Radically Free

St. Madeleine Sophie's 31st Annual "Haute with Heart"

Free reproducible language and early literacy activities

Juice Plus+

Autism Study Links Repetitive Behavior Patterns to Brain Function Differences

Extended School Year - Parent Handbook

Church in Rancho Bernardo having FREE picnic on Monday, May 26th

Lisa Ackerman to speak in San Diego

Xcite Steps' Summer Camp vendored through RC!!!!

STAY PUT BILL

SUMMER CAMP 2008 KICK-OFF!

2008 Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle

::Best Buddies Beach BBQ::Don't miss the fun this SUNDAY!

We've heard it over and over again from reliable sources such as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American Dietetic Association: Evidence indicates that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may help prevent cancer, heart disease, premature aging and the list goes on. But are we listening? I'd like to say the same thing one more time, but in a somewhat more radical way: a diet lacking in phytochemicals contributes to premature death. And this is true regardless of whether a person was conceived with perfectly fit genes or genetic defects, or programmed as a fetus to be more or less susceptible to disease.

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
My enewsletters are archived on my website:
www.ValeriesList.com

St. Madeleine Sophie's Center, 31st Annual Fashion Show, "Haute with Heart" will be held at the San Diego Sheraton Harbor Island on Saturday, August 23, 2008 (10am - 2pm). This is a fun, festive and heartwarming fashion show/luncheon. All proceeds will support the programs of St. Madeleine's on-site Aquatic Center. The Aquatic Program is just one of many day training programs that SMSC offers its 265 adults with developmental disabilities, to fulfill their individual potential.

Tickets for this event are $60 regular seating and $100 VIP seating. Tables of 10 are $600 for regular seating and $1,000 for VIP seating.

"Haute for Heart" will heat up the runway with haute couture that only Leonard Simpson of Fashion Forward Productions could present. This year's Honorary Committee Chair is Mrs. Phyllis Parrish, Honorary Chair is Mrs. Gloria Rimland and our "mistress of ceremonies" is none other than Carol LeBeau, 10NEWS Anchor.

There will also be a huge Raffle Prize Drawing and Silent and Live Auctions!!!

Purchase Tickets Here!

Developed by Angela Notari-Syverson, Ph.D. and colleagues

To download materials go to www.walearning.comand click on the purple button that says "Free Parent Education Handouts" on the home page. Look for the "On the Go" file to download the materials in PDF format. The new materials are designed to encourage parents to interact with their children while they are "On the Go" to facilitate language, early literacy, and positive parent-child interactions. The materials include 14 activities as well as accompanying hints for each of the activities about how to modify the activities to meet the specific developmental needs of the child.

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

Tony and I have been taking Juice Plus+ daily for almost 5 years and we feel fabulous, and are more healthy.

Juice Plus+ will not interfere with any biomedical treatment that you may be doing with your child, but will actually enhance it.

If you would like more info about Juice Plus+, please email me.

If you would like to order Juice Plus+, click here.

More and more men and women realize that "an ounce of prevention" really is worth more than "a pound of cure."

(Media-Newswire.com) - Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY - Individuals with autism who exhibit repetitive behavior show reduced activity in brain regions normally responsible for attention and executive function, the processes that help organize our actions and behaviors, researchers at Hofstra, Duke, and the University of North Carolina report in the current issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

These results their study, scheduled to run in the May 15, 2008 issue of Biological Psychiatry, suggest that the repetitive behavior patterns observed in individuals with autism may be associated with dysfunction within the brain's attentional and executive response circuitry.

Lucile Lynch would love to share the "Extended School Year - Parent Handbook.

Since I am not able to attach files to this newsletter, Lucile has graciously offered to email the file to all who ask.

Please email her at: lhl@steps4kids.com and be patient!!! There are now almost 1,300 people receiving this newsletter!

The Church at Rancho Bernardo is having a picnic Monday May 26th that will include a special needs baseball game, face painting, clowns, etc.....lunch will be provided beginning at 11:45 am with the Baseball game starting at 12:45.......This event is FREE to special needs families. For more information www.thechurchatrb.org Please rsvp through the church website. Buddies and family support will be provided.

Lisa Ackerman: Alternative Funding Resources for Autism: A special focus on doing "the diet" and biomedical approaches on a budget.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
6:30 - 8:30 PM

Lisa Ackerman is one the founders of Talk About Curing Autism (TACA). TACA started in 2000 with 10 families in the Ackerman Huntington Beach living room and by February 2008 has grown to over 8,500 families across the U.S. TACA provides 95% program and services free to families affected by autism. Lisa's background and passion is helping all parents provide their children with healthy nutrition options that taste good and maintain proper balance and medical treatments unique to each childs needs.

