http://www.control4.com - Meet 3 year old Brody Buzzard and see how Control4 home automation is helping his family overcome a few challenges at home. Brody loves to do puzzles.
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What Control4 Home Automation Can Do For Children With Autism - Video
See ALL my videos: http://www.MeetTaylorMorris.com ~ This is a video about my daughter Taylor's experience with Autism and Aspergers Syndrome. At age 2, Taylor was diagnosed as being on the Autism spectrum and given little hope of having a happy, independent life.
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Hope For Autism
The geneticist feels for parents who seek causes for their children's autism in vaccinations. Unfortunately, no evidence yet supports the theory.
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Autism Isn't Linked to Vaccines
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Motorola XOOM Autism V1 YouTube
A Video Blog made in honor of my daughter.
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"Fixing" Autism
Autism Every Day is a film produced by Lauren Thierry and Jim Watkins of October Group and Eric Solomon of Milestone Video. A 13-minute version of the film was screened at A New Decade for Autism, a fundraising event held May 9, 2006 in New York City.
One in 38 show signs of Autism.
Many children look forward to attending camp during the summer but for children with autism, finding an appropriate day camp can be difficult.
The Autism Collaborative Center (ACC) at Eastern Michigan University offers a special summer camp, called Sensory, Play & Music, Language, Art,Social Learning, Health Fun, designed for children on the autism spectrum.
Children attending SPLASH are exposed to socially engaging, sensory rich and creative recreation opportunities. The week-long camps run July through August. Each week incorporates a new theme.
Week 1: July 9 -13 Who's Your Hero?
Week 2: July 16 - 20 The Mad Scientist
Week 3: July 23 - 27 Author's Week
Week 4: July 30 - Aug. 3 Disney Across the Ages
Week 5: Aug. 6 - 10 Olympics 2012
Week 6: Aug. 13 - 17 Wacky Holiday Week
Last year, the program hosted more than 70 children and administrators hope to see that number increase. Continued...
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YPSILANTI: EMU Autism Collaborative Center to make a 'SPLASH' with summer camp
Seventy per cent of kids with autism also have severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Could autism actually begin in the gut
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The Nature of Things: The Autism Enigma- Preview - Video
As their 5-year-old daughter, Jacey, and her older sister, Natalie, 7, got in their starting positions for the 25-meter backstroke, their parents, Tiffany and Robert Regan, said they wished the circumstances were different.
Jacey, who was diagnosed with autism when she was 3, was to compete for the Glendale Gators swim club in the 7- to 8-year old division against her sister. Usually Jacey swims in the sixth lane in her own division, but at Windy Point pool, host of Monday's meet, there were only five lanes, bumping Jacey to Natalie's division.
"No one knows she's younger," said Tiffany before swimmers raced to the pool. She said she and her husband were worried people who didn't know Jacey would assume she was older and just a slow swimmer, fearing embarrassment for Jacey and wishing she could swim in her own age group.
Jacey fell behind in her heat, touching the wall at least 10 seconds after everyone else but she was greeted by a thunderous applause by coaches, parents and teammates.
Tiffany let out a sigh of relief. Jacey still had a smile on her face.
A year ago, the thought of Jacey swimming in front of a crowd and playing with kids her age would have been inconceivable to Tiffany and Robert because of her autism, but the Glendale Gators have given Jacey a social, safe place and helped her thrive.
"She'll go around to everybody and say, 'I'm on the Glendale Gators,'" Tiffany said Monday. "She's thrilled. To her therapist today, she ran in and said, 'Guess what, I have a swim meet tonight and I'm swimming backstroke.'"
Tiffany, a nurse, said she knew something was wrong when Jacey, then 3, started pulling her hair out and screaming whenever Tiffany touched her. Jacey also wasn't speaking more than one or two words. She took Jacey to a doctor in Richmond, expecting a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or something similar.
"When I was there, I didn't expect to hear the word autism," Tiffany said. "I heard the word autism and just did not expect that."
Autism is defined as a "disturbance in psychological development in which use of language, reaction to stimuli, interpretation of the world, and the formation of relationships are not fully established and follow unusual patterns." According to the Autism Society, 1 percent of children ages 3-17 in the United States have autism.
