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PLEASE KEEP VOTING FOR ST. MADDIE'S!!!

Mom needs "Step On It"

Heart of Sailing Now in San Diego and Dana Point

10th Annual Spring Picnic & Fun Festival

Supported Living Conference

TACA's 6th Annual Autism & Medical Breakthroughs Conference

How to Survive a Complex IEP and Make Sure Everything Gets Covered

Against the stream: California-based organization advocates alternative measures to deal with autism

IEP Stuff

The Surprising Right Fit for Software Testing

Walk To Voice Your Concern About Budget Cuts To Education!

Summer 2008 Volunteer Opportunity

ONLY 2 MORE DAYS UNTIL MORNING GLORY JAZZ BRUNCH

Transgenic Mice Decipher another Part of Autism

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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

I am in the process of changing webmasters for my website, so there may be "interuptions in service". www.ValeriesList.com

Please vote if you haven't already!!!! Send the link to all your family and friends and ask them to vote for St. Maddie's!!!

El Cajon, CA - For the past three weeks, 10News and Oprah's Big Give have challenged San Diegans to make a difference. We're proud to announce, that with your help, St. Madeleine Sophie's Center (SMSC) has reached our minimum goal of $10,000. We are now eligible to have the public vote for us on line.

In order to win the matching $10,000 from 10NEWS, we need you to vote for us at 10NEWS.com from Friday, April 11th at 5:30 pm through Thursday, April 17 at noon. One email address may vote each day!

The non-profit with the highest number of votes will receive the match. The winner will be revealed in a 30- minute special aired Friday, April 18 at 5:30 pm on 10News.

I'm trying (unsucessfully) to locate a game you can apparently buy called Step On It. It is referenced in Stanley Greenspan's Engaging Autism, on page 376 - just prior to the section Using Ideas Logically.

Please respond to playing_together@hotmail.com if anyone knows who the game is made by, or where it can be purchased.

Heart of Sailing introduces sailing to children, teens and adults with developmental disabilities as a form of education and recreational therapy.

Daysails are now available in San Diego, April 18, 19 & 20 and Dana Point, April 25, 26 & 27. Special sails for "Dad's Only" and "Mom's Only" and feel free to bring a friend!

Join Valerie & Tony for sails on Sunday, April 20th at 4pm and 6pm. Help us watch the sun go down!!!!

If for any reason you need to cancel your daysail with George, please give him a call. Often, families are on a waitlist, but if you don't call to cancel, they are not able to participate. Thank you for your kindness and consideration. -Val

This is truly a very wonderful and memorable event, each year drawing many families and friends to Glendale, with number of attendees increasing with every passing year.

Please come and join us; it is truly wonderful to see all the families having fun and lots of food and feeling a part of a larger community.

10th Annual Spring Picnic & Fun Festival
Scrumptious food and drinks, face painting, crafts, entertainment, prizes (including tickets to local theme parks) and great fun for all!!!

Admission:
FAA members are FREE!
Non-members: Adult: $7, Children (age 3-12): $5

Address:
Lower Scholl Canyon Park
2847 East Glenoaks Blvd
Glendale, CA

Schedule:
12 Noon until 3:00pm

RSVP: Send email to rsvp@foothillautism.org with the number of adults and children in your party

GFCF (gluten-free, casein-free) food is available:
Let us know how many of your party require GFCF food.

The California Supported Living Network 8th Annual Supported Living Leadership Conference will be held Thursday & Friday April 24th & 25th at the Catamaran Resort Hotel in San Diego. Fees range from $150 for member self-advocates and family members to $260 non member professionals. The registration deadline will be March 14th. Visit www.supportedliving.com for details. Topics and speakers will include: Supported Routines - Best Practice Strategies for a Fulfilling Life by Tom Pomeranz; Coaching Universal Enhancement: in Place Just in Time by Tom Pomeranz; Micro Enterprise by Sherry Beamer and Associates; Supported Living Services Circle of Influence by Tony Anderson Arc Ca and Ellen Goldblatt PAI; and Self Directed Services by Margaret Anderson, DDS.

May 3, 2008 · Long Beach, CA
9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Light Breakfast Included

Jerry Kartzinel, MD
Dan Rossignol, MD, FAAFP

Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Time: 6:30-8:00pm
Location: 950 Boardwalk, Suite 300, San Marcos
RSVP: (760) 481-3126 or appts4allan@yahoo.com

Presented by:
Alliance Resources and Associates, Inc.
950 Boardwalk, Suite 300
San Marcos, CA 92078

I work for Allan Roth, an educational consultant, located in San Marcos, CA. Mr. Roth heard about your website and asked that I contact you.

Mr. Roth and his associates will be holding a parent workshop, here at our office, on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 6:30pm. The workshop is about teaching parents how to get through an IEP. We were hoping that you could include the information about our workshop in your newsletter.

Apr. 8--Nine-year-old Amanda DiFucci of Lake in the Hills isn't fully "recovered" from an autism-spectrum disorder, but her sensory problems have vanished, and she no longer hits herself in the head or suffers from severe eczema. When she's among her 3rd- grade classmates, it's hard to tell she was once diagnosed with autism.

"No one could suspect the living nightmare that held her captive," said her mother, Sara DiFucci, a co- coordinator of the Chicago chapter of Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), which provides resources for families with autism. "It still pains me to think of that time in her life."

Autism, the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the nation, strikes at least 1 in 150 children. It has no cure; stories of "recovered" children are the exception and fuel for a heated debate over how -- and even whether -- children should be treated.

