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November 2009 Entrecard Droppers

>> Monday, November 30, 2009

I would like to congratulate my November 2009 Entrecard droppers. Thank you for sharing and using your points to place your ad on my blog. I thank you so much for your interest and I hope that you will continue to stick with me.

The last time I checked there were only about six autism blogs on Entrecard. So for those who do not have Entrecard, then you should sign up for free. Then you are able to use EC credits to advertise your website on another persons. Websites of all kinds are usually accepted. You can find any type of website from an type of category. You are also able to buy credits so that you can advertise on the bigger websites. They also offer deals on buying credits as well. Other Entrecard users may send you credits for any reason. I was offered some to write a blog post about a website. It was a lot of fun to do, and I got to use the points to my advantage. Also, as days go buy you will earn credits as well. I am sure that you will be pleased with this service. Hope to see you there.

Again, I thank my droppers and I hope to see you again.


Dropper # of drops
Crimsonsparkle.net 16
comatised 16
Enzymedica Enzyme Supplements 3
Viz4U.net 3
Digital Godwin 2
Republic of A 2
Legit Survey Sites 1
Smoking Cessation 1
Business Talk 1
The Exaggerator 1

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Lego Computer

>> Sunday, November 29, 2009

The boys built a Lego computer the other day, but Devin has taken it over. It has a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and modem. The modem consists of a red and green block. We usually have trouble with the internet connection at home, so we have to wait for it to come back on. Devin would change the blocks as he would make the connection go out. He would then tell everyone that the internet was out. I usually write down my posts before I type them in when I can not get on the internet to do it. Devin would write something on a piece of paper and would then type it in and then click his mouse moving it exactly the way you and I would. It made me joyous to watch him play on his computer of Lego's. It was awesome to watch him doing constructive play.


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Happy Birthday

>> Saturday, November 28, 2009

I just wanted to take a few moments to wish my husband a happy birthday today. So happy birthday dear. I hope that you have a wonderful day today. We all love you very much. The boys are glad that it is your birthday today. We will have to go to town after while and get you a cake to make. Happy Birthday...We Love You!! Enjoy your day!!

zwani.com myspace graphic comments






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Gary McKinnon Still Faces Extradition

Gary McKinnon is still in the news. I had recently did a post on McKinnon receiving the Medal of Honor, and now McKinnon is still being extradited to the United States and it could happen as early as Christmas. His mother Janis Sharp is devastated by Alan Johnson's decision. She claims that Gary is not talking much and that is not a good thing. I am sure that he is worried about himself, and what will become of himself. Mr. Johnson had told them that the medical evidence on Gary McKinnon was not strong enough for him to stop the move on human rights ground. Gary could be facing up to 60 years in prison if convicted, and the United States is rejecting any pleas to block Gary's extradition.

I am wondering what they will do with Gary McKinnon in the future, so I am following this story as close as I can.



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Happy Thanksgiving To All

>> Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.I hope that you are all enjoying your families. We are home for Thanksgiving and we are having turkey and duck this year. Husband wants it cooked early, so I will have to get up early as well. I can not wait. The boys are excited about Thanksgiving this year. Devin wants turkey and Eddie wants duck. We were lucky to find a duck, and we bought the last one. I want to thank you for your visit today, and I hope that you will enjoy your day just as much as we will. I thought that I would go ahead and send out my Thanksgiving wishes since I will be cooking all day. Have a great day!!


MySpaceGraphicsandAnimations.com





MySpaceGraphicsandAnimations.com




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Thank You Readers

I just wanted to take some time and thank all of my readers. I appreciate your visits each and every time. If you have not came to see me lately, then please do. Say hello and I will visit you back. I have lost some readers since I was gone for eight months, and I believe that they are starting to come back. If you would like to be on my blogroll, then please let me know. I will be happy to help you out there. If you have a blogroll, then please add me to it. I would greatly appreciate that. Autism and ADHD are slow right now to me, but I will let you know of any news that I may find out. If you have any questions or ideas for a story, then please let me know. Thank you for reading my autism blog. Also, thank you for making my blog grow while you visit. Hope to see you all again before too long. Have a great day everyone.

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Today's News

>> Tuesday, November 24, 2009

When I woke up this morning about three o'clock, I did not feel so well. Devin was waking up about that time for his day. Eddie is still in bed for the moment, so I thought that I would write something.

Not much going on in the news of autism and ADHD. I did find a few articles that you may be interested in.

Tobacco has now become the next wave of causes for ADHD. I guess that I could see why on this one. According to a study in Pediatrics, kids born to expecting mothers who smoke could have a 2.4 times greater chance of getting ADHD. The article tells of how avoiding environmental factors could greatly reduce ADHD in children between the ages of 8 and 15 by 35 percent.You can read about it in Tobacco, lead found to be main cause of ADHD .



Abilify has been approved for the use with autism. This is a mood stabilizer that helps with agitation, irritability, moodiness, and other symptoms of autism. As a matter of fact, I am on Abilify, and I would have to say that it works well for me. Be sure to contact your child's doctor for more details.

