A great way to expand your child's vocabulary and encourage spontaneous language is to teach him how to ask questions. This week's tip is based on the lesson videos: Asking 'Who is That?' and Asking 'What is That?'
Follow this link to watch the "how to" video:
http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=536
A Blog for parents and teachers of young children.
Partners In Learning Blog Team
Blog Team
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Heartwarmining Graduation Video
This is a must see video! Yes - children with autism can succeed!!!!!
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Broadcast/student-autism-class-salutatorian-delivers-high-school-graduation/story?id=10933858
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Broadcast/student-autism-class-salutatorian-delivers-high-school-graduation/story?id=10933858
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Transition to Summer
This week's tip is based on the lesson videos: Following a Photographic Play Schedule, Cleaning an Office Following a Schedule and Following a Morning Schedule.
Help ease your child's transition from school year to the summer time by creating a visual schedule that will help provide structure to his day.
Rethink Autism members have access to a growing library of hundreds of step-by-step video lessons and training videos that teach valuable skills and techniques like these.
http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=513
Help ease your child's transition from school year to the summer time by creating a visual schedule that will help provide structure to his day.
Rethink Autism members have access to a growing library of hundreds of step-by-step video lessons and training videos that teach valuable skills and techniques like these.
http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=513
Monday, June 7, 2010
Early Intervention in Autism
We are taking a group to this wonderful FREE training. Please email me at norma-pilcdc@carolina.rr.com if you would like to join us.
Registration Deadline June 23
________________________________________
Early Intervention in Autism: A Review of Methods to Determine Best Practices is a free workshop designed for families and professionals working with toddlers and children who have recently received a diagnosis of (or are at risk for) an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The workshop will be held on June 30 in the Lilly Family Gallery on the Campus of Davidson College in Davidson. The workshop is free, but registration is required and there are a limited number of spaces available.
Workshop Overview
• What are ‘best practices' in early intervention for children at risk for developing autism?
• With so many methodologies, how do I choose an approach for a child with autism?
• What are the aspects of treatment that must be addressed to improve prognosis and support optimal learning?
This presentation will review several ‘best practices' that will help parents and professionals choose intervention methods. It will also cover specific assessments to assist in program design.
The Autism Society of North Carolina uses an evidence-based model to support both parent training and school consultation. This model is also used in two North Carolina school systems as a pilot program. These programs will be discussed. Video will be shared of scripted joint activity routines to address verbal and non-verbal communication, improve play skills and build social imitation and reciprocity.
Presenters:
• Ann Palmer is the Director of Advocacy and Chapter Support for the Autism Society of North Carolina. She coordinates over 45 Chapters and support groups across the state. Previously, she was the Parent Support Coordinator for Division TEACCH. Ann has published two books: Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Student Success and Parenting Across the Autism Spectrum: Unexpected Lessons We've Learned, the Autism Society of America's 2007 Literary Work of the Year, which she co-authored with Maureen Morrell. Both books will be available for purchase.
• Shelley Moore is a Training Coordinator with the Autism Society of North Carolina. For the last three years she has worked on the Autism Society of North Carolina's Early Intervention project and coordinated a grant from the John Rex Endowment. Shelley is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously, she worked with Division TEACCH's Supported Employment Program before coming to work at the Autism Society of North Carolina in 2001.
• John Thomas M.Ed., is the Director of Training for the Autism Society of North Carolina. He has spent much of his career working with people with Autism Spectrum Disorders as a teacher, classroom consultant, diagnostician, adolescent and adult therapist, vocational coordinator in a residential program, and a supported employment coordinator. John has worked for TEACCH as well as the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. He was a principle author of the TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile.
Workshop Information
• Check-in will be held from 8 a.m.- 9 a.m. at the Lilly Family Gallery in the Chambers Building on the campus of Davidson College.
• There is NO on-site registration.
• The workshop will begin at 9 a.m.
• Lunch is not included in the workshop, but there are a variety of nearby dining options.
• The workshop will conclude at 4:00 p.m.
• Registration is free, but required.
• The Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore will be available with a small selection of early intervention titles.
Click here for more information about the workshop.
Registration Deadline June 23
________________________________________
Early Intervention in Autism: A Review of Methods to Determine Best Practices is a free workshop designed for families and professionals working with toddlers and children who have recently received a diagnosis of (or are at risk for) an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The workshop will be held on June 30 in the Lilly Family Gallery on the Campus of Davidson College in Davidson. The workshop is free, but registration is required and there are a limited number of spaces available.
