The Reason For It All

Responding to Victims of Crime (Victims with Special Needs)

Recognizing Signs of Sexual Abuse

Mom needs advice

SDASA Monthly Pizza and Pool Party

ICDL Celebrates World Autism Awareness Day & Month

A Roller Coaster to Acceptance of a Son's Autism

ATPF: Shoot for the Stars: SDSU Lacrosse!!!

Participate in a Research Study with Dr. Trauner!

Support Group Meeting at North Coast Calvary Chapel

Microsoft funds mobile-phone software for autistic children

Project Handbag for Autism

WALKA for TACA

Heart of Sailing coming to California in April

Why We Walk: Ten Years of Marching for Matty

Autism Speaks Teams Up with NBC's HEROES for Star-Studded Fundraiser

"Harmonizing With Humanity" to Benefit ASA-LA

SPANISH SUPPORT GROUP/GRUPO DE APOYO EN ESPANOL

UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL SECURITY & SSI BENEFITS

SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST SEMINAR

FREE Workshop: "Foundations for a Successful IEP for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders"

This is my son, Tony Saraf. Tony was diagnosed at age 2 with Autism, and later with bipolar and ADHD. For the last 25 years, he has been my guiding light and the love of my life...and the biggest, toughest challenge I have ever had.

Helping Tony to be the best Tony he can be, is my goal. Where that goal will lead the two of us, is yet to be seen. Tony continues to improve and I know there is more to come. Currently, Tony lives at home with me and attends an adult day program at St. Madeleine Sophie's Center, in El Cajon.

Doing this newsletter and learning all that I can for you and for Tony, started out as a small project 10 years ago with 40 people and has turned into an elephant with over 1,500 readers. And just like Tony, there is no end in sight!

Thanks for joining me on this fascinating ride!
Valerie Dodd-Saraf

Empowering Through Information
and the Fostering of Connections

I never endorse anyone or anything. Opinions expressed in what I send out, may not be shared by me. Everything is for informational purposes only.

People who "advertise" through this newsletter have never been checked out by me. This includes professionals and even people who are interested in babysitting, etc.

Please take the time to thoroughly check out anyone and everyone that will be working with or caring for your child. We are all sadly aware, through news stories and word of mouth, of people who pray upon special needs children because of their extra vulnerability.

Thank you,
Valerie Dodd-Saraf
www.ValeriesList.com

Victims with Disabilities: Collaborative, Multidisciplinary First Response New Victims with Disabilities: Collaborative, Multidisciplinary First Response (March 2009)

This training DVD and trainer¹s guide (NCJ 223940) were developed under the guidance of a national advisory board to demonstrate effective techniques for first responders who have been called to the scene of a crime in which the victim has a disability. This educational multimedia package not only provides guidelines for interacting with adult and adolescent victims of crime who have communication and/or intellectual disabilities, but also helps law enforcement personnel gain a deeper understanding of the lives, personal attributes, and abilities of individuals with disabilities. (PDF, 870 kb).

Available at:
http://wwwojp.gov/ovc/new/pubs.htm

Nora J. Baladerian, Ph.D.
CAN DO Project - Child/Adult Abuse & Neglect Disability Outreach Project
2100 Sawtelle Blvd. #204
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Office: 310 473 6768
FAX: 310 745 2388
Accessline: 310 754 2388
Email: nora.baladerian@verizon.net
Website: www.disability-abuse.com

Unfortunately, sexual abuse occurs more frequently then many people believe. Research studies indicate that people with disabilities, especially women and children, have a greater risk of being sexually abused than do people without disabilities. Research also supports that someone who has been a victim of sexual abuse is more likely to re-experience such victimization. Read on...