Hope that you all have a wonderful day and I will see you all tomorrow. Have a great day!!

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Tenth Wedding Anniversary

>> Monday, November 23, 2009

Today was our tenth wedding anniversary, and it was a wonderful day. We spent the day with the kids, and had my mother in law and brother in law over for a little while. He was in town, so they came to see us. He is from Arkansas. My husband really enjoyed seeing him. He showed him all of the Transformers that he has been collecting for the last seven years. After that, he went to town and bought some catfish, but we never got around to eating it. We just pretty much sat back and enjoyed the day. The boys acted pretty good today as well. Eddie was on the computer for awhile, so that kept him busy. I wanted to write something special for our anniversary, but I just could not think of anything. I wanted to write a poem or something, but since I have been married, I have had a hard time finding the right words. Just not as much of a writer as I used to be. I was very good in high school and even had the highest average in our writing class. For some reason, I just lost the ability to gather the right words to make it all happen. Well, Happy Anniversary Dear and I Love You!!





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A Weekend of Sibling Rivalries

>> Sunday, November 22, 2009

Guess that we had a pretty good weekend. The boys did have their times though. They just had a bad day I guess. They are arguing with each other as we speak. I just have to keep them separated or we will see it for sure. I am about ready to put them to bed soon. They got up pretty early this morning, so I know that they are getting tired. They are starting to calm down after being hyper for a little while. Sibling fights are common around here, so we have to watch them very closely. They are still having problems playing and being around each other. Eddie has decided to read on his nature book that he is reading cover to cover. I am hoping that he will stick to it over time and get it read. Devin has decided to draw something so I finally have them settled down for the time being. Husband and I will be celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary tomorrow. Not sure what we will do. We will probably just stay home with the boys. It is hard to believe that it has been ten years now. Well, guess that I will get going. Still so much to do and no time to do it in. See you again soon.

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The Handbook Of Autism By: Maureen Aarons and Tessa Gittens

>> Saturday, November 21, 2009

In 1994, Maureen Aarons and Tessa Gittens wrote The Handbook Of Autism that is a guide for parents and professionals.
Autism is a comparatively rare condition which fascinates the majority of the population and is creating knowledge without having any direct contact with a child with autism. Although the diagnosis may explain the confusing pattern of developmental difficulties, every autistic child is autistic in his/her own particular way. The traits of autism in each child is variable in what is affected.

As with most self help books on autism, there is a section on the history of autism. We learn about Kanner in 1943. Kanner’s classic autism included the inability to develop relationships. Have a delay in the acquisition of language. Have non-communicative use of spoken language after it develops. Delayed echolalia or repetition of words and phrases is also common. Pronominal reversal where the child substitutes “you” for “I” . Repetitive and stereotyped play by repeating the same activity and do not develop imaginative pretend play. Maintenance of sameness without disruptions is common among those with autism. Remarkable feats of memorization and good rote memory is a skill among autistics, and also having a normal appearance. Later on Kanner reduced these points to two essential features which are; maintenance of sameness in children’s repetitive routines. Extreme aloneness, with onset within the first tow years. In 1979, Dr. Lorna Wing and Dr. Judith Gould carried out an epidemiological study of children within a particular part of London. They included in the study any child with autistic features, as well as the mentally handicapped. This study led them to suggest that the core deficit in autism is social in nature. Whereas a mentally handicapped child can be sociable, relative to his/her mental age, an autistic child, regardless of intellectual ability, will have observable social impairments. These three different areas of functioning were described as “The Triad of Impairments of Social Interaction”. This also suggest that autism is on a continuum. The three aspects of the Triad are:

1.) Impairment of social relationships: Aloofness and indifference to others. Accepting of social approaches by others (passive). May be indulged in strange and unusual interests, and makes social contact, but lacks understanding the rules of social behavior.
2.) Impairment of social communication: absence of any desire to communicate with others. Communication confined to the expression of needs only. Often irrelevant to the social context. Talks excessively, and does not engage in reciprocal conversations.
3.) Impairment of social understanding and imagination: Copying and pretend play are absent, but may copy without understanding their purpose and meaning. Repetitive and stereotyped enacting of a role, but without variation or empathy. Awareness that something goes on in the minds of others, but has no strategies to discover what this may be.
Terms such as “refrigerator mother” and “cold intellectual parents” were used since Kanner’s discovery in 1943. Tinbergen and Tinbergen claimed that autism is caused by the breakdown in the bonding process between mother and child, and this provides the basis of a cure. Martha Welch who was an American psychiatrist introduced what is known as “holding therapy”. This was a forced hold of the child by the mother which has to be maintained, despite resistance by the child, and involves much struggling, crying and shouting. Holding therapy is just on of the number of so-called “cures” for autism which emerge from time to time in the media. This can be quite inappropriate, so I will not tell much about it.

