Read more: http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/autism-road-truth-83782732#ixzz1OVsY4E3Y

I received a link to this nice article which I can totally relate to. We have 3 kids on the spectrum and have had our struggles and challenges as well.

A snippet of the article–>

Some things happen that you expect. You know what to do with them. You know how to handle the situation. Some things happen that you don’t expect but you deal with the situation anyway. Some things in life creep up on you, growing in abundance little by little, not at all expected, and come as a huge blow.
I didn’t know this is how I felt about my son’s Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, until half a year after he was diagnosed. Even then, my husband and I pretty much knew what he had; we were just waiting for the doctor’s diagnosis.
Many children are now born with autism spectrum disorders and every parent has a story to tell. Ours is one of many medical conundrums with the ins and outs we faced when trying to get a true diagnosis. After all, ASDs are still extremely puzzling disorders, even for doctors. We have since crossed this huge hurdle and are taking many steps to ensure the best life for Nicholas we can provide.
Our son, Nicholas is on the autism spectrum, otherwise known as the collection of Pervasive Developmental Disorders. These disorders include, Autism, Asperity Syndrome, Rhett’s Disorder, PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified or Atypical Autism, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and at certain times, Fragile X syndrome. Nicholas has PDD-NOS. He wasn’t an overly affectionate baby, in my opinion. I think others might disagree, but mothers always see things that others do not. I was concerned, even at this young age. I knew from the beginning there was something not typical with Nicholas.

Please click here for the rest of the story–>
http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/autism-road-truth-83782732

Sprint is now getting 2 new innovative new devices, the EVO 3d Cell Phone and a new 7″ tablet. Both of the devices seem intriguing and worth taking a look at. I am considering the EVO 3d. If anyone wants to send us one to beta test let me know.

06 June 2011

Two Newest Members of the Award-Winning HTC EVO Family, HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G, Make Debut Exclusively from Sprint on June 24

HTC EVO 3D, with America’s first 4.3-inch, qHD 3D display and a powerful 1.2GHz dual-core processor, available for $199.99; HTC EVO View 4G brings the powerful HTC EVO experience to a 4G tablet for $399.99

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), June 06, 2011 – Two of the “must-have” gadgets of 2011 are getting ready to make their debut. Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced the June 24 availability of HTC EVO™ 3D and HTC EVO View 4G™ on America’s Favorite 4G Network1. America’s first ‘glasses-free’ 3D 4G device will be available for $199.99, and HTC EVO View 4G, the first 4G tablet in market, will be available for $399.99. Both prices exclude applicable taxes, and the devices require a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade.

Customers can pre-order HTC EVO 3D or HTC EVO View 4G at any participating Sprint Store with the purchase of a $50 Sprint gift card (per device). On June 24, Sprint Stores nationwide will open doors at 8 a.m. local time for customers to get a jump-start on purchasing these hot new devices.

Additionally, Sprint Premier customers will have the opportunity to purchase HTC EVO 3D online three days before the national launch, while supplies last. Qualifying customers will receive an email on June 21, or they can log on to their account at www.sprint.com on June 21, click “show me my rewards” and then “Sprint Premier Community” for more information.

“Sprint takes device innovation to a whole new level with the two newest members of the EVO family, HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G,” said Fared Adib, senior vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “HTC EVO 3D provides our customers the ability to capture and view content in 3D and share at 4G speeds; HTC EVO View 4G expands on the capabilities of tablets by introducing the digital pen, and allows our consumers to do more than they ever imagined was possible.”

Glasses-Free 3D plus Sprint 4G

HTC EVO 3D takes the mobile multimedia experience to a new level, providing the ability to capture and view in 3D and share at 4G speeds, offering consumers the ultimate glasses-free 3D experience. Built with the Android 2.3 operating system (Gingerbread), HTC EVO 3D features America’s first 4.3-inch, qHD 3D display and a powerful 1.2GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon® dual-core processor. HTC EVO 3D also features dual 5-megapixel cameras, which can be used to capture high-quality conventional and stunning 3D images and videos, opening up new frontiers for user-generated content, social networking and streaming video.

Respected device critics agree Sprint has done it again with HTC EVO 3D. Here are a few of the accolades that poured in when it was announced in March:

LAPTOP Magazine honored HTC EVO 3D with its Best Smart Phone Award and the coveted Best in Show honor at CTIA this spring.
PC World added, “The design is gorgeous, and the combination of dual-core Snapdragon processors with 4G can’t be beat. Suffice to say, I can’t wait to get my hands on this phone this summer.”
Phonearena.com named HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G as “Best of CTIA 2011.”
Boy Genius Report said, “The HTC EVO 3D and the HTC EVO View 4G tablet were among our favorite new gadgets shown off at CTIA.”

