Here is a nice video from a musical special needs program. It is an example of what we want to help provide. We want to give the gift of music, the arts and education to improve the quality of life for people on the autism spectrum.

A nice song about being a Special Needs parent and having special needs kids.

It is awesome, please tell everyone who you know who has special needs kids.

I saw this interesting new laser projector at a trade show recently. It come in handy for teacher’s and other educators.

According to an excerpt from Engadget–>

Look who finally decided to join the HDMI game. It’s Microvision’s SHOWWX+, now aptly named the SHOWWX+ HDMI. It’s still bringing the brightness with 15 laser lumens, a 5,000:1 native contrast ratio, and 2-hour battery life. As before, it supports all your iDevices, and, now, any HDMI-equipped machine, including the BlackBerry PlayBook, pictured above — not all devices will support full video mirroring, however. Unfortunately, for HD purists, it’s still pushing an 848 x 480 native resolution, but if 1080p’s not topping your priority list, you can pre-order one now for $370.

I like Engadget.

According to our friends at Autism News Wire,

http://theautismnewswire.com/NewsITems.aspx?newsID=555

Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus says he plans to provide funding to open a school for autistic children. Marcus made the announcement while speaking to members of the Atlanta Press Club Wednesday afternoon. The school would be part the Marcus Autism Center on Briarcliff Road. At the moment, the center provides a number of services and programs for autistic children and their families. Marcus says the school will likely educate children in the first through the fourth grades.

I find it to be excellent when large companies help others. We are actually seeking corporate sponsorship for tablets and technology to help us to help autistic kids, and families.

Please see these articles about us–>
http://www.suite101.com/content/ipads-for-kids-with-autism-tech-news-zone-wants-to-help-a375923

http://www.suite101.com/content/give-your-old-tablet-pc-to-tech-news-and-help-an-autistic-child-a375770

This book is amazing: The author Kelly Tilley is a Board Certified Occupational Therapist that lives in Crystal Lake, IL. She was educated at The University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario. She currently works at Arlington Pediatric Therapy Management Services in Arlington heights, IL, providing therapeutic intervention for children with neurological and congenital conditions.

the book is layed out in the easy to use fashion

electing Activities for each Child: Description of tabs Tabs along the bottom border of each page allow the teacher, parent, or therapist to select activities that are ideal for calming, energizing, upper extremity strengthening, and core strengthening. The tabs allow daily routines of activities to be easily developed. Tabs also make it easier to select activities that are specific to the child’s area(s) of need. Often these sensorimotor activities improve more than one area, so multiple tabs will reflect this along the bottom of the page. For example, “Meteorite Launch” is an energizing and core strengthening activity.Every child has a unique set of sensory needs and abilities. Some children appear “over-aroused” (too wired, unable to sit still) while some children appear “under –aroused” (too sluggish, trouble getting moving). Improving children’s level of arousal and their ability to attend and focus can be achieved through sensorimotor activities.

http://theautismnewswire.com/NewsITems.aspx?newsID=508

Compliments to our Blogger Network, from Autism Asperger’s Digest magazine.

Sensory Savvy Parenting!
By Britt Collins, M.S., OTR/L

Reprinted with permission from a featured article that appears in the just-released July/August issue of Autism Asperger’s Digest magazine. Learn more, www.AutismDigest.com.

Your first child. What an exciting, wonderful, and anxious time it is! When you found out you were pregnant, you probably read stacks of baby books, and read even more as your baby grew into a toddler. When you discovered your child was on the autism spectrum, you undoubtedly searched out any and every book you could find that would help you understand your child better.

Along the way you may – or may not – have read about sensory processing disorder (SPD) or sensory processing problems in spectrum kids. Recent studies report that approximately 5-10% of all children experience sensory symptoms significant enough to affect their everyday life functions. Within the ASD population that number can be as high as 95%! (Tomchek, 2007) Sensory issues may have resonated with you to some degree; you grasped what sensory sensitivities might feel like to your child. But, noticing them – before your child is in sensory overload – well, perhaps you’re a little lost there. No worries! I’m here to help you become a more sensory savvy parent!Jackie Olson (a mom) and I co-wrote Sensory Parenting: From Newborns to Toddlers(Sensory World, 2010)to reach out to new and pregnant moms with information about our sensory systems and how they work. For many new parents, this is foreign territory!

So, let’s assume you know the basics: there’s not five senses (touch, taste, hearing, smell, sight) but seven (add in vestibular and proprioceptive) and some experts say there are lots more! Our kids can be hypo (under) sensitive or hyper (over) sensitive in any area. And, that sensitivity level can vary sense to sense and day to day, or even hour to hour depending on the conditions at hand! You understand this is biology at work within your child: it’s not something he can control at will. And, that sensory issues cause very real problems in your child’s life that interfere tremendously with her ability to be calm, focused, attentive, and happy.