Recent research has shown that relatives of autistic people stand a greater than average chance of being autistic, but the autistic people’s families have an unusually high percentage of relatives with speech disorders, learning difficulties, and other minor cognitive disabilities. Studies show results where identical and non-identical twins (one or both) are affected by autism. Physical disorders such as Fragile X-Syndrome and Rett’s Syndrome have been know to be associated with autism. Certain viruses, as well as rubella, may be a factor in autism. The herpes simplex virus as well as the cytomegalovirus virus have been mentioned in literature about possibly having connections with autism. Candida albicans, which is a yeast overgrowth called thrush has been linked with autism. There is an interesting theory that a virus can infect a baby in utero, but it will be only minimally damages and appear normal at birth. Yet the virus may be dormant in the child and can be activated by the normal stresses of life. Remember that epilepsy is in 25 percent of autistic cases and is usually more prominent in the low functioning end of the spectrum. One-third of autistic children testes in various studies to have a raised blood level of serotonin. Reducing these levels is still considered experimental. Vitamin therapy is also successful. Speculation about the parts of the brain which are affected autism is the right hemisphere and the cerebellum.

Problems relating to the diagnosis of autism have been present since Kanner’s time. A descriptive approach to diagnosis is essential. Only then will the full extent of the autistic continuum be recognized and understood. “The tendency is for professionals either not to believe that a rare condition could be presented to them, and therefore fail to recognize it, or their own knowledge of the disorder being scanty, any non-classic autistic child is again not recognized because he does not conform to the expectation of what an autistic child “should be”. IQ scores show that 60 percent of autistic children have scores below 50, 20 percent between 50 and 70, and only 20 percent greater than 70. Many of the recurring diagnostic problems could be alleviated if the training of professionals include greater input on the subject of autism. Once autism has been diagnosed or identified, them emphasis shifts away from the clinical to an educational setting. Autism does not only require medical treatment, but also educational management. Diagnostic problems arise because of the unwillingness of local authorities to acknowledge autism as a viable consideration. Since the Education Act of 1981 is concerned with children's individual needs, rather than what are termed” diagnostic labels”; autism is no longer a recognized special education category. The reluctance of some authorities to recognize the disorder because it could lead to demands for additional educational provision which they would have to finance. Demand exceeds the number of places available. The professionals most likely to be involved will include health visitors, speech and language therapists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, clinical and educational psychologists. A diagnosis of autism should not always imply a “no hope-doom and gloom” outlook for parents.

Understanding autism: assessing the autistic child.

A child’s development is key when assessing a child with autism. Areas that will be looked at include medical history and early development, general observations of the child relating to appearance, behavior, and social development, the ability of the child to attend and concentrate, perceptual abilities related to vision and hearing as well as other senses, the ability to use objects meaningfully, to play constructively, socially and imaginatively, grasp the concepts which range from simple matching to more complex levels of understanding, the use of speech and language, and intellectual capability.

Parents reported food allergies and other manifestation in their autistic children. The majority of autistic children start life as if nothing particular was wrong, and there is nothing of particular significance in records of their early development. The avoidance of eye contact is associated with autism and is a great diagnostic importance. It is also not unusual to observe young children walking on tiptoe. It may be accompanied by hand flapping and even writhing movements of the fingers which have a sinuous quality. It is as if he is in a world of his own as some parents describes their autistic children. The active autistic children may engage in repetitive activities and more able ones may show more complex repetitive actions. They may line up objects in a set order or adhere to certain routines. To understand the autistic’s functioning it is necessary to evaluate evidence of goal-oriented behavior. It is also common for autistic children to show great distress when exposed to minor changes in their familiar routines. One of the greatest difficulties for those with autism is the ability to generalize. They may know what to do in a certain situation, but they are unable to use the experience and adapt it when a new situation arises. They may not be able to anticipate an identical hazard in an unfamiliar setting. They may need to learn strategies for coping with now and unusual situations, and may remain vulnerable throughout life. Some children know how to disturb and annoy people around them and often causing mayhem. Such children require considerable structure, and may respond well to behavior modification approaches. They still have not learned to understand and gain pleasure from human contact. As they get older, the majority learn not only to accept physical contact, but may learn to enjoy it. Autistic children enjoy rough and tumbling games. Many will learn to co-operate in group activities organized by adults. The more able individuals will allow themselves to be used by socially normal children in their games and it is possible for them to learn how to behave appropriately in familiar situations. Autistic children can be easily distracted unless he is focused on a particular interest to him. Those who develop beyond this level of attention are mostly likely to make academic progress. Visual perception, or the awareness and recognition of visual stimuli, is commonly an area of ability in autistic children. Autistic’s display particular traits in auditory. Sometimes they are considered deaf because they do not become alert to human voice and seem quite impervious to loud noises. Another characteristic of autism is the lack of awareness of pain, heat and cold. They are less likely to locate and express sources of discomfort.

Symbolic understanding means that the understanding a child displays in relation to objects and their use which does not involve language. We look at the quantity and quality of a child’s play. Lining up cars and spinning wheels are common traits of autistic children. There are others as well. The essence of developing symbolic understanding in relation to play is variety, inventiveness and imagination. They highlight the characteristics of normal play, contrasted with the play often shown by even more able autistic children.

