I saw this on 60 minutes & had to share because from what I've read autism effects the frontal lobe.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4402014n

http://www.weather.com/newscenter/slideshow/dwp.html?from=hp_dwp&from=hp_dwp

I found these on the weather channels site. I've been keeping a close eye on Hurricane

Gustov. We have family in New Orleans & Mississippi that by now should have evacuated.....,

anyway I came accross these beautiful pictures on the weather channel site. ENJOY!

They started Michael on Focalin and I cannot get him to take it. He cannot swallow so it has to be opened up and mixed in food. Only it does not matter what I hid it in, candy, toast, jello, apple sauce, Michael will not take it. I can mix it while he is still asleep and he knows it. I cannot premix it more than a bit before he will take it, so no idea what to do. He takes his Risperdal so well, but not the Focalin.

Does anybody else have to give their kid a ADHD medication to help with attention? I am thinking of asking for an alternative because he will not take it in any way.

My friend told me that her school cafeteria sent her a packet to apply for free school lunch since her son has an IEP.  Her income is too high to receive free lunch, but the school said that they waive that if a child is in special education.  Has anyone else heard of this happening?  Her son is in Kindergarten, so maybe it only applies to K-12 and not preschool, but I'm going to ask for an application from my school anyway.  It would be a good way to save $36/mo for me.

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It's Wyatt's second day on Tanoflex, and we've been warned that we won't see any change in behavior for at least one month.  In fact, the Tanoflex might not even work.  He's only going to be taking 1/4 of a pill for the first week and then 1/4 twice per day the second week.  The good news is that the pills easily crush into tasteless powder and I've been able to slice open french fries and drag them through the powder.  I turn the pink powdered sides down and then sprinkle with salt.  Since Wyatt has been known to be very distracted by visible salt and to shove fries in his mouth by the handful, this system has been working beautifully!

Last night Wyatt fell asleep in the car at 8 p.m., a lot earlier than he usually goes down.  Maybe the Tanoflex had something to do with that?  We did some errands and Marc walked the dog while I stayed in the car with Wyatt.  Wyatt woke at 10 p.m. and screamed for about 20 minutes before self-calming.   Afterwards, we had to entertain him with puzzles until 10 p.m. when we managed to get him to drink some juice laced with Melatonin.  He slept, but woke at 3 a.m. and climbed into our bed.  Maybe he had a bad dream?  He sat up quietly in the dark for about an hour before he went back to his own bed.

Today we had absolutely nothing scheduled so I went over to my friend's house for four hours.   Her kids have tons and tons of train stuff so Wyatt LOVES going over there.  The only bad thing he did was dump their mouthwash into the toilet.  

Yes, in answer to Perz, we are in a transition period with the Tanoflex, a part-time job I'm preparing for, and some  deallings with the school district regarding Wyatt's educational program.  I can't write about the last one, but I'm sure you can imagine.

The idea of denying children the therapy that helps improve their lives and diagnosed conditions is unthinkable. But that's what is happening in Dalton McGuinty's Ontario with regards to children with autism. The lack of funding for autism services is a provincial shame.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most common developmental disabilities, usually appearing during the first three years of life. It is a serious neurological disorder affecting children and their brain development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills, often resulting in severe and pervasive impairment. The prevalence rates in recent years have been increasing, now with 1 in every 150 children diagnosed with ASD in Ontario alone. The good news is that early diagnosis and intervention programs have dramatically insured positive outcomes for children immediately and into adulthood.

After hearing from the Liberals in the 2003 election that children with autism would receive treatment regardless of their age, families today across our province are learning the hard way that this government's talk is cheap.

Instead of putting sufficient funding behind its promise, the government created a waiting list, where children can languish for years before a coveted space opens up in a treatment program. But with the crisis in funding and the absence of a long-term strategy to deal with autism spectral disorder, families lives have been turned upside-down. Children with autism benefit markedly from one-on-one therapy called IBI/ABA (intensive behavioural intervention). Without it they suffer.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article. 

A new diagnostic tool to help detect autism in young children is the focus of new research at Flinders University in Adelaide.

The new assessment tool has been designed to identify developmental and behavioural issues associated with autism in children less than 12 months old.

At present, autism is rarely diagnosed before a child is 18 months old.

