The Reason For It All

My Son, Autism and Hope

Prepare to care for a huge number of autistic adults

Sunridge Ranch

Respite Recommendation

The Encinitas Learning Center will host two open houses

Rady Childrens' Hospital: "Knowledge & Network"

Soccer Program in San Diego

A Listing of the Twenty-One Fabricated Studies -- Also opinion by Dr. Feder

Support Group Meeting at North Coast Calvary Chapel

Morning Glory Jazz Brunch Fundraiser for St. Madeleine Sophie's Adult Training Center

Music Education Can Help Children Improve Reading Skills

WALKA for TACA

Heart of Sailing Sail-a-thon, April 25 and 26

aut-erobics Movement & Music Sensory Integration to "Wake up the Brain"

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

Autism One 2009 - Change Has Come

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

Learning to communicate
-Chantal Sicile-Kira
A couple of days ago I received an e-mail from my autistic son's speech therapist. "OH MY GOODNESS! Just found out that Jeremy PASSED the language arts CAHSEE!!!!!!!! Start pouring the wine!!! Congrats."

Up until five years ago, we did not know how much or how little Jeremy understood about what was going on around him. Jeremy is severely impacted by autism and has very little speech. When he was little, I was told he was profoundly mentally retarded, and that I should institutionalize him. Yet, he has just passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) that is one of the requirements for graduating from high school. Students can have up to six tries to pass both the math and language arts. Jeremy passed each section on his first attempt. Read on...

By Linda Davis The Washington Post
Question: What coming social expenditure will cost more than a third of this year's budget for the Department of Health and Human Services and be larger than the entire current budget of the Energy Department?

Answer: The bill for the tide of autistic children entering adulthood over the next 15 years, an estimated $27 billion annually in current, non-inflation- adjusted dollars by the end of that period. The number of autistic children expected to need extensive adult services by 2023 - more than 380,000 people - is roughly equal to the population of Minneapolis. If a town were created to house this group of people and their caregivers - for you can't separate the two - it would exceed the population of all but six U.S. cities. If they formed a state, it would have four electoral votes. Read on...

We are in the process of building a home for autistic men in Ellensburg, Washington. The mission of Sunridge Ranch is to provide a secure family community for autistic men twenty-one and older. The goal is to create and maintain a lifestyle filled with meaningful work, enjoyable recreation and life long learning structured around each residents individual needs. If you know of any families who might be interested in having their son participate and live at our ranch would you please pass this information on and have them view our website at www.thesunridgeranch.com as we are in the process of taking inquiries at this time.

Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Joe and Sandy Spezialy
170 Bare Road
Ellensburg, Wa 98926
mail@thesunridgeranch.com

Hi Valerie,
I would like to post to ask other parents for any recommendation for any respite person in our area (Rancho Penasquito).
Thank you,
Ly Truong

The Encinitas Learning Center will host two open houses to introduce parents to its new nonpublic school for mild/ moderate students grades 2 - 8. Even if parents are not looking to place their child in a nonpublic setting and even if their child is not mild/moderate, it may be helpful to learn about some of the technological tools available on a computer that can help their child.

Open House:
Thursday, April 23 (1 - 7:30 pm)
Sunday, April 26 (1 - 7:30 pm)

Location:
543 Encinitas Blvd. #100
Encinitas, CA
Telephone: 760-634-6886
Email: enclearn@pacbell.net
www.encinitaslearningcenter.com

Hi Valerie,
Rady Children's Hospital Speech and Hearing Department (8010 Frost St, Suite 200) will be hosting another "Knowledge & Network" information night for parents and professionals of children with autism. The second seminar will be held on April 21st from 5:30-6:30 and will focus on communication and how this relates to the DIR/Floortime model. It will be presented by five speech-language pathologists currently participating in Dr. Joshua Feder's DIR workgroups.

SPACE IS LIMITED! Please RSVP to: Caroline Ferguson- cferguson@rchsd.org

La Jolla Youth Soccer League is proud to be a part of US Youth Soccer's TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) and offer its own program in the San Diego county. TOPSoccer is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any young boy or girl who is mentally or physically challenged. Our goal is to foster the physical, mental, and emotional growth and development of these young athletes through the sport of soccer. Through our trained volunteers, we also strive to build self- confidence and self-pride in every athlete. Exercising and playing soccer is an excellent way to help kids with special abilities get exercise, improve coordination, and meet other kids who face the same challenges that they do. Through our trained volunteers, we also strive to build self-confidence and self-pride in every athlete.