Concept formation describes the development of a child’s understanding of the world about him. Autistic children often display skills and abilities which are where they should be or advanced of their chronological age. Assessing concept development in children with autistic features includes at a basic level of matching colors, shapes and objects. They require little understanding and they increase in complexity towards sorting and classification skills. Autistics will then usually run into problems. Autistic children will be able to learn how to sequence colors or shapes in order but may not be able to use this facility to arrange pictures in sequence to form a meaningful story, especially if the story involves the attribution of states of mind. Many children learn to appreciate the passing of time. Awareness and enjoyment of rhythm and music is common in the autistic community, and they show good musical abilities. Music therapy is useful in their education and especially when spoken language is absent.

It is common for autistics to require very little sleep and many parents report having interrupted nights that seem to never end. My oldest would never sleep as a baby. I practically had to hold him the entire time while he slept in my arms. I would lay him down away from me and he would just wake right back up. Once he was about 13 months old and I could not rock him to sleep anymore, we used a rocking car seat that he was getting to big for. Once my youngest was born, he no longer had trouble staying asleep… once he got there of course. He still has difficulties at night, and taking Clonodine really helps out with that. Without it he would be up until midnight or later.

Joining a parent support group can be a gift. There are many parents just like you who are going through the same things that you are. You can share stories and try to solve problems that may occur such as behavior issues. Counseling is also a choice that you may need to make for your child or entire family. My boys have wonderful counselors that are always there if we need them. The boys teachers are also a big help for us. We have come to know them and their families well.

Humans acquire language because of a strong and innate desire to communicate. When motivation to communicate is impaired, then this will contribute to a delayed acquisition as with autistic children. Although the child may acquire adequate linguistic structures to communicate and may do relatively well in standardized language assessments, but fail to engage successfully in interactive communication. Will speech and language therapy help? They do have an important role in the diagnosis and assessment of autism and are likely to be the first specialist to work with your child.

You can find this book at Amazon. I have the red copy, but there is a newer version of the book. Hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did. I really learned a lot and is great for a beginner in learning about autism.





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Our Day

>> Friday, November 20, 2009

We have had a busy day today. My mother -in-law and brother-in-law came to visit for awhile. We had a wonderful time together. She is expecting her other son and his wife to come tomorrow. She is very excited about that one, because he lives in Arkansas. Eddie went to the university today on a field trip. They had fun digging for fossils. That was his favorite part of the trip. Devin got a new pen from the treasure box at school. The boys are being good and quiet for right now. Glad that they are playing. Quietly for sure. They are watching episodes from the new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Devin's attention span is greater than Eddie's as of now. I finally got Devin in the bed after he cried over a broken toy. We seem to have a lot of those around here. How about you? I would have to give them and A on their behavior today. Eddie is playing a game on the computer while I at least get this post written down. I will type it up after he goes to bed. I have had a long day, so I am going to bed before too long. I will see you tomorrow, if I get the chance to write something. Have a great night, and I will see you all soon.

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Puppy Size

>> Thursday, November 19, 2009



Puppy Size
This is one of the neatest stories you will ever hear. You will know precisely what this little girl is talking about at the end (you'll want to share this one with your loved ones and special friends)!

'Danielle
Keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this,' the mother told the volunteer.

'What is it she keeps asking for?' the volunteer asked.
'Puppy size!' replied the mother



'Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for.' 'I know...... We have seen most of them, ' the mom said in frustration...

Just then Danielle came walking into the office

'Well, did you find one?' asked her mom.

'No, not this time,' Danielle said with sadness in her voice. 'Can we come back on the weekend?'

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed

'You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply,' the volunteer said.

Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. 'Don't worry, I'll find one this weekend,' she said.

Over the next few days both Mom and Dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. 'It's this weekend or we're not looking any more,' Dad finally said in frustration.


'We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size, either,' Mom added.

Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning . By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs.

Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when
Visitors weren't permitted.

Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one.
One by one she said, 'Sorry, but you're not the one.'

It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.

'Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!' She screamed with joy. 'It's the puppy size!'

'But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks,' Mom said.

'No not size... The sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed,' she said.
'Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!'


The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both.

'Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms,' she said. Then, holding the puppy up close to her face, she said, 'Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!'

Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that
Makes you sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the caress of a sunset, the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of cool air on a hot day.
They are the sighs of God. Take the time to stop and listen; you will be surprised at what you hear. 'Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take
our breath away.'



I hope your life is filled with Sighs!!!

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends! Life is too short and friends are too few.





Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't.







I Appreciate You!!


Thank You Aunt Kat for sending me this.











 

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Autism and Marijuana?? Are you kidding??

>> Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A ten year old from southern California has been on medical marijuana for the last two years, and has "positive" results. His parents were worried about how violent the child was becoming due to autism. After they had successfully succeeded in getting the prescription for it, they began to grow it in their back yard after ripping up the tomato plants to grow his "new medicine". His parents called him "more relaxed". I bet he was. I just do not know about this story, by all means I do not think that it is right to go to the point of having children with autism on marijuana. I would really hate to see it as an alternative treatment for autism. I bet there are children with ADHD on it as well, just have not heard of that one before. So, what is your opinion? If I offend then I am sorry, but it just does not seem right to me. Some of you out there probably have a child in the same boat, so please do not be offended by my opinion. If it works for you then you have my blessing, but it is just not an alternative for my family. I would not even consider it.

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NKPL: A Treatment For ADHD

NKPL is a highly concentrated phospholipid extract that may be an effective treatment for children with ADHD and is possibly a safe alternative to Ritalin. Neptune Technologies and Bioressources Inc. has reports on the first preclinical research update on NeuroBioPharm Inc. medical food development program. You can read more about this story in the news article on Neptune and Bioressources Inc.

"NeuroBioPharm Inc. announces the results of preclinical research performed by NeuroCode AG, (Wetzlar, Germany).The objectives of the trial were a) to determine the nature and extent of effect of the new NBP medical food candidate NKPL on the electrical activity of the brain, and b) to characterize the EEG effects in relation to standard central nervous system (CNS) drugs."

They are hoping that this will be an effective treatment to ADHD, and is aimed to improve the cognitive and emotional health of children and adults.

I hope that you all have a great day, and as always your thoughts are appreciated greatly.


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Dealing With Aloofness?

At certain times, the boys will snap into an aloofness state, and getting them out of it is difficult. I know how to stop some of it, but somethings they would not give up. For instance, during bath time they get very excited, dangerous, and will have the "autism behavior" as I call it. They squirt water absolutely everywhere and they do it just because they know they are not supposed to. Being squirted with water is not much fun either. They get so wild that I have to drag them out of the tub. Making them stand up without laughing and clinching their bodies tight is a struggle all on it's own. It is the same thing with eating. Running around in circles like a merry-go-round.

I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to conquer aloofness behaviors. I would like to help them overcome some of this. They have grown out of some of it, but they are able to understand that it is not acceptable. They ARE able to behave.

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Autism Rates

>> Tuesday, November 17, 2009

I have always wondered about autism rates in Mississippi and the US as well. I found a good source for that at Fighting Autism. They also have other disability rates as well. Some of you may already know about this page, but I thought that I would share it here as well. I am providing you with the rates of autism cases in public schools for ages 3 to 22 years of age. Mississippi only has 1212, and I was amazed at that. I noticed that the more densely populated area had a lot more, due to so many people. Or is due to something else? We may never know. So, what are the rates where you live? Hope that you will use this website in the near future. You are also allowed to use the tables that are provided on your blog or website. Raise awareness!!

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Have Charter Digital Get On Demand Free

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you wish that you could have access to over 6,000 movies and TV show? Then I have something that you may be interested in. If you have Charter Digital, then you have On Demand and it is free to access. They have many shows that were on television the day before. That sounds great! Are you having a hard time finding shows that the kids want to watch? May it be Dora or Spongebob you can find it at Charter. Sometimes the kids want to watch certain television shows, and then they may not be on television at the time. Charter can help you with that one. Are you so busy that you missed your favorite sitcom show the night before, well I have good news Charter may have what you are looking for. I encourage you to check it out, to see if it is available to you in your area. You can also get updates and fun extras on Charter’s Facebook page. That really sounds like fun to.So check them out there as well. Charter offers internet, telephone, and cable to customers. You can learn more at charter.net/ondemand. Charter is sure to entertain you and your family for hours on end. Hope that you will enjoy this service.

Ondemand

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Food Allergies And Me

>> Monday, November 16, 2009

Over the summer, I was tested for food allergies. I had this blah feeling with some major bloating issues. So when I had to go to the doctor for something else, I asked about allergy testing. Luckily my insurance did cover it. When I called back for the results of my test, I found out that I was allergic to peanuts, corn, and soybean oil. It surprised me since I really do not have terrible reactions. I just swell up like a balloon. I would have to say that I am having a hard time staying away from the foods, but am I really trying? Not really. I just limit them for sure. I will have to do more research on these allergens so I can figure out what I do need to avoid. Soybean oil seems to be in everything these days. Peanuts is not that hard, but corn tends to be and I will try to avoid as much as possible.

Here are some of the resources that I did find:

Peanut Allergy

Corn Allergy

There is not much on soybean oil allergy, because it is not considered an allergen. However, some are not able to tolerate it. Like me.

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Disability Rights Opens New Office In Mississippi

The Disability Rights Mississippi (a non-profit organization for the disabled) has opened a new office in D'Iberville, Mississippi. They feel that they need stronger services. They stand with parents who think that their children are not getting the services that they are needing in the school district. They work with a variety of disabilities including autism. The Disability Rights Mississippi is formerly known as Mississippi Protection Advocacy. They teach the parents how to stand up for their parental rights as a parent in the schools. When you know your rights, then you are better able to stand up for what is right. You can read about the Disability Rights Mississippi opening new office from WLOX. This is a well needing addition to my home state, and I know that they will help those who can not help themselves.