"If we are able to detect signs of autism within the first year of life, parents will be able to immediately implement an early intervention plan, which has already been shown to significantly improve the prognosis of children with autism," said psychology PhD student and researcher Danielle Robson.

Click on the newslink to read the full article. 

Reports of measles are on the rise, with health experts attributing the increase to the decision by some parents to forego vaccinations for their children out of fears the shots could trigger diseases.

Scientific research has found no link thus far between vaccinations and diseases such as autism, but some parents remain suspicious.

Pediatricians and health experts are sounding the alarm, noting that measles, which is virulently contagious, is the first disease to crop up when vaccination rates fall. In the past six months, 131 cases of measles have been reported, more than in any other six-month period in the past 12 years, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says extensive reports from several leading researchers have found no "proven association" between autism and measles vaccines. Experts recently told the Chicago Tribune that autism "tends to emerge at the same age children receive their shots, leading to a false sense of cause and effect."

"Parental suspicion is now so high that public health officials fear it could undermine one of the most important advances in medical history," the Tribune reported. "Although vaccination rates have remained fairly steady, pockets of vaccine rejection can lead to outbreaks of childhood diseases that were once thought conquered."

Click on the newslink to read the full article. 

I wrote this for another site, but thought the information would be good enough for a blog post:  read more »

I have a job that allows me to work from home.  The only problem is that I struggle to get any real WORK done.  It takes me three times as long to finsih my work than anyone else in my company.  Why?  Because something bad happens everytime I pick up the phone.  My first call of the day, which lasted all of two minutes, resulted in my son sneaking into my room and dumping out an entire can of baby powder.  My second call took twenty minutes to make because my son wouldn't stop yelling catch phrases from various cartoons and computer games.  The rest will go the same way since I just told him that he can't have any more junk food and the pantry is locked.

Everyone thinks that since I work from home I have it easy but it is far from it.  It takes me 12 hours to do what should be done in 8, plus the cooking, cleaning, and home making, PLUS taking care of the boy who is not always agreeable to my agenda.  It's really difficult and I'm constantly behind.  I feel like I'm being swallowed up on most days.

Sometimes when my son goes to bed on time I get a few minutes to work on my website or to do the dishes, but usually I'm stuck having to catch up on the work I should have been doing nine to five.   I tried having someone in home to help, but it's not really worth it past having them pick up because the boy demands my attention regardless.

 So while everyone else wishes they could work from home, I wish I could "WORK" from home.  If child care and transportation were available I'd work outside the house just so I could shorter working days and more time to myself and for my kid.

Why Men Don't Write Advice Columns

Dear Walter: I hope you can help me here. The other day, I set off for work leaving my husband in the house watching the TV as usual. I hadn't gone more than a mile down the road when my engine conked out and the car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband's help. When I got home I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with the neighbor lady. I am 32, my husband is 34, and we have been married for twelve years.

When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted that they had been having an affair for the past six months. I told him to stop or I would leave him. He was let go from his job six months ago and he says he has been feeling increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very much, but ever since I gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly distant. He won't go to counseling and I'm afraid I can't get through to him anymore.

Can you please help?

Sincerely, Sheila

---------------------------------------------------

Dear Sheila: A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the carburetor float chamber.

I hope this helps.
-Walter

A new diagnostic tool to help detect autism in young children is the focus of new research at Flinders University in Adelaide.

The new assessment tool has been designed to identify developmental and behavioural issues associated with autism in children less than 12 months old.

At present, autism is rarely diagnosed before a child is 18 months old.

"If we are able to detect signs of autism within the first year of life, parents will be able to immediately implement an early intervention plan, which has already been shown to significantly improve the prognosis of children with autism," said psychology PhD student and researcher Danielle Robson.

Ms Robson said the assessment tool included a questionnaire for parents, along with a structured play session to score the children on their responses to a number of specific tasks.

"During each session I assess a range of behaviours, including those that previous retrospective research has suggested are impaired in infants who later develop autism, such as eye contact, social and joint attention, sensory motor behaviours and temperament," she said.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article.

My husband poked me and gave me a significant look when the word "autism" popped up in Bill Clinton's speech last night. Here's what Mr. Clinton had to say:

I will never forget the parents of children with autism and other severe conditions who told me on the campaign trail that they couldn’t afford health care and couldn’t qualify their kids for Medicaid unless they quit work or got a divorce. Are these the family values the Republicans are so proud of?