HTC EVO 3D requires activation on one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge – a savings of $39.99 per month vs. Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and web.2 The Mobile Hot Spot option is available for an additional $29.99 per month (excluding taxes and surcharges) supporting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.

An Unparalleled Tablet Experience

HTC EVO View 4G brings the best of the EVO experience to a tablet design with a 7-inch touchscreen, 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor and latest version of HTC Sense. It will launch with an Android 2.3 operating system (Gingerbread) and will be updated to Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) when it is available for a 7-inch tablet. As the perfect combination e-reader, media player and portable computing device, HTC EVO View 4G offers a premium entertainment experience with HD-like quality video and a rich web-browsing experience with the ability to browse the web on Flash-enabled sites.

Rate plans for the HTC EVO View start as low as $34.993 per month for 3GB of 3G data and unlimited 4G data usage while on the Sprint network. Unlimited text, picture and video messaging are included at no charge. Additional plans, including 3G-only plans, are available to meet customers’ needs.

Additionally, for a limited time, any customer who purchases HTC EVO View 4G will receive the HTC Scribe™ digital pen (otherwise sold separately) at no charge with a two-year service agreement – providing an additional savings of $79.99 on their purchase.

Optional add-on services include GPS Navigation for $2.99 per day or $10 per month and the Mobile Hot Spot option for $29.99 per month (excluding taxes and surcharges) supporting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.

As the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology, Sprint made history by launching 4G in Baltimore in September 2008. Sprint also ranks as the most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, during the last three years4. Sprint currently offers 4G service in 71 markets in 28 states. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G.

I have Asperger’s Syndrome, and my kids have autism as well. We know what it is like to live with autism. That is why we want to help. I have a passion for technology, education, music and the arts. I plan to help people on the autism spectrum via providing help with providing technology, music and the arts, and education assistance to them, special educational class rooms. We want to make a difference for autism.

We need support, exposure, donations, contributions and people to help us help.

Our major mission is

Helping Autism via:

T) Providing Tech, tablets, aac communications devices, computer tech
E) Educational assistance, from ballet lessons, to swim lessons, skills classes
A) Arts, donate musical instruments to those on the spectrum, and classrooms, and donate tickets to shows, concerts, theater, and other entertainment for those on the spectrum and their families
c) Care and Assistance for those with Autism as needed
H–>Help those that need it, pay if forward for Autism and help with the holidays such as Chanukah and Xmas.

We also need awareness, people to go to our site and tell others about us, ask other to donate, and vote 4 us in the Prilosec Sponsorship contest as well as future endeavors.

We need sponsors, donors, advisors, and guests on our site as well.

We are also in a contest with the Prilosec to win a sponsorship for us to begin helping others. We need votes, thousands of them to win.

We need our website to go viral, our youtube channel to go viral, to let the world know what we are trying to do.

In return we will achieve our mission and help people on the spectrum and schools especially those on the ASD spectrum. We want to give the gift of technology, make the lives of autistic people better as well as their families as special educational classrooms.

Please tell all about us, we would love to be on the talk, the view, Ellen’s Show, David Letterman or something like that.

To help with fundraising click below:
https://technewszone.com/?page_id=299

To look at our mission click here–>

Mission!!

Vote for us here and tell others about us for the Prilosec OTC Sponsorship Challenge

Please Vote for us in the Prilosec OTC Sponsorship Contest

Sincerely,

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

Reprinted with permission from a featured article that appeared in the September/October 2005 issue of Autism Asperger’s Digest magazine. Learn more, www.AutismDigest.com.

