The Reason For It All

Parent Seminar: Social Skills in Northridge, CA

Juice Plus+ "Thins" and it's effect on Anxiety and OCD

Why Juice Plus+???

AEFCT invites you to our...

PAUSE4kids Mom's Night Out

Press Release: ARI Launches Mobile Web Site

Concert at T.E.R.I., Inc.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices and Strategies

Heart of Sailing Back in CA

Family relocating to NC needs help

Melaleuca, The Wellness Company

Harvard researchers find autistic genes stuck in "off" position

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

Dear Valerie,
One of my colleagues, Dr. Janice Schneider, and I are facilitating a seminar for parents that teaches them how to facilitate social skills with their children. The seminar will be held in Northridge on Saturday, August 2nd from 9am-4pm with a follow-up session on Saturday, September 13th from 9am-10:30am This seminar will give parents techniques to implement into their everyday lives. For parents with children who are currently attending social skills groups, they will learn how to continue the work that is being done during therapy. For parents whose children may not yet be ready for social skills, they will be able to use the techniques learned to prepare their children for peer group experiences.

I wanted to pass along this information to Valerie's List. If you think any of your members may be interested in our seminar, please feel free to pass along this information.

Nicole Brown, M.A.
Psychological Assistant
Registration # PSB-32725
Yellen & Associates
11260 Wilbur Ave., Suite 303
Northridge, CA 91326
(818) 360-3078 ext. 127
(805) 494-4086
Fax (818) 360-4327
www.yellenandassociates.com

Juice Plus+ Thins® is a healthful, whole food based snack. These specially formulated chewable wafers contain a carefully balanced blend of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers that help reduce hunger - without the use of any stimulants or drugs.

The above information is what the Juice Plus+ company says about it's product: "Thins". Now I will tell you what effect "Thins" had on my son, Tony, who has autism.

First, it is important that you all understand, and I make it very clear, that this is NOT scientifically backed.

About two years ago, I started to give Tony the Juice Plus+ "Thins" as a precautionary measure against him developing diabetes. When Tony turned 18 (he is now 24), we had to put him on Zyprexa, because of an increase in violent behaviors. Dr. Feder informed me that having Tony on Zyprexa would increase his chances of developing diabetes. In the Juice Plus+ literature, which of course I have, I read that the "Thins" product helps to regulate insulin levels in the blood.

So, I started to give Tony "Thins" everyday. After a couple of weeks, I suddenly noticed that Tony was more relaxed. Less anxiety. And, even more remarkable his repetitive, obsessive behaviors dropped about 80%. I was stunned and kept waiting for them reemerge, but to this day they haven't. I told Dr. Feder about it and he has no explanation for it. I showed him the ingredients of "Thins" and he said that there was nothing in them that would be harmful in any way.

Does this mean that somehow insulin levels in the blood have something to do with anxiety and/or OCD??? Your guess is as good as mine. Medical science does know that insulin levels can effect moods and behaviors, so maybe there is a connection.

I have no idea if this is something that is relevant only to Tony and his system, or if this would help other individuals with autism, calm their anxiety and/or OCD.

If you would like to try Juice Plus+ "Thins" with your loved one with autism, here is how I suggest you do it:

First of all JP+ "Thins" come in 2 flavors: Apple Cinnamon and Chocolate. The Apple Cinnamon is pretty good and that is what Tony likes. I personally don't think that the Chocolate tastes very good, but it may be okay with everyone else. JP+ offers a variety pack that includes both flavors, so I suggest you go for that one until you find out which your child/teen/adult prefers. The wafers are large, but they can be easily cut.

When you order the box of "Thins" you will see that there are 8 bottles in the box. DON'T Panic!! If this doesn't work with you child/teen/adult with autism you can send back any unopened bottles for a refund -- be sure to keep your receipt and the box!

In placing the order, go for the four monthly installments, which is $27.50 per month. That way you are not investing a lot of money on what is an experiment that may or may not work. Don't worry about the automatic reorder every 4 months, as I can go into the system and delay it to any date in the future.

Dosage: An adult can chew up to 12 wafers a day. Tony chews just 6-8 and it works fine. He has 3-4 in the morning with breakfast and 3-4 with dinner. For a child under 7, I would give 1 wafer in the morning and 1 wafer in the evening, probably best with food. For kids, 8 to 16, I would give 2 wafers in the morning and 2 with dinner, again best with food. Kids over 16 would be considered an adult and it would be 3 to 4 wafers in the morning and 3 to 4 in the evening. Always start out low and slow and work your way up.

Are you confused? Do you have any questions before you embark on this little experiment? No worries. Please just email me at ValerieSaraf@aol.comor ValeriesList@aol.comand I will answer your questions and help you in any way. I have several Medical Professionals who are very involved in Juice Plus+ that I can go to for advise, etc. If you would like to see what the ingredients of "Thins" are, I can email them to you.

Want to give it a go? Just go to my website: http://www.valsarafjuiceplus.com, click on "Store", then on "view all products". Juice Plus+ Thins Variety Pack is the fourth item. Follow the instructions from there. AGAIN, I state for the record, that I have no idea if this will work for anyone, except Tony. But I hope that it does work for other individuals with autism, as it has made Tony's and my life soooooo much better.

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.

· Parents' Night Out: AEFCT would like to offer you the opportunity to enjoy "mom & dad" time. Our next Parents' Night Out will be on Friday, August 15th and Saturday, August 16th from 6pm-9pm. Choose either night. Please R.S.V.P by Friday, August 8th to reserve a spot.