This was the second time autism had come up at the convention. Hillary had brought up the subject only the night before:

I will always remember the single mom who had adopted two kids with autism, didn’t have health insurance and discovered she had cancer. But she greeted me with her bald head painted with my name on it and asked me to fight for health care.

In both of these cases, the Clintons mentioned autism as if it were an illness that could be treated and cured through medical means - and that the medical tools needed to cure autism would be covered under publically available medical insurance. The idea was "if only these folks had a decent HMO, everything would be just fine."

Click on the newslink to read the entire article. 

Starting junior high can be a stressful time for any child, but especially if that child suffers from autism.

But for 12-year old Colton Ruder of Olathe, his new canine friend, Coop, helps him cope with the challenges of a new school year.

"At school he was very tense very nervous and he would get sometimes very aggressive," said Colton's mother, Shelley Ruder. "We tried different medications and nothing really worked."

Service dogs have been around for decades. but recently the interest in training dogs to help autistic children has grown.

The Ruders got Coop from Canine Specialty Training in Independence, a company that trains dogs for people with disabilities and veterans.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article. 

Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization, today announced that Susan Maxwell and Marcia Weinstein have been named Walk Co-Chairs for the Inaugural Treasure Coast Walk Now for Autism. Maxwell and Weinstein will be responsible for directing the Inaugural Treasure Coast Walk Now for Autism community event on Saturday, February 21, 2009 at Jensen Beach High School.

Susan Maxwell’s experience as Co-chair of the 2008 Palm Beach Walk Now for Autism and as a real estate agent with her partner Gabe Sanders of Premier Reality Group and Marcia Weinstein’s advocacy efforts for the autism community and leader of the local Autism Society make them the ideal people to lead the team of dedicated volunteers on the Treasure Coast.

Click on the newslink to read the full article. 

North Yorkshire Police have joined forces with the National Autistic Society (NAS) to promote a new card that alerts members of the emergency services and the criminal justice system to someone with the condition.

The cards are available to anyone in North Yorkshire who has a condition under the autism spectrum and are designed to improve communication with emergency services and criminal justice professionals.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article. 

Researchers have found all the signs of autism in a strain of noisy laboratory mice that are used to diagnose human beings, a finding that may help them study the complicated genetics of the disorder.

For the study, Maria Luisa Scattoni of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues, separated baby mice of different laboratory strains from their mothers.

They found that the pups, which had not yet opened their eyes, made noises aimed to bring their mother back.

These ultrasonic sounds, too low for the human ear to detect, come in 10 different types, from clicking to pure tones.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article. 

Ah man my naughty rubber ducky must have gotten hungry in the middle of the night. I got up

this morning.., all my medical marijuana brownies were GONE. He ate an entire bag of Cheetos,

& wouldnt ya know I found him sound asleep infront of the tv & it was on the cartoon channel

ugh =)~~~

I have been working on a couple interactive books to teach my son "wh" questions for a while.  I'm so happy they are finished.  Well, to be honest the ones that I put up on the website (http://www.freeprintablefun.org) aren't totally finished.  There are a few very minor mistakes and some images that could be clearer.  BUT, they are finished enough to be used.

We did a trial run with both books today and I was totally impressed with how well my son did!  His speech therapist said that "why" is the most difficult of the "wh" questions and that it is normally taught last, but he went through the book just GREAT.  I don't think he'll have a total grasp on it any time soon but I'm very encouraged by his ability to use picture cues to figure out the answer.   He still struggled with a few of the prepositions.  "Behind" seems to get him every time.  At speech therapy and at home he often confuses it with either "in" or "next to."    While "in" is never really correct "next to" is very realitive and I find it hard to correct him on it.  I can see where it gets difficult for him.

I will probably tackle "What" next, then "Who", then "When."  I think "When" will be the hardest to write since my own personal grasp on time is very weak.  read more »

My son has had a terrible time dealing with the summer vacation transition.  He has been literally begging for school every day for two solid months.  We did everything we could to get him into a summer program but he was either too young or we didn't have the financial resources to apply to various programs. He's been so miserable that he's reverted to headbanging and spitting and nothing I do calms him. 