Workshop Overview
• What are ‘best practices' in early intervention for children at risk for developing autism?
• With so many methodologies, how do I choose an approach for a child with autism?
• What are the aspects of treatment that must be addressed to improve prognosis and support optimal learning?
This presentation will review several ‘best practices' that will help parents and professionals choose intervention methods. It will also cover specific assessments to assist in program design.
The Autism Society of North Carolina uses an evidence-based model to support both parent training and school consultation. This model is also used in two North Carolina school systems as a pilot program. These programs will be discussed. Video will be shared of scripted joint activity routines to address verbal and non-verbal communication, improve play skills and build social imitation and reciprocity.
Presenters:
• Ann Palmer is the Director of Advocacy and Chapter Support for the Autism Society of North Carolina. She coordinates over 45 Chapters and support groups across the state. Previously, she was the Parent Support Coordinator for Division TEACCH. Ann has published two books: Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Student Success and Parenting Across the Autism Spectrum: Unexpected Lessons We've Learned, the Autism Society of America's 2007 Literary Work of the Year, which she co-authored with Maureen Morrell. Both books will be available for purchase.
• Shelley Moore is a Training Coordinator with the Autism Society of North Carolina. For the last three years she has worked on the Autism Society of North Carolina's Early Intervention project and coordinated a grant from the John Rex Endowment. Shelley is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously, she worked with Division TEACCH's Supported Employment Program before coming to work at the Autism Society of North Carolina in 2001.
• John Thomas M.Ed., is the Director of Training for the Autism Society of North Carolina. He has spent much of his career working with people with Autism Spectrum Disorders as a teacher, classroom consultant, diagnostician, adolescent and adult therapist, vocational coordinator in a residential program, and a supported employment coordinator. John has worked for TEACCH as well as the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. He was a principle author of the TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile.
Workshop Information
• Check-in will be held from 8 a.m.- 9 a.m. at the Lilly Family Gallery in the Chambers Building on the campus of Davidson College.
• There is NO on-site registration.
• The workshop will begin at 9 a.m.
• Lunch is not included in the workshop, but there are a variety of nearby dining options.
• The workshop will conclude at 4:00 p.m.
• Registration is free, but required.
• The Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore will be available with a small selection of early intervention titles.
Click here for more information about the workshop.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A Wonderful Story
This is a really inspiring story about a young man with autism who just made Eagle Scout and how inclusion really works. Stories like these help people and communities to see that there are no limits to what people with autism can do!
http://www.startribune.com/local/west/90588254.html
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Help Your Child Enjoy Family Outings
One of the most difficult times that families have is taking their child on the autism spectrum on family outings. I've heard more than one Walmart horror story. If you click on the link below, the video shows a great idea that might work. Blessings, Norma
http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=436
http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=436
Friday, March 12, 2010
Groups aim again to reduce spanking in NC
I SAY AMEN - IT'S ABOUT TIME! Last year a child in our district with post traumatic stress disorder from being raped at 3 was spanked by the principle in the 3rd grade. Children with autism are allowed to be spanked in the school system. What do you think?
By GARY D. ROBERTSON - Associated Press Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Children's advocates in North Carolina are this year seeking a spanking ban on students with disabilities after losing political tussles over corporal punishment in public schools the past few years.
Equipped with a report showing corporal punishment was used more than 1,400 times in 26 school districts last school year, speakers at a General Assembly education committee asked lawmakers Wednesday to consider a paddling ban for children with physical, mental or learning challenges when they reconvene in Raleigh in May.
There are better and more positive ways for teachers and administrators to deal with these children for their disruptive behavior than hitting them, said Sheri Strickland, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators and a longtime teacher of disabled children, which comprise about 13 percent of the state's public school population.
"I didn't hit my children for not knowing how to read ... and I wasn't going to hit my children for not knowing appropriate behavior," Strickland said. "We know that it's critical to a child's academic success to have positive contact with caring adults."
The new effort comes after the Legislature has declined to approve broader spanking bans. The House rejected in 2007 a statewide prohibition in all 115 school districts as opponents argued current state law should remain in place giving local education boards the choice to decide whether spanking is effective.
The House approved by a wide margin last year a bill giving parents the option of exempting their children from corporal punishment in the district where such a penalty is still carried out, but the Senate narrowly defeated the idea.
Now advocates have scaled back their request.
