The Reason For It All

Berard Auditory Integration Training in San Diego starting 7/18

Autism/Asperger's Back to School Conference

Stories needed for book

Why Juice Plus+???

Making Sense of Disability Labels

Surviving Autism - Parents' Perspectives

LA Times: Who Pays For Autism Treatment?

Autism Disrupts Work And Pay

Living Independently

Assault on School Bus: How it all turned out.....

TASK Presents 2 Meetings in Riverside and Anaheim

Support Group for East County San Diego: Puzzled Parents

Capturing Minds. Connecting Worlds.

A new, free, e-newsletter from GRASP Board member Brian King

Melaleuca, The Wellness Company

ST. MADELEINE SOPHIE'S CENTER STUDENTS SEND CARE PACKAGES TO SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANASTAN

Empowering Through Information & 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
My enewsletters are archived on my website:
www.ValeriesList.com

AIT is a ten day, noninvasive educational & therapeutic technique which helps people to hear all frequencies more evenly, to improve in the processing of auditory input, & to decrease hyper or hypo-sensitivity to specific environmental or speech sounds. AIT has been used with individuals with autism, PDD, dyslexia, learning disabilities & more. Jul 18 - Jul 27 San Diego $1600 $1500 by Jun 13 OT Etc., 7927 Ostrow Street - Terrie Silverman www.AITforYou.com
terries@execpc.com
262-569-7828

Carol Gray - Social Stories Kathleen Quill - Social & Communication Skills & many other speakers Aug 9-10 Pasadena $165 for 2 days Pasadena Convention Center - Marie Adams
www.autism-conferences.com
autismconferences@gmail.com
480 831 2047

Dear Valerie: I am compiling a book of inspiring short stories about young adults with autism, written by a parental figure in their lives. I have spoken to some parents of young adults but would like to contact even more. If you know of any interested parties, please pass along the information to them.
Thank you
Nan Street
streethome@cox.net

Why Juice Plus+?
The best way to answer that question, is to ask another. How do you think you would feel; how healthy would your body be; how much positive energy would you have, if you ate a serving of 15 different fruits and vegetables and 2 grains EVERYDAY?
That is what JP+ is and that is what it does.

Juice Plus+ provides the natural nutrition (millions of nutrients) of fully ripened, RAW fruits and vegetables in a capsulated form for adults and chewables and gummies for kids.

The cost for adults is $41.50 per month, or $1.36 per day. (Could your buy a serving of 15 fruits and veggies, and eat all of them, RAW for $1.36 per day?)

The cost for kids for Chewables or Gummies is $22.50 per month, or .74 cents per day? Could you even get your kids to eat 15 RAW, fruits and veggies per day?

For more information about Juice Plus+ and/or purchase it, please visit my website here. JP+ is certified GF/CF Dairy Free and Kosher!!!

If you have a JP+ franchise and are interested in selling it, please contact me.

Presenters:
Marlene Suliteanu, OTR/L,
Certified HANDLE® Practitioner
www.GetAbleTherapy.com

Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed.,
Special Education teacher
www.AbilityAwareness.com

WHEN: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Thursday, July 17, 2008
WHERE: The Community Room of the Joe and Mary Mottino YMCA, 4701 Mesa Drive, Oceanside 92056 (at College Blvd.; between Highway 76 and Oceanside Blvd.)
Please call 760-758-0808 with a courtesy RSVP

Please bring your curiosity and interest in prevalent conditions that are often misunderstood, leading to more challenges. The presenters will share
· ways to recognize disability as natural and normal, for easier relationships and fewer challenges
· a holistic viewpoint to recognize root causes of dysfunctional behaviors
· insights and experiences related to dealing with "disability" issues

An Opportunity to Talk to the "Real Experts"
Wednesday, July 9th

A panel of parents will speak about their experiences raising children with autism, followed by break-out into small groups for discussion.

This meeting will provide a wonderful opportunity to speak with parents of sons and daughters of various ages and from many different places on the autism spectrum. The panel will include parents with children in different educational settings (NPS, SDC, and inclusion), behavioral profiles, and histroy of involvement in various therapies, including DAN, ABA, Floortime, and RDI.

The second hour will be set aside for smaller groups to focused on various specific concerns. Here's your chance to share similar experiences, strategies, treatments, etc.

Address:
Pasadena Child Development Associates
620 North Lake Avenue, 2nd Floor
Pasadena, CA 91101
(Just north of the 210 Freeway, click here for directions)

Schedule:
Networking from 7:00 to 7:30 PM
Featured speaker 7:30 to 9:30 PM

He refused to cuddle, flapped his arms and stared into space a lot. On occasion, he picked at his nose until it drew blood and, with it, smeared the walls of the family's Pasadena town house.

It was nearly a year, Guillermo Arce said, before Kaiser Permanente, the family's healthcare provider, confirmed their fears. The diagnosis wasn't much help, though. Kaiser refused to provide most of the treatment that specialists said Andrew needed -- until the state ordered it to in April.

Last month, Andrew, now 2 1/2 years old, began getting the disputed treatment -- including individual training in how to eat and play.

Parents of children with autism earn less and report more disruptions in their work, a new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics found.

An emerging body of work is showing the impact an autism diagnosis has on a family, in part because there aren't enough services and support for this growing population. But researchers are still figuring out the impact. We reported on the strain and higher incidence of anxiety and depression among parents of children with autism in May.

It's a popular goal; raising our children to the point where they are able to live independently. This term means different things to different people, but I know many who are working hard to help their child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to achieve this goal.