Two weeks ago I received a call stating that school was starting again on the 25th.  We went school shopping, talked about school, and got all excited about it.  When the day came he got up early, dressed himself smartly, and even wanted to gel his hair into spikes (first time EVER!)  He was so excited.

We got to the school and guess what?  No school for preschoolers till Sept. 8th.  The message I got was not intended for him.

Both of us were CRUSHED.  It took all my strength not to cry. It meant so much to him and we had been talking about it for weeks.

He's not been in a good mood today, though I can hardly blame him.  The bus goes by and he can't ride and he doesn't understand why.

I just hope this two weeks goes by fast.

Hello Everyone,I am the dad of two great kids on the spectrum, Michael 6 and Jack 5. My wife and I deal with challenges every day, like many of you, and look for ways to help our kidos develop skills to minimize these challenges. This has lead us to create a new product: Playtime with Zeebu.Playtime with Zeebu is a learning aide designed for children on the spectrum that allows you to build social awereness with, and for, your child. It's a vehicle that will allow you to stay engaged with your child longer, and with purpose.  Playtime with Zeebu helps you develop the following:

      o Perspective taking - How do my actions affect those around me.
      o Whole body listening - What nonverbal signs are given by my friends that tell me how they feel.
      o Calming techniques - When we are having a "melt down", what can I do to become calm so I can think.

All of this is done in a "Blues Clues" type setting that is fun and engaging for children on the spectrum. To find out more about us and view a sample of the video, please visit: www.playtimewithzeebu.com.

Sincerely,Dave GalloFounder - Thought Bubble Productions

"Bondage duckie" lol ..., its from this site I check almost daily

http://bitsandpieces.us/ There ya go Holly =)

Wyatt had an EKG today.  I thought that we would have to go to a children's hospital way down in the city, but it turns out that our regular pediatrician does them right in his office.  The EKG was ordered by the psychiatrist who wants to prescribe an off-label blood pressure medication, Tanoflex, to calm Wyatt down.  That means, Wyatt doesn't have a blood pressure problem but the medication will be prescribed for a use other than what the manufacturer created it for.

When I had an EKG, they hooked up electrodes to me and made me walk on a treadmill.  For Wyatt, they wanted him to lie down quietly on an examination table.  The nurse didn't tell me all of that, she just asked me to get Wyatt onto the table.  We did that and we were able to put all of the stickers and electrode clips (about a dozen of them) onto Wyatt's chest and legs.  He didn't thrash around like I expected.  He was just up on his knees crying his eyes out and his lower lip was quivering in fear.  One of the ABA therapists was able to come to the appointment with me and she held one of Wyatt's hands and I held the other.  The therapist, the nurse, and I all sang/counted to a hundred a few times, which calmed Wyatt down quite a bit to the point that he stopped crying.  The nurse had said that the EKG machine would be big and loud, but I couldn't even tell that it was on because of the noise Wyatt was making.  It was basically just a printer placed onto a rolling cart, so it wasn't even all that big, but the exam rooms are tiny.  read more »

Michael and I had the first day of school. It was a half day with parents for phase in. We all had breakfast, playtime, stories, and lunch together. Amazingly there were only a few hiccups with Michael. A few others were actually having a harder time than him. I think his problem was he did not like sitting around while the teachers explained everything else to the other kids. He starts his first full day on Thursday.

Pediatricians do not know what causes autism or autism spectrum disorders, but we do understand the frustration of families who want to know the answers.

Children with autism are not all alike but they have many of the same features. They may have social problems such as not keeping or making eye contact, not reacting to a smile, or not looking at objects that we point to. They may have communication problems such as no words by age 2 or not responding to their name. They may have behavioral problems such as rocking, spinning, or flapping hands.

There are many ongoing studies looking for the cause of autism. Some cases have already been linked to genetic conditions, but most are still unknown.

While we are searching for the cause of autism, we want to continue to protect children from other diseases that we do know the cause of, specifically, vaccine preventable infections. There are many bacterial and viral organisms in the environment just waiting to make children sick. Pediatricians want to make sure that parents do not rely on incorrect or incomplete information about the safety of vaccines when deciding to get vaccines.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article. 

ADULTS with autism in Coventry are being invited to express their personal experiences of living with the disability by entering a new competition launched by The National Autistic Society (NAS).

The theme of the UK-wide competition is 'My life with autism or Asperger's syndrome' and forms part of a campaign launched earlier this year.

