Grandparent Autism Network

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As Grandparents, become involved with your grandchild

By Pat and Terry Mercier, Co-Chairs

As grandparents of an eleven year old grandson with autism, we realize the value of being involved in his life. Because we see him every week, we have developed a close relationship and have become more knowledgeable about his needs. He feels comfortable with us and looks forward to seeing us. Grandparents relate to their grandchildren in a very special way.

We want to encourage you to become involved with your grandchild. It is a joyful challenge that will reward all of you. The more time you spend getting to know your grandchild, the more you will feel comfortable. You are truly valuable to this child. If you are concerned about taking full responsibility for your grandchild when you are together, ask a friend or hire someone to help you. We suggest that you plan an activity or outing that you can share. You can get good suggestions of places to go and things to do from other GAN grandparents.

Our upcoming meetings in June and July will be focused on activities with our grandchildren. In June you will learn about summer programs and local resources available all year that are particularly suitable for our grandchildren. In July we will have a family picnic in a local park that provides a playground, supervised swimming, basketball and other activities. You will have the opportunity to meet other grandparents, parents and grandchildren. We encourage you to identify other families that live in your local community so that you can arrange for play dates or outings with them. Please let us know if you would like to help us plan for our July family event. More details will be available soon.

We have learned valuable information at the GAN meetings that we share with our children. They realize more and more that they are not alone in this struggle. Grandparent support, and giving our children well deserved respite time, can only make it better.
We all benefit. We look forward to meeting you soon at GAN events.

Grandchildren Activities Committee

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Upcoming Events

Mar 26
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

OCASG Teen Support Group with Dr. Alex Gantman

Mar 27
6:30 pm - 7:00 pm

OCASG New Member Orientation

Mar 27
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

OCASG Virtual Support Group Meeting

Mar 30
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Self-Determination Program

Apr 13
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Preparing for “The Talk”: Ways to Get Ready to Talk About Sexuality, Relationships, and Identity

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More Announcements

Spring 2023 Newsletter

Posted: March 8, 2023

Begin Now to Prepare for Easter and Passover If you are hosting family gatherings for the holiday, you can plan ahead to ensure all of your guests will feel welcome […]

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Webinar: Grandparents of Children on the Autism Spectrum

Posted: January 30, 2023

Their Own Role, Their Own Challenges In this recorded webinar, Connie Anderson, Ph.D., explores what we know about the experiences of grandparents of children with ASD and their importance in […]

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A Grandparent’s Guide to Autism

Posted: January 30, 2023

This Tool Kit is specially designed for grandparents of children who have been diagnosed with autism. This Tool Kit will help you to: Learn about autism and its impact on […]

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Contact Us

Grandparent Autism Network
360 E. First Street #202
Tustin, CA 92780-3211
Tel: 714.573.1500
E: info@ganinfo.org

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