Autism and the Birthday Party

Autism and the Birthday Party: A Litmus Test | Special Education & IEP Advisor

I have lost track of the number of times I’ve seen a mother of a child with autism break into tears when discussing the subject of birthday parties. Either her child is not being invited to birthday parties or the mother throws a birthday party and very few children attend.

Here’s a strategy that will most certainly benefit a child with autism: from pre-school until elementary school graduation, invite the entire class to exciting parties for every occasion and turn the home of the child with autism into “the fun” party place. Make sure that the activities are reinforcing and highly structured, the junk food is plentiful and the party is short (two hours maximum). Use any excuse to organize a party (whether Summer, Halloween, birthday, or other holiday). Make sure that at least some of the parties are in the child’s home in order to give parents a chance to see a typical family with a child who may be somewhat different. The more the family of the child with autism normalizes the environment, the more sanguine the parents of typically developing children will be; consequently, the greater the likelihood that those parents will allow their children to attend play dates with the child challenged by autism.

More @ http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/autism-and-the-birthday-party-a-litmus-test/

Shortage of Special Education Teachers Includes Their Teachers - On Special Education - Education Week

Shortage of Special Education Teachers Includes Their Teachers - On Special Education - Education Week

School districts often find themselves short of special education teachers, even as they lay off other educators.

The Special Education Faculty Needs Assessment project found that part of the shortage is because of an ongoing dearth of special education faculty that may grow worse in the near future. Concern over the shortage of faculty in the special education field led to creation of SEFNA with grant money from the U.S. Department of Education's office of special education programs. The work builds on a 2001 report that also found a shortage of special education faculty.

More @ http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2011/09/faculty_at_institutions_of_hig.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Combating Autism: What the hell wrong from with Senators DeMint and Coburn Edition

Combating Autism: What the hell is wrong with Senators DeMint and Coburn Edition

Critical provisions of The Combating Autism Act expire September 30.  The current bill is a continuation of the Combating Autism Act that President George W. Bush signed into law in 2006 and was passed unanimously last week by the GOP controlled US House of Representative.  Think about that. There was not one person in the House who stood in opposition to the bill!  None.
...
To put things in perspective, the per year outlay of $231 million a year that is being sought here for autism equals about what we spend in Afghanistan every 36 hours!  We spend in 4.5 days in Afghanistan saving face, what we would spend in 3 years on autism research.

Autism in Ethiopia

BBC News - Learning to live with autism in Ethiopia

The year was 1995 and Ethiopian Zemi Yunus had no idea what autism was. What she did know was that her four-year-old son, Jojo, was clearly "different from other children of his age."

Then her husband watched a television programme in the United States where they were living at the time.

It suddenly dawned on them that perhaps Jojo was autistic - certainly the symptoms described all seemed to point to this.

On the brink of returning to Ethiopia, Mrs Zemi began in earnest to research the issue.

Like many parents of autistic children, Mrs Zemi says that she had long had concerns about her son's speech, but many doctors had reassured her that boys are often "late talkers" and assuaged her fears.

But the more she found out independently, the more she recognised that her son's delayed speech, as well as his repetitive actions and his behavioural difficulties, were clearly autistic.

Unfortunately, diagnosis of the condition, particularly in the developing world, is rare. On returning to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Mrs Zemi - who was soon running a successful business - consulted psychologists, doctors and other professionals for several years, but failed to find any answers.

Finding a school also proved difficult; many teachers dismissed Jojo as "spoilt" and he was expelled from five schools in a row. One institution even asked to be paid triple the usual fee to keep him.

More @ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14991267

Coroner: Kennewick, Wash., woman killed son, self - CBS News

Coroner: Kennewick, Wash., woman killed son, self - CBS News

(AP) KENNEWICK, Wash. — The husband of a Washington woman who killed their son, then fatally shot herself in the head says she was worn out from caring for him because had had a rare form of autism. The Benton County coroner says 56-year-old Ruth Mertz killed her 28-year-old son, Jason Mertz, at his apartment Friday in Kennewick and then turned the gun on herself. More @ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/21/ap/business/main20109396.shtml

How Do Dogs Help Autistic Children?

How Do Dogs Help Autistic Children?

Sheffield based Support Dogs, one of the UK’s leading charities dedicated to training assistance dogs, in February of 2008, launched a £1 million appeal to help it to introduce a unique national initiative to provide dogs specially trained to help children with Autism.

This programme, the first of its kind in mainland UK, aimed to raise £1 million which go toward enabling the organisation help hundreds of people affected by Autism.