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Autism Grass Roots Tour and Enzymedica

>> Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Autism Grass Roots Tour is on the move and is ready to come to a community near you. The Autism Grass Roots Tour is an initiative of the Autism Hope Alliance, a nonprofit foundation working to promote education about autism and provide immediate help for children challenged by autism and other neurological difficulties. According to their facts, 1 out of 91 children have some form of autism. With the expense of autism rising above $90 billion, it is more than likely to double within the next few years. In the lectures, you will learn everything you need to handle your child's autism. Autism diets, biomedical interventions, sensory integration, and keeping yourself inspired are just a few things that you will learn. Please check out the above site and make your reservations today. Seating is limited so get those reservations. The Autism Grass Roots Tour is part of a company called Enzymedica and Autism Hope Alliance.

The Enzymedica blog is a wonderful place to catch up on what is happening at Enzymedica. You may shop for digestive products, enzymes, and more online here as well. They have an interesting blog that I think that will be some use to all of us in the autism community. Live chat help is also available should you have any questions or concerns.

Please visit their web page and blog for more information on lectures and other important information.

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Educational Kinesiology and Brain Gym

Kinesiology is the study of movement and the mechanics of how muscles and bones interact to enable us to move. Educational kinesiology relates to the brain integration, plus the application of movement to the learning process as well as to intellectual and athletic skills, communication, interpersonal relations and creativity. Educational kinesiology can also help with handwriting. Something I wish I had to the boys doing. My oldest really needs it due to his poor handwriting. My youngest son is not so bad off.

Paul Dennison and his wife founded the Educational Kinesiology Foundation which is now know as Brain Gym International. It operates in over 80 countries. Brain Gym and Vision Gym provides techniques for enhancing learning and performance.

“We know the experience of feeling less efficient when we are stressed. Those with ADD, ADHD, LD, PDD, and autism know all to well what stress is like. They experience their worlds everyday in what we know only in extreme stress. When unconscious survival centers of the brain take over and our ability to act intentionally and skillfully disappears.

Paul Dennison found that those in a survival mode were underachievers, using the term” low gear” when the higher brain turns off. This leads to excessive involvement in two-dimensional activities such as a flat surface like T.V., video games and reading. Because of human visual systems we were designed for 3-dimensional, not two-dimensional vision, stress can result.

In the absence of stress, the muscle locks and the arm stays in one place easily because the nervous system is efficiently communicating its intention to the muscle fibers. This is called the “high gear” state with the presence of stress the muscle is weak, the arms give way under pressure; a “low gear” state. For example, a third grade student that is “high gear” for addition and subtraction and “low gear” for multiplication until they have mastered. The “high gear” state is for all the physical, postural, and gross/fine motor skills when asked.

Educational kinesiology acknowledges three primary dimensions of brain function:

1. Focus Dimensions (front and back) relates to participation and comprehension with the ability to act on details of a situation; while at the same time understanding new information in the context of previously experience. For example reading comprehension. On the low end of the spectrum children who lack integration in the focus dimension could be responding to a form of internal stimulation that makes the child feel unsafe. They are hypersensitive children. When a child has difficulties with transitions, makes the same mistakes over and over again, and unbalanced in the direction of being over-focused instead of under-focused are often labeled as ADD, ADHD, OCD.

2. Centering Dimension refers to integration of the top and bottom parts of the body, and the rational top (cortex) and emotional bottom (limbic system) of the brain. In handwriting words and letters float chaotically out of alignment on the page creating an uncentered internal state.

3. Laterality dimensions are the right and left sided of the body and the right and left hemispheres of the cortex and is the most concerned with coordination. We all know that the right side of the brain controls the left and vice versa. Integration of both hemispheres is essential for the development of all bilateral skills, including binocular vision and binaural hearing. This becomes the foundation for reading, writing, and communication. Lateral integration is also essential for fluid gross motor activities and for moving and thinking at the same time. Children who write with heads tilted and once side almost on the table and their paper turned so that the line of script goes straight out from their noses. They are using only one eye and one hemisphere.




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Searching For Birthparents...My Progress

>> Saturday, November 14, 2009

Well, looks like I am searching for my birth parents again now. I had done that last year, but we turned up with the wrong names. Now I am willing to try again. I had a different researcher who is from the Yahoo Groups called Texans For Adult Adoptee OBC Access. I am really pleased that she had the names for me the same day. Now all I have to do is to apply for my original birth certificate. I would give the names that I have, but I want to make sure that I do have them correct before I just go out there and make it known. My "birthmother" lives in Rosenburg, TX and my "birthfather" had passed away in 2003. He lived in Trinity, TX. I still do not know if this is them for sure or not. I feel sadden to know that my possible birthfather is gone, but I refuse to let that part get to me until I know for sure.

