April is Autism Awareness Month, but we propose thinking in terms of Autism Advancement! Join the AASCEND community for a potluck brunch on Saturday, April 21, 10:30-1:30 PM, at the Arc of San Francisco, 1500 Howard St. @ 11th St. San Francisco. We will have food and drink, but bring something to share if you can. No RSVP necessary. Entertainment!!

The March 17 AASCEND meeting should be a lively one! Is it possible to have peaceful and inclusive discussion of questions like the following? Come share your thoughts:

1. Do the changes to the definition of autism proposed for the upcoming DSM 5  help or harm the autism community?
2. “The Autism Wars”: Can the Cure-Childhood-Autism and Celebrate-Adult-Autism contingents hear each other and speak with one voice when advocating for autism resources? How do the needs of self-advocating spectrum adults overlap those of families with severely impacted autistic children?
3. Can adult autism advocates “own the puzzle piece” logo long associated with the cure-autism movement? Is there anything puzzling about autism?
4. Bring your own questions about the Politics of Autism!

March 17, 10-noon     CCSF Downtown Campus      Room 618    88 4th St. @ Mission St.

AASCEND members will explore What I Wish My Parents Knew about autism on a panel at the 2012 Information and Resource Conference hosted by Support For Families, Saturday March 3, 8:30am-3:30pm at John O’Connell High School, 2355 Folsom St., SF.

The AASCEND panel will be at 2pm. Come for a lively event, to encourage the panelists, and to  soak up a lot of useful information among friends!

The event is FREE and all are welcome. There is food. More information is here.