Author Archives: David Berkowitz, Editor in Chief.

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6 Ways to Detect Early Signs of Autism

Some people say that autism is becoming more prevalent in today’s society, and others are saying that it is just easier to find these days. Whatever the case may be, these six wayscan help you to detect early signs of autism.

Regular Doctor’s Visits
When you need medical advice, the best person to consult is a professional in the field. Be sure that your child is going to the doctor on a regular basis, and do not be afraid to call to ask for questions. Making assumptions about your child’s state of health could lead to more stress and aggravation for the both of you.

Verbal Development
So many different factors are signs of autism, but issues with verbal development is definitely a large one. Remember, all children are not going to start speaking at the exact same time. However, if your little one has not uttered at least a few words and you are starting to get worried, it could be a sign of autism, a speech delay or other condition.

Regression Issues
Let’s say that your child started to speak and then he or she suddenly stopped. Whenever a child has this type, or any type, of regression issues, he or she may have autism. In sum, regression basically means that your child has moved backwards. At some point, he or she had a particular skill. However, instead of continuing to build upon that skill, it actually went away in part or entirely. This is often a major indicator of autism.

Lack of Interaction
Consider the ways that autism affects children as they develop, and you’ll start to recognize how these issues are manifested in early symptoms. Perhaps your baby does not seem to respond to touch or does not appear interested in engagement and interaction. Many youngsters with autism struggle with their social skills and interactions, so this can be a major indicator of that.

Sensory Issues
You have probably heard of sensory issues as a major sign of autism before, and you can look for these types of occurrences in your little one. Of course, no one likes a loud noise, but children with autism are often extremely sensitive to these types of occurrences. Sensory issues can manifest themselves in other ways as well; your baby might not like the texture of certain foods or the feel of certain objects.

Trusting What You Know
Above all else, you really need to trust your gut when you feel like something is wrong. No book or guide knows your baby as well as you do, and you can likely tell when something is not quite right. Again, do not be afraid to call your doctor. If early signs of autism or another condition are noticed, early intervention can be an excellent way to help your child cope and acclimate.

Realizing that any of these signs is not an immediate indicator of autism is important. Many other conditions can cause these signs, and some of them are just related to different personalities and speeds of development.

Author Pam Johnson is a special education teacher who specializes in working with autistic children. She obtained her online masters in special ed from Saint Joseph’s University online.
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How People with Asperger’s Experience the World-A guest post

Asperger’s syndrome is categorized as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Kids with Asperger’s (for short) often have difficulties socially engaging with others and correctly reading non-verbal environmental cues. Some with Asperger’s report unique hobbies or patterns of behavior, such as being interested in an esoteric musical genres or remote galaxies in the universe. If you’re interested in how those born with this condition experience life, read on for some insight into their perception of the world.

 

Asperger Syndrome: Really Autism?

Neuroscientists have confirmed with brain scans that kids with Asperger’s retain many cognitive and linguistic abilities that kids with traditional autism do not. At times, however, odd prosody or an idiosyncratic use of language can accompany the condition. A less reported finding is that those with Asperger’s will often display physical clumsiness, restricted empathy and difficulty sustaining eye contact.

 

Roots of Asperger syndrome

Asperger’s was “discovered” by an Austrian pediatrician in the 1940s. Hans Asperger, after whom the condition is named, noted that some children displayed consistent difficulties with deciphering non-verbal cues, like hand gestures or lack of interest in the audience. Hans Asperger also noted that children with this condition were more physically maladroit on the playground and showed an inability to empathize with other children and their problems. That said, Asperger’s Syndrome took another forty years to take hold in the public consciousness and did not become canonized in the DSM until the early 1990s.

 

Its Etiology

The exact causes of Asperger’s syndrome are currently unknown. Results from extensive brain imaging reveal no single commonality across all sufferers of the condition. That said, Asperger’s is treated by most psychologists as a pervasive developmental disorder. By doing so, psychologists can study and assess a constellation of symptoms and developmental abnormalities in lieu of pinpointing one all-encompassing etiological factor.

 

For instance, a psychologist would look for poor eye contact, an especially straight posture, problems with emotional reciprocity and out-of-place facial expressions instead of one behavioral giveaway. The “social awkwardness” of those diagnosed has been deemed “active but odd” by many psychologists. This denotes the fact that kids with Asperger syndrome very often want to fit in and feel included, but remain unsure of how to accomplish smooth social interaction. Kids often display trouble modulating the pitch and tone of their speech, and some even display echolalia, or the repetition of another’s speech.

