Campaign Focuses On How Families Can "Light It Up Blue" To Raise Autism Awareness Across Canada

TORONTO, March 1, 2012 /CNW/ - Toys"R"Us, Canada today announced the launch of its in-store and online fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks, North America's largest autism science and advocacy organization. Now through Monday, April 30, Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores will offer customers an Autism Speaks puzzle piece in exchange for a $1 donation. Monetary donations will be collected at all 73 stores (including Express locations) across the country and online at Toysrus.ca. The company is heightening its focus on autism awareness, unveiling a new theme for the 2012 campaign, "Shine A Light For Autism."

"With so many children affected by autism and not enough known about causes or cures, we hope that our fundraising and awareness campaigns can contribute to solving the autism puzzle," said Kevin Macnab, President, Toys"R"Us Canada. "Through our ongoing partnership, the "R"Us family remains committed to helping Autism Speaks and the critical work they do in supporting families affected by autism spectrum disorders."

Shining A Light For Autism In-store and online

During the campaign, customers can contribute a cash donation at all Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us locations, including Express locations, and online at Toysrus.ca.

In-store signage displayed in Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores across the country feature children with autism dressed as super-heroes, with the Autism Speaks puzzle piece logo as their powerful emblem. The puzzle pieces are bursting with light, while inspiring everyone to donate to the cause by looking to the hero within.

"Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores across Canada are in a unique position to reach numerous parents daily, providing important awareness information about autism in their stores, as well as online," said Suzanne Lanthier, Executive Director of Autism Speaks Canada. "We are thrilled to bring hope to families who live with the realities of autism every day, through ongoing support in our research and advocacy efforts."

Toysrus.ca also serves as a resource for parents, caregivers, families and friends of children with autism. Visitors can find a list of "Ten Toys That Speak To Autism," which provides toy suggestions to help guide anyone purchasing toys for a child with autism.

Walking To Benefit Autism Speaks

In conjunction with the campaign, the company is also kicking off its national sponsorship of Walk Now for Autism Speaks, a year-long series of more than 85 walk events taking place throughout North America. Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us employees will walk alongside the company's iconic mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, as well as individuals with autism, their families and friends to raise money and awareness for the cause. All funds raised through the Walk Now for Autism Speaks events will go directly to Autism Speaks to support research awareness and family services programs in Canada.

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Toys"R"Us®, Canada helps "Shine A Light For Autism" during third annual fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks ...

Campaign Focuses On How Families Can "Light It Up Blue" To Raise Autism Awareness Across Canada

TORONTO, March 1, 2012 /CNW/ - Toys"R"Us, Canada today announced the launch of its in-store and online fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks, North America's largest autism science and advocacy organization. Now through Monday, April 30, Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores will offer customers an Autism Speaks puzzle piece in exchange for a $1 donation. Monetary donations will be collected at all 73 stores (including Express locations) across the country and online at Toysrus.ca. The company is heightening its focus on autism awareness, unveiling a new theme for the 2012 campaign, "Shine A Light For Autism."

"With so many children affected by autism and not enough known about causes or cures, we hope that our fundraising and awareness campaigns can contribute to solving the autism puzzle," said Kevin Macnab, President, Toys"R"Us Canada. "Through our ongoing partnership, the "R"Us family remains committed to helping Autism Speaks and the critical work they do in supporting families affected by autism spectrum disorders."

Shining A Light For Autism In-store and online

During the campaign, customers can contribute a cash donation at all Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us locations, including Express locations, and online at Toysrus.ca.

In-store signage displayed in Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores across the country feature children with autism dressed as super-heroes, with the Autism Speaks puzzle piece logo as their powerful emblem. The puzzle pieces are bursting with light, while inspiring everyone to donate to the cause by looking to the hero within.

"Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores across Canada are in a unique position to reach numerous parents daily, providing important awareness information about autism in their stores, as well as online," said Suzanne Lanthier, Executive Director of Autism Speaks Canada. "We are thrilled to bring hope to families who live with the realities of autism every day, through ongoing support in our research and advocacy efforts."

Toysrus.ca also serves as a resource for parents, caregivers, families and friends of children with autism. Visitors can find a list of "Ten Toys That Speak To Autism," which provides toy suggestions to help guide anyone purchasing toys for a child with autism.

Walking To Benefit Autism Speaks

In conjunction with the campaign, the company is also kicking off its national sponsorship of Walk Now for Autism Speaks, a year-long series of more than 85 walk events taking place throughout North America. Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us employees will walk alongside the company's iconic mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, as well as individuals with autism, their families and friends to raise money and awareness for the cause. All funds raised through the Walk Now for Autism Speaks events will go directly to Autism Speaks to support research awareness and family services programs in Canada.

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Toys"R"Us®, Canada helps "Shine A Light For Autism" during third annual fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks ...

Jim Calhoun, like many coaches, is superstitious. He might have a lucky tie or piece of jewelry he must wear to end a losing streak, or keep a winning streak going.

But one item that remains in good times and bad is the blue puzzle piece he wears on the lapel of his suit jacket. The symbol for Autism Speaks, like the cause itself, remains close to his heart at all times.

