Education industry lobbies Congress in favor of seclusion and restraints for children
January 25, 2010
Education industry lobbies Congress in favor of seclusion and restraints for children
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10 skills to teach your child
January 25, 2010
Life after high school, ten skills to teach your child
Diane Adreon, M.A.
Teaching adaptive behavior is one of the areas that are often overlooked for high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders. However, adaptive behaviors have a tremendous impact on our ability to use our skills in common situations in everyday life. The following adaptive behavior skills are important if our children are going to experience success without our daily assistance. Of course, every child is different. Often it is not possible to master these skills by the end of high school. However, most of our children can improve and become more independent if we consciously work on skills in these areas.
1. Teach your child to wake up to an alarm clock. It is common for parents to wake their children for school. However, as your child grows older, it’s a good idea to teach him to wake up to an alarm clock. You may have to experiment with buzzers, music, and various degrees of volume. Sometimes, for individuals who are particularly hard to wake, you may need to have them walk across the room to turn off the alarm clock. Eventually, this skill would include having the child learn to set the alarm clock. A more advanced skill would involve developing the child’s ability to accurately estimate the amount of time needed to get ready and determining to what time the alarm should be set.
2. Teach your child to refer to a clock and/or watch to complete a task in a certain period of time. A visual timer, such as the Time Timer*, may be helpful. The Time Timer dial graphically shows the child how much time is left. One way to begin teaching this is to have the child guess how long the task will take and then comparing how long the task really took to accomplish.
3. Teach your child grooming (shower or bathe within the last 24 hours, hair combed or brushed, deodorant, clean clothes). Our children find routines comforting. Therefore, help your child establish healthy routines. Many children find it easier (in the long run) to follow rules such as having a shower or bath every day, rather than every two to three days. Specifically teach your child each step in washing properly (i.e., 4 times across each armpit with a soapy washcloth). Poor hygiene is a problem poorly tolerated by the community (Peter Gerhardt, personal communication).
4. Teach your child to be responsible for his/her belongings. Start with things such being responsible to keep track of the toy train that he/she brought to your relative’s house or into the car. Build into the routine that it is the youngster’s responsibility to find the toy after the visit, bring it to the car, & bring the toy from the car into the house. Progress to items such as school backpack & supplies.
5. Teach your child to learn to use visual cues to remember tasks. This might be keeping medicine in a certain place, so he/she remembers to take it at breakfast each morning. Or, it might mean, writing lunch on a piece of paper & taping it onto the school backpack to remember to bring lunch.
6. Teach your child how to cook. Young children can learn to make a sandwich and prepare snacks that do not require cooking. Later, teach your child to follow a recipe independently and use kitchen appliances safely.
7. Teach your child to use the phone. Start by teaching your child to answer the phone, take a message & relay the message to the appropriate person. Progress to skills such as calling information to obtain a phone number, calling a store to see if they have a particular item in stock, calling technical support to fix a computer problem, and ordering take-out food.
8. Teach your child how to go places independently. This may be walking to areas nearby, riding a bike, using public transportation or driving.
9. Teach your child to carry certain items when he/she leaves the house. This would include: Important phone number, money, house key, and possibly a cell phone.
10. Teach your child about personal safety. Consider skills such as knowing who to hug and kiss, and when it is more appropriate to shake hands, how to discretely carry money, NOT giving personal information to others over the internet, and what to do if you are walking down the street & someone unfamiliar approaches you or you feel that you are being followed.
Diane Adreon, M.A., is associate director of the University of Miami/Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities. She is also the co-author of Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success
Carly Fleischmann - 20/20 segment
January 24, 2010
You must watch this video if you ever thought an autistic was lacking in intelligence or incapable of learning, if you ever wondered if they were listening. We have so much to learn…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3cG4OYXKvM
Judgement day for MMR rebel: an investigation that has blighted doctor’s life for 12 years finally approaches conclusion
January 23, 2010
By Sally Beck
The longest and most complex disciplinary hearing ever held by the General Medical Council will reach a conclusion on Friday.
Dr Andrew Wakefield, the gastroenterologist who in 1998 raised the possibility of a link between autism, bowel disease and the MMR jab, will learn whether he has been found guilty of ethical breaches in research methods.
Since June 2007, Dr Wakefield and two colleagues have faced an unprecedented inquisition that has cost in excess of £1million. The verdict has been postponed four times.
Family sacrifice: Dr Andrew Wakefield at home in Texas with his wife Carmel and children Imogen and Corin
But even if Dr Wakefield is found guilty of serious professional misconduct, he will have to wait another six months for the bureaucratic wheels to turn at the GMC to discover whether he will be struck off.
Yet Dr Wakefield is no Harold Shipman. His supporters suggest that his only ‘crime’ was to voice concerns about MMR which embarrassed the Department of Health.