While I believe this is a valuable goal, I suspect that many tend to overlook one thing: more than likely, none of us truly lives independently! As a single mom, I am raising three children, managing a household, making a living, and paying my bills all on my own. I do my own driving, banking, minor home repairs, and shopping. Most people would agree that this is independent living. However, I would argue that I am living "interdependently" rather than "independently." My mechanic maintains my vehicle, my relatives provide childcare when needed, one friend cuts my hair, and others advise me when I am facing difficult decisions. When I encounter electrical or plumbing problems in my home, I hire a professional to resolve these issues. I have a lawyer who guides me through legal issues, and a financial advisor who helps me set up and achieve financial goals. The fact is, I am successful not because I can do everything by myself, but because I know where to go to get assistance for the things I cannot do on my own.

So perhaps our goal for our children (and even for ourselves) shouldn't be independence, but interdependence. There is a continuum of interdependence, where some people will need greater levels of assistance than others. While I need more assistance in the areas which require specialized training (i.e. legal and mechanical), others may need additional assistance in practical areas such as grocery shopping, transportation, meal preparation, and paying bills. While it's important to teach as many of these skills as we can (my kids help with cooking, cleaning, and laundry, and although they are not yet old enough to drive, they help me navigate around town), we also need to be teaching our children how and where to access additional help when needed.

Resources such as "The Owner's Manual 2" (a how-to interactive manual for those with Asperger Syndrome, available at www.thegraycenter.org), and "The Planner Guide" (a step-by-step guide for those who are more severely challenged, available at www.theplannerguide.com) can help teens and adults identify (with help) where they may need assistance, and even guide them through some basic problem-solving so that they can increase their successful interdependence. Michelle Garcia Winner's "Strategies for Organization" (DVD, available through The Gray Center) helps parents and processionals identify the organizational challenges which may be hindering others' ability to be successful, and provides helpful suggestions and practical applications to assist them in asking for help, setting goals, and prioritizing the steps needed to bring them to completion.

What are we doing to help those around us live successfully, at the level of interdependence that works best for them? We can start by looking at what we can do "with" them instead of "for" them. Does someone need a job? We can sit with them and help them identify their abilities and interests, possible jobs and employers, and then help them develop a resume and a personal marketing strategy. We can help them practice answering interview questions, and develop a plan for keeping a job (i.e. dressing appropriately, arriving on time, completing tasks accurately and completely, and clarifying responsibilities). Then provide encouragement and support--and possibly accountability--while they enact their proposed plan. (Remember, parents do not need to do each of these steps themselves. In fact, sometimes it's better to have a mentor--relative, friend, or community member--helping an individual to set and achieve goals rather than a parent.)

I've written before that sometimes we tend to be too quick to decide what other people cannot do, without giving them an opportunity to try something. It's well- documented that people with ASD may need more exposure to opportunities to learn new skills than their peers, so patience is definitely a virtue for those who find themselves in the position of teaching life skills. But often, if given the opportunity, they will exceed our expectations for their ability to live interdependently!

If you'd like to share information that might help others in this area, feel free to do so on our blog at http://www.graycenter.wordpress.com.

Have a great week!
Laurel Hoekman, Executive Director
The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding
www.thegraycenter.org

I just wanted to inform those interested that, if anyone remembers, last November my son was assaulted on a public bus, ( info at north county times website, december 29, 2007, keywood Kevin Stevenson). Exactly 24 hours before the hearing, we received a summons, although we had already been told that we didn't have to appear. We went, and my son did have to get on the stand. He did very well. Then the defense attorney started to question him. I started to worry, but it didn't last. The judge yelled at the defense to shut up, (Kevin started laughing) , and Kevin was allowed to sit down. We won. The four children, all older then my son, are on a year's probation, and better yet, are receiving an eduction about autism and are eating their lunches and learning how to get along with the children, with supervision of course. My son has received apology letters, and we will be receiving $185.00, which will cover the stolen phone and insurance. Many parents tried to talk me out of this. I'm a child advocate from Los Angeles. This is the way it is done. If we all sit back and let this sort of thing go on, things will never change. It wasn't easy, but most things that are worth it arn't. Even the police asked me to forget it, but when the trial came, the officer was so supportive. I have heard of other children, not autistic, who had the same treatment done to them and the parents did nothing. That is why these children kept on. I may have saved them from stealing cars. I hope that people will come forward and make sure that our children receive the respect they deserve, and not let this sort of thing continue.
Sincerely,
Lisa Stevenson

Team of Advocates for Special Kids Presents:
Assitive Technology 101

When: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Where: Building Loving Hands
4450 La Sierra Ave.
Riverside, CA 92505
Time: 10:00 am-12:00pm
Cost: FREE
Call: (951) 351-8300 to register or for more information

Assistive Technology Overview
Presented by: A Team of Advocates for Special Kids

When: Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Where: Team of Advocates for Special Kids
100 W. Cerritos Ave.,
Anaheim, CA 92805
Time: 8:30am-12:30pm
Cost: FREE
Call: (714) 533-8275 to register or for more information

Workshop Description:
Information on various hardware adaptations and specialized software for persons with disabilities. We will cover "low tech" items such as adapting books, toys, etc. and "high tech" items such as screen readers and augmentative communication devices. Sorry, no childcare available.

Valerie,
Hello, since you have posted my support and resources group on your website I have received several calls and have given information to several families. I really appreciate all the help. I finally have my own website up and running (puzzledparents.org