Juice Plus+®

7th Annual RECREATION RESOURCE ROUNDUP

"Sensory Integration at Home & School"

Do you want a Job with the State of California? Here Is A Chance To Get One!

College for Students

ID Cards, Bracelets, Necklaces, etc.????

Mom Needs Advice on the Kindergarten Non-Severe Program with the San Diego Unified School District

Autism Speaks ENewsletter

Best Buddies San Diego

Foothill Autism Alliance, Inc.

Pet Therapy to Help Reading

Announcing: Glimpse

ARI's Biomedical Survey Analysis Tool Available Online

Juice Plus+...The Next Best Thing

Juice Plus+ is the simple, convenient, and inexpensive way to add more nutrition from fruits and vegetables to your diet, every day.

Studies Prove: Taking Juice Plus+ is the next best thing to eating fruits and vegetables.

Juice Plus+ provides nutrition from 17 different fruits, vegetables, and grains. Each ingredient is specially selected to provide you with a wide range of nutritional benefits.

Juice Plus+ contains not only a much wider variety of naturally occurring vitamins than vitamin supplements, but it also contains other phytonutrients, antioxidants, and nutrients -- even some of the fiber -- found in the fruits and vegetables it's made from. These nutrients work together in combination to provide you more of the nutritional benefits of eating healthful whole foods.

Take Juice Plus+ for a healthy life!!!

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 throughly 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

Check out my new website!

The East County CHILDREN'S DISABILITY COUNCIL will present their 7th Annual RECREATION RESOURCE ROUNDUP on Thursday, April 17, 2008 from 10:00am-12:30pm at the El Cajon Community Center, 195 East Douglas Avenue (by the El Cajon Library). Families, caregivers and community partners are invited to learn about recreation opportunities, sports and arts programs, and camps, for children/adults with all types of disabilities. Many programs, recreation departments, and camps will have people on hand to give you personalized information. Some programs and camps fill fast, so you will be able to apply early. ***A $ 3.00 admission donation will be appreciated by our volunteer organization. Lunch is provided. Free Recreational Resources Guide! Door Prizes. Recreational Scholarships are available. Get your application form at Round-Up! Call Ahead If You Need Childcare. For more information contact Janet Light 619-465-2288 or Asecsess@cox.net

Does your child have sensory issues? If so, you may be interested in attending this workshop: "Sensory Integration at Home & School" will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2008 from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. The focus will be on what sensory integration is and how it can help children with calming, school readiness and mealtime. It will be presented by Shannon Walter, O.T.R./L C3 Occupational Therapist at Rady Children's Hospital Oceanside Center, located at 4120 Waring Road in Oceanside. R.S.V.P. by calling (760) 758-1620. Adults Only ~ Free of Charge.

The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is giving a test for OFFICE OCCUPATIONS CLERK. If you take and pass this test, you will be on a list that can be used by all state departments when they want to hire people to do things like: file papers, make copies, deliver mail, answer telephones, pack and unpack boxes, put together packets, stock supplies and keep things neat. To take this test, you must have a developmental or other intellectual disability and be in a job or training program that does things like those listed above.

If you want to take this test you must fill out and send a state application to DDS, which can be found at www.dds.ca.gov/exam. If you have questions call Maria at 916-322-7742. If you need help with your application, ask a friend, family, support worker, day program or someone you trust.

My advice is academic. Colleges have programs for children with IEP's. I went to California Lutheran University for my Special Education teaching Certificate. After proving to the school that I had a learning disability, the school provided note takers for all my classes. I could have extra time on all tests and if necessary take the tests in a quiet room, as long as I provided enough lead time. I could either get other students to read to me or they would get books on tape for me to listen too.

I have a Masters in Business Administration and an Accounting Degree. I struggled getting each degree. When I found out about note taking in class, I was impressed. Either another student in the class can volunteer to take notes or the school will provide someone to take notes. I compared the notes taken by other students to my notes. The other students notes were more legible, more organized and more complete than my notes. I would use a word to describe a paragraph, while the other student would outline the paragraph. I flunked out of college three times. It took me eight years to complete my degree in accounting.

Socially, if you could find a friend who could room with him and provide him guidance with social situations it would be a great help. I did not find someone like that until my seventh year in college. It helps tremendously.
Ken Brzezinski

Hi Val
We had a close call when my fourteen year old son was out on a field trip with his class. The train doors closed before he was able to depart luckily an aide was still on the train but what if that were not the case. It got me thinking and making an emergency I.D card for him that he keeps in his wallet. It states: Can you help me? I have autism. mom's ph#....dad's.......teacher's ph#........ When a person with autism has compromised speech and functional skills, we now have a goal that he is to seek help by asking a woman for help then showing his emergency ID. I am wondering if there should be a more official autism I.D and let authorities be aware of it? Could this be done through the DMV or ASA? Does something like this already exist?
Pam Kerr

I was wondering if anyone had any feed back on the best/worst schools in the San Diego Unified School District (preferrably close to the Tierrasanta) that offer the Non-Severe Kindergarten Program. We have a daughter with ASD that will be starting Kindergarten in the fall.