 

Theory

The prevailing theory explicating Asperger’s among social psychologists is theory of mind (TOM). Theory of mind postulates, in part, that Asperger syndrome sufferers have trouble ascribing mental states to other people. In many respects, theory of mind is the lynchpin that explains an Asperger’s syndrome sufferers’ social difficulties.

Through further understanding the treatment options and mechanisms of this relatively newfound syndrome, psychologists can help kids with Asperger syndrome lead more fulfilling lives. That said, many with Asperger’s don’t feel any “different” from those without the condition, and many of the most intelligent and successful individuals in history likely would have been diagnosed with it. It’s not uncommon to hear someone find out their child or friend has this condition, yet they just assumed this person was “awkward.” So while they may have distinct experiences due to the condition, the way they perceive the world isn’t exactly “different” from how you or I do so.

Joseph Rodriguez writes about child development and psychology. His recent work is about the best online counseling degrees in the US.

From Josh Anderson…

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My recent review of the Powerock’s Magic Cube

I recently had the opportunity to test and review the Powerocks Magic Cube. They are available in 4 colors and 3 capacities. In this day and age of carrying many devices and not always being near a power source, these devices are great to have available. The one I am testing has worked very well. Please check out other reviews from the aspie tech guy, https://technewszone.com

Magic cube

Capacitance：5200mah / 7800mah / 10400mah
Input：5V / 2.1A (max)
Output：Micro USB:5V/1A、USB:5V/1A
Color：dreaming pink, flowery blue, classic black and faddish silver!
Dimension：52.4 * 24 * 86.5mm / 71.6 * 24 * 86.5mm / 90.8 * 24 * 86.5mm
Net weight：150g / 220g / 290g
Certification：MFI、CE、FCC、ROSH
Standard Configuration：One black Micro to 30 pin apple connector、Storage Bag
Applicable products：compatible for most USB charging mobile phones, all digital products and apple products.

Products description：
1.Classic built in USB input and output design makes you free from taking USB cables trouble.
2.Duel outputs, one Micro USB cable output and one USB port output, can charge two devices simultaneously.
3.Standard package includes one Micro to apple 30 pin connector, which could work with all apple products, most USB charging mobiles and electronic devices.
4.High capacity and it takes only 2 hours to fully charge iPhone5.
5.Intelligent charging and discharging protection design and intelligent low self-consuming in dormant status design. It can save the power more than half year without using.
6.4 LED power indicator blinks when charging. Knowing the remaining power by pressing at any time.
7.Green energy product, self-consuming lower than 50uA, recyclable.

Package：Apple authorized professional MFI package ( packages has MFI logo )
I was impressed with the design and ease of use of the Magic Cube. It was able to charge 3 of my devices, 2 smart phones and an Ipad Mini with an adapter that I bought at the electronics store.
The one I tested was the blue colored one, which I found to be a excellent product that was very impressive in its’ simple design and high level of utility as far as its capability to recharge ones electronic devices.
I recommend the Power Rock Magic Cube to anyone who needs to recharge devices on the go.
Here is a brief YouTube video that I did in regards to the device that I had the opportunity to test and evaluate.
Watch this video on YouTube.

For more information on the Power Rock’s Magic Cube and their interesting products go to–>
Your Editor,
David J. Berkowitz
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Father’s Uplifting Memoir Depicts Journey to Understanding Thoughts of Autistic Son

Father’s Uplifting Memoir Depicts Journey to Understanding Thoughts of Autistic Son
Father's Uplifting Memoir Depicts Journey to Understanding Thoughts of Autistic Son (via SBWire)

Daniel James Wilson’s compelling book tells the self-searching story of the author’s need to understand his own thoughts in order to embody those of his autistic son. Written to help others find themselves and become wholly honest, the book is expected…

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Why #Autism Awareness is still broken in 2013

Why #Autism Awareness is still broken in 2013
Why #Autism Awareness is still broken in 2013 (via www.lostandtired.com)

A couple years ago, I wrote a story on Why Autism Awareness is Broken. This was actually one of my more popular articles and it garnered a lot of attention. I wanted to follow up with my thoughts on how things are going with Autism Awareness in 2013…