The nine winning entries and any commended entries will be exhibited at various venues around the country.

The list of prizes are still being compiled and announced on the website.

NAS chief executive, Mark Lever, said: "We believe this competition is an exciting and rewarding way for adults with autism in Coventry to express themselves and share their unique experiences. We also hope that the works generated by this competition will bring home to government, local authorities and the general public just some of the realities faced by adults with autism across the UK today."

Click on the newslink to read the full article. 

In ARRI 16-2 (The American Journal for Autism Research) we published a letter from a mother in Florida whose very large autistic son changed from a sweet, loving boy to a teenager who flew into unpredictable rages which “were usually associated with self injury, aggression and property damage.” She went on, “At times I had to lock myself in the bathroom; otherwise he would attack me. We gave him many medications, but nothing worked.” A friend suggested a solution: a brownie with marijuana baked into it. “Soon after he ate the brownie,” she said, “my son’s anxiety disappeared, and his sweet, loving behavior returned. He shows no signs of being under the influence of a drug. He now receives one marijuana brownie and several doses of Marinol, which contains the active ingredient in marijuana, each day. This has clearly saved my child’s life and my family’s life.”

On page 7 of this issue of the ARRI you will find a letter from Ray Gallup, a well-known autism activist in New Jersey whose teenage son has become extremely assaultive, sending members of his family to the hospital and requiring police intervention on a number of occasions. Like Ray, thousands of parents are dealing with children who are so out-of-control, and so violent to themselves and others, that they can make their own lives and that of their families hellish.

In ARRI 16-1 we published an editorial on various means of dealing with such severely self-injurious and assaultive behavior, but marijuana use was not an approach that we mentioned. Many drugs are used to control these kinds of behaviors in autistic individuals, including risperidone (Risperdal), which has a large range of highly toxic effects (ARRI 16-4). It seems to me if one is going to need to use drugs, one ought to consider a relatively safe drug, like marijuana, if research bears out the good results that a number of parents have reported.  read more »

My husband and I meet with the some members of the school board, counselors, DT, ST and a Special Education Rep.  Our son is autistic and will turn 3 in Sept, and start school. Is there any advice or questions that anyone has in this area that would be helpful to us? Please and Thank you!

Holly Im not making fun of you...., I tend to look for humor wherever possible, it's a way

of relieving pressure and er lets face it rubber duckies are funny lol =)~~~

So I am getting a car. Ma was approved for a car loan so I get the Lumina while she is paying off the new(er) one. And when it is paid off-in maybe a year-that car will either go to me or the next car loan will be for me. I think she is trying to make up for me having to pull Michael out of therapy early because of her new job. She had promised me he would never have to miss his stuff and boom she was wrong. I actually have the  Lumina today. Ma is out of town with a rental because I have to meet with the surgeon. So it is mine now I guess. Only probem is it has to go BACK into the shop and get it's breaks fixed. I will drive it tomorrow for preschool and then I think I will call it done so I can stop with the horrid nightmares about driving with no breaks again. I knew they would go I have had the dreams for a few months now. When I was 17 my car's breaks went out and I had to drive 20 miles to school a few days before it could be fixed... It was scary.

Happy first day/week of back-to-school for many of our kids!  Good Luck with the change in routine and with coming up with creative lunch ideas and getting everyone out the door on time.

May the teachers, staff, and peers be kind and supportive,

may the activities and studies be a joy,

may our children learn and grow.

Researchers are learning that autistic children “communicate” and Dolphins” communicate” in the exact same way.

An autistic child’s brain is not able to ground to it’s physical body

This disconnect starts the brain to run out of control and move into what is known as “hyper-drive” which in turns produces genius levels.

In fact ,it has been observed often enough to have earned a term, “intuitive genius”.

You may have learned by now, that Albert Einstein was known to have Autistic-like symptoms. It wasn’t his education that gave him the ability to come up with e=mc2, it was his “intuitive genius”. This “intuitive genius” allowed him to come up all conclusions and solutions that has paced today’s modern science.

Click on the newslink to read the full article. 

As the boy, not yet kindergarten age, walked into the Olathe multiplex Saturday morning, he stuck his fingers in his ears and let out a high-pitched “eeeeee … eeeeeEEEE!”

