very enlightening. A 'must hear'...

http://savageonautism.com/

Check out this article that I have recently written about Jasper Steed, an autistic man that has created is own success! It is quite an inspirational story!

http://autism-education.suite101.com/article.cfm/autistic-man-jasper-ste...

An intriguing new study claims that the learning in babies is not only confined to the awake state, but they may be absorbing details even while sleeping.

According to researchers, the brain of newborns starts adapting to life outside the womb quickly, processing and storing information while they doze.

Dana Byrd, a psychologist
at the University of Florida who was part of the study stated, “We found a basic form of learning in sleeping newborns, a type of learning that may not be seen in sleeping adults.

“They are better learners, better ‘data sponges’ than we knew. While past studies find this type of learning can occur in infants who are awake, this is the first study to document it in their most frequent state, while they are asleep.

“Newborn infants’ sleep patterns are quite different to those of older children or adults in that they show more active sleep where heart and breathing rates are very changeable.

“It may be this sleep state is more amenable to experiencing the world in a way that facilitates learning.”

Experiment to gauge the learning ability of sleeping newborns
In a bid to gauge the mental intelligence of newborns, the researchers designed a simple experiment for 26 infants.

Researchers used a machine to record the electrical brain wave activity of the sleeping infants and used a video camera to capture their facial expressions.

As a part of the study, the investigators played a tune followed by gently blowing air on the babies’ eyelids. The process was repeated nine times.

Observations by researchers
The researchers noted that after around 20 minutes, around 24 of the babies squeezed their eyes in response to the tune anticipating the air puff.

Also, it was observed that the brain waves of the infants had changed.  read more »

For those of you who follow me on Twitter or we are friends on Facebook you know last week I was giving updates on the passage of S.262 (the Vermont Autism Insurance bill).  I received many emails or posts for more information-- What is in S.262?  And how did it get this far?  Hence, this post-- where I will try and dissect and answer questions about the bill.

History

During a Vermont Autism Task Force (ATF) meeting late last Spring, Ron Marcellus (a parent ), Lisa Erwin-Davidson (a speech language pathologist), Jim Caffry (a parent) and I set out to introduce a bill on insurance mandates for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  With the blessing of our ATF members Ron and Lisa created a separate group to move forward since some of the ATF members had a conflict of interest and could not work directly on the legislation.

As the Fall approached Lisa and Ron spearheaded the effort to introduce legislation during the 2010 session.  With some help from Autism Speaks, Ron and Lisa got Senators Carris and Campbell to sponsor S.262.  Every week since January, Ron and Lisa drove from their far corners of Vermont to Montpelier to testify, lobby, and advocate for private insurance and Medicaid to be mandated to pay for autism services for all Vermonters.  read more »

The Vermont dynamic duo of autism reform legislation brought different perspectives that launched Vermont into the group of states that mandate private insurance companies (along with Vermont Medicaid) to pay for autism services. Lisa Erwin-Davidson is a speech language pathologist from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont who works with many children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  In the opposite corner of Vermont lives Ron Marcellus— a Realtor, former professional hockey player, and most importantly a father to two children (one diagnosed with ASD).  Together Lisa and Ron spearheaded a campaign to mandate insurance companies and Vermont Medicaid to pay for ASD services, like Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA).

“What worked?  Ron and I as a team.”  Lisa told me through email.  Their team (as Lisa explains it) launch ahead in the beginning of the 2010 legislative session to do the unthinkable, make private insurance (that has a huge, well-paid lobby) and Medicaid pay there share of the cost of autism services.  In the last five months Lisa and Ron (along with the support of Autism Speaks and local autism parent leaders) mounted an insurgency that went directly against the medical insurance companies and won.  Most paid lobbyists that park themselves everyday from January to May at the State House pushing their agenda would tip their hats at the work Ron and Lisa have done.  read more »

CHANNEL 10…CONNECTS…WITH DR. NELSON MANE’ 

What is Hemispheric Integration Therapy???

How is this therapy helping children on the Autism Spectrum???

And…

Where can I get more information about Hemispheric Integration???