All of us make daily choices in life. Most of these choices are trivial, like what to have for dinner or what color socks to wear. Other choices are more life-changing, like whom to marry, where to live, or what house to buy. Sometimes, choices are made which at the time seem to be in error, but allow us, if our ears, eyes, and mind are open, to learn about life, our children, ourselves. Sometimes a wrong turn can lead to nothing less than a miracle.
It was a spring Saturday in the Bay Area. There was nothing exceptional about the day, except that it wasn’t raining. Not bad for a weekend in the wettest year California had experienced in decades. The sky was blue with white puffy clouds, and it was on the cool side – a great day for a picnic.
April and I decided to spend the day in Sausalito, a trendy upscale town on the waterfront just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. We packed a lunch and ate hot dogs, chips, and sodas with a spectacular view of the San Francisco skyline. The pigeons and sea gulls, we discovered, are only your friends when you’re eating. They’re not one of God’s more loyal creatures, to say the least. Later that afternoon we blew bubbles with Shamus, our four- year-old autistic son, in a local park before starting the drive back to our home on the Peninsula.
On the way home I took a minor detour; I wanted to show April some nice places to have a picnic another time, with a great view of the San Francisco Bay. As luck would have it, despite our best efforts to follow the signs to the freeway we somehow took a wrong turn. Or was it a wrong turn?
We soon found ourselves among green rolling hills that we could see eventually led to the Pacific Ocean. We were debating whether to turn around, or just keep going and enjoy the ride. It was so beautiful, we decided to venture on. By the time we arrived at the ocean, April had no interest in making the short trek to the water. I parked the van and walked to the beach by myself, staying only a few minutes. It was no fun being there without my wife and son. That’s just not the way God intended it.
Before maneuvering home, we knew Shamus needed a potty stop. Even though the restroom building was not more than a few hundred feet across the parking lot, we figured the less walking our boy did here, the better. Parked cars are a real distraction for Shamus. Once “business” was done, I turned to Shamus and said, “Shamus, do you want to go to the beach?” He was never a beach-lover before, but I thought I’d give him the option. Surprisingly, he said “yes.” Kids, even autistic ones, do change sometimes, I guess…
We watched the waves tumble in, leaving the hissing, white-green foam behind. Shamus seemed to be enjoying it so much – the sound of the ocean, the frothy surf, the big sky overhead.
Now, Shamus is a native Californian and our home is only 10 miles from the ocean. He had been to the beach many times before and had never been too interested in exploring beyond the blanket he was sitting on. But today was different; he wanted to get his feet wet.
San Francisco is not a “beach” town, despite its physical proximity to the ocean. The water is cold, and summer weather along the coast is usually cold and foggy the entire day. Bay Area residents, especially coastal residents, don’t wear shorts and don’t keep beach towels in their car. Extra blankets and jackets are a far more practical item to have on hand.
But here was my son wanting – for the first time – to get his feet wet. So, we rolled up his pants, took off his socks and shoes, and I did the same. Shamus got his feet wet. He was ecstatic. As for me, the water felt like ice, my feet were frozen, my rolled-up pant legs soon unraveled, and in no time, both our pants were soaked – and we had no dry clothes. And yet, I wouldn’t have traded that moment for anything in the world. It was our moment – father and son – playing in the surf. Nothing else in the world mattered to either of us. For most four-year-olds, such a moment would be routine. With our dear Shamus, however, I take nothing for granted.
April is such a “Mom.” Even today my own mother, who is 82 years old, often tells me to put on a sweater when she is cold. A mother’s nurturing nature transcends generations and crosses cultural lines. As April motioned for us to come out of the water, even trying to bribe Shamus with a bag of potato chips, I shook my head. I laughed and laughed and shook my head. “No way,” I was thinking to myself. This is our special moment in time. I knew what she was thinking. We were cold and wet – more specifically, Shamus was cold and wet. Dad can take care of himself. And I knew that I would allow nothing – not even a loving Mom waving a bag of potato chips – to spoil this moment. Potato chips and a warm minivan could wait.
After we came out of the water, April drove home as I sat in the passenger seat, stripped down to my T-shirt and underwear. Shamus wore only a shirt and a towel – and a big smile on his face. As we drove south across the Golden Gate Bridge, I thought about what a miracle God had given me that day – and all because of a wrong turn.

BIO
Patrick Paulitz, a freelance writer, lives with his wife April and son Shamus in San Mateo, California.

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

Please take a look at the following video. It impressed me a great deal. I would like to see the video when it comes out.

Please donate to their and our causes.

Today I had the opportunity to speak with Darryl Mast on his internet Radio Show. Their website is http://www.bbqsuperstars.com/

If you are a barbecue lover then you need to go on their website and check it out.

They let us on their show to support our cause and help us build awareness.

If anyone wants to sponsor us, or a put a link to our site on theirs let me know.

They will be putting a page about our website, and nonprofit on theirs. I really appreciate all of their help, it is amazing, and it is great to have their support.

Here is a link to one of their recent web videos from the Las Vegas Event, here in Las Vegas:

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

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.

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! = )

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.