It was the sort of behavior that, inside a theater, might result in his being escorted to the parking lot. But not at this theater. Not on Saturday morning.

This particular screening of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” had been tailored to people with autism-spectrum disorders and their family members. Because of their sometimes peculiar behaviors, as well as their hypersensitivity to certain sights and sounds, children with autism-spectrum disorders often are kept at home. It’s easier than dealing with the reactions.

Click on the newslink to read the full article. 

One in 150 children is diagnosed with autism, that's more than pediatric aids, diabetes and cancer combined.

One family in Westfield knows what it's like to have an autistic child, and they also know what it's like to have the support of friends, family, and total strangers.

"They just come up and donate and they become part of the effort in finding and raising money and finding a cure for autism," said Kathy Lafond, the mother of the young boy responsible for bringing a big group of people together.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article. 

http://www.autismlink.org/  I found this autism chat when I went to Rockautism.com

and thought I'd pass it along.

Just so you'll know..., but hey Todd Im like at five thousand, mama needs a big screen lol, just keep it

in mind in case ya hit it big =)

Hello All,

I am new to the board.  My wife and I have two boys on the spectrum, Michael (6) and Jack (5).  It's good to join boards like this to hear of other peoples successes; it keeps my wife and i going when the kids are struggling with somthing.

Our kids have struggled with social deficits since birth.  Becuase of this, my wife and I have created a new product for kids 3-10 who have developmental delays, specifically social delays.  You can find our product at www.playtimewithzeebu.com.  Take a look and let me know what you think.  We are new so feedback is good for us.

 Dave

Oh goody fresh meat lol =)~~~ Im in Tx yee haw!

Hello everyone!  My name is Josephine Webster, I am a 26 year old mother to four boys, one of which is named Joshuah who is five and was diagnosed with Autism last year.  I have been wanting to join a support network for a while but just haven't had the chance to do so.  Or maybe I didn't want to tell myself that I really needed help from anyoone other than the doctors and my family.  Obviously we all know we can only go so long with the support of them.  So I am here in hopes to get support from other parents when it comes to the daily life in which we all have become familiar with.   read more »

My name is Ryan Segovich, I’m a member of the publicity team at Sourcebooks, Inc., the largest independent publisher in Chicago.  We are promoting a heartwarming book, A Friend Like Henry by Nuala Gardner.  I’d like to share the news of this wonderful story.
   read more »

Before her son was 15 months old, Serwah Quaynor suspected that something was wrong. After going from doctor to doctor in the United States searching for answers, Quaynor's son was labeled "mildly autistic" at the age of 8. It took four more years and a two-week home-visit with a psychologist before he was finally diagnosed with full-fledged autism.

"For him to get the proper treatment, he had to have a proper diagnosis," Quaynor said. But the diagnosis was just the beginning.

As puberty and hormones hit, her son became aggressive. He required more attention and care than Quaynor could offer him alone, especially considering her own health problems. Despite her reservations about the lack of resources available to autistic children and their

families in Ghana, Quaynor decided to join her husband who had moved to Accra a few years earlier to start a business.

"Ghana was the only place I could get the support I needed," Quaynor said.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article. 

Massachusetts resident Robert Williams stopped in Emporia this week mid-way through a cross-country journey to raise money to benefit families affected by autism.

Williams took to the streets on foot on May 18 via US-highway 50. He hopes to reach his destination by Thanksgiving, in Washington, D.C. He is walking in honor of Elias Tembenis, who was born in 2000. Elias died when he was 6 of seizures. Williams, who is a barber and stagehand, is a friend of the Tembenis family and chose to walk in honor of Elias. The money Williams raises will go to the National Autism Association and 100 percent of the funds raised through the Walk for Autism will be donated back to families.

While in Emporia, Williams stopped at Fire Station No. 2. Elias’ father is a firefighter and sent an e-mail to Fire Station No. 2. The station put Williams up in a hotel room and fed him while he was in Emporia.

Click on the newslink to read the full article. 

Parents of autistic children have long suspected that what their children eat affects their behavior. Now University of Texas at Houston researchers are taking a first look at whether their suspicions are true.

“We want to know if gluten and milk... have any relation to changes in behavior," explained Dr. Fernando Navarro with UT Houston.

Autistic children often experience an intestinal problem known as leaky gut. Researchers wonder if it's the culprit behind their irritation, another common trait.