I have a 4.5 yr old boy on the spectrum. I wanted to see if any of you are seeing patterns of regression prior to a developmental spurt? Typically what I've been seeing with my child is some behavioral issues (e.g. non-compliance) and sleep disturbances (wake up early, cries out at night) before a learning spurt. I've also heard that autistic children plateau in learning then hit a learning curve then plateaus, etc - I'm curious to see if any of you see these regressive patterns that herald an upcoming change in development. I heard that between the ages of 4-5 are major neuro developments in kiddos and am hoping that the issues I'm seeing with my little boy is due to this. The issues I'm seeing are major sleep issues (unable to sleep, neediness, crying/whining) which is very unusual for our boy who normally is very compliant in sleeping independently and through the night. Also, I've noticed that along with some of the behavioral issues of non-compliance/defiance, he's also been very emotional lately, always asking for a hug and reassurance. If you can share some of your experiences with me, that would be great - I can be reached at thumaiduong@yahoo.com.
Thanks
Thu-Mai

Friday, April 10, 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Boys & Girls Club
4635 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA | 92117

Bring the whole family to enjoy a swim in an indoor heated pool with free pizza and drinks. Lifeguards are provided. For safety purposes, no flotation devices or arm "floaties" are permitted. A special thanks to Aqua Pros for making this event possible!

Please RSVP to info@sd-autism.org or 858-715- 0678 at least FIVE days in advance to ensure that there are enough food and drinks for all.

Our work at ICDL is creating a new cadre of leaders, educators and therapists who have the knowledge to improve the ability of children with autism to love and learn. Interactive relationships establish the foundations for loving and learning by following a developmental roadmap that takes into account a child's individual differences and the unique role of the family.

Celebrate and contribute to Autism Awareness Month by
1. Watching the ABC News segment about the wonderful film Autistic- Like:Graham's Story

2. Taking advantage of ICDL's publications sale throughout the month of April. Look for 30% to 50% discounts on most of our books and videos. For details click here or go directly to our Online Bookstore, where you will find the already discounted prices.

3. Watching a free introductory video about the DIR/Floortime Model

4. Registering for the Basic Online Course about the DIR/Floortime Model or for the online workshops on Meltdowns and Regulatory Sensory Processing Disorders

5. Attending a local DIR event or workshop

6. Listening to Dr. Greenspan's Web Radio Shows

7. Exploring our website and www.floortime.org and enjoying many free resources for parents and professionals

When my husband and I were told that our son Jonah's autism was "untreatable," we made up our minds to prove the experts wrong.

That was 22 years ago.

We were young and energetic, and the developmental gap between 3-year-old Jonah and his peers, while obvious, was not glaring.

With no other children to care for at the time, we made helping Jonah the focus of our lives. Every exchange would become a lesson, every experience a tutorial. Read on...

The San Diego State Men's Lacrosse Team is holding a fastest shot contest at each of its 2009 home games to raise money for the ATPF!

The Team is very excited to be a part of such a worthy cause and invites everyone out to Take A Shot! for just $5, which goes directly to support ATPF programs. Prizes awarded at each game! All games are free to attend. For more information about the team and a schedule of games, please visit www.sdsulax.com .

The season continues on April 10th at USD. You can see photos of the first two games of the season by clicking here. For additional information, you can download a flyer here.

Dr. Trauner, pediatric neurologist at UCSD and a long- time friend of ATPF, is doing a research study of brain and cognition in children with high-functioning autism between the ages of 7 and 11 years. She is looking for children who have a diagnosis of autism, who have some language, and who are able to participate in some basic tests such as drawing, naming objects, etc. The children would also get an MRI and event- related brain potentials (a type of EEG but using a cap on their heads, not electrodes) if they can tolerate those tests. Parents will receive a report of the test results.

If your child fits this description and you are interested in helping further research on autism, please call Jenny Williams or Jenny Crowhurst at 858-822-6800 for more information.

North Coast Calvary Chapel in Carlsbad is offering a support group for parents raising children with autism spectrum disorders Thursday, April 19 from 6-7:30 pm. Meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of every month. The church is at 1330 Poinsettia Lane (at Aviara Parkway). While we do have information on resources, the focus of the group is emotional and spiritual support. At this point we do not have child care, but are working on a concurrent childrens group and siblings group. We will post when those are available. For more information please call Pam Douty, MFT at (760) 929-0029 ext 314.

