Home | About Us | Handke Library | Resources | Events | Contacts

According to the Autism Society of America, ASD is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause for autism, but it is treatable. Children do not "outgrow" autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Early warning signs of autism IN INFANTS may include:
- Not babbling or cooing by 12 months
- Not gesturing (pointing, waving, graspinng) by 12 months
- Not saying single words by 16 months
> - Not saying two-word phrases on his or heer own by 24 months

Early warning signs of autism IN CHILDREN may include:
- Lack of or delay in spoken language
- Repetitive use of language or mannerismss (hand-flapping, twirling objects)
- Little or no eye contact
- Lack of interest in peer relationships - Lack of spontaneous or make-believe playy
- Persistent fixation on parts of objects<

District Resources (Elk River Area Schools)

Cindy Wagner, ECSE Coordinator
Phone: 763-241-3400 x5582
Lucinda.Wagner@elkriver.k12.mn.us

Judy Kackman, Autism Specialist - ECSE program
Phone: 763-241-3400 x5536
Judith.kackman@elkriver.k12.mn.us

Anna Hampton, ECSE School Psychologist
Phone: 763-241-3400 x5541
anna.hampton@elkriver.k12.mn.us

Local Resources

Fraser, Minnesota’s Leading Provider of Autism Services
Now offering expanded treatment services for children and their families in Anoka. Fraser Anoka has been providing services to the north metro community for more than six months. The staff at Fraser Anoka includes mental health practitioners and licensed mental health professionals. The expansion into Anoka is part of an effort to make Fraser services available to all metro area families within a 35 minute drive.

Address: 2829 Verndale Avenue, Suite 3, Anoka, MN
Fraser Anoka Intake Coordinator: 612-331-9413
Website: http://www.fraser.org

St. David’s Center
Providing the highest quality early childhood educational programming for children ages 16 months to five years. With a curriculum that focuses on nurturing the whole child, we build pre-academic skills while also promoting the social and emotional development of every child. Our Pediatric Therapies include Autism Day Treatment, Rehabilitative Therapies and Pediatric Therapy groups.

Address: 3395 Plymouth Road
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Brita Jacobson, Intake Coordinator: (952) 548-8682
Website: http://www.stdavidscenter.org

State Resources

The Autism Society of Minnesota
Address: 2380 Wycliff Street, Suite 102 St. Paul, MN 55114
Phone: (651) 647-1083
Website: http://www.ausm.org

Minnesota Autism Center
Address: 5710 Baker Road Minnetonka, MN 55345
Phone: 952-767-4200
Website: http://www.mnautism.org

National Resources

Autism Society of America
Address: 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300 Bethesda, Maryland 20814-3067
Phone: (301) 657-0881
Website: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer

Talk About Curing Autism (TACA)
Address: 3070 Bristol Street, Suite 340, Costa Mesa CA 92626
Phone: (949) 640-4401
Website: http://www.tacanow.org/index.htm

Autism Speaks
Address: NAPVI P.O. Box 317 Watertown, MA 02471
Phone: (312) 515-0099
Website: http://www.autismspeaks.org

Please contact Shannon Rients if you have suggestions for other resource needs on this page.