His detractors, meanwhile, say he needlessly sparked a public panic which led to a prolonged slump in the number of children being vaccinated and a consequent rise in measles and mumps.
While Dr Wakefield, 52, believes the GMC should vindicate his professional reputation, in an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday he said he fears a ‘political’ verdict.
‘My lawyers feel confident that we have answered all the charges against us,’ he said from his home in Austin, Texas. ‘If there’s any justice, we should be cleared. However, there’s the political backlash to consider. I fear the GMC will want to make an example of us.
‘The issue was not about me, but about how to crush dissent. I scare the establishment because I care and I am diligent. I think they’re terrified because they’ve not done adequate safety studies. I’ve been treated in the standard way in which people who raise these kinds of questions are treated.
‘It’s extremely challenging, but if I fail to stand up to the bullies, the price to be paid is enormous.’
Dr Wakefield leaving the General Medical Council hearing in 2007. Supporters of the doctor came out in numbers
The controversy began when his paper outlining a link between autism and bowel disease – but which didn’t directly blame the MMR vaccine – was published in The Lancet in February 1998.
In 2001, he was forced out of his job at London’s Royal Free Hospital over allegations that his research was flawed, and went to work in America.
And in 2004, he was accused of secretly being paid by solicitors acting for parents who believed their children had been harmed by the MMR jab.
Worse still, the editor of The Lancet said his journal would never have accepted Dr Wakefield’s ‘fatally flawed’ paper if it had known of the alleged conflict of interest.
The editor asked the 13 co-authors of the paper to sign a retraction of any ‘interpretation’ of a causal link between MMR and autism, and ten agreed.
‘But we were being asked to retract an interpretation that we hadn’t made,’ explained Dr Wakefield. ‘The interpretation was that the MMR vaccine caused autism. We had never said that, so we couldn’t retract it.’
Only two of Dr Wakefield’s colleagues, Professor John Walker-Smith and
Professor Simon Murch, still stand by The Lancet paper. They, too, are being ‘tried’ by the GMC.
Dr Wakefield uprooted his wife Carmel and four children from their home in London in 2004 to join him in the US, where he carries on his research today.
Meanwhile, a growing body of research from around the world appears to show no evidence of a link between MMR and autism, while the slump in vaccinations in this country has resulted in outbreaks of both measles and mumps, from which at least one child has died.
But Dr Wakefield is unrepentant. ‘I’ve never said don’t vaccinate,’ he insisted. ‘I made it clear that children should continue to be protected using single vaccines. It was the Government’s withdrawal of the option of the single-measles vaccine which has led to this problem.
Parents who were concerned about MMR safety were given no alternative and that’s the reason these diseases have come back.’
Dr Wakefield’s 1998 paper was not in fact about whether the MMR jab caused autism, but whether a group of healthy children who had been diagnosed with autism were suffering from bowel disease.
Since the MMR jab was introduced, at least 1,000 letters came in from patients and doctors that could have indicated anecdotal evidence of a link between the vaccine and autism abd gut problems
He said he was asked to investigate the MMR link by some concerned parents.
‘I was always taught at medical school to listen to the patient. It would have been negligent of me to ignore the parents’ concerns,’ he insisted.
‘The MMR was introduced in 1988. Between 1996 and 2000 we had about 1,000 letters from doctors and parents all with the same kind of story – they’d taken their children for the jabs and the children had suffered some kind of event that left them with autism and gut problems.
‘We examined the children and discovered they had a new kind of bowel disease. When we treated the bowel disease, their behaviour improved.’
On the basis of his concerns, Dr Wakefield and his team were given ethical clearance for a small study of a dozen children. The research team discussed at length whether to exclude the fact that the parents of eight of the children felt that MMR was to blame, and decided not to.
They added the following line to The Lancet paper: ‘We did not prove an association between the MMR vaccine and the syndrome described.’
Professor John Walker-Smith has supported Dr Wakefield throughout, and is also a subject of the hearing
At a Press conference to launch the paper in 1998, Dr Wakefield was asked about MMR and recommended that single vaccines be used until further investigations were carried out. The public scare about autism and vaccination took root within days.
But wouldn’t it have been simpler to omit any reference to MMR?
‘You can’t censor parts of a story you find uncomfortable,’ he said. ‘You can’t corrupt the science. And my opinion has been reinforced since then. It may be uncomfortable for David Salisbury [the Government’s Director of Immunisation], the Department of Health and the pharmaceutical industry, but that’s not my issue. My issue was to establish whether these parental suspicions reflected a real problem.
‘Between 1998 and 2001, we investigated about 160 autistic children for bowel disease, and MMR was mentioned frequently.’
Dr Wakefield’s career was threatened in 2001 when a new Professor of Medicine, Mark Pepys, took over at the Royal Free.