With financial and technical support from Microsoft, university researchers are developing software for mobile phones that uses pictures to help autistic children communicate. The software, available for download under an open-source license, lets kids form visual sentences by touching the phone's screen to select pictures and move them around.

The program is being developed by Gondy Leroy of Claremont Graduate University and Gianluca De Leo of Old Dominion University, with funding from Microsoft's External Research Group. It takes advantage of the established Picture Exchange Communication System, which is more commonly used with laminated paper cards. Read on...

Local San Diego Handbag Designer to the Stars Hosts Project Handbag for Autism to Raise Awareness for Girls on the Autism Spectrum

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (April 3, 2009) On April 13th Stephanie Schroder, native San Diegan and celebrity handbag designer to stars like Beyonce' and Eva Longoria Parker, will make handbags with girls on the Autism Spectrum in recognition of Autism Awareness Month. "Girls represent a smaller population of children on the spectrum and therefore don't receive as much attention. I look forward to hosting an event just for girls to celebrate them!"

Schroder, herself a single-mother to a child on the spectrum, will collaborate with the girls to create a signature handbag for Autism. The proceeds from the sale of this handbag will benefit San Diego-based Autism Tree Project Foundation, an organization that provides early childhood screenings for Autism and mentor programs for families living with the diagnosis. The Project Handbag bag will be unveiled at Autism Tree Project's VIP event on April 30th.

"I am constantly inspired by the imagination and creativity of children, and some of the most gifted children I've ever met are on the spectrum. The spectrum is so vast, and to give creative voice to a child who may be non-verbal for example will be very powerful. I can't wait to share this experience with this group of girls!"

Project Handbag for Autism
DATE: Monday, April 13th at 4pm
PLACE: The best girl venue in town - It's All About The Girl in Liberty Station
It's All About the Girlý -- click this link for a map
2445 Truxtun Rd.
Suite #201
San Diego, CA 92106

For more information please contact Stephanie Schroder at 619-602-3204, info@stephanieschroder.com, or visit www.stephanieschroder.com.

To learn more about Autism Tree Project foundation, please visit www.autismtreeproject.org.

Walka for TACA is a family-oriented fundraising event in combination with TACA's 5th Annual Family and Friends Campaign. At TACA we encourage members and the community to come to the event and for a family-filled fun morning. At Walka for TACA, there are activities for the children, TACA resource providers, event sponsors, light snacks and music.

Dedication and thanks go out to: Special thanks to the Cernius family for helping arrange this family fun event. This event is in honor of Andrew and the thousands of children like him affected by autism. Click here for more info.

Hello Everyone,
I hope you are doing well in this new year and that Spring has finally settled in.

We are coming back to California and starting the new season this year with Sail-a-thons in:

Oakland from the 15th to the 19th of April. We will be at the Oakland boat show to introduce our program to all attendees and families of Special Needs. All registrants will receive free passes for the boat show.

Ventura on the 19th of April
San Diego on the 25th of April
Dana Point on the 26th of April

Check our schedule and register by clicking on http://heartofsailing.org/sailwithus.asp and choosing the city near you.

Please let other families, friends or relatives, know about us and invite them to come and sail with us. These events are open to the general public to raise more awareness about the Special Needs community and help us continue providing our services at a very low cost to you.

We will provide lunch and activities, in Dana Point and San Diego, as well as table spaces to vendors and organizations who would like to share with you information about their services. Please forward our information to any organization that would like to promote their services at our Sail-a-thons.

George Saidah
Founder/Executive Director
Heart of Sailing
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Dana Point Chapter, PO Box 4073, Dana Point, CA, 92629
(858) 205-5257
gsaidah@heartofsailing.org
www.heartofsailing.org

In our latest "Why We Walk" essay, the father of a teenager with autism tells how he became involved with the Pittsburgh Walk Now for Autism as a team captain. He recounts the reasons that he, his family and friends have been "Marching for Matty" for ten years and encourages others to get involved in Autism Speaks Walk program. Read more.