But – how do you know when your child is in sensory overload? Are there early warning signs, behaviors to look for that tell you something is amiss? Yes there are, and as a parent you have to play detective to figure out your child’s specific sensory sensitivities and recognize the red flags. Your goal is to help your child avoid sensory overload (it’s no fun!) or offer strategies to calm down afterwards.

I believe almost everyone has some sort of sensory issue. Maybe you buy tag-less t-shirts because the tag drives you crazy, or you prefer a certain type of comfortable clothing (I prefer anything cozy, like a large sweatshirt and warm socks). It’s really irritating when strangers keep bumping into you in a crowded subway, and you never go to loud concerts because they hurt your ears. Rides at Disneyland that go up and down or round and round? Forget it; you’d be nauseous in under a minute! All that is sensory based.

And so is the flip side. You love deep pressure massage; it’s so calming to your system. You go to the gym to release the frustrations of the day. You relax in a warm bath, scented with your favorite aromatherapy products – ah, how good they make you feel! And there’s nothing better than the smooth, creamy texture of good ice cream. That’s all sensory-based, too!

I’ve met scores of parents who start to realize their own sensory issues when they begin to educate themselves about their children’s sensory challenges. When they feel, first hand, what it’s like, they start better understanding what their child may be experiencing on a daily basis when the world is too loud, too bright, too fast – too intense!

Everyday sensory sensitivities become a problem when we are so affected by them we can no longer function as we should. This is what happens with our kids, and they express this through their behavior – the only way they know how to tell us! And yet, many parents attribute behavior problems to “something else” and don’t realize how much of an impact sensory issues have. They put their children in uncomfortable situations every day: the grocery store, the mall, the playground, loud birthday parties, restaurants, and the like – and they expect the kids to “behave.” More often than not these situations are way too overwhelming and a meltdown or shut down results.

As a sensory savvy parent you learn to look for the signs of sensory overload. Every child is different and you’ll need to learn to read your own child’s warning signs. That said,let me give you some things to look for. If your child covers her ears, she is more than likely trying to shut out disturbing auditory sounds. If he blinks a lot, averts his eyes, or his eyes water frequently, he could be bothered by too-bright lights (to him!) or the sun. If she pushes away certain foods, and you notice a pattern (they’re all soft or all crunchy) it’s probably a tactile issue. As sensory overload approaches, kids can have different reactions. She may begin to get quiet or disengage if before she was talking to you. You may notice he’s starting to verbally stim or fidget or whine, or grind his teeth. All of these things can be signs of sensory stress. Other signs you might notice:
• singing or talking really loudly to drown out other uncomfortable sounds
• crying or screaming because something touching her doesn’t feel right or hurts
• pulling away from you because he’s scared or anxious to go where you want him to. He may remember last time, when someone dropped a jar of pickles on the floor and the smell was so bad.

You may be wondering: is it all sensory related or is some of it just plain “behavior?” Good question! The difference between sensory and behavior is an article in itself, but you can look for cues from your child and the environment to know what’s what. Is he throwing a tantrum because you told him he cannot have ice cream for breakfast? That’s behavior. Or is it because you washed his favorite shirt with a new detergent and now it smells terrible? That’s sensory. Is she shutting down because you’re asking her to write her spelling words (behavior)? Or is it because you’re frying fish for dinner in the kitchen, the smell makes her gag, and she can’t focus on the task (sensory)? If it’s sensory, remember your child can’t control this – so you need to be proactive, stop and think about what’s going on and what might be causing the behavior. If it’s a sensory issue, it’s your job to step in and help your child. That means you change your behavior and adapt the environment to alleviate your child’s sensory issue at hand and help her regain sensory equilibrium.

Sometimes sensory issues are obvious; at other times they’re not. I work with a child who has impaired hearing. When an adult puts his hearing aid in, he gets upset and grinds his teeth. He is not used to hearing so many sounds and all of a sudden the world is probably like a rock concert to him. I work with another child who begins to physically shake when a peer approaches her to talk. She walks up on her toes and begins to grimace. She will eventually engage and we encourage her to interact, but do so with plenty of breaks so it doesn’t become too overwhelming. One parent I know couldn’t figure out why her son wouldn’t stay in his bed at night. She eventually discovered their cat had deposited a “gift” right under the middle of his bed while they were away on vacation. Her son’s sensitive smell detected the lingering odor when she could not.