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Glendale Gators swim club helps young girl with autism thrive
SOUTHAVEN The 2nd Annual Mid-South Autism Conference, which will feature a wide array of experts on the behavioral spectrum disorder from around the globe, is set for July 16-18 at the Landers Center in Southaven.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Carl Sundberg, executive director and president of the Behavior Analysis Center for Autism in Fishers, Indiana.
Other speakers include Dr. Ennio, Cipani, professor at National University and a licensed psychologist in California, Alex Plank, creator of WrongPlanet.net, a popular community for individuals with Asperger's Syndrome and autism.
Additionally, Kerry Mangro, founder and CEO of KFM Making a Difference in the Community, a non-profit organization focused on special needs housing for disabled individuals in New Jersey, has also been invited to speak.
Holtzman and Tracy Palm, executive director of Transformations, a Memphis-based behavioral center, are co-founders of the conference.
For more information or to register for the conference contact Holtzman at 901-231-1931.
Robert Lee Long: rlong@desototimestribune.com or at 662-429-6397, Ext. 252
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Autism conference set July 16-18
LANSING, MI A Grand Haven woman is one of the inaugural members of the statewide council focused on autism in Michigan.
Amy Matthews, an associate professor of psychology at Grand Valley State University, was appointed to the recently created Autism Council, a group charged with advising and assisting in the development of a statewide plan to help individuals with autism spectrum disorders reach their potential.
Gov. Rick Snyder announced the appointments to the 12-member council this week. The formation of the council, which will operate within the state Department of Community Health, was announced in June.
Matthews is set to represent state-funded initiatives for a three-year term ending Sept. 30, 2015. She focuses on autism and intellectual and development disabilities in her work for Grand Valley State. A licensed psychiatrist, Matthews also is director of the Statewide Autism Resources and Training Project.
Executive Order 2012-11 created the council as an advisory body to review, adopt and implement the Autism Spectrum Disorders State Plan. The plan will provide for comprehensive lifespan supports to individuals with autism and their families through access to information and resources, coordination of services and implementation of evidence-based practices. The council must also update the plan every year.
Based on the executive order, the governor wants to encourage early identification of children with autism spectrum disorders in order to provide early intervention services for children. The order also stated the goal of maximizing the potential for children and adults with autism.
The Michigan Autism Council will help coordinate our state plan and help make sure individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families can live better lives, Snyder said. I thank the appointees for their willingness to serve and eagerness to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
After the initial appointments, members of the council will serve four-year terms.
Eric Gaertner covers government, politics and the outdoors. He can be reached via email at egaertne@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricGaertner1.
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Grand Haven professor to serve on Michigan Autism Council
Michelle San Miguel | 6/9/2012 Many young children develop autism in their early years. Although researchers are learning more about the disorder, it remains difficult to diagnose. As two mothers in North Dakota discovered, the disorder is not clear-cut and, in some cases, it can take several trips to the doctor before a diagnosis is given.
Not many people pass through this small town in south-central North Dakota. And that`s just how the people of Fredonia like it. The town`s youngest resident is just three-years-old. And it`s not just his age that sets him apart.
"He has autism. Nobody else around us has it," said Brandy Kracke of her three-year-old son.
Kracke says she knew her son, whose name she asked KFYR-TV not to mention, wasn`t developing normally when he was just four-months-old. That`s when he stopped making noises. She drove him to doctors around the state, making stops in Jamestown, Fargo and Minot. Kracke says doctors there couldn`t figure out what was wrong with her son.
"He kept telling us boys develop later than girls so it`s nothing to worry about. His speech will come. He`ll go back to how he was. Not a big deal," said Kracke in response to what a doctor told her about her son.
Mindy Iverson of Bismarck also had trouble getting her four-year-old son Jack diagnosed with autism. Like Kracke, she heard much of the same information.
"A lot of people just were like oh he`s just a boy. You have too high expectations for him. Stop comparing him to others and so I would kind of then oh yeah I am. I`m trying to have you know this super child here. Just let him be who he is and he`ll develop," Iverson said.
But both moms persisted that something wasn`t right with their children. Kracke suspected her son may have autism and spent hours online learning more about the warning signs of the disorder.
Kracke said, "We needed to keep pushing because it was well suspected that it was autism. And we knew that the critical years to get him the help he needed was before he turned three."