Support Dogs trained the UK’s first Autism Assistance Dog with the support of Irish Guide Dogs, which has run a successful programme in Ireland for over three years. Lacey (a yellow Labrador) has been partnered with Paula Craik and her 5 year old son Joe (who live in Dundee) and in the last year has made a tremendous difference to their lives. Following on from this success, the charity announced plans to make this life changing initiative available to families across the UK.

More @ http://mydogmagazine.com/blog/how-do-dogs-help-autistic-children/

Big Kid Stroller

AutismParents.NET! » Big Kid Stroller for Autism

We’re making a trip to Florida in the near future for a doctor visit and a quick trip to Walt Disney World. We have always traveled with a stroller. It makes getting through airport security MUCH easier. However, she is getting a tad too big for the standard umbrella stroller. I have gotten used to the dirty looks by judgmental people. I am counting on karma paying them a visit at some point. I noticed when searching for a big kid stroller that there is even a blog and a Facebook page where folks can go and practice being judgmental by mocking kids too big to be in strollers. Granted, most of these kids at the WALK blog probably are too big for a stroller. It is impossible to know what their circumstances are just from a picture.

More @ http://autismparents.net/big-kid-stroller-for-autism/

Using Skype to Monitor your Child with Autism

Using Skype to Monitor your Child with Autism

To do this, you need:

• WiFi - You could do this via wired ethernet connection and laptops/PCs, but it would be more difficult. Wifi is great since it makes everything mobile.
• Two internet connected devices (two laptops, two iPads (iPad 2 with cameras), or a mix of laptop and iPad.
• Two Skype accounts

More @ http://autismparents.net/using-skype-to-monitor-your-child-with-autism/

Facing Autism in New Brunswick: The Huffington Post's Autism Big News Page Ain't What It Used To Be

Facing Autism in New Brunswick: The Huffington Post's Autism Big News Page Ain't What It Used To Be

The Huffington Post has certainly changed with respect to its Autism Big News Page. One of the most obvious changes is the assertion of content control by the elimination of the autism blogs directory at the bottom of the page. Even this humble autism blog could be found in that directory on occasion. There was no apparent attempt to control the blogs that were featured in that directory with a variety of blog site perspectives shown on a perpetually rotating basis. Now, unlike some other Big News Pages at the HP the rotating autism blogs directory is gone. At the same time the content appears to have changed. The days when a David Kirby and others could ask questions about autism and vaccine safety appear to have disappeared. Featured prominently near the top of the page is the recent IOM rehash of studies ... which has purportedly determined for all time that there is not, has never been, and can never be, forever and ever Amen, any remotely possible association between autism and vaccines, vaccine schedules, vaccine ingredients, vulnerable population subgroups or vaccine ingredients including those those vaccines containing ingredients which cross the placenta and which are given to pregnant women. Vaccine autism discussion is now officially dead at the Huff.

Full article at http://autisminnb.blogspot.com/2011/09/huffington-posts-autism-big-news-page.html

Autism Daddy Blog

Autism Daddy added to The Autism Retort!

Add an Autism Retort button to your site with the following code ...

<a href="http://autismretort.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 105px; height: 19px;" alt="" src="http://autismparents.net/autism_retort.jpg"/></a>

The Autism Retort: UPDATE: Missing Child with Autism Joshua Robb FOUND thanks to Prince of F*&^ing Darkness Ozzy Osbourne!!!

The Autism Retort: UPDATE: Missing Child with Autism Joshua Robb FOUND thanks to Prince of F*&^ing Darkness Ozzy Osbourne!!!

It's nice to see a happy ending on these stories every now and then. It's been awhile since one turned out good. Joshua was found thanks to searchers blaring some Ozzy, which is little ironic considering he is "disturbed by loud noises." Thank you, Prince of F*&^ing Darkness Ozzy Osbourne!

More ... http://autismretort.blogspot.com/2011/09/update-missing-child-with-autism-joshua.html

UPDATE: Missing Child with Autism Joshua Robb FOUND thanks to Prince of F*&^ing Darkness Ozzy Osbourne!!!

It's nice to see a happy ending on these stories every now and then. It's been awhile since one turned out good. Joshua was found thanks to searchers blaring some Ozzy, which is little ironic considering he is "disturbed by loud noises." Thank you, Prince of F*&^ing Darkness Ozzy Osbourne!

Missing Autistic Boy Found After Searchers Play Ozzy Osbourne - ABC News

The search for 8-year-old Joshua Robb, the California autistic boy who was missing during a night of lightning storms, ended this afternoon when a search and rescue team found him in the woods near his school after playing recordings of Ozzy Osbourne.

...