"That's our limited request to you to consider in this session," Tom Vitaglione, a senior fellow at Action for Children, told legislators.
Thirty states and the District of Columbia have barred corporal punishment in the public schools, according to The Center for Effective Discipline, an Ohio-based group seeking to end the practice.
Data on corporal punishment are hard to accumulate in North Carolina because local districts aren't required to report to the Department of Public Instruction on its use.
Action for Children contacted each school district and found 89 either ban corporal punishment outright or don't use it. Fourteen districts banned the practice in the past three years, the report said.
Of the other 26 districts, the number of times the punishment was administered during the last school year ranged from once in the Randolph County Schools to 325 times in the Burke County Schools. Three county systems - Burke, Nash (296 times) and Robeson (167) - comprised more than half of the punishments, the report said.
Some education oversight committee members expressed shame that North Carolina still allowed corporal punishment.
"To me it is an embarrassment for the state of North Carolina that we continue to participate in this type of behavior," said Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe.
But others were concerned about endorsing a change when there's no detailed information about whether the children received paddling several times, why students receive the punishment or how many are identified as disabled.
"We need to proceed with caution," said Rep. Laura Wiley, R-Guilford, who supports an outright ban but points out children with a reading disability could dodge punishment even though the difficulty has no connection to poor behavior.
Vitaglione said a U.S. Department of Education report determined students with disabilities received corporal punishment on 290 occasions in 2006 in North Carolina.
Rep. Curtis Blackwood, R-Union, criticized the choice of words in the Action for Children report, which he said was trying to arouse emotions so people would support the change.
Arthur Stellar, who was named Burke County Schools superintendent last fall, said he is personally opposed to corporal punishment and wants to talk to system officials about the policy but mentioned there are other pressing priorities. There also would need to be an alternative punishment model in place and support for the change from parents.
"If they objected that strongly, it would have been gone a long time ago," he said in a phone interview.
By GARY D. ROBERTSON - Associated Press Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Children's advocates in North Carolina are this year seeking a spanking ban on students with disabilities after losing political tussles over corporal punishment in public schools the past few years.
Equipped with a report showing corporal punishment was used more than 1,400 times in 26 school districts last school year, speakers at a General Assembly education committee asked lawmakers Wednesday to consider a paddling ban for children with physical, mental or learning challenges when they reconvene in Raleigh in May.
There are better and more positive ways for teachers and administrators to deal with these children for their disruptive behavior than hitting them, said Sheri Strickland, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators and a longtime teacher of disabled children, which comprise about 13 percent of the state's public school population.
"I didn't hit my children for not knowing how to read ... and I wasn't going to hit my children for not knowing appropriate behavior," Strickland said. "We know that it's critical to a child's academic success to have positive contact with caring adults."
The new effort comes after the Legislature has declined to approve broader spanking bans. The House rejected in 2007 a statewide prohibition in all 115 school districts as opponents argued current state law should remain in place giving local education boards the choice to decide whether spanking is effective.
The House approved by a wide margin last year a bill giving parents the option of exempting their children from corporal punishment in the district where such a penalty is still carried out, but the Senate narrowly defeated the idea.
Now advocates have scaled back their request.
"That's our limited request to you to consider in this session," Tom Vitaglione, a senior fellow at Action for Children, told legislators.
Thirty states and the District of Columbia have barred corporal punishment in the public schools, according to The Center for Effective Discipline, an Ohio-based group seeking to end the practice.
Data on corporal punishment are hard to accumulate in North Carolina because local districts aren't required to report to the Department of Public Instruction on its use.
Action for Children contacted each school district and found 89 either ban corporal punishment outright or don't use it. Fourteen districts banned the practice in the past three years, the report said.
Of the other 26 districts, the number of times the punishment was administered during the last school year ranged from once in the Randolph County Schools to 325 times in the Burke County Schools. Three county systems - Burke, Nash (296 times) and Robeson (167) - comprised more than half of the punishments, the report said.
Some education oversight committee members expressed shame that North Carolina still allowed corporal punishment.
"To me it is an embarrassment for the state of North Carolina that we continue to participate in this type of behavior," said Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe.
But others were concerned about endorsing a change when there's no detailed information about whether the children received paddling several times, why students receive the punishment or how many are identified as disabled.
"We need to proceed with caution," said Rep. Laura Wiley, R-Guilford, who supports an outright ban but points out children with a reading disability could dodge punishment even though the difficulty has no connection to poor behavior.