Last October a Bismarck doctor gave Kracke the diagnosis she long suspected was the case. "It took eight minutes for him to tell us he has autism and there was no question in his mind," Kracke said.
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Diagnosing Autism Remains Difficult | Video
Life can be stressful for both children with autism and their families. That's why experts say it's important for parents to be informed about the latest treatments.
On Saturday, they had a chance to speak to professionals about that most recent research.
"Autism is something that is part of my life everyday. It isn't something I do from eight in the morning until three as a school practitioner. It's something that I am living and breathing all the time," said Melissa Parrish.
Melissa Parrish's 12-year-old son has autism. When he was diagnosed at the age of three, Melissa moved her family from New York City to Rochester; an area filled with services that fit the needs of her family. On Saturday, she attended a research focused conference held by the University of Rochester and Golisano Children's Hospital.
"The initial studies looking at autism were really looking at the causes, the genetics, the biology of autism and those continue, but more and more studies are starting to look at the common health conditions faced by children with autism as well as some treatment strategies," said Lynn Cole, Director of Kirch Developmental Center at University of Rochester.
Although there is no cure, Cole says they are always working on ways to treat and diagnose autism spectrum disorders. Saturday's conference highlighted some of the latest methods.
"Different medications, behavioral treatments that might be helpful, investigating how children with autism spectrum disorders use gestures, use their arms, hands, facial expressions," said Cole.
"Coming to a conference like this, I am able to find out what is going on in the realm of research, what are the areas that I can get involved in to help improve the quality of life for my child," said Parrish.
Parrish says the conference gives her a chance to meet other families who are dealing with autism. It's also an opportunity to meet doctors who actively work on strategies that help her son.
"I definitely live in fear, but at the same time, I am always being proactive and always thinking about what are the things that I can do that can prevent potential danger for him and coming to conferences like this help me address my fear," said Parrish.
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Autism Research Conference
As Monday marked World Autism Awareness Day and April serves as Autism Awareness Month, staggering new statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which were released on March 29, said that 1 in 88 U.S. children, have been "identified with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)."
Suzanne Bonifert, who is the head of Speech Language Pathology and Clinical Lecturer at the UT Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, said that medical professionals currently do not know the cause for the increase in autism; however she said the testing for the disorder has changed.
"There is better diagnosis available and pediatricians are much more aware because there's just been so much news and information," she said. "The American Academy of Pediatrics has put out a statement to mandate screens in pediatrician's offices for children for signs of autism, so children are getting referred to professionals at earlier ages, which is good. So we're recognizing children and seeing them, and just the evaluation process has been proved to be able to better recognize those signs and symptoms because of the improvement in the diagnostic process -- that is likely a part of the reason why -- it's not fully, it doesn't fully account for it."
"That is something researchers are looking at in terms of environmental pollutants, also processed foods, just all kinds of things, we don't really know -- there's no science behind that right now," Bonifert said. "We know ... the cause of autism is multifactoral, it's a neurobiological disorder: children are born with it, but there are a number of factors. There is a genetic component, but we don't fully understand that, and not all children that have it have that genetic component, so the environment could be a part of it, we just don't know."
Bonifert also added that families that have a child with autism have a higher chance of having a second child with the disorder.
"There is research going on, on sibling phenotypes where you have ... a family and they have two children ... they evaluate the child that has autism but also evaluate the 'typical sibling' and sometimes they find certain characteristics or there's certain phenotypes that are noted in siblings of autism they may have some subclinical symptoms or they may have some other related symptoms," Bonifert said. "Some of the phenotypes, they can be at risk for higher anxiety, eating disorders, some other mental health issues ... but they're just beginning to show some of the research on that and studying the siblings dealing with autism."
According to the CDC website, www. cdc.gov, "The largest increases over time were among Hispanic children (110 percent) and black children (91 percent). We suspect that some of this increase is due to greater awareness and better identification among these groups."
Associate Professor-Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas, Dr. Shahla Ala'i- Rosales said one possible reason for the change in autism statistics for minorities is due to minorities being "under diagnosed" or being diagnosed at a later age in their childhood.