· Bicycle Club: There's no better way to spend an afternoon than pedaling with friends and family in beautiful San Diego! Our next ride will be at Mission Bay on Saturday, July 26th at 11am. Please R.S.V.P. by Tuesday, July 22nd to reserve a spot.

For more questions, please contact the AEFCT office at 619-269-6057 or email info@aefct.com.

PAUSE4kids presents Mom's Night Out 7/17 at 7PM. We will meet at The Landing Grill and Sushi Bar on Westlake Lake in Westlake Village. RSVP to susan@pause4kids.org
For more information please go to www.pause4kids.org

SAN DIEGO, Calif. and WASHINGTON, DC - July 8, 2008 - The Autism Research Institute, a leading non- profit organization, has launched a mobile Internet Web site, http://autism.mobi, designed specifically for users of mobile devices and mobile phones, including the Apple iPhone.

According to Steve Edelson, director of the San Diego- based research and education group, this is the first .mobi Web site created and maintained by a national autism organization, and is in response to consumers' desire for "practical" mobile content.

"There are almost two billion mobile Internet users today, and we're tailoring our organization's services to better serve those needs," said Edelson.

Many of the major papers and published studies from the Autism Research Institute's popular website, www.autism.com, have been reformatted for easy, on- the-go reading on http://autism.mobi.

The site also includes advice for parents, treatment tips, and answers to frequently asked questions. One especially valuable feature is the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), which is designed to evaluate cognitive, communication, sensory, and social skills - as well as the physical health - of individuals on the autism spectrum. Parents and specialists can complete the ATEC on their mobile phones at any time, such as when waiting in the doctor's office, and they can immediately forward the results to their child's or patient's physician for review.

Amy Mischler, dotMobi's Vice President of Identity and Brand Services said, "dotMobi recently released the results of a study that showed consumers want useful, practical content available for their mobile phones. Autism.mobi is an excellent example of that, as well as being a site which is designed to serve the needs of a community. Globally, people are more likely to have a mobile phone with Internet access than a computer with Internet access, and having a .mobi site available allows an organization to reach a greater population who will be able to benefit from its services."

For more information about http://autism.mobi or about the Autism Research Institute, call 619-281- 7165 or visit www.autism.com.

About the Autism Research Institute (ARI)
Established in 1967, the Autism Research Institute is the first organization dedicated to autism research. ARI supports and conducts research; networks with parents, professionals and other autism organizations; and disseminates information about autism through its publications, conferences, and the Internet. The Institute's founder, Dr. Bernard Rimland, founded the Autism Society of America and was the chief consultant to the Oscar-winning movie Rain Man.

About dotMobi
dotMobi (the informal name of mTLD Top Level Domain Ltd.), a consortium headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is leading the growth of internet use from mobile phones with the .mobi domain name. Unique among domain name providers, dotMobi ensures that services and sites developed around .mobi are optimized for use by mobile devices. On-the-go consumers can have confidence that a Web site will work on their mobile phones when using a .mobi address.

dotMobi is backed by leading mobile operators, network & device manufacturers, and internet content providers, including Ericsson, GSM Association, Hutchison 3, Microsoft, Nokia, Orascom Telecom, Samsung Electronics, Syniverse, T-Mobile, Telefonica Moviles, TIM, Visa and Vodafone.

For more information on dotMobi domains and registration information, visit http://dotmobi.mobi.

Visit the dotMobi blog at http://blog.mobi.

For more information, please contact:
Vance Hedderel
dotMobi
703-485-5563
vhedderel@dotmobi.mobi

Danielle Siemon
Edelman for dotMobi
650-762-2947
danielle.siemon@edelman.com

Steve Edelson, Ph.D.
Director, Autism Research Institute
619-281-7165

Greetings Art Enables Supporters,
We have the great and good fortune of having Akayaa Atule in concert here at the Center for the Arts and Adult Education. Akayaa hails from a tradition of "Highlife" music from Ghana, Africa.

Come experience her high energy and infectious zest live in concert on Monday, July 14. This extraordinary performer will have you dancing, clapping, and begging for more! Please see the attached announcement for details. You can listen to her at http://www.bolgamusic.com/

We look forward to swaying in the aisles with you!

Greg Snaer
Art Enables Coordinator
T.E.R.I., Inc.
251 Airport Road · Oceanside, CA 92058
760-721-1706 / 760-721-9872 fax
760-801-4992 cell
www.teriinc.org

Wednesday, July 23, 2008
6:30-8:00 P.M.

Presented by: Bruce Fleming
See the latest speech devices offered by DynaVox Technologies and visual support tools from Mayer- Johnson, Inc. Bruce Fleming, the local Sales Consultant for DynaVox and Mayer-Johnson, has worked in the Assistive Technology field for 16 years and been our local DynaVox resource for almost 6 years. He is a long-time advocate, product specialist, and resource to parents and speech therapists considering augmentative and alternative communication devices and strategies for adults and children. Bruce has also provided direct support to Crimson Center's AAC language group this summer.

Crimson Center for Speech & Language
9606 Tierra Grande #107
San Diego, CA 92126
Miramar Area
Please call 858 695 9415 to reserve free seating
Sorry-No childcare is available

Heart of Sailing introduces sailing to children, teens and adults with disabilities as a form of education and recreational therapy. Very safe fun for the whole family.

San Diego
Dana Point
Ventura

website

We have a family relocating to the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina area and is in need of an Ed Consultant and/or Advocate. Any leads would be helpful!

Karyn Lewis Searcy, M.A. CCC-slp
Director
Crimson Center for Speech & Language
858 695 9415