Vitaglione said a U.S. Department of Education report determined students with disabilities received corporal punishment on 290 occasions in 2006 in North Carolina.
Rep. Curtis Blackwood, R-Union, criticized the choice of words in the Action for Children report, which he said was trying to arouse emotions so people would support the change.
Arthur Stellar, who was named Burke County Schools superintendent last fall, said he is personally opposed to corporal punishment and wants to talk to system officials about the policy but mentioned there are other pressing priorities. There also would need to be an alternative punishment model in place and support for the change from parents.
"If they objected that strongly, it would have been gone a long time ago," he said in a phone interview.
Researchers find early autism signs in some kids
This article appeared in Science Today. The article predicted that 16 out of the 150 children would eventual be diagnosed with autism. 15 of the 16 that they predicted did end up with a diagnosis. Read more below:
By Bruce Bower
BALTIMORE—Some infants headed for a diagnosis of autism, or autism spectrum disorder as it’s officially known, can be reliably identified at 14 months old based on the presence of five key behavior problems, according to an ongoing long-term study described March 11 at the International Conference on Infant Studies.
These social, communication and motor difficulties broadly align with psychiatric criteria for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in children at around age 3, said psychologist Rebecca Landa of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. In her investigation, the presence of all five behaviors at 14 months predicted an eventual diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in 15 of 16 children.
“That’s much better than clinical judgment at predicting autism,” Landa noted.
Her five predictors of autism spectrum disorders among 14-month-olds at high risk for developing this condition include a lack of response to others’ attempts to engage them in play, infrequent attempts to initiate joint activities, few types of consonants produced when trying to communicate vocally, problems in responding to vocal requests and a keen interest in repetitive acts, such as staring at a toy while twirling it.
Accurate identification of infants likely to develop autism spectrum disorder by age 3 is particularly important because studies at Landa’s facility and several others indicate that intensive interventions with youngsters who display early warning signs and their parents often yield marked behavioral improvements. Interventions focus on teaching kids basic interaction and communication skills.
Landa’s study consists of 250 children who were first assessed at either age 6 months or 14 months. Comprehensive measures of social, communication and motor abilities were obtained at each child’s home and repeated at 18, 24, 30 and 36 months of age. The sample included 110 children considered to be at high risk for developing autism because they had older siblings already diagnosed with the same condition.
Preliminary evidence suggests that high-risk 14-month-olds who later develop autism display signs of delayed motor development as early as 6 to 7 months of age, Landa noted. In particular, these youngsters had difficulty keeping their heads stable when slowly raised from a prone position.
A fundamental derailment of postural development may accompany social difficulties typical of children with autism spectrum disorders, remarked psychologist Jana Iverson of the University of Pittsburgh. “The motor system is another place to probe for common underlying features of autism spectrum disorder,” Iverson said.
Psychologist Sally Rogers of the University of California, Davis, cautioned that much remains unknown about the early identification and treatment of autism. Infant siblings of older children with autism represent a special group that’s especially likely to show early signs of the same disorder, she suggested.
“I’m not sure the majority of children with autism spectrum disorder have predictive symptoms by 12 or 14 months,” Rogers said. In her own long-term studies, some children without autistic siblings show a gradual slowing of social and language development over several years that leads to autism, while others show no autism symptoms at all until being diagnosed with the disorder at age 4 or 5.
By Bruce Bower
BALTIMORE—Some infants headed for a diagnosis of autism, or autism spectrum disorder as it’s officially known, can be reliably identified at 14 months old based on the presence of five key behavior problems, according to an ongoing long-term study described March 11 at the International Conference on Infant Studies.
These social, communication and motor difficulties broadly align with psychiatric criteria for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in children at around age 3, said psychologist Rebecca Landa of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. In her investigation, the presence of all five behaviors at 14 months predicted an eventual diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in 15 of 16 children.
“That’s much better than clinical judgment at predicting autism,” Landa noted.
Her five predictors of autism spectrum disorders among 14-month-olds at high risk for developing this condition include a lack of response to others’ attempts to engage them in play, infrequent attempts to initiate joint activities, few types of consonants produced when trying to communicate vocally, problems in responding to vocal requests and a keen interest in repetitive acts, such as staring at a toy while twirling it.
Accurate identification of infants likely to develop autism spectrum disorder by age 3 is particularly important because studies at Landa’s facility and several others indicate that intensive interventions with youngsters who display early warning signs and their parents often yield marked behavioral improvements. Interventions focus on teaching kids basic interaction and communication skills.