Being a sensory savvy parent is one part curiosity, one part sleuth skills, and one part perspective. Be open to seeing the world through your child’s senses and at first, adapting the environment to make it more conducive to your child’s needs. Over time, and with the help of a good OT, you can set up a sensory plan that will help your child learn to self-regulate and deal with the sensory issues. And finally, forgive yourself for those moments we all experience. Here’s a common one: you’re getting three kids ready for school in the morning and you’re running late for work. Your child with ASD/SPD begins to melt down because in the rush you put on the socks that have little tiny strings inside that drive him crazy. Now one childis screaming, another is telling you she forgot to do her homework the night before and the teacher will be mad, and the third child is telling you to pick him up from soccer practice after school! You notice your own meltdown meter skyrocketing! It’s okay, you are not alone – it happens to all of us. Stop, take a deep breath, and play detective to find out why your spectrum child is upset. Retrace your steps and once you figure out it’s the socks, go find the seamless ones, switch them out, and then everyone can calm down. Just toss one of those little chocolate Dove bars into your purse for the ride to work… you know, the kind that make you sigh with a sense of pleasure? Now you understand what it means to be a sensory savvy parent!

BIO
Britt Collins is a pediatric occupational therapist who lives in Salem, Oregon. She has an award-winning OT DVD series (otdvds.com) and a newly released book, Sensory Parenting.For more information visit sensoryparenting.com.

Recommended Reading
Growing an In-Sync Child: Simple, Fun Activities to Help Every Child Develop,Learn, and Grow. Carol Kranowitz, MA, and Joye Newman, MA

Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder: A Family Guide toUnderstanding & Supporting Your Sensory-Sensitive Child.Christopher R. Auer, MA, with Susan Blumberg, PhD

Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Childwith Sensory Integration Issues. Lindsey Biel, OTR/L and Nancy Peske

Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder. Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR/L and Doris Fuller

Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to do if You are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World. Sharon Heller

Copyright © 2011 Autism Asperger’s Digest. All Rights Reserved.

Matt Savage launched his jazz career by attempting to improve a Schubert sonata. His piano teacher told him that the G-sharp he just played was supposed to be a G-natural. “It sounds better my way,” he protested. She replied that only when he wrote his own music could he take liberties with a score. Keen on taking liberties, he became a jazz composer. He released his fifth album this year, making guest appearances on the Today show, 20/20, and NPR. Recently, his trio booked two shows at the Blue Note in New York City.

Michael Elins
Michael Elins
Matt Savage is a jazz phenomenon. He�s also a perseverative hyperlexic with pervasive developmental disorder.
In May, he will celebrate his 12th birthday.

Matt is a musical savant. The term savant dates from the late 19th century, when a small number of people in European asylums classified as feebleminded “idiots” were discovered to have extraordinary, even uncanny skills. One had memorized The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire after reading it a single time. Others were able to multiply long columns of numbers instantly and factor cube roots in seconds, though they could barely speak.

When Matt was 3, he was diagnosed with a form of autism called pervasive developmental disorder. Autism and savant syndrome overlap, but they are not the same thing. Nine out of ten autistic people have no savant abilities, and many savants suffer from some form of neurological impairment other than autism. Savant syndrome itself is rare. The rarest of the rare is the prodigious savant, like Rain Man’s Raymond Babbitt, who could memorize phone books, count 246 toothpicks at a glance, and trump the house in Vegas. Darold Treffert, the leading researcher in the study of savant syndrome, estimates that Matt is one of fewer than 50 prodigious savants alive today.

But Matt is even rarer than that. While the IQs of most savants are below 70, he is highly intelligent. And while the musical prowess of savants is often confined to playing thousands of songs from memory in a stiff and mechanical way, Matt is a prolific composer and skilled improviser. With the precocious abilities of a savant and the melodic imagination of a seasoned musician, he has dual citizenship in two countries of the mind.

Until recently, much of what we knew about savants came from the observations of clinicians like Treffert and neurologist Oliver Sacks, author of An Anthropologist on Mars and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Now researchers are probing the savant mind from the inside, using tools like gene mapping and PET scans. As these two paths of investigation converge, many of our long-held notions about the limits of human potential are being overturned.

By studying the minds of people like Matt, neuroscientists are discovering that savants are more like the rest of us than the medical world once believed. We’re learning that the extraordinary skills of savants tap into areas of the mind that function like supercomputers, compiling massive amounts of data from the senses to create a working model of the world. The traditional conception of the brain – two hemispheres that are hardwired from birth – is yielding to an understanding of the ways the regions of the cortex learn to function together as a network.

