Frequently Asked Questions About Noah's Arc

Table of Contents

1. Welcome To Noah's Arc
2. Who and what is Noah's Arc?
3. How can I get involved in Noah's Arc?
4. What can I do?
5. What are the future goals of Noah's Arc?
6. Is there support out there for parents?

Welcome To Noah's Arc

    Thank you for taking a moment to explore Noah's Arc.  At Noah's Arc, we are constantly striving to better the lifestyles of the children, adolescents, and adults who are living with Autism.  Parents, Families, and virtually anyone who surrounds one of these autistic treasures, often find it difficult to cope with the world, and exactly where and how the autistic "fits in" with the rest of society.   Noah's Arc is the organization that will become part of the ever growing struggle to address the issues of the astounding number of individuals being diagnosed with Autism each year. 

    While a "cure" for Autism does not exist, Noah's Arc will be in the front of the pack, fighting for Autism research, support mechanisms, and leading edge education, in order to better serve the autistic, and society as a whole.  Whether you are the parent of an diagnosed autistic, A new parent who is struggling to understand exactly what all of this means, family or friends of those who are coping with these struggles, or just an interested party in helping promote the awareness of Autism in our society, we have a place for you in our organization.

    Please feel free to explore our website, and our organization, and decide for yourself, how you can best serve, and how Noah's Arc can best serve you.  The following Q and A's explain much of what it is we are accomplishing at Noah's Arc.  Our newsletters, links, profiles, and opportunities will give you a complete and rounded look at exactly what Autism is, how it affects those who are struggling to cope with it, what is going on in the world of Autism research, and how you can be a part of all of the wonderful things that the future will bring for this field and those who are a part of it.

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Who and what is Noah's Arc?

    My son Noah, 6, is a high functioning autistic, who is struggling with the things in life that most of us take for granted.  Potty training, speech issues, and those nasty tantrums are just some of the issues that top the list.  Noah is very affectionate and likes positive attention, but like a lot of people in this world, has a hard time knowing when enough is enough.  For instance, he likes wrestling with daddy, and gets a little out of control.  When it is time to stop wrestling, he does not realize stop means stop.  Usually, there is a lot of crying when its time to stop, mostly from daddy.  Does this sound like your "normal" child?  I expect so.  Yes, autistics do normal things, albeit the are usually amplified considerably in behavior, emotions, and tantrums.  For more information on Noah, his mom and dad, and their thoughts on Noah, please visit Noah's profile page and read the essay's written on the perspective of the parent of an autistic.  You will find the profiles of all of our members intriguing, and we encourage you to explore them in depth, and discover yourself the wonders of these treasured autistics.

    So what is Noah's Arc ( beyond the biblical reference, of course ) you ask?  Noah's Autism Research Center, is more than just research.  Noah's Arc is a non profit organization with many important missions relating to Autism.  There are many organizations charged with the responsibility of research ( we work with many of them ourselves at Noah's Arc).  While research is one of our interests, we are a proactive organization of autistics, parents, families, friends, and individuals in the public with an interest in Autism.  You do not need to be the parent of an autistic to be in our organization.  In fact, one of our primary goals at Noah's Arc is public education.  That is, we are spreading the awareness of Autism all over the world.  Autism diagnosis is quite common these day's, and there is an astounding number of individuals being diagnosed each and every year.

    Noah's Arc offers support to those who are part of an autistics life, and that support comes in many shapes and sizes.  Support meetings, gatherings, a center where these people go to interact, are just some of the "To Do's" on our organizations list.  More information about specific items on this list are found in our newsletters, news links, and further in this Q and A.  Noah's Arc is constantly searching research and news organizations to post information relevant to Autism Research and help members understand how it affects them.  Political activism is a priority at Noah's Arc.  Many disease organizations have their share, if not more, of lobbyists, and awareness activists working hard for them, and it is our goal to have our share working for the awareness of autism. 

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How can I get involved in Noah's Arc?