Click on the newslink to read the entire article. 

Yesterday was Michael's home visit from his teachers. The girl who lives accross the hall from me has a little boy who will actually be in the other half of Michael's class. Michael is technically in the Special Needs Class, but  after the first few weeks they combine the two so the special needs children are not isolated and they all benefit from each other. Anyways, Dallas had his home meeting at 10 yesterday and mine was 11. I was in the hall cleaning off eyeliner from both sides of my dor that the neighbor girl did so nobody would think it was Michael. The other two teacher's came out and Michael got excitedf and ran up to hug them. He was equally excited when his teachers came. They think Michael will be able to do more group work rather than the independent work he did last year. It will be nice that he gets to adjust with the other kids this year.

We also had our Child Specialty Clinic meeting today. I had to walk Michael the 10 blociks, but he did better than expected. Thank goodness it did not start really raining. It just misted on the way there. He is looking very much ADHD according to the Vanderbilt they had me fill out. And his attention span is so short. So we get to add anew medication to the list. I guess it is a pretty new one. I thought she said Vocalin XR but her handwriting looks like Localin XR. Hopefully it will help. I hate the idea of pushing pills that do not work.  read more »

At this year’s conference, you’ll hear the challenges — and triumphs — of helping those with ASD understand and manage social interactions with others. Not only will you further your knowledge on this issue, but you’ll come away with practical strategies that will enhance your daily interactions with individuals with ASD. You’ll also receive a unique perspective on the subject from Michael John Carley, who was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in 2000 (along with his then 4-year-old son).

Keynote: Brenda Smith Myles, PhDUniversity of Kansas - Department of Special Education

Location(s)

While most kids will be thinking about back-to-school at this time of year, a special group of West Island adolescents will still be engaged in summer fun thanks to a new program being offered for autistic kids.

The program is for children with higher functioning autism, Asperger or pervasive developmental disorder, and it will offer them an opportunity to develop their social and behavioural skills while doing what kids like to do best in the summer: have fun.

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The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) will allocate $2 million to launch an early intervention program for children with autism, state health officials announced recently.

To address increased autism cases, the Disability Services Division for DPHHS will be working with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services on an Autism Waiver for Children.

The waiver clears the way for a combination of DPHHS and federal funds to be used to finance the program. The $2 million allocation includes $600,000 of state funds and the remaining balance is federal. The program is expected to be in operation later this year.

Applicants will be evaluated and diagnosed through a screening process. To be eligible for the program, a child must be between 2 and 5 years of age. The service will include 20-25 hours per week of intensive in-home rehabilitation for three years by a trained provider.

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Oregon’s growing number of cases of autism, and unreliable treatment options have a group of lawmakers and state officials searching for answers this week.

Oregon has at least the third highest incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, nationally. But as Rob Manning reports there’s widespread concern that services aren't keeping up.

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I was scared for the summer. Rajvir was out of school and EIBI program. It was his first time to go to any summer camp. How is he going to cope with all the changes? Without having any reliable means of communication, how are new people going to understand him? There were so many questions in my mind. I was crossing my fingers for everything to go right, and it did.

This was the first summer that we both enjoyed together. He enjoyed every moment he spent in the day camp. He has started to sleep a lot better, and on top of that, he is staying in his own bed. I am finally getting my sleep after almost six years. This summer has really been awesome!! I hope it just keep going like this.

I thought I was the provider, the protector
It was my job to keep you under my wings,
To feed you, love you and keep you safe
Didn’t realize you were rescuing me all along
You were and are making me stronger every moment
You need no words; your eyes say it all
You are always there to give me a hand
Whenever I trip and fall
You are there to point out the bigger goals
When I cry over petty things
And I thought I was the guardian, the shield
That was there to keep you safe.

I thought I was supporting you
Making your life fun and meaningful
But, my dear, it is YOU.
You make me feel loved
You make me feel valuable
You give a meaning to my life
You are my supporter, protector and my guardian angel
I need you to live, to laugh, to breathe and to survive
You mean everything to me
You are a piece of my heart
Yes, you are
A piece of my heart!

Yesterday we went to the child psychiatrist. She wants to put Wyatt on an off-label blood pressure medication like Clonidine, but it's called Tanoflex (or something like that). I asked for the patch, b