Juice Plus+®

Valerie has a question about HBOT

Mom wants to know about DAN Doctors in San Diego

Summer Camp for BI-Polar kids

Local couple creates DVD for autistic children

Regarding our Craigslist Special Care Nanny Ad...

Special Diets And Autism

Info from EFRC Newsletter

Dr. Miller in San Diego

'MORNING GLORY JAZZ BRUNCH'

THING TO THING TO THING

Including Samuel Film Screening

SDASA East County Support Group

Oprah's Big Give - San Diego

Autism Speaks ENewsletter

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Good Health is not Good Luck; it's Science!

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! Past issues of this newsletter are posted on my website and can be easily accessed!

Hi all,
I am thinking about doing HBOT for Tony and myself (Fibromyalgia Syndrome). Could those of you who have done it at San Diego Center for Hyperbaric Therapy let me know what you thought about them and what was the cost. Did it help you child with autism? Do you know of others with other conditions that have been helped, or not?
Thanks, Valerie

Hello again. I am considering taking my 3 yr-old son to a DAN doctor because I feel he has some biomedical issues that need to be taken care of. Are there any DAN doctors in the San Diego area (I live in North County) or even south Orange County? Secondly, are there any parents out there who have tried this route? I would love to hear their experiences and any advice they may have.

Thanks in advance. And thank you, Valerie, for being such a great resource for us!
Bonnie

We are excited to announce our 2nd annual Camp Rise Above, a specialized summer camp for children with Bi- Polar disorder in San Diego. This camp is a small group environment where every child gets personalized attention and his or her needs and interests are met. The focus of our camp is for kids to have a successful camp experience through fun and exciting activities and field trips. With enthusiasm and energy our counselors are able to complete our mission of having children naturally build friendships with one another. Our counselors have many years of mentoring, teaching and school experience working with kids and their individual needs. Our staff has also gone through training with Mary Ann McDonnell, APRN, BC, CEO and Kathy Regan, RN, nurse manager of the inpatient child psychiatry unit at Cambridge Hospital, Cambridge, MA and author of "Opening Our Arms: Helping Troubled Kids".

The camp is for boys and girls ages 8 -12 and we limit the group to 10 kids with a two kids to one staff ratio. The camp is from 10:30am to 3:30pm and we have SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE.

Field Trips Include:
Water Parks and Arcades
Sports and Recreational activities
Beach Days with water sports

Themes we work on throughout the camp:
Positive thinking and self confidence
Mastering Fears and Self Control
Friendship building and Teamwork
Effective Communication

Camp Dates:
August 18th - 22nd
July 28th - August 1st

Registration deadline is May 1st. CONTACT Emily O'Connell for flyer and application 617-851-4083 emilyoconnell@comcast.net

Parents of autistic children learn to look and listen to things differently, trying to understand their youngster's world, according to parents Scott and Ann Leslie of Poway.

The Leslies describe it as trying to be "inside looking out."

Dear Valerie and Readers
Someone has pointed out to me that where our Craigslist ad was supposed to detail the compensation, it said "no pay".

This is horribly embarrassing and not the case! I have corrected the ad and would just ask that anyone who may have felt offended by the idea that we would expect someone to care for our child without appropriate pay, please understand that this is not the case!
My apologies Cherri Cary
Link: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/dmg/617758884.html

"Leaky gut autism theory doubted", was the headline from BBC News on March 17 2008. The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail also reported that researchers have found no evidence to support the 'leaky gut theory'. They say that this theory proposes that vaccines such as MMR damage the intestine causing digestive problems, leading to the production of peptides "which can damage the brain and possibly cause autism".

This well conducted study used reliable analysis techniques to compare autistic children across a broad range of intelligences to age-matched control children. Despite the newspaper headlines and coverage, the study did not look at the effects of the MMR jab and autism. Instead, it tested and compared the urine of autistic boys with the urine of boys without autism. The researchers conclude that there were no differences between the levels of peptides in the groups and say they have effectively disproved the 'leaky gut theory'. However, further research is needed to establish whether a casein and gluten-free diet has other effects on autism.

Tuesday Information Sessions from 10:00am - 12:30pm at the Southern Caregiver Resource Center, located at 3675 Ruffin Rd, SD 92123. Tools for Caregivers to Control Frustrations will run from April 1 - April 22. Details can be found at http://www.efrconline.org/admin/files/Care giver%20classes%20Jan%20June%2008% 20revA.pdf There are listings of other helpful classes on this flyer as well.