‘One of the first things he did was call me in and tell me, “You no longer form any part of my plans for the future of this department,”’ said Dr Wakefield.
His subsequent resignation put paid to his dreams of a professorship in charge of a new centre for research into autism and bowel disease.
His funding applications were ignored and one pharmaceutical company excluded him from speaking at a conference it sponsored.
‘They cut me off at the knees and hoped that I would bleed to death,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t work in my field in the UK any longer, but doors were opening in the States.
‘I was invited to deliver a series of lectures in Florida and met more doctors and scientists who were as concerned as I was about the MMR vaccine.
Supporters protesting against the charges of unethical research that Dr Wakefield is faced with
‘The worst of all this was having to spend three years apart from my family. It was a very lonely life.
‘I missed the family dreadfully and the hostile media intrusion has been very tough on my children [Corin, now 12, Imogen, 15, Sam, 19, and James, 21] and that makes me angry. We eventually decided the family would move to Austin.’
His wife Carmel, also a doctor, recalled: ‘We had begun to live separate lives. By 2004, I was raising the kids on my own and it would have been very easy for us just to drift apart. Andy missed birthdays and anniversaries, school concerts and special events. We knew his work was important so we got used to it.’
He has gone on to open Thoughtful House in Austin, a research and treatment centre for children with developmental disorders.
Dr Wakefield and a few like-minded scientists are lonely voices against the vast majority view of the scientific world, which sees no proof of any link between MMR and autism.
He insists, however, that further research will vindicate his beliefs. Three American studies are underway and there is also growing recognition of a link between autism and bowel disease.
‘I have learned what it’s like to be sidelined and ridiculed and I don’t think anyone should have to go through that,’ he said.
‘What has happened to me has taught other scientists that it’s safer never to rock the boat. Doctors are scared to speak for fear that what happened to me may happen to them. And that can’t be good for science.’
michigan’s 1st high school for asperger’s
January 22, 2010
I’ve only been dealing with Asperger’s for a little over two years (well, I guess it’s been longer, but knowingly 2 years) and I find it inspiring to find out about schools popping up around the country intending to provide quality education to individuals with Asperger’s. We go to MI every summer so I will set an intention to visit these folks!
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/ann-arbor-educator-starting-michigans-1st-high-school-for-students-with-autism-aspergers/
Parts Of Brain Involved In Social Cognition May Be In Place By Age Six
January 16, 2010
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090715074930.htm#
ScienceDaily (2009-07-16) — By scanning the brains of children ages 6 to 11 as they listened to children’s stories, researchers have for the first time investigated brain regions associated with social cognition in human children. Researchers found that one of the brain regions, the right tempero-parietal junction, appeared to change its function between the ages of 6 and 11. This research has implications for the study of atypical social development, as happens in autism.
can we create a new kind of high school?
January 15, 2010
This is the type of school I would like to create here in Seattle. Except let’s not wait until college - let’s do it in high school! I’m exploring!
social skills training, executive functioning, job training, mentoring in their special interest area, life skills coaching, and theme-based learning - it can be done!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/lshumaker/detail??blogid=171&entry_id=55201
an autistics dream - by sara gardner
January 14, 2010
I look forward to meeting Sara soon. Whenever I tell an educator, caregiver, medical professional, or even someone in the autism community that my son does not have a disability, he has asperger’s or is neurodiverse, I get all kinds of hell. I get criticized for being a mother in denial, even though I am very outspok…en and active on his behalf and others. When I see how well his brain functions in certain areas, it often makes me feel like I’m the one with the disability!
http://jfactivist.typepad.com/jfactivist/2008/01/an-autistic-dre.html
News from APL
January 13, 2010
If you have a child who could benefit from more individualized instruction, you should check out the Academy for Precision Learning. This news is very impressive and I look forward to following their progress!
PROMINENT LOCAL EDUCATOR TAKES THE HELM AT THE ACADEMY FOR PRECISION LEARNING
Director at the University of Washington’s Experimental Education Unit Joins Effort to Redefine Inclusion for Elementary and Middle School Students
January 11, 2010 – The Academy for Precision Learning (APL) (www.aplschool.org), is pleased to announce that Jennifer Annable, currently the Director at the University of Washington’s Experimental Education Unit (EEU), has been named the incoming Executive Director of APL. Jennifer will join Alison Moors, APL’s Director of Educational Services, to form an innovative and accomplished leadership team that is committed to changing the face of inclusion in the greater Seattle area.
APL provides a unique alternative to traditional classroom settings for elementary and middle school students that allows special needs, particularly children on the autism spectrum, and typically developing students to succeed together in an inclusive environment. The teaching methodologies and individualized curriculum used at APL have proven to effectively educate children of all capabilities. It is APL’s core mission to provide a new educational option that allows students of all abilities to be successful and build a model that sets a standard for other institutions.