"Part of my research looks at ways that clinicians or behavior analysis's working with children and families can be more culturally responsive to families of many different backgrounds," Rosales said. "I don't know if the incidents have increased or if the disparities and diagnosis have been addressed. There's fairly strong literature that suggests that children from minority groups are diagnosed at a later age and they're not detected as easily, not because of the children, but because of the way our societies are structured, and that's actually true in many different areas in healthcare and behavioral health. There are disparities in access to services and it seems to be no different for children with autism."
Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with autism, the CDC said. Statistics show one in 54 boys will be diagnosed compared to one in 252 girls.
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Piecing the puzzle: April marks National Autism Awareness Month
SIMI VALLEY, Calif., May 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Autism expert Lynette Louise of Brain and Body agrees that every mom deserves to be pampered and recognized on Mother's Day. For parenting partners and kids this is a great opportunity to prove that you appreciate the lengths mom goes to every day, by helping out for one! Unfortunately, moms of autism often get less pampered because families and friends aren't sure what to do.
Global autism expert, and more importantly, autism mom and individual Lynette Louise, would love to offer some simple suggestions!
Neighbors and Strangers: #1 Think 'Isn't that child beautiful!?' #2 Think 'Isn't that mom awesome!?' #3 Think 'How can I help?' #4 Don't think. Act! Open a door, push a cart, carry a bag, smile!
In-Laws and Extended Relatives: Hire a cleaning lady that uses all natural products and send her to clean-up the mess after Mother's Day.
Siblings: Engage in your special sib's favorite game of repetitive behavior for at least an hour, and laugh a lot!
Parenting Partner: Do ALL the child rearing for the day and then both of you go out to supper. (If the in-laws don't do their job, hire a maid to clean-up the mess. If you can't afford one, involve all the kids and do it yourselves.)
Best Friend: Take her and her special child out while the house gets cleaned.
MOM: Relax and trust your friends and family to do it all! You deserve a day!
Some of these tips and tricks (ie think wonderfully, smile and play favorite game with special sib) will make everyone feel more comfortable every day of the year. Surprisingly they also have the ability to help guide your children in skill acquisition and social comfort. Let Mother's Day be an excuse to begin making those simple, brain-changing adjustments! According to Lynette, "Sooner is better than later, though later is MUCH better than not at all."
Lynette Louise raised eight children four of them were on the spectrum of autism.She was able to guide all but one out of autism and into independence.Lynette travels internationally, performing and speaking on the subject of autism and the efficacy of neurofeedback (biofeedback for the brain).A doubly board-certified PhD candidate at UNM: College of Psychophysiology, she is the author of the inspirational and honest new book MIRACLES ARE MADE: A Real Life Guide to Autism and host of the WebTalk.net radio show A NEW SPIN ON AUTISM: ANSWERS!Her one-woman musical comedy show CRAZY TO SANE raises awareness -- and laughter --around the world.
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How to be a Village for an Autism mom this Mother's Day
COLUMBUS, GA -
Recent studies show 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with autism in the United States.
A group of Columbus students are not letting their diagnosis hold them down, andthey can now say they are authors after penning the pages of a new book.
The short stories and pictures of animals inA is for Autismwereall written and illustrated by students with autism, like 16-year-old Keveran McDonald. Keveran's father, Mark, says it is overwhelming to see the pages A is for Autism.
"I'm very proud of his accomplishments. Sometimes you don't think things like this would be possible, but they surprise you. Just makes me really proud," said McDonald.
Rebecca Gristina, the President of the Board of Directors at Bridges Learning Center in Columbus, a school that focuses on helping autistic children, says this three-year project allowed a group of their students to channel their emotions.
"A lot of the kids struggle with building relationships and friendships with peers. Traditionally developing peers, and these stories are mostly about friendship," said Gristina.
All of the proceeds from book sales will go back to the school where 75% of the students have some kind of financial aid. That money will go to close that gap as well as help with therapy for the students.
"We involve our students in hypo-therapy which is horseback riding and water therapy. We also have a computer program called brain jog which focuses the kids on their eye movement in order to build that eye contact," said Gristina
McDonald says because of this school, his son has a chance to thrive.
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Columbus students with autism write book
By Jenifer Goodwin HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- If a woman smokes during pregnancy, it may increase her child's risk of high-functioning autism, a new study suggests.