“We used to have this idea that we were born with a magnificent piece of hardware in our heads and a blank disk called memory,” says Treffert. “Now we have to acknowledge that the disk comes with software, that we were wrong in many of our assumptions about intelligence, and that the brain is much more capable of healing itself than we thought. By finding out how savants work, we learn how we work.”

Please click here for more information–>
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.12/genius_pr.html

I have been looking at the HP Touchpad and have been quite impressed by the quality. I found a number of nice reviews on it. If they can get special needs apps for it, it might prove to be a nice alternative to the IPAD. I like the ipad other than the lack of flash support.

Here is some great information from Engadget–>

As things get older they tend to get bigger. It’s the same for people, corporations, models of cars, budget deficits… and so it is for webOS. As Palm was in the process of being subsumed its great mobile operating system was being eyed for much broader things, far bigger than the little phones it had previously been flashed on. Things like printers and desktops and laptops, but for its first proper foray outside of a phone it has a tall task: compete in the brutally vicious tablet space.

Its weapon is the TouchPad, a 9.7-inch tablet from HP that got official back in February and will be available July 1st (if you don’t manage to find it earlier) — $499.99 for the 16GB model, $599.99 for 32GB. That’s exactly on parity with the WiFi iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1, current kings of the tablet court. Does this plus-sized Palm progeny really have what it takes to hang at that price point, or is this just a chubby pretender that’s outgrown its britches? Read on to find out.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/29/hp-touchpad-review/

IB times had a nice piece on it as well–>

By IB Times Staff Reporter | June 29, 2011 11:45 PM EDT

PC giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) will be launching its Touchpad tablet device in United States on July 1.

The key feature of the tablet is none other than its operating system – WebOS, which HP with its $1.2 billion acquisition of Palm. Touchpad will be loaded with WebOS 3.0 operating system.

The WebOS was critically acclaimed, but was said to be dampened by the hardware of Palm. The operating system was very much appreciated for its ease-of-use, multitasking functions and open architecture.

“What makes HP TouchPad a compelling alternative to competing products is webOS,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “The platform’s unmatched features and flexibility will continue to differentiate HP products from the rest of the market for both personal and professional use. This is only the beginning of what HP’s scale can do with webOS.”

So, a neat operating system along with HP hardware makes Touchpad a good competitor in the tablet space.

Please click here for more info–>

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/171848/20110629/hp-touchpad-apple-ipad2-ipad-2-webos-webos-3-tablet-samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1-ios-icloud-palm-google-a.htm

Here are 2 videos as well–>

I am interested in the benefits of music and autism, especially it is part of our mission to give the gift of music.

I found the following article which shed some light on the subject–>

Written by Myra J. Staum, Ph.D., RMT-BC
Director and Professor of Music Therapy
Willamette University, Salem, Oregon

Music Therapy is the unique application of music to enhance personal lives by creating positive changes in human behavior. It is an allied health profession utilizing music as a tool to encourage development in social/ emotional, cognitive/learning, and perceptual-motor areas. Music Therapy has a wide variety of functions with the exceptional child, adolescent and adult in medical, institutional and educational settings. Music is effective because it is a nonverbal form of communication, it is a natural reinforcer, it is immediate in time and provides motivation for practicing nonmusical skills. Most importantly, it is a successful medium because almost everyone responds positively to at least some kind of music.

The training of a music therapist involves a full curriculum of music classes, along with selected courses in psychology, special education, and anatomy with specific core courses and field experiences in music therapy. Following coursework, students complete a six-month full time clinical internship and a written board certification exam. Registered, board certified professionals must then maintain continuing education credits or retake the exam to remain current in their practice.

Music Therapy is particularly useful with autistic children owing in part to the nonverbal, non threatening nature of the medium. Parallel music activities are designed to support the objectives of the child as observed by the therapist or as indicated by a parent, teacher or other professional. A music therapist might observe, for instance, the child’s need to socially interact with others. Musical games like passing a ball back and forth to music or playing sticks and cymbals with another person might be used to foster this interaction. Eye contact might be encouraged with imitative clapping games near the eyes or with activities which focus attention on an instrument played near the face. Preferred music may be used contingently for a wide variety of cooperative social behaviors like sitting in a chair or staying with a group of other children in a circle.

Click Below for the rest of the story!!!
http://www.autism.com/edu_music_therapy.asp

For the Dulcimer and cello loving aspie in me here are some nice examples

It brings out the old soul in me!!!

One of our missions is helping autism through the gift of Music!!!
Listen and you will know why!!
# 1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6 Finally From autism the musical take a listen.

# 7 Some Modern Irish Techno, It kind of reminds me of the brainwaves of my mind, kind of melodic and hyper.