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Delaware organization matches people with autism and tech jobs

Delaware organization matches people with autism and tech jobs
Delaware organization matches people with autism and tech jobs (via NewsWorks)

August 28, 2013 By Maiken Scott, @maikenscott One year after coming to Delaware, an international program that aims to find tech jobs for individuals with autism is seeing its first successes. The program is called “Specialisterne,” which means “The…

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Autistic Children Can Outgrow Difficulty Understanding Visual Cues And Sounds

Autistic Children Can Outgrow Difficulty Understanding Visual Cues And Sounds
Autistic Children Can Outgrow Difficulty Understanding Visual Cues And Sounds (via PR Newswire)

Download image Albert Einstein College of Medicine Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Albert Einstein College of Medicine) BRONX, N.Y., Aug. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have shown that…

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Dad with Autism’s Online News Company Launches online Campaign to do a Documentary Movie to Help Autism via the Arts, Technology and Music

Dad with Autism’s Online News Company Launches KickStarter Campaign to do a Documentary Movie to Help Autism via the Arts, Technology and Music

Dad with Autism’s Online News Company Launches online Campaign to do a Documentary Movie to Help Autism via the Arts, Technology and Music

 

In April 2012, the Centers for Disease Control announced that 1 in 80 children are diagnosed with autism. This has drawn global attention with over 71 percent of Americans expressing interest in learning more about autism alone. Arts4autism’s aim is to capture how real autistic people in Las Vegas, NV are dealing with the realty of autism. The owner has a vested interest in bringing attention to autism since he and his children are on the autism spectrum.

Las Vegas, NV, July 26, 2013 –(PR.com)– Founder of www.technewszone.com, part of Autism Advocacy and Technology News zone as well as Arts4autism goes on the record to talk about the company’s forthcoming autism documentary. The company is using Kickstarter to gain initial funding to get the documentary started.

David Berkowitz took a few years to get his pet project off the ground. The founder of TechNewsZone.com (www.technewszone.com) had more than a few challenges to overcome: to be specific, he is an high functioning bright autistic adult whose accomplishments brought him within shot of an M.B.A. and he had 8 years Army service with an honorable discharge.

The company is currently in the process of doing a Kickstarter campaign to produce a documentary movie on autism, the people, the programs and the arts to help people with autism in Nevada initially and nationally as time goes on.

https://technewszone.dntly.com/#/

A summary–

Arts4autism’s/Technewszone.com’s goal is to make a documentary about autistic people in Las Vegas, what is being done to help, the programs, people & results, real life.

The aim of the movie is to capture how real autistic people in Las Vegas, NV are dealing with the realty of autism. Mr. Berkowitz and the company as a result has a vested interest in bringing attention to autism. David is a high functioning father of 3 autistic kids and the movie will to tell the story of their lives with autism as well as others in Las Vegas and their experiences with autism. In addition they will illustrate what is being done to help autism in Nevada especially in programs targeted to music, the arts, dance, music therapy and theater related programs. This film is targeted towards those families impacted by autism. David and the company truly have a vested interest in helping bring exposure to autism, autism awareness and the autism programs in Nevada.

David met Temple Grandin twice and she is said to have made the statement that arts saved her life. David was in band for 7 years and it certainly had a positive impact on his life.

In regards to the documentary, it consists of:

1) A overview on some of the autism for profit and nonprofit in the Las Vegas especially the ones that are focused around the arts, music, technology and music therapy as well as respite programs. It will detail what is being done now as what will be done in the next 12 months to improve the lives of people with autism.

2) Interviews with 10+ families that have been affected by autism and their stories especially ones that have experienced beneficial programs involving music and the arts and what can be done to improve them as well as what has been effective.

3) Information on his experience with autism and his family as well as his intentions as far as trying to help people with autism via tech, music and the arts. The movie will elaborate as to their desire and initial plans and long term goals to help autistic people via technology, music and the arts and what it will take to make it happen and the impact on the local autism community as well.

The organization plans to do local interviews with autism programs that are involved with tech music and the arts. They will meet and will talk to families of people with autism, and their friends to determine what has been favorable and what can be improved with current programs. They also plan to meet and talk to the people with autism as to their thoughts and opinions of the benefits that the arts, autism programs and music have added to their lives and quality of life.