From Lucile Lynch for all of us:

So often success in an IEP is based upon "as measured by teacher or input" instead of the objective testing of the student's actual work or upon an assessment that is curriculum based (e.g. district assessment tests -- always ask for copies of the district assessment tests at parent teacher conferences!). While both have value, testing of the child actually addressed in an IEP may help provide additional insights into the skills or weaknesses of a student's progress or academic skill.

This site gives helpful ideas on how to write goals that are measured objectively:
http://www.concordspedpac.org/IEPGoals.html

This site gives a list of types of educational tests:
http://www.concordspedpac.org/TypesTests.html
(This site does not appear to list the Raven test for achievement which the district is now using -- it is helpful for testing children whose verbal skills may not reflect their intellectual abilities, etc.)

Special Education generally (e.g. accommodations, IEP goals, etc.)
http://specialed.about.com/od/iep/Individual_Education _Plan.htm

(Also, check the internet for "Sample IEP goals" - you never know what you might find that can help!)

If there is one job that many software analysts and programmers cannot stand, it is testing software on the path to launch. The grinding concentration and repetitive nature of the tasks serve to drive many techies around the bend.

Testing-due in no small part to the resistance it meets in some cubicles-is often treated as an afterthought at immature IT organizations, says HBS professor Robert Austin. Yet this attitude is unwise, because the sooner bugs are caught, the easier and cheaper they are to correct.

But who is best suited to control and manage the tests? The surprising answer may be found in a group of people previously thought to have a crippling condition: autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Saturday, April 19th at 9:15am
Walk To Voice Your Concern About Budget Cuts To Education!
Let Your Voice Be Heard by your elected representatives.

Teachers and staff in San Diego schools are trying to get the word out to the general public, the government, and the media just how devastating the proposed budget cuts will be to the education of all children in California's public schools and universities. It is their goal to have the California legislature and the Governor reverse these proposed cuts. It's NOT too late!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! We need as many people as possible.

--WHAT: DEMONSTRATION & MARCH
--WHEN: Saturday April 19th, 9:15 AM
--WHERE: Balboa Park: grass at corner of Park Ave. & Presidents Way
--WHY: Protest the budget cuts to education

There will be a walk from Balboa Park to the State Building downtown. You may park on the street or use Balboa Park Parking or the Veterans Administration Parking, which is across the street. This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY event. We need EVERYONE'S help!

Participants will include parents, children, teachers, staff, UC and Cal State students and staff, community college students and staff, friends, family and EVERYONE who cares about the education of California's children.

You could also visit http://cta.org/ and use the links 'tell your lawmaker to reject the proposal' to send your representatives in Sacramento an email voicing your disapproval. These budget cuts are taxes on all the children and families of the public school system in California. Less teachers & staff and less resources for the schools means less resources for the students and less attention paid to every student. The state budget should not be balanced on the backs of children!

The City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department Therapeutic Recreation Services is looking for individuals interested in receiving training and experience by providing inclusion support for children with special needs during day camps at various recreation centers this summer and TRS specialty camps. No prior experience working with individuals with disabilities is needed, but it is definitely beneficial. Please contact Rose Caldwell, Volunteer Coordinator, at 619 236-7756 or rcaldwell@sandiego.gov

View details at http://www.efrconline.org/admin/files/SD%20TRS% 20summer%20volunteer.doc

El Cajon-When St. Madeleine Sophie's Center opens its doors for its popular Morning Glory Jazz Brunch on Saturday, April 19, the "Joint will be Jumpin'" with activity.

Come catch the excitement-if garden tours, floral demonstrations, fantastic food and beverage from some of San Diego's best chefs, the smooth jazz sounds of the Jason Weber Quartet, live auctions and race highlights with professional auctioneer Stephen Hamann, and incredible floral (Jasmine Creek Florist & Mission Hills Florist) and art displays weren't enough, the non-profit organization that serves adults with developmental disabilities invites friends and supporters to follow their favorite frog to glory in ...

The Great SMSC Frog Race-Hop to It for Great Prizes and Fun!

Don't worry, these aren't real frogs. Each "adopted" frog is more suitable for life in the Center's Junior Olympic-size Pool (or your bathtub) than a pond. The 750 "rubber froggies" float down the pool usually used by Special Olympics athletes, students at the center, and members of the community for training and swimming lessons, in pursuit of a $10,000 prize for one lucky winner.

You can adopt your frog now, while they last-only 750 frogs will be offered for the race-by calling the Center at (619) 442-5129, ext. 3117, or by visiting their website at www.stmsc.org. Each frog entry costs $100.

Morning Glory Jazz Brunch
Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Cost: $55 at the door
St. Madeleine Sophie's Center - 2119 E. Madison Avenue - El Cajon, CA

Your ticket includes a sumptuous gourmet champagne brunch, tours, entertainment, floral and art displays, silent and live auctions and opportunity drawings, and the chance to shop for unique items for your home and garden:

*ornamental plants (flowers, potted plants, trees) from the Center's Organic Garden;
*garden crafts and art (mosaic tiles, tables, stepping stones, pots and other original works of art by the Center's students)

Some of our featured restaurants include: Sycuan Resort & Casino, Barona Valley Ranch & Casino, Downtown Café, American Culinary Federation , Hometown Buffet, Hooleys Irish Pub & Grill, Brigantine Seafood Restaurants, Por Favor, Mangia Bene Ristorante Italiano, On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, Trattoria Tiramisu, B & B Bakery, PRP Wines International, Jamacha Bar & Grille, Coffee Ambassador and Viejas.

For more information contact: Erich Foeckler, St. Madeleine Sophie's Center; phone: 619-442-5129 (Ext. 3332) or e-mail: efoeckler@stmsc.org