"He has never taken it off," Jeff Calhoun said. "I can't tell you how many people who have mentioned it to me parents, families touched by autism, who tell me how much it means to them. He is very passionate about it. Just by lending his name and reaching out to people, he has done more than we could ever ask."

Said Amy Calhoun: "When I see that blue pin on his lapel, it sometimes brings tears to my eyes. He is taking this on for Reese."

The cause is a personal one for the Calhoun family. Jeff and Amy's daughter, Reese, now 8, was diagnosed at 2, and her grandfather's involvement with the advocacy group Autism Speaks is very deep.

But because he is scheduled to undergo back surgery on Monday in New York, Calhoun will not be able to participate in an event he has helped launch "CardioRaiser: Workout for Autism Speaks" at Cardio Express in Manchester and Southington from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Farmington Bank is the presenting sponsor.

"It's just so important to raise awareness," Jeff Calhoun said, "because autism, anything that involves the brain, is something we don't talk about much as a society. We want to share our story, and hope it lets people know they are not alone."

Hundreds are expected to participate, and the event is expected to raise at least $100,000 for the Connecticut chapter of Autism Speaks. Participants may choose from a variety of exercise activities to help in the cause. Although Jim Calhoun cannot be there, some of his assistants are expected to stop by the morning after UConn plays Syracuse (Saturday night at 9 p.m.). Panera Bread will provide breakfast for participants.

The event will become an annual one, Jeff Calhoun said.

"I am deeply committed to the cause of helping families confronting the many challenges of autism," Jim Calhoun said in January, when the event was scheduled. "It is my hope that this event will bring Connecticut families together to raise dollars so important to all those facing this complex neurobiological disorder."

See the original post here:
Autism Is Jim Calhoun's Biggest Opponent

Jim Calhoun, like many coaches, is superstitious. He might have a lucky tie or piece of jewelry he must wear to end a losing streak, or keep a winning streak going.

But one item that remains in good times and bad is the blue puzzle piece he wears on the lapel of his suit jacket. The symbol for Autism Speaks, like the cause itself, remains close to his heart at all times.

"He has never taken it off," Jeff Calhoun said. "I can't tell you how many people who have mentioned it to me parents, families touched by autism, who tell me how much it means to them. He is very passionate about it. Just by lending his name and reaching out to people, he has done more than we could ever ask."

Said Amy Calhoun: "When I see that blue pin on his lapel, it sometimes brings tears to my eyes. He is taking this on for Reese."

The cause is a personal one for the Calhoun family. Jeff and Amy's daughter, Reese, now 8, was diagnosed at 2, and her grandfather's involvement with the advocacy group Autism Speaks is very deep.

But because he is scheduled to undergo back surgery on Monday in New York, Calhoun will not be able to participate in an event he has helped launch "CardioRaiser: Workout for Autism Speaks" at Cardio Express in Manchester and Southington from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Farmington Bank is the presenting sponsor.

"It's just so important to raise awareness," Jeff Calhoun said, "because autism, anything that involves the brain, is something we don't talk about much as a society. We want to share our story, and hope it lets people know they are not alone."

Hundreds are expected to participate, and the event is expected to raise at least $100,000 for the Connecticut chapter of Autism Speaks. Participants may choose from a variety of exercise activities to help in the cause. Although Jim Calhoun cannot be there, some of his assistants are expected to stop by the morning after UConn plays Syracuse (Saturday night at 9 p.m.). Panera Bread will provide breakfast for participants.

The event will become an annual one, Jeff Calhoun said.

"I am deeply committed to the cause of helping families confronting the many challenges of autism," Jim Calhoun said in January, when the event was scheduled. "It is my hope that this event will bring Connecticut families together to raise dollars so important to all those facing this complex neurobiological disorder."

See the original post here:
Autism Is Jim Calhoun's Biggest Opponent

The local nonprofit groups Life Skills for adults with developmental disabilities and TouchPoint Autism Services will merge their organizations as of July 1 to support a growing number of adults with autism.

The new organization will be known as Life Skills, and TouchPoint (formerly the Judevine Center for Autism) will still be used to refer to autism services.

"As these children who are diagnosed with autism are aging, we really wanted to be prepared to meet that need," said Wendy Sullivan, CEO of the new organization.

Parents can be "confident you can stay with this organization through the child's lifetime," Sullivan said.

Life Skills provides 24-hour assistance including in-home care, job training and placement to teenagers and adults with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and other developmental disabilities. TouchPoint Autism Services offers early intervention services, behavior therapy, parent training and employment services through seven offices in Missouri. Both groups, which have offices in west St. Louis County, are United Way member agencies.

The organization will have a combined 1,200 employees. There are no immediate plans for layoffs or eliminating positions, Sullivan said.

Read more here:
Autism groups to merge

When Caleb Geary was diagnosed with autism at age 3, he had never spoken or eaten solid food.

Now 6, the boy speaks and tests at his first-grade level progress that his parents attribute to insurance-based services at home and intensive behavioral intervention at the boy's school in Hamden.

But they worry what will happen to Caleb's diagnosis and the services that have come with it if the American Psychiatry Association's proposal to change the definition of autism is adopted.

