed, and learn from each other. They also wanted to create employment opportunities for individuals with different abilities through Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE). Joy Bar Coffee has also been designated as a Certified Autism Center by The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).

At Joy Bar Coffee, it’s so much more than a cup of coffee - it’s an opportunity to experience true diversity, appreciation, inclusion, and (most of all) JOY. Tune in to learn more or visit: https://www.joybarcoffee.com/

 

Elizabeth Rosenberger - Anderson Early Learning Academy Parent

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Elizabeth Rosenberger. Elizabeth's son attends Anderson Early Learning Academy (AELA) in Latham. AELA is a NYS approved 4410 program that provides children ages 3-5 years of age opportunities to learn in an environment that is developmentally appropriate and teaches the skills needed to be successful in kindergarten. Professionally, Elizabeth is a school counselor, handling IEPs and more at an elementary school in the Capital Region of New York. Tune in to hear more from Elizabeth and her perspective as a parent.

Learn more about AELA today: www.andersoncenterforautism.org/anderson-early-learning-academy

Alan Day - Autism Double Checked

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Alan Day. Alan is the founder and CEO of Autism Double Checked (ADC), an innovative organization committed to making travel more accessible and inclusive for individuals on the autism spectrum. ADC classifies travel companies into three levels of "autism readiness": Autism Aware, Autism Ready, and Autism Double-Checked. At each level, the commitment to inclusivity deepens, and every participant is actively working to welcome guests traveling with autistic family members. Recently, ADC certified Bradley International Airport in Connecticut (the first in the U.S) as Autism Double Checked. Tune in to learn more about their certification process. You can also visit the ADC website to learn more about their service offerings including Autism Passport, Autism Concierge, Autism Stays, and Autism Flies, or see their directory of certified providers: https://autismchecked.com/ 

 

 

Steve Tseckares and Dillon Faulkner - Backyard Sports Cares

This weekend's 1 in 31 guests are Steve Tseckares and Dillon Faulkner. Steve Tseckares is the Executive Director of Backyard Sports Cares , Dillon Faulkner is the President and Chief Operating Officer. Backyard Sports Cares is a nonprofit division of Backyard Sports, the leading provider of community team sports programs for kids of all ages in Westchester County. Recently, they rolled out their BYSC Plus Program which is open to the public and serves children and young adults of all ability levels including individuals with special needs. This program works to build skills, confidence, and self esteem is staffed 1:1 by teacher/coaches and high school peer mentors. Tune in to learn more or visit: https://byardsportscares.org/

 

Erica Stanzione - BluePath Service Dogs

This weekend's 1 in 31 guest is Erica Stanzione. Erica is the Director of Marketing and Development for BluePath Service Dogs. Recently, BluePath Service Dogs received two monetary grants from Anderson Foundation for Autism in support of their Autism Service Dogs program.

BluePath works to transform the lives of children with autism through the placement of expertly trained service dogs. Each BluePath dog comes with thousands of hours of training from dedicated volunteers and professional staff. These dogs offer freedom to families, with their primary role being to provide safety for a child while out in public. Families can apply for an autism service dog directly on the BluePath Service Dogs website.

Tune in or learn more: https://bluepathservicedogs.org/autism-service-dogs/