A repost for our friends at http://lifewithmybutters.blogspot.com/

http://lifewithmybutters.blogspot.com/

They are an informative blog that tell about life with Butters, their autistic child. It is quite excellent and great to read and a learning experience for many.

Out in public we have all gotten it. You know the look I’m talking about. The look from other people with and without kids who think we should just disapline our child better. The ones that wonder why we don’t do more to make them be quiet at the grocery store or give us odd looks when they are running around in thier own special way.

Yesterday Butters got to try a TOP Soccer program and during practice I got to talking to one of the other parents and she said they had thier son in The Little Gym until the looks and comments from other parents got to be too much and they pulled him.

Now I honestly never thought twice about the looks I get at the gym until now. I’ve always gotten more odd looks from the other kids when I come in and re-direct him to his correct group. I probably have gotten looks and whispers from the other parents, but I can’t say I care. Most of them talk to one another quite a bit while I stay to myself with my decaf Starbucks drink and my book. I stay out of his sight as much as possible because if he does see me he wants to show off.

So the question I have for people reading this. Have you ever dealt with other parents acting like you and your child were not welcome at a neruotypical or more of a mainstream event for other kids? How did you handle it?

Here is a link to the article—>http://lifewithmybutters.blogspot.com/2011/05/look.html

A shout out to Ellen Degeneres, We want to be Guests on your show!!

Hello, Ellen:

We are an aspergers website and brand new nonprofit, Autism Advocacy and Technology News Zone, Inc.
Our intent is to help autism, by giving the gift of technology, music, the arts and culture, and for the holidays.

We have been through hard times our selves, the last 4 houses that we have rented have foreclosed.

I have been upsized, downsized and more.

We are trying to help make the lives of autistic people happier, and more fulfilling as well as their families.

We are new, but need the support of the community to get going, get our 501c officially, and make a huge difference for autism.

Please, Please, Please let us on the show. My wife, and I and our 3 autistic kids love your show and are huge fans.

Sincerely,

David J. Berkowitz
President of Autism Advocacy and Technology News Zone, Inc.
https://technewszone.com

Ellen’s website–>http://ellen.warnerbros.com/
Her Facebook–>http://www.facebook.com/ellentv

Please give us a shot and let us on the show or mention us on the show.

Ellen Show

Commonly-Held Myths About Communication and Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders – Part 1

I am sharing the knowledge from http://www.autismathomeseries.com/library/2009/08/commonly-held-myths-about-communication-and-language-development-in-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorders/

They offer sage advice with regards to autism.

Here is a copy of the article, please go to their site as well for more interesting articles.

This article examines speech-language pathology’s “folk lore” – the commonly held myths about language communication that all too often stand in the way of student progress in this critically important area of development.

Myth #1: Talking must be easy since so many people do it so effortlessly.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the act of speaking – and all that it involves – is arguably the most complex task that human beings are called upon to learn. For example, to utter a simple one-syllable word such as church is a motor planning extravaganza, requiring well over twenty precise, exquisitely timed movements, all occurring in a particular sequence. Imagine the motor planning that goes into extended discourse!

The act of speaking, of course, involves more than moving one’s articulators (e.g., tongue, lips, jaws, etc.). It also involves the selection of specific vocabulary to accurately convey one’s message. Given that many words have multiple meanings, and that different words can mean the same thing, this process is anything but straightforward. Talking also involves social decision-making (i.e., pragmatics), such as knowing what, how, and when to say something, and who to say it to. In addition, since communication is a two-way street, talking also involves keeping track of what another speaker says, and what he or she knows, so that an appropriate, on-topic response may be formulated. Problems here run high in ASD. While this explanation barely scratches the surface of the complex multifaceted skill of talking, it should at least convince the reader that the act of speaking is anything but simple.

Myth #2: He only says a few words, but he understands everything.

There are several reasons why individuals with autism may appear to understand “everything.” The most likely cause, however, is probably attributed to their excellent rote memories, and their ability to follow routines with ease once they learn them. For example, of the child’s typical routine upon arriving home from school is to hang up his jacket, wash his hands, get a glass of milk from the refrigerator, and sit down at the table for a snack, his parents might assume that it is their directional cues that prompt the child’s responses. In actuality there are many cases in which individuals with autism are responding to the customary routine, rather than the verbal prompts to hang up jacket, get a glass of milk, and so forth. A simple way to determine the child’s level of understanding of verbal directives is to either vary the routine (i.e., give directions that are out of the customary order), or direct the child to do something novel. If, under such circumstances the child continues to do what he’s always done, it is likely due to his not understanding everything. And, if you find that to be the case, then it’s a good place to begin building in comprehension.

More speech-language pathology myths to come in the next installment of Autism at Home Series, so please “stay tuned”.

© Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Please share the knowledge. Sharing is caring! = )

Model Me Kids, A Site For Videos for Autistic and Asperger’s people worth Checking out!!!