2009 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SUMMER FUN DAYS
Every other Sunday, June 7-August 2, 1pm to 2pm at Location TBD

TOPSOCCER DAY
Sunday, August 16, 2pm to 4pm at Allen Field

FALL SEASON
Player and Volunteer Registration Deadline for Fall Season- August 23
Wednesdays and Saturdays, Sept 2-November 21
Wednesdays- Times and Location TBD
Saturdays- Times and Location TBD

For more information about La Jolla's TOPSoccer, please visit our website at www.lajollasoccer.org or contact the Program Director Joey Yusunas at jyusunas@yahoo.com.

A Listing of the Twenty-One Fabricated Studies by Dr. Scott Reuben Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) The health community is up in arms over the discovery that a highly-respected and influential clinical researcher, Dr. Scott Reuben, fabricated the data used in over twenty pharmaceutical studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Read the full NaturalNews report on this topic here: http://www.naturalnews.com

These studies promoted the safety and "benefits" of drugs like Bextra (Pfizer), Vioxx (Merck), Lyrica, Celebrex and Effexor. The lead researcher on these studies, Dr. Scott Reuben, was being paid by Pfizer and Merck, so there's a verified financial connection between this clinical researcher and at least two of the drug companies that benefitted from his fabricated findings.

"What this scandal reveals is that even peer-reviewed medical journals cannot be trusted to publish truthful, accurate information about pharmaceuticals. Note carefully the names of the medical journals that published Dr. Reuben's fabricated data (see below). These so-called "science journals" claim to be peer- reviewed, which means these studies were approved by multiple scientists who agreed with the findings.

What this scandal reveals is that even peer-reviewed medical journals cannot be trusted to publish truthful, accurate information about pharmaceuticals. In fact, they are just as much a part of the Big Pharma / FDA conspiracy as the pill-pushing researchers who fabricate these studies, in my opinion.

The only honest medical science journal I've found is PLoS Medicine (http://medicine.plosjournals.org). Everything else I've seen is just tabloid medicalized fiction sandwiched in between pages of false advertising.
Click here to learn more.

I sent this to Dr. Josh Feder and asked him if he knew anything about it and what he thought. Here is his reply:

It is not clear to me yet - the journals are generally good ones, but only as good as the data in the studies - over the years I've met people who make all kinds of claims about famous people doing famous research. The process of science is, in the end, replication of findings - no one should rely on a single researcher or group of researchers nor on a single study. I can't say what happened here, although for Vioxx, the 'checks and balances' so to speak, came into play when people noticed problems and did studies. That does not relieve a researcher of the ethical, scientific and cosmic responsibility to others to do responsible research, but it does help limit the damage in a culture of competition with a species prone to competition.
JF

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.

Saturday, April 18th, 10am to 2pm
St. Madeleine Sophie's Center
2119 East Madison Ave.
El Cajon, CA 92019

Join the fun at St. Madeleine Sophie's Center 11th Annual Champagne Brunch in the midst of our Organic Garden and Junior Olympic Pool!!! There will be garden tours, art walk, live jazz music, 10-15 restaurants, floral demonstrations, Adopt-A-FROG raffle includes $10,000 cash and prizes give away and live auction!!! All proceeds benefit St. Maddie's Organic Garden Work Center for developmentally disabled adults.

Tickets are $60 and can be purchased online or at the door. For more info, please contact Nora Boswell at 619-442-5129 ex3117 or nboswell@stmsc.org.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 16, 2009) - Children exposed to a multi-year programme of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music. Read on...

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.

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.

For more info, please call 619-749-2167, or email sdgo@heartofsailing.org
www.heartofsailing.org

What is the theory behind Autism Movement Therapy?

In individuals with autism the left and right brain hemispheres are more often than not, not communicating with each other. Read on...

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

Wednesday, May 20-Sunday, May 24 at the Westin O'Hare Hotel (Chicago area)

Actress Jenny McCarthy to deliver keynote address at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 23

A diagnosis of or suspicion that your child has autism is devastating. After months or years of denial it cannot be denied any longer. You are faced with the greatest question of your life - how to best help your child.

The difficult step toward finding answers is a courageous one that can be as frightening as the initial suspicion or confirming diagnosis. It means recognizing and rejecting that labyrinth of Jabberwocky, gobbledygook, circular reasoning, and non-answers parents most often hear.

It means educating yourself. It means trusting yourself. It means believing your child can get better.

Autism One Conference Registration
Schedule of Speakers

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