The searchers also used recordings of his father's voice and Joshua's favorite country and heavy metal music, including songs by Ozzy Osbourne, heavy-metal pioneer and former lead vocalist of Black Sabbath.

More at http://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-autistic-boy-found-searchers-play-ozzy-osbourne/story?id=14510302

8 year old with Autism, Joshua Robb, missing in woods, had been taken from parents for being tied to a pole

8 year old with Autism, Joshua Robb, missing in woods, had been taken from parents for being tied to a pole

Aside from the obvious issues that the school has here (it is their responsibility to keep him safe), some other interesting facts have come to light. Joshua had recently been taken from his family and was in the custody of a teacher. The reason he was taken from his parents? They were moving from their house and had tied Joshua to something to keep him from running out while they moved.

It was described as “tied to a pole” by ABC.

According to KABC, authorities recently removed Joshua from his parents’ custody and put him under the care of his teacher after someone saw the boy being tied to a pole, something Joshua’s father, Ron Robb, said they do to restrain him.

It was described as tethering him by Joshua’s dad at NY Daily News.

“We had to lightly tether him while we were moving stuff out of our house,” the father, Ron Robb, said.

More at http://autismparents.net/8-year-old-with-autism-joshua-robb-missing-in-woods-had-been-taken-from-parents-for-being-tied-to-a-pole/

Missing with Autism: Joshua Robb (ARROWHEAD, CA)

Missing with Autism: Joshua Robb (ARROWHEAD, CA)

Autism Granny: Out of Order

Autism Granny: Out of Order

The Seizure is Coming, The Seizure is Coming

The Seizure is Coming, The Seizure is Coming

I feel like Paul Revere around here on many days. Like so many kids withautism, my daughter has seizures. As if autism in general was not enough, seizures add a whole new level of worry about going out in public and especially with activities like SWIMMING. You have to be on guard 24/7 and know that even then one day, that might not be enough.

In our case, the seizures never happen in the morning. This is a good thing since we can plan certain activities for the morning (swimming, flying on airplane, etc). 3 PM is about the earliest that we have seen one in a long long time. The amount of sleep she gets is also a factor. With all of this in mind, I have been playing around some with trying to statistically determine our odds of a seizure on any given day. I am not really sure what I am doing, but plan to give it a try. I am going to track number of hours and quality of sleep as well.

More @ http://autismparents.net/the-seizure-is-coming-the-seizure-is-coming/

Quebec boy with autism stuck on lost school bus - Montreal - CBC News

Quebec boy with autism stuck on lost school bus - Montreal - CBC News

The mother of a seven-year-old boy with autism is upset after her son was stuck on a lost school bus for nearly two hours.

Nancy Loane's son Darcy has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. She said he is high-functioning, but has an anxiety disorder.

After the first day of classes at his school in Westmount, Darcy's bus driver took the wrong route and got lost. Loane was at home waiting for him to arrive, and worrying because it was getting late.

She called the bus company, Transco, to find out what was going on, but said she was disappointed with their reaction.

"The bus company insisted Darcy wasn't on the bus but I knew he was on the bus," she said.

Eventually the dispatcher explained the driver had not followed the normal route, had not noticed Darcy was on board, and was now lost.

More @ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2011/09/08/boy-lost-on-bus-montreal.html

Fathers: Top Ten List of Coping Skills

Fathers: Top Ten List of Coping Skills | Talk About Curing Autism (TACA)

1 This is war! Don’t kid yourself. This will be the most difficult thing you will do in your life – therefore it will also be the most rewarding thing you will do in your life. This is your chance to be a “hero.” You are your child’s champion.

2 No ego parenting. This is not about you. This is about your child. Withdrawal is the enemy! Stay engaged. Along the same lines – banish guilt! Firstly, your child’s autism is not your fault. If you believe it is, you’ve been lied to. Secondly, guilt will not help your child, it will only get in the way of you helping your child.

3-10 @ http://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/fathers-top-ten-coping-skills/

Autism Diagnosis: To Grieve or Not to Grieve, that is the question.

Grieving Autism? Not so much : Laura Shumaker : City Brights

Recently I received an invitation to attend a Support Group for autism parents put on by a community organization. "Please come join us," it said. "Our support group is focused on helping parents grieve the ASD diagnosis, on strategies for healing and moving on."

Grieve the diagnosis.

I swallowed the bile in my mouth and hit the delete key, but it stayed with me the rest of the day.

The use of the "grieving" metaphor is not fresh and new in the autism world. I have heard it often in the ten years since my son was diagnosed. It never fails to raise that acid taste.