I am hoping that I will be able to send off for my birth certificate soon, and that I will hear something good back. So how many times will I try since each one costs ten dollars? You know, I am not really sure. I am just ready for it to be over with, or will it ever be over for me? I do not want to be searching for the next ten years, so I guess that I will end up stopping after so many times when I just can not do it anymore. Well, I guess I will let everyone know how it goes whenever I actually get around to sending off for it.


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Link From Blog

>> Thursday, November 12, 2009

Advertise on blogs

LinkFromBlog is a social networking site where you can earn money blogging. I was invited by them to join, so I took the opportunity. I am hoping that I will see some results from a nice looking company. If you are a blogger, then I encourage to try LinkFromBlog. You can buy blog links by clicking on the link provided. I am excited to give this a try and I hope that you will to. You can be a blogger or an advertiser. Bloggers write reviews, and the advertiser gets to display their products or services through the blogger. Hope you will join me.

Advertise with my Blog

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The 2 Birds By: Eddie

I thought that I would share a story that Eddie my eight year old wrote. He thought that it would be a good idea to put it on my blog to share with you. Hope you enjoy it.
I did not alter his work.

There is 2 birds sitting in a nest. 1 bird left that was the daddy bird. The baby bird was trying to fly but, it fell and tumbled to the ground but, luckily it didn’t break a bone. The bird reattempted and flew his dad was exploring the swamp. The bird was afraid his dad would have flew into an alligator’s mouth. And the baby bird said ‘’come on this way.’’ and then the baby bird said ’’I will lead you to the nest.’’ he was afraid of being alone in the nest. The 2 birds went past the hills and then past the mountains and past the river and finally to the nest. The baby bird said that he was afraid of going 3,000 feet in the air. And he was finding a new place to explore and the baby bird said ’’let’s go explore the forest’’ and off they went to the forest and saw a snake eating a bird it wasn’t 1 of the 2 birds. It was a mocking bird. And saw a boa constrictor that just choked a black rat. And when he was at the mountains he had to fly 6,000 feet in the air. And he was double scared. And they saw a cottonmouth eat a cotton rat. The were scared to death. They left the forest. the 2 birds went past the swamp and past the hills and past the mountains and past the river and finally to the nest. The baby bird wasn’t scared at the mountains this time!


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Gary McKinnon...U.S. Medal of Honor

>> Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Looks like Gary McKinnon is back in the news again. Last year he was in the process of being extradited to the United States for hacking into the United States government's computers. Gary had claimed that he did not know what he was doing, and said that autism had impaired his judgment. Gary is in the news once again for something that shocked even me. The headlines now read UFO Computer Hacker To Receive U.S. Medal of Freedom.

So here we have a man (with autism) hacking into our computers, and Obama then decides to give him a medal! Here is what President Obama had to say about it:

"If it were not for Gary McKinnon the entire US government computer system could now be in the hands of terrorists! He pointed out how vulnerable our system was to attack from foreign countries. Thanks to Garry we have instituted safety protocols that will prevent terrorists from virtually attacking us!"

Gary is also writing a book called," How I Accidentally Saved The World." It is expected to become a best seller. Gary had this to say:
"I didn't mean to be a hero. I was simply looking for evidence of UFOs

that the US government has been concealing. Who knew that I would save the world at the same time?"

I am still not sure what to think about this one. He did hack into our system, he does have autism, and he is a human being. So what makes him different from any other hacker? He is now free and is having dinner with the President and sleeping in the Lincoln Room at the White House.

I would like to hear your opinions on this one.



Glitter Text Generator

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I Love My Mom

>> Monday, November 9, 2009

I wanted to share a few things with you on my little Devin. Last year, he achieved an accomplishments that I just had to share with you. Devin was featured as a weather artist from the Daily Journal. He had drew a house with the sun behind it. For a child in kindergarten, I would say that he did an excellent job. Wish I could scan it for you. It almost looks like a picture that my oldest would draw.

Second and most important was the reason why I wrote this post. He was also entered in The Gum Tree Writing Contest here in our hometown. I am not sure how well he did for the contest, but I had to share this story that he wrote. It is considered a narrative. So here it is for you. First of all, I will write it as he had wrote it. I thought it was cute.

I Love My Mom

My mom drivs a trck.
My mom gos to wrik.
She wriks at Walmrrt.
She clings the flor.
She cooks the best bisciits.
My mom givs my dog a bonn.
My mom givs my dad a drink.
My mom loves me.

Now I will write it as it is supposed to be:

I Love My Mom

My mom drives a truck.
My mom goes to work.
She works at Wal Mart.
She cleans the floor.
She cooks the best biscuits.
My mom gives my dog a bone.
My mom give my dad a drink.
My mom loves me.

I completely laughed until I cried. It was so sweet, but first of all, Dad drives the truck. I do not work, but Devin loves Wal-Mart. Guess he wants me to work at Wal-Mart and clean the floors. Although, he does hate it when I do mop the floors in the house. Make him furious sometimes. I do make him lots of biscuits…the frozen kind…lol. We do not have a dog. Eddie is allergic anyhow. I do give Dad his drinks all the time, so he knows that one for sure. And yes, I do love my baby boy. I hope that you enjoy this little story as much as I do.