These are just some of the questions that were answered on the “in-studio interview” with Studio 10 morning show hosts, Holley Sinn and Jerome Ritchey, talking with Dr. Nelson Mane’ and parent of a child with Autism, Sharon Baron.  Here is the link to the show:

http://www.hitautism.com/uncategorized/hemispheric-integration-interview-on-studio-10

Stephen Wiltshire will arrive in Australia this week to show off his extraordinary talent for drawing cities in intricate detail.

The 36-year-old artist, who was diagnosed with autism when he was three, hopes to produce a poster-size pen and ink drawing of the harbour city after examining its skyline for just 20 minutes.

He's already impressed many around the world with his large-scale intricate panoramas of New York and London.

Before drawing those two world-famous cities, he memorised the position and size of hundreds of buildings and landmarks while on 20-minute helicopter rides.

His four-metre long panorama of London on a curved canvas took five days to complete in 2007, with not one sneak peak at a photograph of the city for help.

Last October he followed up with a jaw-dropping 5.5 metre-long drawing of New York City, including the Empire State Building, which took just three days.

When he arrives in Australia, one of Mr Wiltshire's first stops will be Sydney Tower so he can gain a birdseye view of the skyline before getting down to work at Customs House on Tuesday.

Sitting in his tiny studio perched in a loft above his gallery on London's famous Pall Mall, the quietly spoken artist is excited about his first visit to Australia.

"I have never been there before," he said.

"I wanted to go because it's a nice, beautiful city. It's going to be amazing."

Mr Wiltshire has been invited to Sydney by Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) to mark Autism month.

His arrival was delayed by more than a week because of the recent disruption to air travel in Europe following the Icelandic volcano eruption.  read more »

The father of a child with severe autism has developed technology to help him communicate.

Stephen Lodge said the idea for his Speaks4Me system came to him years ago but has been waiting for technology to catch up in order to make it a reality.

His eleven-year-old son, Callum, is non-verbal and uses his father's invention to speak.

Speaks4Me was on show at Naidex 2010 - the annual disability exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham.

Mr Lodge's system runs on any device that can run the Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 operating system.

It uses the concept of dragging and dropping images from one area of the screen to another to form sentences.

The user then presses a speech button to "verbalise" the sentence.

"Callum has been using Speaks4Me for some time now and he has already been able to create some very expressive sentences," Mr Lodge told the BBC.

Examples include, "I want a drink of juice", "I want to go outside", and "I feel tired".

Mr Lodge - who lives in South Yorkshire - has 20 years' experience in technology and developed Speaks4Me after deciding that other products on the market were unsatisfactory for Callum.

He cashed in his savings and raised money on his property in order to finance the venture.

Speaks4Me is currently sold on a portable, touch screen media player imported from the Far East.

But the company is finalising a "software only" price which will mean that it can run on any Windows laptop, desktop or even an interactive plasma white board in schools.

Mr Lodge says that several people have already tried the system.

"It's fabulous to see how such an exciting but simple concept is well understood by the children that have been introduced to it," he said.  read more »

Hope Network's newest facility, the $1.2 million, 12,000 SF Center for Autism on the Coral Lettinga Campus in Grand Rapids, will officially open its doors on April 23 with a ceremony from 4:00pm-7:00pm. The Center will serve children and adolescents with autism, neuro-developmental disabilities, learning disabilities and ADHD with an array of services under one roof, something that previously was not available in West Michigan.

The Center for Autism, as it's officially called, offers all of Hope Network's specialists in one location. They are able to offer assessments and treatment from a multi-disciplinary approach in order to ensure the best course of treatment for the child, and a less stressful experience for the entire family.

The facility is located at 3361 36th St. SE in Grand Rapids, immediately next to Hope Network's inpatient behavioral health services facility, D.A.R.T. (Developmental Adolescent Residential Treatment) -- the only program of its kind in West Michigan. Having both residential and outpatient options on one campus, really speaks to the comprehensive approach Hope Network is pursuing.

The Center will allow Hope Network to substantially enhance its ability to serve the increasing number of children diagnosed with autism.

"We are very excited to open this facility to the community," said Phil Weaver, President and CEO of Hope Network. "This center will offer the most comprehensive array of autism treatment and services in one location in West Michigan."  read more »