I've been told that I should grieve for the loss of the child I dreamed of having. Or the loss of the life I hoped he would have. Or the loss of the family I dreamed of, or the parent I wanted to be. No matter how it is phrased, the use of the word "grieving" implies that my son may as well be dead and I should mourn.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/lshumaker/detail?entry_id=97078#ixzz1XT97XNJy

Stay Out of Bad Neighborhoods (in your mind) and Mindfulness

Stay Out of Bad Neighborhoods (in your mind) and Mindfulness

As an autism parent, worry is never far from one’s thoughts. My wife and I have been attending a Mindfulness group for parents of kids with special needs. It’s part of a research project and they measure our stress levels several times (saliva samples to measure Cortisol levels, blood draw, and periodic questionnaires) over the course of the six week program. The group focuses on learning various techniques related to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. There’s a lot of Buddhist influence, but the gist of the training is to get us more focused on living in the NOW, which is where our life actually happens.

This is hugely beneficial to anyone parents a child with special needs. All too often we live in the past (did I cause this, what if I had done this treatment, what if I had done so and so when my child was younger) or the future (what will happen when I am gone, what if my kid wanders, drowns, is abused, etc.) Just getting more accustomed to spotting these thoughts is very helpful in bringing us back to the present. We often take something and “add to the story” to the point that we are focusing on the worst possible outcome. A saying that has been bringing me back to the present when I start down the auto-pilot path to doom and gloom is “STAY OUT OF BAD NEIGHBORHOODS.” Dwelling in the worst scenarios and replaying them over and over again robs us of the present moment, which in reality is all we have to work with.

More at http://autismparents.net/stay-out-of-bad-neighborhoods-in-your-mind-and-mindfulness/

Two Different Strains of Autism Identified?

US Researchers Identify Two Different Strains of Autism | Fox News Latino

Researchers have for the first time identified two biologically different strains of autism in a breakthrough being compared with the discovery of different forms of cancer in the 1960s, The Australian reported Thursday.

The findings, to be announced at an international autism conference in Perth, Australia, Thursday, are seen as a key step towards understanding the causes of autism and developing effective treatments as well as a cure.

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2011/09/08/us-researchers-identify-two-different-strains-autism/#ixzz1XQBdwTDo

Yoga: Autism Spectrum Disorder Therapy

Yoga for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Missing 6 Year Old with Autism found drowned

Yet another found drowned. Sadly, all too common.

Police search for 6-year-old missing Hampton girl - dailypress.com

9:50 a.m. UPDATE: State Police have confirmed that the body found Thursday morning in a lake off Westview Drive in Hampton is that of Kaymania Serenity Catta, a 6-year-old girl who was reported missing Wednesday afternoon.

The body was found at approximately 7:45 a.m., about two blocks from the girl's home. The body was recovered close to shore in water about 8 feet deep.

Missing with Autism: Kaymania Serenity Catta (Hampton, VA)

Police search for missing 6-year-old child in Hampton who has autism

Hampton Police are searching for Kaymania Serenity Catta, a 6-year-old girl with autism who went missing earlier tonight. She is unable to speak.

She is from the Triton and North Lake Loop area. Her family is new to the area.

Catta is described as a black female who has medium-light skin. She stands 4-feet tall, slim-build and is approximately 50lbs. She was last seen wearing a black Hello Kitty t-shirt and white and purple striped shorts. Calls came in at approximately 5:45 p.m. about the missing child.

If you have any information, please call Hampton Police at 757-727-6111 or Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

Dynavox Apps | Mayer-Johnson

Apps | Mayer-Johnson: The PCS™ Vocabulary Flash Cards App comes with everyday Picture Communication Symbols (PCS™), like "ball", "running" and "Halloween". Divided into a dozen categories, like Actions and Emotions, Basic Concepts, Body and Clothes, Food, Holidays, School and Sports, the right symbols are easy to find. Students of all ages, including those with limited motor control, can move through each flash card deck quickly and with confidence. Just swipe your finger across the screen, or tap the "forward" arrow to advance to the next card. Want audio feedback? Tap the flash card on the screen to hear the word or phrase aloud.

The App is free to download.
12 PCS™ categories are available.

How Facebook Helps Parents Of Children With Autism

How Facebook Helps Parents Of Children With Autism

With one out of every 110 children receiving diagnoses of autism, parents are finding answers to questions about the neurological disorder on Facebook.

Many parents are finding that just posting questions about everything from diet, to finding health-care practitioners in their areas, to locating appropriate schooling for their child with autism, can be answered via Facebook.

http://www.allfacebook.com/how-facebook-helps-parents-of-children-with-autism-2011-09