Autism Speaks has teamed up with the cast from NBC's hit show HEROES, the celebrity band "Band From TV" and "Wendy and Lisa" to increase autism awareness and help raise funds for autism research at the first ever HEROES for Autism fundraiser. This one-night only star-studded concert event will take place on Sunday, April 19 at the Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif. Read more and buy tickets here.

Harmonizing With Humanity is a non-profit organization created by independent artists who came together to create this very unique CD, "The Life That's Chosen Me." "This CD is dedicated to caregivers of a child with a disability who often are the last ones to be thanked and the most under appreciated, overworked and under paid," states Randy Grossman, Vice President of Harmonizing With Humanity. Randy has two children with autism, so the link to the autism community is dear to his heart.

Harmonizing With Humanity has another mission, to help other non-profit organizations like ASA-LA fundraise for their causes by donating part of the proceeds from the CD to the organization through a link on their website.

Go to: www.ASA-LA.org and purchase either the whole CD or individual songs (MP3). The proceeds of the CD/ MP3 will help ASA-LA continue to be the voice of the autism community. ASA-LA is helping to launch the release of this unique CD.

Abril 13, 6:00 a 8:00pm
Scripps Mercy Well Being Center
237 Church Ave., Chula Vista, CA 91910

Para familas de ninos y adolescentes con autismo. Un foro abierto para informacion, liderazgo, recursos en la comunidad. abogacia, y companerismos. Los esperamos/lo sentimos, no contamos con ciudado de ninos. Para informacion llamar al 1-800-281-8252

Saturday, April 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon Arc North Shores Center on Aero Dr.

SSI, SSDI, SSA, SGA...The alphabet soup of Social Security...
What does it all mean?
Attend an in-depth seminar to gain an understanding of the Social Security system. Find out, step-by-step, how to get and keep your SSI benefits without jeopardizing other income sources.

WALK AWAY WITH:
An information packet that will guide you through the maze of Social Security and give you an understanding of where you fit in.

YOU WILL LEARN:
~Eligibility for benefits
~How to calculate benefits
~The link between state & federal benefits
~Understanding rules & regulations
~The Work Incentive Program
~Maintaining benefits while working
~PASS, Plan for Achieving Self-Support

SPEAKER PROFILE: Get it straight from someone who knows! Peter Prather works for the Social Security Administration. His presentation will cover the application and approval process, and various work incentive programs available.

REGISTATION:
$8 per person*
$10 per family
*Seminar free of charge for people with disabilities.

INFORMATION:
SNTF (619) 201-2672

Saturday, April 25, 2009
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Arc North Shores Center

THE CURRENT DILEMMA:
Parents with a child who has a disability often find themselves in a dilemma when planning for the future of this child.

Individuals with special needs may have resources from an inheritance or settlement that may exclude them from receiving government support.

The Special Needs Trusts were established to assist families and individuals with special needs establish a discretionary trust that allows them to supplement the child¡¦s or individual¡¦s monthly income from SSI with restricted funds with no adverse effects. This seminar will inform families and individuals of their options for estate planning.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
~Planning for the future
~Court vs. non-court procedures
~Advantages of the Special Needs Trust and individual trust
~Options regarding trustee, including the Special Needs Trust Foundation
~Difference between a First-Party or Self- Settled Trust and a First-Party Trust

THE SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST FOUNDATION (SNTF) is a joint effort of Access to Independence, The Arc of San Diego, Community Catalysts, Community Options, Developmental Services Continuum, Friends of Vista Hill, Home of Guiding Hands, NAMI San Diego, Sharp Healthcare Foundation, St. Madeleine Sophies Center, United Cerebral Palsy Assoc. Of San Diego, and Unyeway.

SPEAKER PROFILE:
Nancy Spector - Attorney, Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law.

REGISTATION:
$8 per person*
$10 per family
*Seminar free of charge for people with disabilities.

INFORMATION:
SNTF (619) 201-2672