Also, we wanted to pass along some information that you may find helpful regarding the President's Economic Stimulus Payment. The IRS is mailing Package 1040A-3 to every Social Security [SSA] and Veteran's Administration [VA] beneficiary in the nation. This package tells individuals with benefits how to fill out an abbreviated version of Form 1040A to request a payment. View pdf file at http://www.efrconline.org/admin/files/stimulus% 20package_1040a-3.pdf. Individuals can file on- line at www.irs.gov. Many individuals with disabilities who have low earnings and/or who only receive benefits such as VA or SSA are not required to file annual tax returns. However, to receive the $300 economic stimulus payment available to people with benefits or low income the person MUST FILE the abbreviated 1040A for tax year 2007. The IRS encourages everyone to file as early as possible. Tax returns for a stimulus payment must be filed by October 15, 2008.

Some points to remember: individuals claimed as dependents cannot file for their own stimulus payments. Individuals who only receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are not eligible. The Medicaid and SSI Programs will not count the stimulus payment as income towards these benefits in the month of receipt. The money from the stimulus payment will become a countable resource if it is not spent before the third month following the month of receipt. Click on the Stimulus Payment at www.irs.gov or for other details, visit http://www.efrconline.org/admin/files/Economi c%20Stimulus%20Info%20.doc

Información sobre los Pagos de Estímulo Económico Información Personas Quienes Reciben Beneficios del Seguro Social y Ciertos Beneficios de Veteranos

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR

Hi everyone,
I want to remind you that Dr Arnold Miller is coming this weekend, 8-4 Saturday and 830-415 Sunday, presenting The Miller Method and seeing local kids in demonstration consultations. You may show up at the door at ACES. Please look at the website for more information. I'm going and I hope to see you there!
http://millerinsandiego.org/
Dr Feder

Workshop Location: Developmental Therapy Center 3731 6th Avenue San Diego, CA 92103 Pay Parking in Rite-Aid Lot or Starbucks Lot to the North of Clinic

BENEFITING PROGRAMS AND EARNING POWER FOR ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Event Details
Date: April 19, 2008
Time: 10am - 2pm
Location: St. Madeleine Sophie's Center, El Cajon Phone: 619-442-5129
Adult Price: Advance: $45 At the Door: $55

Event Description Join the St. Madeleine Sophie's Center for their 10th Annual Champagne Brunch. This brunch will feature garden tours, an art walk, live music from the Jason weber Quartet, live auction, floral demonstrations and a raffle that includes some great prizes including a chance to win $10,000 cash! Plus fantastic food and beverages from some of the areas finest restaurants. All proceeds will go to support job training for adults with developmental disabilities.

Buy Tickets! Adopt A Frog! Get Involved!

To learn more about St. Madeleine Sophie's Center (SMSC) and its 'Morning Glory Jazz Brunch' garden fundraiser, visit www.stmsc.org or contact Erich Foeckler: phone: 619-442-5129 (Ext: 3332); e-mail address: efoeckler@stmsc.org

St. Madeleine Sophie's Center, a non-profit, non- denominational 'Life Program' day training center for adults with developmental disabilities, is located at 2119 E. Madison Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020.

THING TO THING TO THING
One-Woman Show Shines Bright Light on Healing Autism

Autism and comedy might seem like unlikely bedfellows until you experience the play THING TO THING TO THING-From Crazy To Sane With Biofeedback, Autism And The Brain, a one-woman tour de force (think Lily Tomlin does The Vagina Monologues with a splash of music) written and performed by Lynette Louise. The show will be in Temecula on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 7:30pm at the Old Town Community Theater www.temeculatheater.org. Tickets are $20.00 and can be purchased online at www.temeculatheater.org, by phone at (866) 653-8696, or at the door prior to the show. Disabled adults and parents of autistic children-who bring a photograph of their child-will be admitted free at the door.

A courageous mom who raised eight children-six adopted from abusive or neglectful situations, four of whom were on the autism spectrum-Lynette's life reads like an adventure novel with the underlying theme of "anything's possible!"

A colorful composite of triumphant and heartbreaking stories told monologue style and interspersed with music and brain science, THING TO THING TO THING is the tale of Lynette's 20-year search for ways to help her autistic children develop into independent adults, a journey that takes her from fiercely determined mom to international autism expert. Medication, diet, play therapy, auditory integration, neurofeedback, and even home schooling her brood in an RV on the road for a year and a half-this woman has tried it all. The show is an inspiration to those of us who know the challenges of raising any child, with or without a disorder or a disability.

Told with brutal honesty and a lot of humor (yes, special needs parents need to laugh too!), Lynette shares what she's learned about healing her children and along the way healing herself from her own troubled childhood. Her story reveals the wisdom that has led to overwhelming success not only with her own children-today, all but one of them live independently-but with hundreds of others as well.

Born and raised in Canada, Lynette moved her family to the United States in 1996. She worked an array of odd jobs to support her children, but always found herself returning to her first love: the theatre. During her career, she has performed stand-up (winning the title of Toronto's funniest comedian in 1990), landed parts in several movies, and even hosted a weekly television cooking show on Canada's Life Network.

