It is certainly not an easy task modifying curriculum and accommodating students with ASDs in the public school setting. This takes a great deal of time, effort, and patience on behalf of the teachers, related service providers, school psychologist, and administrators. Kristina Chew, one of my favorite autism bloggers, recently spoke about her frustrations with her son's school. I wanted to share with you...
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Added by ariane321 on November 4, 2009 at 9:42am —
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The New York Times reported that the new DSM-V, which is set for release in 2012, may do away with the Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis altogether....
Check it out
here....What do you think?
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Added by ariane321 on November 2, 2009 at 6:16pm —
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For those parents who are concerned about your Aspie son/daughter's transition from high school to college,
Pace University may be a great option. The BOSS (Build on Special Strengths) program has been developed for high functioning students on the autistic spectrum who have demonstrated the potential for tackling college level material. The students are fully integrated into undergraduate classes, re…
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Added by ariane321 on October 29, 2009 at 5:52pm —
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A new
study reported the prevalence rate for ASDs in the United States as 1 in 91 children including 1 in 58 boys.
Although this is viewed as alarming by many, I see this ratio (at the very least) in my own schools....
Keep educating, integrating, and accepting/accommodating those who are neuro-different....
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Added by ariane321 on October 5, 2009 at 6:39pm —
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The Amazing Race features a constestant with AS....help cheer on
Zev, who is described "an avid sports fan — especially basketball — and he has an intense competitive spirit. He describes himself as funny, modest, and loyal, and is running the Race to prove to himself that he can do anything!!"
The Amazing Race is on Sunday nights on CBS at 8pm...
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Added by ariane321 on October 3, 2009 at 5:30pm —
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Check out
Education.com's special edition about Asperger's Syndrome. This site includes a variety of articles from well regarded researchers in the field such as Dr. Brenda Smith Myles and Dr. Tony Attwood, providing information from empirically-supported academic and social skill interventions to personal reflections of those on the autisitic spectrum.
I found the Special Interest Area…
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Added by ariane321 on October 3, 2009 at 4:55pm —
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Came across an interesting website that reviews recent research on autism spectrum disorders called
lookingupautism.org
Here is an interview conducted with Dr. Tony Attwood, a clinical psychologist from Australia who is considered one of the leading experts in Asperger's Syndrome:
ADAM FEINSTEIN: Asperger’s syndrome has been recognised only relatively recently as a specific disorder. What do you think have been the major advances i…
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Added by ariane321 on September 14, 2009 at 7:51pm —
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I received this from Pat Schissel's AHA yahoo group...(AHA-AS-PDD@yahoogroups.com)
Here are some tips that may help the school year go a little easier for you and your student on the spectrum:
1) It’s a good idea to have a hard copy of the homework assignment to hand to your students on the spectrum, because most of them are mono-channel. This means they cannot look at the assignment on the board, write it down and still be able to focus on what you are saying. By the time they have finished c…
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Added by ariane321 on September 9, 2009 at 4:00pm —
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Model Me Kids has produced an educational DVD series targeting bullying for children ages 9-17 with ASD. The series is appropriate for both educators and parents and specifically teaches skills for building self-esteem. Model Me Confidence™ shows children acting out an appropriate behavior in a real-world situation. Skills covered include: Self-Advocacy, Peer Pressure, Choosing Friends, Building Strengths, Visualization,…
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Added by ariane321 on September 9, 2009 at 3:41pm —
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Since it is apparent that affordable summer camps that cater to children with developmental differences is a rareity in these parts, I figured that I'd post the following information:
Camp Kulam, a program run through the Jewish Community Center on the upper west side of Manhattan, offers swimming, art, and summer fun. It is described as "a warm and welcoming camp experience for children with special needs, ages 6-9." The…
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Added by ariane321 on June 7, 2009 at 7:30pm —
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This year's conference will take place during the week of June 29th at the Bradford campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Advance registration is required to attend and registration must be received by June 15th. For more information, please go to
http://www.autreat.com
Here is some pertinent information from the website:
Things you will not find at Autreat:
Crowded, noisy hotel or conference center
Exhausting, intensive schedule
Inescapable sens…
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Added by ariane321 on June 2, 2009 at 6:32pm —
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I am horrified. With everything we know about positive behavior supports, how can students continue to be exposed to dangerous punishment methods?? Since there is currently no standard regulations on discipline techniques for students in school, some educators and administrations have resorted to "quick fixes" such as the use of handcuffs, other types of restraints, and seclusion for hours to address maladpative or disruptive behaviors. This is victimization at its worst and I thank House Commit…
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Added by ariane321 on May 19, 2009 at 7:35pm —
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The Economist published an
article examining the research supporting the link between autism and extraordinary ability. Many researchers have noted that some of the criteria (restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests) required for an ASD diagnosis may be the basis for the development of savant gifts/talents.
The article ends with:
Savant syndrome, then, is a case where the politically correct e…
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Added by ariane321 on April 17, 2009 at 7:53am —
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Attend an event in your area...donate...or just spread the word.
Click
here to learn more about World Autism Awareness Day
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Added by ariane321 on March 31, 2009 at 8:28pm —
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On Sunday, June 14th, Autism Speaks will be sponsoring its annual
Walk Now for Autism. I will certainly be attending and welcome anyone who'd like to join my crew. Like last year, the walk will take place at South Street Seaport.
For additional infomation, contact jgreco@autismspeaks.org or (917) 475-5068.
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Added by ariane321 on March 22, 2009 at 8:19pm —
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I just found out about a great website called
MakeBeliefsComix.com, which enables you to create you own comic strip. It immediately appealed to me as an option for creating social stories with children with ASDs, as you are able to modify body postures and facial expressions as well as write your own "script!" The site also enables you to create personalized comic strips in 6 different languages.
I am definitely going to try this out with some of m…
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Added by ariane321 on March 16, 2009 at 5:19pm —
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Wanted to let the group know that you can now utilize the chat feature on the website :)
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Added by ariane321 on March 15, 2009 at 7:13pm —
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Queens College Regional Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders will be sponsoring its 2nd annual conference on May 16th, 2009. The conference is entitled "Creating Positive Behavior Support Contexts at School and Home for Children on the Autism Spectrum." There will be various workshops, including those addressing sleep issues for children with ASDs, transition from adolescence to adult life, and facilitated social inclusion for students with Asperger's Syndrome.
Registration fee is only $10.00! C…
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Added by ariane321 on March 7, 2009 at 4:11pm —
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On Saturday, February 28th, I attended the 2nd citywide Special Education Conference sponsored by Education Update. The conference focused primarily on autism, ADHD, and assisitive technology that could facilitate learning and enable those who require alternatives to standard teaching practices. There were many speakers, each of whom had 20 minutes to present on their topic. Thus, presentations had to be brief but, as a result, a great deal of information was presented.
Here is an overview of s…
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Added by ariane321 on March 2, 2009 at 12:18pm —
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I was particularly interested in this study, as I am also a recovering dental phobic! Dr. Michele Shapiro of the Issie Shapiro Educational Center and colleagues from Hebrew University in Israel studied the effects of the sensory environment on a child's anxiety levels during two separate routine cleaning visits to the dentist. The researchers observed 35 children between the ages of 6-11 years, 16 of whom were developmentally disabled. They measured the anxiety levels of the children during each…
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Added by ariane321 on February 22, 2009 at 10:30am —
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