I would love to hear other parents opionions/experiences (good or bad).

Thank You, olsjas@yahoo.com

click below

Now that March, or Best Buddies Month, is upon us, I would like to invite you to participate in all of our upcoming events

Wednesday, March 19th from 5-8PM, Best Buddies Movie Night- "Splash" recommended by Buddy Pair Maureen and Jeanine

Saturday, March 22nd from 3-5PM, we will have a Best Buddies BOWLING EVENT @ SDSU!

You MUST RSVP to Annelise Cohon at 619- 584-5450 or by email, if you are attending and who you are bringing by March 19th!
*Everyone is welcome and we have 12 lanes reserved for the day.*
We are doing this event in conjunction with Greek Week at SDSU
And, there will also be pool tables and billiards available for play throughout the day!
There will be a small fee of $10/person for the cost of the lane and shoe rentals

Wednesday, April 16th from 5-8PM, Best Buddies Movie Night- "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" where you will be able to make your own toga to wear over your clothes for our first annual:
Best Buddies "My Big Fat Greek Party!"
Saturday, May 10th at UCSD's Porter's Pub
There will be food, fun, & live entertainment for everyone!
Everyone is welcome! More details to follow soon!!!

Family Resource Meeting
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Family Resource Meetings are Free and Open to the Public!

The Miller Method - Cognitive Therapeutic Methods for Treating Autism

Speaker: Rebecca Sperber, M.S., MFT, and Director of the Los Angeles Miller Method Resource Center for Autism in Brentwood, CA

The Miller Method is a cognitive, developmental systems approach to teaching children with moderate to severe autism and other developmental delays. The goals of this method are to create more flexible, independent and meaningful functioning in the child across all developmental areas. Other goals are the reduction of rigid, repetitive patterns and the development of the efficient use of the body to master tasks required for successful self care and productivity. Techniques include: elevation, sign and language programs, and "action systems" to teach the child body awareness, body intelligence, cognitive development and social/emotional functioning.

The Miller Method was developed over 35 years ago by developmental psychologist Dr. Arnold Miller and his wife, Eileen Eller-Miller, who founded a school for children with autism in the Boston area called the Language and Cognitive Development Center.

Rebecca Sperber is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist. She has been in private practice for 20 years, specializing in relationship counseling, addiction/recovery issues and developmental disabilities in children. She has received extensive training directly from Dr. Miller himself. She also has extensive training over the past 10 years from Dr. Stanley Greenspan's organization, the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders. She has published articles in the Autism Society of Los Angeles Newsletter, and more recently in The Autism Perspective Magazine and in Autism Today. She is the mother of a son who has autism.

When: Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Where: Pasadena Child Development
Networking: 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. Associates (PCDA)**
Speakers: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
620 North Lake Avenue, 2nd floor
Pasadena, CA 91101
(Just north of the 210 Freeway)

**PCDA is not affiliated with the Foothill Autism Alliance but has graciously allowed the use of its facility. All topics and speakers are presented for informational purposes and do not constitute an endorsement of any intervention, therapy, or treatment.

Unfortunately, childcare is not available at Resource Meetings. Out of respect for the speaker and fellow attendees, please do not bring any children.

FAA is a non-profit 501(c) 3, all-volunteer organization of parents, professionals, and care givers who are dedicated to providing education, resources, and support to the autism community.

For more information on the FAA, visit www.foothillautism.org or call (818) 66-AUTISM.

Hi everyone. Parents often share with me their concerns about their children's reading difficulties. I wanted to share with you two pet therapy programs that are used to help relax children to foster reading progress. They are usually free (if my understanding is correct) and they do go into schools to help. If your child is having reading difficulties, these programs may be worth exploring and get started at your child's school.

1. Read for Wags (hosted by the Rancho Coastal Humane Society)
Contact: Erin Gorence
Humane Educator
760-753-6413
egorence@rchumanesociety.org
They need about 3 weeks lead time before implementation of the program to allow for recruitment of appropriate handlers, etc.

2. Paws for Reading

3. R.E.A.D. Associate Programs:
http://www.therapyanimals.org/read/view_article.php? articleID=130

Article discussing benefits:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA300755. html
Lucile

Washington, D.C., March 5, 2008
(ICDL). The premier issue of America's first online literary magazine featuring works by people with autism and other developmental challenges offers more than a Glimpse into the rich, creative inner life of these individuals. Remarkable as both art and insight, these poems, short essays, paintings, drawings, and photography broaden our understanding of the creative processes in all of us.