Rancho Bernardo Presbyterian Church (Directions below)

Directions to Rancho Bernardo Presbyterian Church:
17010 Pomerado Road, San Diego, CA 92128. From I-15, exit Rancho Bernardo Road and travel east to Pomerado Road. Turn left (north) at the stoplight. The church will be on your left hand side.

Room Change: TACA is now meeting in the Lower Fireside room. The Lower Fireside room is downstairs in the main church building. Park in the lower (southern) lot for best access to this room.

I wanted to share with you that Xcite Steps' summer camp Camp Steps has just been vendored through regional center. We were hoping you could help us share the great news with the families that you are associated with.

Kind Regards,
Matt Winkley
Director
Xcite Steps, LLC
858 722-1948
www.xcitesteps.com

This is to keep school districts from pulling students out of a successful program because of costs or other reasons. Parents can insist on the child staying put. This bill puts this option of the parents in danger.

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY

Please call, and fax letters of support to, members of the Appropriations Committee (especially Mark Leno, the committee chair) on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 20 and 21, asking the members to let AB 1768, the age three stay put bill, off the suspense file and out of the Appropriations Committee. Also call and fax Assembly Speaker Karen Bass's office with the same request. Bills in the Appropriations Committee are considered behind closed doors, and it the decisions as to which bills get out of the suspense file are political and are made primarily by the chair of the committee and the Speaker of the Assembly. In this tight budget year, our voices need to be loud and many if AB 1768 is to have a chance. Some points to make:

• The cost is small - a few months of services in a tiny number of cases that go to hearing when children transition from regional center to school district services at age 3 - and the benefits are enormous - preserving continuity of services for children at this critical time.
• The bottom line is that children shouldn't suffer when grown-ups disagree; services should remain intact while disputes are resolved.
• All the blue ribbon groups commissioned by the Legislature have recognized that early intervention in autism is vital and that continuity at the age-3 transition should be a priority: AB 1768 is the number one way that the Legislature can put some real action behind its proclamations.

BMOD FITNESS
BMod Fitness is now offering a Summer Camp in San Diego, July 21st through August 29th! Campers participate in structured and unstructured activities as well as snack time in a gymnastics setting. Coaches help facilitate social communication and interaction in a fun and motivating environment. Activities include, but are not limited to obstacle courses, trampoline work, foam pits, ropes, bars and balance beams. Campers are encouraged to problem solve as a group or partners to accomplish tasks. Camp is limited to 10 campers per day so register now!

Camp location - Victory Gymnastics Academy 8050 Ronson Rd., San Diego, CA 92111 Register online at www.bmodfitness.com or call 805-273-9516.

Imagine cycling down the breathtaking Pacific Coast Highway to the majestic Hearst Castle with a group of your friends alongside Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Carl Lewis, Cindy Crawford, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, First Lady Maria Shriver, and professional cyclists. As you arrive at the finish line you are welcomed with refreshments, hot showers and professional massages. Following this relaxing finish you are whisked to the 83,000 acre private Hearst Castle ranch for a gourmet barbeque and private concert by the Black Eyed Peas. Welcome to the Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle, the adventure vacation of a lifetime!

The Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle is a five-star cycling experience that takes place on Saturday, September 6 in support of people with intellectual disabilities. Riders begin at the beautiful Chateau Julien Winery in Carmel and rider 100, 62 or 15 miles down a stunning stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway to the Hearst Castle. For those who do not ride, this year there will also be a five kilometer walk and ten kilometer run at the finish area in San Simeon.

This will be the Fifth Annual Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle. Open to all ages and abilities the event, with a 100, 62 or 15-mile bike ride, participation of celebrities and professional athletes, festive barbeque and concert by the Black Eyed Peas, has something for everyone.

Whether this will be your first organized ride or your hundredth, you haven't done anything like the Audi Best Buddies Challenge. More than a ride, it's an experience. It's truly "the only five-star ride". Cap your summer off with a bang by joining TEAM CALIFORNIA on the road to Hearst Castle.

Sign up now for the Adventure of a Lifetime

For more information please call Best Buddies California:

Ben Goodman
PHONE: 888-68-BUDDY
EMAIL: BenGoodman@bestbuddies.org