    Getting involved in Noah's Arc can be as easy as offering your support for the cause.  But I suspect if you are asking yourself this question, you either need help and services, or want to help with Autism awareness.  Either way, you can begin by visiting the Members Registration section of our website and submitting your request to become a member.  There are no costs involved with becoming a member and there is no obligation required to be a supporter.  However, Noah's Arc is an organization driven by the contributions of donations and grants.  Donations of cash, and other charitable types of property is always greatly appreciated and put to good use.  As with any type of charity, your donations are tax deductible and you will want to confer with your tax advisor about how you can benefit from tax deductible donations.

    Noah's Arc provides many resources and support to people affected by Autism.  Your physical support, as a mentor, a leader in our organization, or in one of our events is appreciated even more.  There are many Autistics who need your support, however you can provide that support.  To receive further information after you have become a member, please Contact Us with us so that we can place you in our organization where your talents and support can be best utilized.

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What can I do?

    There are many things that Noah's Arc "need" in order to function as a successful program. The first of those is a large membership base.  Obviously there are many people who directly are in contact with someone with autistic, and if you are one of those people, your support is key.  Politically speaking, the larger membership base we have as an organization, the more political "clout" we will have to get things done in this arena.  The more support and membership we have from the public at large, the larger pool of resources we have to draw upon to provide the proper education and tools necessary to further our goals as an organization.

    For those who are directly involved, or who wish to be directly involved in the workings of our organization, we have support mechanisms dedicated towards both the autistic and those involved with them, to help cope with the daily struggles and life challenges we must endure.  There are so many different "needs" of this organization, that they can not all be listed here.  Suffice to say, that if you need help or want to help, there is a place for you with Noah's Arc.  Please Contact Us to discuss exactly where and how you can offer your support.  Our newsletters are full of information about the things that Noah's Arc needs, so please be sure to look at our current newsletter, and our past archives to see if you can offer help in any of these categories.

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What are the future goals of Noah's Arc?

    Currently, Noah's Arc is a locally based, Southern California organization.  We are located in Southern Riverside County, CA., but we wish to expand this organization, with the help of our membership base, to become a major power force world wide in the field of Autism.  Ideally, we wish to organize local chapters of Noah's Arc all across the United States and Canada in the near future, with the express intent of offering services to those affected by Autism and increasing Autism awareness globally.  A successful US/Canada expansion will be key to our ability to form a world wide organization in the future.  Do not assume that because you do not live near locally to where a Noah's Arc chapter is, that you can not be of use or service to our organization.  You may be the person who needs to start a local chapter of your own.

    In the more immediate future, the next 1 or 2 years, our goal is to grow our local chapter membership, begin our mission to work directly with our membership to provide services, secure donations and grants to form a local facility where members can gather, receive therapy and services, and conduct the business of the organization.  Within 1 to 3 years, we hope to expand our organization to provide such services in more heavily populated areas of the US and Canada and within 3 to 5 years, we hope to be able to offer direct services to most all areas of the country.  Global expansion is of course a project that will be such a massive undertaking, that we will need the expertise of many professionals in order to plan such an expansion.

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Is there support out there for parents?

    This is the question asked by everyone who has an Autistic child, and the answer is yes.  Yes, there is help out there you simply must know where to look.  Unfortunately, knowing where to look is not as easy as it sounds.  Noah's Arc brings together all of the resources out there in order to best serve its members and their needs.  No one organization or group can serve the needs of the Autistic, and it takes all of these groups working together to overcome the challenges that Autism brings with it.  Yes, there is support and one of those support mechanisms is our mentoring program.  Due to be launched in the Fall of 2004, parents of autistics can partner with an experienced councilor (usually another like parent) who can help break down the intricacies of dealing with these challenges.  Mentors from all over are in great need for this program, and if you have any experience with Autism at all, you are most needed.  Mentors and the Mentored should Contact Us if you are interested in this program.

    Finally, please use the resources in our website to begin to cope with the challenges you are facing as parents, and take the steps to taking charge of your life and your family by going now to Members Registration and completing the form that will help us extend to you the resources you need.

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