In addition to self-education and learning about autism first-hand from her own children, Lynette has received certification as a child facilitator by the Autism Treatment Center of America and as a neurofeedback practitioner, studying with leaders in the field, including Catherine Rule of Northampton, Massachusetts and Dr. Harold Burke of Westlake, California. Her training in neurofeedback was greatly enhanced by the honors college degree in main- frame computer languages she earned during her 20's.

In 2004 she founded the Brain and Body Clinic with offices in Santa Monica, California, a treatment center for autism and other brain disorders using neurofeedback, a therapy that improves functioning by training individuals to control their own brainwave activity. When she's not working with clients and their families on site all around the world, Lynette divides her time between Santa Monica and Teague, Texas where two of her children live.

The play was first performed in May of 2007 at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica. Gaining popularity, Lynette is taking her show to theatres in cities and towns across the United States. Show clips and information about other upcoming performance dates, times, and locations can be found at www.lynettelouise.com.

An abbreviated conference version of THING TO THING TO THING has also been performed and well- received at the annual conference of the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research in San Diego. Arrangements are underway for performances at other professional events, including leading autism conferences.

Photojournalist Dan Habib rarely thought about the inclusion of children with disabilities before he had his son Samuel. Now he thinks about inclusion every day. Habib documented his family's efforts to include Samuel in every facet of their lives, a journey that transforms each of them. The acclaimed 58-minute film is built on the story of Habib's own family as they work to include Samuel, 8, in all facets of school and community. Including Samuel also features four other families with varied inclusion experiences, plus interviews with dozens of teachers, young people, parents and disability rights experts.

Including Samuel recently won the annual Positive Images in Media award from TASH, an international group committed to the full inclusion of people with disabilities. The film has been featured in the Washington Post, the Boston Globe and on NPR's All Things Considered. Exceptional Parent Magazine calls it a "must see" for parents, educators, policy makers, community leaders and the general public.

Screening Information
Hosted by the COMPASS Family Center at USD and UCP San Diego

When: Friday, April 4, 2008, 6:30 PM
Cost: $10 for the general public. $5 for students with valid ID.
Where: University of San Diego, Mother Rosalie Hill Hall Auditorium (Room 116)
5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, California, 92110.

Tickets: http://www.compassfamilycenter.org/events/events/ind ex.php? com=detail&eID=20&month=04&year=2008

La Mesa East County
Asperger/HFA Parent Support Group
Tuesday April 1st from 6:30-8:00pm
Java Mama Cafe
8250 La Mesa Blvd (behind Wireless Toyz)
La Mesa, CA | 91941

The meetings will be held in a private room generously offered to us by Java Mama Coffee shop. Sorry, no day care is provided. Sherry

N A N C Y E L L E N M A R K E L, P H. D.
C L I N I C A L N E U R O P S Y C H O L O G Y
8 9 5 0 V I L L A L A J O L L A D R I V E, S U I T E A 1 0 8
L A J O L L A, C A L I F O R N I A 9 2 0 3 7
T E L E P H O N E: (8 5 8) 4 5 2 – 9 9 4 0
F A X: (8 5 8) 4 5 2 – 6 6 4 0

What is a neuropsychological evaluation?
and
How can it help my child?

I began private clinical practice of neuropsychology in 1985, following completion of a Post-Doctoral Fellowship (1982-1985) at the Neuropsychological Development Center and was licensed to practice psychology in the State of California immediately upon completion of this Registered Psychological Assistant position.

The Neuropsychological Development Center, a multi- disciplinary, evaluation and teaching center, was founded and directed by Mary Louise Scholl, M.D., a pediatric neurologist/certified electroencephalographer, Professor of Neurosciences, University of California Medical Center, San Diego, California. Prior to moving to California she was a member of the Harvard University Medical School faculty on staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The Neuropsychological Development Center provided training for UCSD Medical School neurologists and specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with neurological disorders impacting cognitive functioning: brain injuries, brain disorders, seizure disorders, abnormal electroencephalograms, learning disabilities and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders. The Center's professional staff included a pediatric neurologist, neuropsychiatrist, neuropsychologist, Certified, State of California, learning disabilities specialist, Speech and Language pathologist and a licensed Clinical Social Worker.

While I continue to consult at Sharp Rehabilitation Center, where I also served as a member of the staff and at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, in the Developmental Evaluation Clinic, the majority of my time is devoted to the private practice of clinical and forensic neuropsychology of children, adolescents and adults.

Hello Everyone,
I am very please to report to you that St. Madeleine Sophie's Center has already raised the needed $10,000 to qualify for Ophrah's Big Give - San Diego.

I want to personally thank all of you for making a donation towards this awesome opportunity!!!

The next phase of this this "contest" will be voting online for the charity of your choice. As soon as I have more information on this, I will share it.

Thanks again and God Bless, Valerie Saraf
St. Madeleine Sophie's Center
Oprah's Big Give - San Diego