The Reason For It All

Asking about Dr. Feder.....

Nanny or Respite Available

Women with HFA and Aspergers Group being held at CARES

Why Juice Plus+???

St. Maddie's Fashion Show a SELL OUT!!!

Services in Portland, OR???

Listing of resources for adults w/ AS, HFA or PDD-NOS

Skyline Church in La Mesa offers services for special needs kids.

Autism and Inclusion - When It Works, It REALLY Works!

Defeat Autism Now! Fall Conference (In San Diego) Includes More Discount Options

Tips on getting you child ready to go back to school

Need help with HFA/Bi-Polar adult

Melaleuca, The Wellness Company

Empowering Through Information
and 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

Hi Valerie, please post, We are looking into Dr Feder for psychiatrist/dr for our son age 8 with autism, could anyone and everyone who has experiences with him positive or negative please write and let us know, what he was able to do for your child and how he is as a child's psychiatrist , etc...?
thanks so much, becky

My name is Helen and I will be available in the AMs starting August 22nd. I am with Accredited. You can reach me via email Orrhelene@aol.com or cell phone 619-417-1641. I live in Escondido. Thank you.

CARES is currently running an adult group for Women with Autism Spectrum Disorder ages 18 and older. The group meets on Tuesdays from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm. The first session started 8/5 and will run for 8 weeks. We are looking for a few more members with HFA and Asperger's to join us to socialize with each other, talk about every day life issues, and go on community outings that we plan as a group in a safe and respectful environment. The group will continue to run in eight week cycles. The cost is only $80 for 8 sessions. Past members have enjoyed the group and we look to include more people! If you are interested or know of someone who might be, just contact: Dr. Christy Silva of CARES at 858-444-8823 at x1215 or Stacey Sciacchitano, M.Ed, MFTI, of CARES at x1222. We look forward to hearing from you!

Other News From CARES:
Valerie,
I would like to announce that the Center for Autism Research, Evaluation and Service (CARES) has now a new staff psychiatrist, Dr. Lisa Ponfick. She is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Dr. Ponfick is available for consultation, assessmenta and medication management at CARES two days per week. In order to set an appointment with Dr. Ponfick call her assistant, Katie, at 858-444-8823.
Alan Lincoln, Ph.D.

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!!! Click here for info on ingredients for all the JP+ products.

Starting in September, I will be having Juice Plus+ In-Home Parties. It is a great way to learn more about good, lasting health and JP+. If you are interested in learning about JP+ as a home-based business, click here. Juice Plus+ and its' parent company NSA, are NOT Multi-Level Marketing Companies. 95% of the people who order from the companies are customers only. NSA has been in business for 47 years.

Juice Plus+ "Thins" and anxiety and OCD:
Since, giving Tony "Thins" everyday, starting just 2 years ago, with no other medication or change, I noticed that Tony was more relaxed. Less anxiety. And, even more remarkable his repetitive, obsessive behaviors dropped about 80%. Changes in his routine/schedule became much easier, new experiences were no longer hard. Repetitive behaviors/routines nearly disappeared. I have been also able to reduce his medications: Zyprexa, Celexa & Tenex.

Please think seriously about giving this a try!!! If you have any questions about the "Thins", please email me and if you would like to order them, click here.

I now have several families that are going to give the "Thins" a try. It will be several weeks before I know if this is going to work for others, besides Tony. As soon as I know anything, you all will know!!!

How can I get my kid to take Juice Plus+?

This is always the first question that I am asked. It is very doable if you are willing and consistant.

The first thing to remember it that no matter what your child does to get out of taking something orally, it has been done before.....Tony used to hit, kick, bite, spit, head butt, scream, freak-out, throw himself on the floor, and my all time favorite: Throw up on Mom. After that one, I learn to have him try something new on an empty stomach. :) BUT, no matter what he did, I did not give in. You can't. You can't allow them to win the little battles, because it you do, you have lost the war. The war of improving them against their natural will to keep things the same.

I will use a Juice Plus+ Chewable/Gummie as an example of how to do this, but this technique works with anything.

1. The first part is getting them to accept something new, so it may take a month to get them up to a full dose.
2. Cut the tablet into small pieces and give only a small piece at a time. You will need to be the judge of how many times a day you can get a small piece accepted by them and into them, successfully.
3. Let them know up front that this is something new, something that they may not like, but it is NECESSARY. NO CHOICE! Make that clear.
4. Have a treat right there ready to give them after they have accepted, chewed and swallowed the piece that you have given them. I always used "Smarties" with Tony. They are small and tangy, which helps to eliminate leftover taste.
5. When they are successful, give them the treat and be the HEAD CHEERLEADER!!!!! HOORAY! YOU did it!!!! I'm SOOOOO Proud of YOU! Jump up and down!!! Go crazy!