But the raised risk was slight, experts said. And researchers found no association between maternal smoking and more severe forms of autism.
What the findings suggest is that although autism spectrum disorders share many of the same symptoms, subtypes of the disorder likely have many different genetic and environmental causes that vary from person to person and by type of autism, explained study author Amy Kalkbrenner, an assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Zilber School of Public Health.
"We know 'autism spectrum disorders' is an umbrella term. What we're showing is the response to a environmental toxin may differ by the subtype of autism a child has," Kalkbrenner said.
The study was published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Kalkbrenner and her colleagues examined data on maternal smoking from birth certificates of nearly 634,000 U.S. children born in 11 states in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1998. That data was compared with information on 3,315 children aged 8 and under diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network.
About 13 percent of the mothers smoked during pregnancy, and 11 percent of the mothers of kids with an autism spectrum disorder smoked during pregnancy, the investigators found.
According to the study, kids born to moms who smoked during pregnancy had about a 25 percent increased risk of having high-functioning autism, such as Asperger's syndrome. However, the results did not reach statistical significance.
Nor was smoking a clear risk factor for autistic disorder (a more severe form of autism).
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Prenatal Smoking Linked to High-Functioning Autism in Kids
ScienceDaily (May 7, 2012) A Kansas State University graduate student is creating a schoolyard that can become a therapeutic landscape for children with autism.
Chelsey King, master's student in landscape architecture, St. Peters, Mo., is working with Katie Kingery-Page, assistant professor of landscape architecture, to envision a place where elementary school children with autism could feel comfortable and included.
"My main goal was to provide different opportunities for children with autism to be able to interact in their environment without being segregated from the rest of the school," King said. "I didn't want that separation to occur."
The schoolyard can be an inviting place for children with autism, King said, if it provides several aspects: clear boundaries, a variety of activities and activity level spaces, places where the child can go when overstimulated, opportunities for a variety of sensory input without being overwhelming and a variety of ways to foster communication between peers.
"The biggest issue with traditional schoolyards is that they are completely open but also busy and crowded in specific areas," King said. "This can be too overstimulating for a person with autism."
King researched ways that she could create an environment where children with autism would be able to interact with their surroundings and their peers, but where they could also get away from overstimulation until they felt more comfortable and could re-enter the activities.
"Through this research, I was able to determine that therapies and activities geared toward sensory stimulation, cognitive development, communication skills, and fine and gross motor skills -- which traditionally occur in a classroom setting -- could be integrated into the schoolyard," King said.
King designed her schoolyard with both traditional aspects -- such as a central play area -- and additional elements that would appeal to children with autism, including:
* A music garden where children can play with outdoor musical instruments to help with sensory aspects.
* An edible garden/greenhouse that allows hands-on interaction with nature and opportunities for horticulture therapy.
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Schoolyard designed for children with autism
On Monday, April 2, families and friends of people who are impacted by autism will join together in front of Clock Tower Place in Maynard to watch the town clock turn blue to raise awareness of Autism in the community.
Adding itself to the list of international landmarks including the Sydney Opera House, Empire State Building and many more, Clock Towers blue lights will be a symbol that Maynard supports our community members who are impacted by autism, a complex neurobiological disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by behavioral challenges.
Light It Up Blue is an international campaign created by the organization Autism Speaks.
Jae Mannion, a student at Fowler School and who has Aspergers Syndome, a type of autism, organized the Maynard event. Jae has made collection tins to raise money to pay for the plastic tube covers for the 48 lights, which light the clock every evening. The cost of the tubing is $284. Kevin Whalen, owner of Stow Ace Hardware, has helped support Jae in his efforts. Kevin and his wife Melissa, have a son, Ty, who has a severe form of autism.
According to the group, Autism Speaks, autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 110 children; one in 70 boys in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown. The mission of Autism Speaks is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders. The organization is dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder.
The community is invited to watch the clock turn blue at 7 p.m., Monday April 2 in front of Clock Tower Place. Anyone can Light It Up Blue by purchasing a blue light for their home at Stow Ace Hardware. Maynard and Stow students are encouraged to wear blue to school on April 2.
For more information visit lightitupblue.org or email Danielle Mannion at dmannion@millisps.org.
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Shine a light on autism in April