Official Autism Speaks Cause Page

Stephanie 1 day ago

my son austin who is 6 years old non-verbal autistic and my daugther Gabby who is 4 is Autistic. I would love to spread more awarness because i am haveing such a hard time with schools..

Debbie 1 day ago

I'm supporting the cause for my grandson Carson who is challenged with autism. I pray for him and his Mama for the strength and support she needs on a daily basis. We are truly blessed with Carson in our lives!

Velvet 2 days ago

A topic arose today within a support group for chromosome differences, however, the issue extends to all developmental delays, including ASD.
The "R" Word:
The use of these archaic descriptors tend to make my blood boil. : ( Although I realize that the terminology originates from a medical basis, in today's society, its usage conotes a negative association arising with words such as "retard".
When our daughter was born in 1993, little was known about her rare syndrome and
when the geneticist handed us a page from a medical text book - which was the
sole piece of information available - it indicated that our child would have the
mental capacity of "quote" an "imbecile". UGH! I HATE THAT term! To this day, I still cringe at Disney movies like "101 Dalmations" when persons are referred to as a "moron" and "imbecile". There are a few people that I know who seem not to be aware how hurtful it is when they utilize the term, "That's so retarded!" When referring to something silly or unpleasant. I realize that we are over-sensitive to these sorts of slights, but cannot help feeling put off by the language. I hope that persons will become more thoughtful before speaking. However, I do believe that it is important to educate, rather than chastise when such remarks are made. There is little advance to be made with ignorance without gentle persuasion. IMHO
Sincerely,
Velvet
http://www.tetrasomy18p.ca/
"Samantha's Syndrome"

Diana 5 days ago

I am passionate about this cause who help children with autism and their families! My beautiful daughter has autism like many children out there - please join our cause!

Dana 7 days ago

Both my children are autistic...My son is 4 and my daughter is 3. They are both beautiful, happy kids. I love them with all my heart.

Mindy 9 days ago

my 5 year old son has autism and i love him very much

Deidre 15 days ago

I AM GLAD TO HELP SOMEONE I NEVER KNOW ONE DAY I MIGHT NEED SOMEBODY FOR SOMETHING BUT I AM GLAD TO HELP

Velvet 21 days ago

Doing Your BEST Social Tips

A Scary Sensory Holiday
October 29, 2009


If you weren't a subscriber at this time last year, check out this newsletter on Halloween that has more ideas and links:

http://community.icontact.com/p/...






Halloween- A Sensory Scary Holiday








Just a reminder of all of the possible overwhelming stimuli that occur frequently on Halloween:








Costumes



- fabric may have different texture or feel




- costumes may not breathe or create an extra layer of warmth




- accessories may be something that feel very unusual




- masks or makeup may feel very uncomfortable




- carrying a prop may be difficult to do or create some imbalance




- the costume may rustle or make noise with movement




- the costume may require moving at a different speed, require balance or moving in a different direction – this could lead to lots of unintentional bumping




Visual Stimuli




- lights, many houses and other places use strobe lights or unusual colored lights




- Pumpkins may have flashing or flickering lights




- Some Halloween visuals are very graphic and show scary characters and or violence/blood/gore




- Many children in unusual costumes can be overwhelming to visually and mentally process




- Trick or treating may occur at night and in the dark, this might be unusual for some

- Trick or treating requires navigating a variety of sidewalks, paths, porches etc, all of which look different and may require extra concentration amongst all other visual stimuli




Auditory Stimuli




- repetition of “trick or treat”




- may hear unusual sound effects or scary sounds




- sounds may come as a surprise




- auditory chaos may occur in a party with many children




Other Stimuli

- kids running, bumping, yelling, pushing




- Halloween games that have sensory elements such as bobbing for apples or piñatas




- Staying home during trick or treating may mean lots of door bells ringing or hearing “trick or treat” multiple times




- Halloween parades may require standing or walking slowly in a line while in costume




- sweets – over indulgence in sweets may alter blood sugar and mood




- excitability may lead to difficulty settling down and going to bed – transition and calming activities may be necessary

Note from Julie:




First off, my apologies for not mailing a newsletter last week. My family and I contracted probable H1N1 at the precise time I needed to update my subscription to the newsletter service (over 1000 subscribers!) and so I overlooked the necessary steps and missed the mailing.








Also, there will be some changes to this newsletter in the coming weeks. Perspectives Social Learning, LLC is going to be dissolved. I am currently an Autism Education Specialist at a newly developing center in Battle Creek , Michigan and emails and newsletters will be coming from this organization.








Soon, your newsletter will be coming from my email address at jwilson@sw-rehab.org I’ll try to send a few reminders before I switch so that people can be sure to add that to their address books as to prevent the newsletter ending up in the junk email folder.

Thanks for your patience!




There are 75+ topics in the archive, visit it at
http://community.icontact.com/p/... and you might find some useful ideas for educators, friends and family members.



Did someone forward this to you? Sign up to receive this email weekly, just enter your email address at http://www.socialperspectives.com/s ignup.html

___________________
Tetrasomy 18p Canada
"Samantha's Syndrome"
http://www.tetrasomy18p.ca/