For the first time ever, St. Madeleine Sophie's Center Fashion Show, 'Haute with Heart' is a sell out. 730 people will be attending!

For those of you who won't be attending, you have a chance to bid on some auction items!!! This is also a first for St. Maddie's!!! Bid on amazing travel destinations, shopping sprees and exciting adventures!! SMSC's 31st Annual Haute with Heart On-Line Auction is now open. Please visit www.stmsc.cmarket.com

Does anyone know if there are non public agencies that provide in home ABA services in the Portland area? I've tried to inquire but can't seem to find anything and that worries me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Angelina Castro
estrellaluna 81@gmail.com

Dear Valerie et all-
I am interested in starting a resource list for people on the spectrum teen aged through adulthood who have recently been diagnosed. For any of you who have had positive experiences with a particular professional or you yourself have a clientele whom you work with diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism or PDD-NOS, please respond.

I am interested in speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists as well as people who work as coaches. Please not only give the name of the person recommended, but also the area of expertise and methodology (i.e. speech therapists using the techniques of Michele Garcia Winner).

So much is now available for children it would be helpful to have similar opportunities for intervention for those adults who have been misdiagnosed throughout their lives.
Thanks a lot.
Deborah Wais, MSW
DebWAIS@aol.com
P.S. If you already know of such a list, please let me know where to find it.

Good evening Valerie,
My name is Tonya and Mary Lyons suggested that I contact you with what I do and the programs that we offer. Currently I teach a class/support group at Skyline Church that teaches parents with special needs children social skills, coping skills and information regarding their child's diagnosis (ADHD, Tourette syndrome, autism/communication disorders, sensory integration disorders, oppositional/inflexible behaviors and learning disorders). Currently I also oversee the special needs program at the church and am working with several churches to help them with creating or expanding their programs. We have a specialized class for the children that are impacted by their disorder that they are unable to be mainstreamed into a typical Sunday school class and currently we have over 40 children with special needs mainstreamed into Sunday school classes. Additionally we offer a special need class each year for Vacation Bible School.

Thank you,
Tonya Langdon
Skyline Church
11330 Campo Road Room 412
La Mesa, Ca 91941
Cost: Free of Charge
Child care by reservation only 619-660-5000x5482 For more information call:
Tonya Langdon
619-885-8315 blestby3@cox.net
Dr. Jim Garlow, Lead Pastor, Highway 94 @ Jamacha Blvd11330 Campo Road La Mesa, Ca 91941
619-660-5000 www.skylinechurch.org

I almost never write about my own children in this blog, but in this case I just have to make an exception. Today, my son Tom (age 12) played his clarinet in a concert that marked the end of a two-week "band camp" program - and when it was over he came up to me with a beaming smile, saw my face, and said "You're thrilled!" I was.

The camp program, which included as many high school aged "staff members" as it did "campers," was mainly geared to middle school and high school kids with a serious interest in music. Out of about 30 kids, only two were younger than Tom - and most were much older. So far as I know, Tom was the only camper with "special needs," and the camp was in no way therapeutic: it was three hours a day of solid, intensive, challenging music instruction.

As we enter our second decade presenting the premier biomedical conference for treating autism, the Defeat Autism Now! Conference team is pleased to announce lowered daily rates for the Fall 2008 Defeat Autism Now! Conference in San Diego. Our standard parents' registration rate of $130 per day is now reduced to $99 per day for pre- registered attendees.

Volunteers Are Needed - Share Your Time To Help Families For A Reduced Conference Rate Defeat Autism Now! Conference Volunteers are crucial to the success of the conference - offering assistance to parents and conducting the tasks required to make the event run smoothly and offset our costs. This keeps the conference as affordable as possible for all.

Please consider giving two to four hours of your time to help out - volunteers are able to attend sessions and events, with a discounted rate of just $85 per day.

To become a Defeat Autism Now! Fall 2008 Conference Volunteer and get the reduced rate: Click the Volunteers Discounted Rate $85-per-day option on the Conference Registration Form.

Once you have registered, our Director of Volunteers will contact you to assign you a post that is convenient for you and helpful to us. Congratulations, you're now part of the team!

For other discounts, please contact Tanya@DefeatAutismNow.com