Landa’s study consists of 250 children who were first assessed at either age 6 months or 14 months. Comprehensive measures of social, communication and motor abilities were obtained at each child’s home and repeated at 18, 24, 30 and 36 months of age. The sample included 110 children considered to be at high risk for developing autism because they had older siblings already diagnosed with the same condition.
Preliminary evidence suggests that high-risk 14-month-olds who later develop autism display signs of delayed motor development as early as 6 to 7 months of age, Landa noted. In particular, these youngsters had difficulty keeping their heads stable when slowly raised from a prone position.
A fundamental derailment of postural development may accompany social difficulties typical of children with autism spectrum disorders, remarked psychologist Jana Iverson of the University of Pittsburgh. “The motor system is another place to probe for common underlying features of autism spectrum disorder,” Iverson said.
Psychologist Sally Rogers of the University of California, Davis, cautioned that much remains unknown about the early identification and treatment of autism. Infant siblings of older children with autism represent a special group that’s especially likely to show early signs of the same disorder, she suggested.
“I’m not sure the majority of children with autism spectrum disorder have predictive symptoms by 12 or 14 months,” Rogers said. In her own long-term studies, some children without autistic siblings show a gradual slowing of social and language development over several years that leads to autism, while others show no autism symptoms at all until being diagnosed with the disorder at age 4 or 5.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Study Suggests Older Siblings of Autistics Tend to Develop Hyperactivity
This is really a no brainer! The research also shows that parents suffer greater depression. Oh Really! What do you think?
http://kezi.com/healthwatch/165227
http://kezi.com/healthwatch/165227
Monday, March 8, 2010
Autism programs focus on early intervention
This is a great article in the Toledo Blade on line. The children have one on one with a teacher. Wow! I wonder how this is funded! You can read more and watch actual video clips at http://toledoblade.com/article/20100307/NEWS32/3070309/-1/news13
Lily Lyons was reading books while still in her crib, but speech continues to mostly elude the 3 1/2-year-old Toledo girl.
Although Lily didn't speak a word before enrolling in Mercy Children's Hospital's intensive preschool for autistic children in April, she now talks some - and uses a specialized picture book to communicate with her family. Her twin brother, Luke, who also is autistic and attends the same preschool, has advanced from speaking a few words to talking in complete sentences.
Such progress helps show that intensive early intervention is critical for those with autism, a developmental disability that can affect communication and behavior in varying degrees. Lily and Luke were diagnosed shortly after turning 2 and were enrolled in Mercy's Clinic Home Intensive Program in hopes of improving their education.
Lily Lyons was reading books while still in her crib, but speech continues to mostly elude the 3 1/2-year-old Toledo girl.
Although Lily didn't speak a word before enrolling in Mercy Children's Hospital's intensive preschool for autistic children in April, she now talks some - and uses a specialized picture book to communicate with her family. Her twin brother, Luke, who also is autistic and attends the same preschool, has advanced from speaking a few words to talking in complete sentences.
Such progress helps show that intensive early intervention is critical for those with autism, a developmental disability that can affect communication and behavior in varying degrees. Lily and Luke were diagnosed shortly after turning 2 and were enrolled in Mercy's Clinic Home Intensive Program in hopes of improving their education.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Save the date
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Special Needs Mini Conference at Catawba College for 8:30-12:00
Great sessions for parents
Many booths with community resources
Special Needs Mini Conference at Catawba College for 8:30-12:00
Great sessions for parents
Many booths with community resources
Tip of the Week - Following a Morning Schedule
Tip of the Week: Increase your child’s independence
Establishing a morning routine for your child with autism is a great way to increase independence, as well as make sure everyone gets out of the house on time.
Follow this link: http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=429
Establishing a morning routine for your child with autism is a great way to increase independence, as well as make sure everyone gets out of the house on time.
Follow this link: http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=429
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Strategies for your child's behavior
This week you'll see some other possible functions of problem behavior, and more strategies so that you can manage your child's behavior.
Follow the link:
http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=421
Follow the link:
http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=421
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Would you like to learn how to manage your child's problem behavior?
For families of children with autism, dealing with problem behavior at home, school and in the community can be a challenge. In order to come up with solutions, you must first understand the purpose or "function" of the problem behavior. Follow the below link and watch the short video clip for ideas:
http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=420
http://www.rethinkautism.com/community/news/Story.aspx?ID=420
Thursday, January 28, 2010
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