Lori Geary said she has already fought to get her son the help he needs. Tom Zwicker, Caleb's father and the director of an autism center for the Easter Seals of Coastal Fairfield County, said he believes insurance companies will start requesting annual diagnostic evaluations if the definition is revised. As a result, his son and many other children will lose out on services to treat their conditions.

"You have an entire group receiving services that would be left out in the cold," said Zwicker, who lives in Branford. "We're going to lose a whole generation of children."

The autism community has been embroiled in a heated debate for the past few weeks over the proposal to dramatically change the criteria for autism diagnosis in the upcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The DSM-5, scheduled to be published in 2013, is the first revision since 1994.

The revision would create an umbrella category known as "autism spectrum disorder" that would include traditional autism, as well as Asperger's Syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) which currently are considered separate disorders. A new category, social communication disorder, would also be created.

"What became very apparent is that there aren't clear boundaries, and that they really are all on a spectrum," said Darrell Regier, director of research for the APA. The current criteria, he said, is "fuzzy" and as a result some people have been mislabeled as autistic, while others who need treatment can't get it because their symptoms don't match the current criteria.

"The thing that we tried to do is be a little more clear about the different deficits that these people have," Regier said.

But some experts worry that the revision's main effect will be to drastically reduce the number of people who are diagnosed with autism and who now qualify for services to treat it.

Go here to see the original:
Redefining Autism: Proposal Worries Many Parents

THURSDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Children with autism often display challenging behaviors, but new research suggests that parents can learn to better handle tantrums and aggression, which may improve their child's overall functioning.

"Parent training is one of the best, evidence-supported treatment interventions in child psychiatry for other conditions, such as for children with ADHD or children with oppositional defiant disorder," said senior study author Lawrence Scahill, a professor at Yale University School of Nursing and Child Study Center in New Haven, Conn. "But strangely enough, it had never really been tried with children with autism or with developmental disabilities, so we had to make our own manual."

The study involved 124 children aged 4 to 13 with an autism spectrum disorder and serious behavioral issues, including daily, prolonged tantrums, aggression or self-injurious behavior. The children were prescribed risperidone (Risperdal), an antipsychotic drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating severe behavioral problems in children with autism.

Half the children and their parents were also assigned to a six-month, structured "parent training" program. Parents were asked to identify the most difficult, disruptive behaviors and to think about what preceded the incidents and why the child might do it. They then worked with counselors to devise strategies to avoid the triggers and help the child respond better to the everyday stressors.

Parents who underwent training reported a greater decrease in problem behaviors than the parents of children on medication alone, researchers found. By the end of the study, the average dose of risperidone was lower for kids in the parent-training group.

"On the tantrums, the aggression and the self-injury, the combination of medications and parent training was better," said Scahill. "How much better? Not a huge amount, but it was an incremental improvement over an already effective improvement."

Parents who received training also reported improvements on a test known as the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, which measures how well a child does everyday activities, such as communicating, socializing, dressing, eating at the table and going to school.

By diminishing serious problem behaviors, such as tantrums and aggression, children's skills in other areas improved, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, restricted interests and behaviors, repetitive behaviors and sometimes intellectual disability.

The study is published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

View post:
'Parent Training' May Help Kids With Autism Behave Better

THURSDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Children with autism often display challenging behaviors, but new research suggests that parents can learn to better handle tantrums and aggression, which may improve their child's overall functioning.

"Parent training is one of the best, evidence-supported treatment interventions in child psychiatry for other conditions, such as for children with ADHD or children with oppositional defiant disorder," said senior study author Lawrence Scahill, a professor at Yale University School of Nursing and Child Study Center in New Haven, Conn. "But strangely enough, it had never really been tried with children with autism or with developmental disabilities, so we had to make our own manual."

The study involved 124 children aged 4 to 13 with an autism spectrum disorder and serious behavioral issues, including daily, prolonged tantrums, aggression or self-injurious behavior. The children were prescribed risperidone (Risperdal), an antipsychotic drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating severe behavioral problems in children with autism.

Half the children and their parents were also assigned to a six-month, structured "parent training" program. Parents were asked to identify the most difficult, disruptive behaviors and to think about what preceded the incidents and why the child might do it. They then worked with counselors to devise strategies to avoid the triggers and help the child respond better to the everyday stressors.

Parents who underwent training reported a greater decrease in problem behaviors than the parents of children on medication alone, researchers found. By the end of the study, the average dose of risperidone was lower for kids in the parent-training group.

"On the tantrums, the aggression and the self-injury, the combination of medications and parent training was better," said Scahill. "How much better? Not a huge amount, but it was an incremental improvement over an already effective improvement."

Parents who received training also reported improvements on a test known as the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, which measures how well a child does everyday activities, such as communicating, socializing, dressing, eating at the table and going to school.

By diminishing serious problem behaviors, such as tantrums and aggression, children's skills in other areas improved, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, restricted interests and behaviors, repetitive behaviors and sometimes intellectual disability.

The study is published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

View post:
'Parent Training' May Help Kids With Autism Behave Better