This film explores and will show how art, music and technology can help individuals with autism communicate and express themselves. The movie once complete will also illustrate the benefits that the families of the folks with autism have as a form of respite and culture too.

They need people and companies help to illustrate how the arts, music and tech have and can improve the lives of those with autism as well as their families.

The following is what is needed to complete the documentary:
They want to get the message out there to as many people as possible. The intent is to submit the film produce a finished DVD for sale, on the web and maybe a film festival as well.

– The movie needs backers
– It needs exposure
– It needs people to support and guidance during the production of the movie

The project falls under the auspices of Technewzone.com, part of Autism Advocacy and Technology News Zone.

The company has been a news site and autism advocacy news site for nearly 3 years. The organization is hoping to gain exposure, and help the autism community as a result of the documentary.

https://technewszone.dntly.com/#/

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Press Release–>Design for the senses – quality for individualists: The new MOMENTUM On-Ear from Sennheiser
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PRESS RELEASE

Design for the senses – quality for individualists: The new MOMENTUM On-Ear from Sennheiser

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Old Lyme, Conn., 10 July 2013 – Quality, substance and value: audio specialistSennheiser developed the MOMENTUM headphones for people who prize these properties – and who refuse to compromise on sound or design. Equipped with high-quality audio technology and finished with the finest materials, the MOMENTUM unites form and function like no other headphones. Now Sennheiser is introducing theMOMENTUM On-Ear. This smaller, on-ear version makes it possible to define your personal style with a range of contemporary colors.

The MOMENTUM On-Ear is a new addition to the MOMENTUM family, adding a dash of color to the Sennheiser product range. The headphones are available in four fresh shades – distinct looks selected by an international team of designers and trend scouts. In blue, green, pink and ivory, their perfect combination of sound and style is every bit as impressive as the rest of the MOMENTUM range.

Katrin Huss, Director of Customer Relationship Management at Sennheiser comments: “The new MOMENTUM On-Ear embodies an urban style that’s focused on high performance and the finest materials – on style and substance. They are the perfect choice for those who demand top quality and want to express this through their own personal style.”

High-quality audio technology and the finest materials
The MOMENTUM On-Ear headphones stand out for their minimalist design, but also for the tangibly high quality of their materials and workmanship. The ear pads and headband have been finished in Alcantara®, a high-tech material produced in Italy. As a result of its unique combination of suppleness, durability and breathable comfort, this luxury material is valued by fashion designers and interior designers alike. As with all other models in the MOMENTUM family, the headband of the MOMENTUM On-Ear is made of stainless steel.

The sound of these headphones is also clear and uncompromising, creating a sound experience in which even the tiniest details can be heard. Equipped with high-end 18-ohm transducers, MOMENTUM On-Ear guarantees full stereo sound with a slight bass emphasis in a frequency range from 16 to 22,000 Hz. Thanks to their closed, on-ear design, these headphones isolate the listener from external noise to ensure a great listening experience on the move – even in noisy urban environments.

Perfection in every detail
MOMENTUM On-Ear headphones feature a single-sided detachable cable with convenient in-line remote and microphone for Apple iDevices, for easy control of music playback and to make and receive calls on the go.

The new member of the MOMENTUM family is available in the colors blue, green, pink and ivory at selected retailers from summer 2013.

For more information on the MOMENTUM On-Ear, please visitwww.sennheiserusa.com/momentum-on-ear

Captions:
MOMENTUM On-Ear Blue.jpg: The new MOMENTUM On-Ear in Blue
MOMENTUM On-Ear Ivory.jpg: The new MOMENTUM On-Ear in Ivory

About Sennheiser

Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Conn. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

You can find all the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting our website.

Media Contacts:

Jeff Touzeau
Public Relations
Hummingbird Media, Inc.
(914) 602-2913
[email protected]

Rachel Smolin
Public Relations
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation
(860) 434-9190, Ext. 180
[email protected]
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Hands-on Test of the Sony Xperia Z on T-Mobile LTE

Hands-on Test of the Sony Xperia Z on T-Mobile LTE
Hands-on Test of the Sony Xperia Z on T-Mobile LTE (via Tom’s Hardware)

At CES 2013, which was over six months ago, a smartphone caught our eyes and captured our hearts enough for us to call it one of the best things we saw at the show back in January. That phone was the Sony Xperia Z, which at the time was one of the first…

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