I found an interesting website that offers Videos for Modeling Social Skills.

http://www.modelmekids.com/

Here is information about them:
Who We Are

A Message From Model Me Kids®

Model Me Kids, LLC is dedicated to producing high quality teaching tools for children with Autism, Asperger Syndrome, PDD-NOS, and Nonverbal Learning Disorder. We strive to make our products affordable so that they are accessible to both families and educators.

Our projects are entirely self-funded. Proceeds from sales are used to produce future Model Me Kids® projects. We appreciate your support in this effort.

We are here to answer your questions. Please feel free to contact us. We always enjoy the personal feedback that we receive from parents, teachers, and children.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Best Wishes,

Susan Klein
Founder & President

Address:

Model Me Kids®, LLC
PO Box 1901
Rockville MD 20849

I am intrigued by their offerings and feel that others should check them out as well.

Video Modeling:
Video Modeling Study

Teaching Complex Play Sequences to a Preschooler with Autism Using Video Modeling

“The identification of efficient teaching procedures to address imaginative play skills deficits commonly seen in children with autism is a challenge for those designing treatment programs. In the present study video modeling was used to teach play skills to a preschool child with autism. Videotaped play sequences included both verbal and motor responses. A multiple baseline across three response categories (tea party, shopping, and baking) was implemented to demonstrate experimental control. No experimenter implemented reinforcement or correction procedures were used during the intervention. Results showed that the video modeling intervention led to the rapid acquisition of both verbal and motor responses for all play sequences. The video modeling teaching procedure was shown to be an efficient technique for teaching relatively long sequences of responses in the absence of chaining procedures in relatively few teaching sessions. Additionally, the complex sequences of verbal and motor responses were acquired without the use of error correction procedures or explicit, experimenter implemented reinforcement contingencies.”
-Patricia D’Ateno, Kathleen Mangiapanello, Bridget A. Taylor, Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, Winter, 2003.

The site is definitely worth checking out.

Bringing Autism Education into the 21st Century

Since We are a nonprofit that wants to help with autism with the use of technology I have been looking for information on technology and autism related article.

According to Buddy Tools:

Diagnosis of autism is on the rise (Newschaffer, Falb & Gurney, 2005). “There has been a true and significant increase in autism in the U.S.” (Yazbak, 107). According to the US Department of Education Annual Reports to Congress, between 1992 and 2001, there was a 1,700% increase in autism in U.S. Schools, compared to a 30% increase in all other disabilities. Public schools are faced with the challenge of providing appropriate educational environments and accommodations to meet the demands of students with autism. Furthermore, mainstream classroom teachers are often unprepared to teach autistic students who are placed in their classes. Enter Virtual Expert Clinics, Inc.: AutismPro®, their latest product, brings autism education into the 21st century through effective use of technology.

for the rest of the story click here–>http://www.buddyproject.org/resources/technology/autism.asp

Dogs can help reduce stress in parents of children with autism

I have found that my autistic kids really like dogs and are quite comfortable with them. They really like our dog as well and enjoy being around him. We have a large, 13 year old Yorkshire Terrier, he weighs about 15 pounds which is large for a Yorkie.

By ZeeNews
London: Dogs can help reduce stress in parents of children with autism, a new study has suggested.
Researchers at thee University of Lincoln compared 20 families with dogs with 20 without. They found the canines had helped the families in many ways, from developing language and establishing a routine to using the pet to request action in a non-confrontational way.
Lead researcher Daniel Mills told a Royal Society of Medicine conference that early results suggested any breed of dogs could improve communication and relationships.
“While there is no shortage of opinion on how dogs can help, there has been little money given to scientifically look into this,” the ‘BBC’ quoted as saying Prof Mills who hopes to use video footage to show how the man’s best friend can help improve child eating, sleeping and tantrum behaviour.

for the rest of the story click below–>
http://www.theautismnews.com/2011/05/30/dogs-beneficial-to-families-of-autistic-children/

Study Suggests Special MRI Might Help Diagnose Autism

From US News here is an interesting article about the use of an MRI machine to determine autism.

TUESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) — At the moment, a diagnosis of autism is based on subjective evaluations, but a new way of using MRI might be an objective way of spotting the disorder, Columbia University researchers report.

Autism is a spectrum disorder that includes repetitive behaviors and impairments in language, communication and social skills. It is estimated that the condition affects one in 110 children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Please click here for more information–>http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2011/05/31/study-suggests-special-mri-might-help-diagnose-autism

I had read in one of Dr. Temple Grandin’s books about tests that were being done with MRI machines and this article also provides information with regards to the subject.

Video of James Durbin and Judas Priest on American Idol Finals Lauren Alaina and Scott McCreery

Here is a clip from FOX TV, of James Durbin performing with Judas Priest. He will definitely go far in his career from my perception. I wish him good luck. James if you every notice our website, please tell others, we are An Asperger’s founded and Aspergers run web news and autism advocacy site and a nontprofit. Please spread the word about us.

I appreciate the support. Please vote 4 us on the front page for us or make a donation to help us raise funds to help autistic people.