“I believe passionately that every student deserves their chance to grow and flourish,” said Jennifer Annable. “I am so proud to have been part of the EEU and what we have accomplished for young children. Now I am excited to be part of building a new school that will bring this same innovation and dedication to elementary and middle school grade students. I want to help APL grow so we have an opportunity to serve many more students in the greater Seattle area.”
Jennifer comes to APL after 25 years at the EEU where she was Principal, notably earning the distinction of Western Washington’s Most Popular Principal in 2004 from Evening Magazine, and most recently Director. Jennifer’s stewardship has been vital in growing the EEU into the category defining institution it has become. The EEU serves children birth – 7 and consistently drives ongoing innovation in how special needs and typically developing children can learn and thrive side by side.
“This is a great day for APL and most importantly for our current and future students,” said Matt Gordon, President of the APL Board of Directors. “Jennifer Annable is a tremendous leader who cares passionately about each and every student, staff members, parents and our broader community. She and Alison Moors are the perfect combination to take APL into the future and make our dream of creating a premier educational institution a reality.”
Jennifer Annable will begin her full-time role with APL in July, 2010. In the meantime, she will consult with the Board and staff of APL for the remainder of this school year.
About Jennifer Annable:
Jennifer is currently the Director of University of Washington’s Experimental Education Unit. She has experience with children with and without special needs from birth through high school. Jennifer received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has a Master’s in Education and a Principal’s certificate from the University of Washington. She is certified in Early Childhood Special Education, K-12 Special Education and K-8 Elementary Education. Early in Jennifer’s career, she was a teacher and Administrative Coordinator at Spaulding Youth Center in Northfield, NH. She has worked in residential care and also been a foster parent. Jennifer is the mother of two sons and proud grandmother of a granddaughter who currently attends the EEU.
About APL (www.aplschool.org)
Founded in 2007, the Academy for Precision Learning is an independent school for students from kindergarten – 5th grade. APL will open a 6th grade classroom in the Fall of 2010 to launch the middle school. APL offers a unique alternative to traditional education programs by providing an academically rigorous curriculum that is individually tailored for all learning styles. The curriculum is individualized for every student with a focus on academic rigor, social skills development, cutting edge technology and building character and community. APL classes are inclusion-based, allowing typical and special needs children to work side by side in small personalized classes that help every student reach their full potential. APL is located at the University Heights Center in Seattle’s University district.
About UHCCA (www.uhcca.org)
The University Heights Center is a not-for-profit community organization founded in 1989 by University District residents, who believed that this building would serve as a gathering place for the community. Constantly striving to provide and promote community programs, services and activities aimed at building a sense of neighborhood, UHCCA maintains the belief that “Old Schools Still Teach”, and fosters community in a historical setting. Residing in one of the oldest former elementary school buildings in Washington State, currently under restoration, UHCCA is a vital community center which serves as the heart of Seattle’s University District neighborhood.
Contact Information:
For further information, please contact Erin Brewer at erinbr@microsoft.com or 206-850-3746. For general information, please visit the APL website at http://www.aplschool.org
caring for our caregivers
January 12, 2010
I was reminded today and yesterday in two different situations of how difficult it is for everyone involved in caring for or educating a child on the spectrum. It is so difficult for mothers. So much so that we either forget about how difficult it is for everyone else involved too, or we just don’t have the time or energy to reflect on how others are impacted by our child. We are just so darned focused on our child’s needs and so darned tired, we don’t even focus on our own needs let alone other caregivers.
I was talking to mutual friends of a mother of a child with autism (severely impacted) who is being cared for in a home with assisted living providers. We were talking about how stressful it was for the caregivers in the home when the mother was around and how the mother didn’t give enough kudos to the staff who were caring for her daughter day in and day out. Yet, every time the mother is there, she has something that needs to be addressed with regard to her daughters care. She has no choice but advocate for her daughter to make sure that her daughters needs are being met, and constantly. Her daughter, afterall, cannot speak for herself.
I felt so sorry for everyone involved with the situation. Empathy and respect for the mother who has so carefully advocated and cared for her daughter for 20+ years. Pain and sadness for the daughter who will never be able to care for herself or speak for herself. Compassion and gratitude for the caregivers who willingly take on the job of caring for people with disabilities of such complex nature.
Today I realized that even though my situation is so very different than this mothers, in many ways we are similar. I too have other caregivers that need to be reassured that they are doing a good job, that they are doing one of the toughest jobs in the world, and that they are making a positive impact on our child.
And, even though I will continue to be laser focused on my child’s needs and I will continue to be exhausted as all other mom’s on the spectrum are, somehow I need to build in to the plan (the 50 page plan!) reassurances and kudos for everyone who is so committed to my son. After all, my reassurances and kudos come in the way of those special snuggles I get every night from my son and knowing that I get to be the mother to the most special child in the world!