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Thinking In Pictures: My Life With Autism Book Review




Temple Gradin is a remarkable women with autism. She is proud to be autistic because it helps her in her work. Temple Gradin has designed one-third of all the livestock- handling facilities in America. She designs equipment so that the animals are kept comfortable during all types of procedures, and she especially likes working with cattle. During college she studied animal science which helped her to understand the behavior’s of the animals she works with.

Temple Gradin is also the author of Thinking In Pictures: and other Reports From My Life With Autism. She also tours the country speaking about autism to others. In her book, she describes her life with autism, work, and the science behind her condition. Temple thinks in pictures in which words are like a second language. She can translate spoken and written words into full-color movies, complete with sound which runs like a VCR tape inside of her visual thinking abilities. She has learned how to draw engineering designs by observing others work that they have done. This made it to where she was able to trace visual images of her imagination at work on to paper as she designed equipment. Slowing down was her key to success when drawing. Tor Temple, she used concrete symbols to understand concepts such as getting along with others. In order for her to make the transition from high school to college she had to act it out by going through an actual door, window or gate. Autistics usually have problems transitioning between routines. In Chapter one she describes situations related to herself and visual thought among autistics in a personal and scientific way.

In Chapter two, Temple describes diagnosing autism and her early years as a child. As explained, diagnosing autism has to start in early childhood by the time the child is two or three, with the most obvious symptoms starting at ages one and two years of age. The child may stiffen up and resists being held and cuddled. They may pull away from you and scream because they are sensitive to touch. The classic symptoms of autism include, but are not limited to no speech, poor eye contact, tantrums, appearance of deafness, no interest in people and constant problem of staring into space.

Because of behavioral criteria being continuously changed, it is hard to diagnose autism. Some consider the autism categories to be true separate entities, and others believe that they lie on an autistic continuum, and there is no definite distinction between them. A child would be labeled autistic if he or she lacked both social relatedness and speech, or had abnormal speech. This is also known as Kanner’s syndrome in which Leo Kanner described as a form of autism in 1943. These children usually learn to talk, but remain severely handicapped because of extremely rigid thinking, poor ability to generalize, and no common sense. They have little or no flexibility of thinking or behavior. For example eating ice cream from a cone could be strange and terrifying for a child because he or she is used to eating it with a spoon. He or she just doesn’t know what to do with it. The lack of common sense refers to learning how to do something, but have no idea of what to do next if something does go wrong.

Those with Asperger’s syndrome tent to be less handicapped than those with Kanner’s autism. They tend to do better of tests of flexible problem-solving. Many of those with Asperger’s syndrome never get fully diagnosed, and often hold jobs and live independently. Sometimes high functioning autism is labeled Asperger’s. Asperger's syndrome child tend to be more clumsy than Kanner’s autism. Disintegrative disorder usually occurs when regression of speech and social behavior is lost after age two when they were once developing normally. Many never regain their speech and have difficulty in caring for a home, so therefore they require supervised living arrangements their entire lives.
“ It appears that at one end of the spectrum, autism is primarily a sensory processing disorder. At the severely impaired sensory processing end, many children may be diagnosed as having disintegrative disorder. At a midpoint along the spectrum, autistic symptoms appear to be caused by equal amounts of cognitive and sensory problems. There can be mild and severe cases at all points along the continuum.

In Chapter three, sensory issues are addressed. Puberty can make sensory issues more difficult because the hormones sensitize and inflame an over aroused nervous system. Medications such as beta-blockers and Clonodine are often helpful because they calm an over aroused sympathetic nervous system. Those with autism having severe sensory problems that sometimes engage in self-injurious behavior such as biting themselves or hitting their heads. Because their sensory sensations are so disordered, they do not realize they are hurting themselves.

Autistics usually have sensory problems and can be in a variety of areas. Pressure is a way to relieve sensory distress for those with autism sensitivities.

My children have sensory issues as well. My oldest is the worst of the two. His sensory issue can turn into violent tantrums, and usually takes a distraction or allowance to do something special to calm him down. As a young child we did compressions on his joints to stabilize his sensory issues. As for today he will not allow that to much, so I try to calm him with my voice and a back rub. A lot of coaxing comes into play as well. Sometimes, I wish we had sensory materials at home to desensitize their bodies: especially for homework sometimes, and getting them to do it can lead to a complete breakdown.

Some autistics use their sensory processing to learn how to interact with their environment just as a blind man would or a non-verbal child. Overly sensitive skin can also be a problem. Anything, certain things, or everything can provide a potential hurtful reaction. Wearing clothes of certain fabrics is one example. My oldest will not wear blue jeans or blue jean shorts, but he can tolerate soft fabrics only. My youngest does not wear sweatpants or long sleeve shirts. It is just to much for them.

Auditory problems can also be a big problem. Loud noises bother some and sooth others. Children with autism can appear to be deaf. While they respond to some sounds, they may not respond to others. Some are deaf to particular pitches and frequencies. Temple describes her own auditory and sensory problems from clothing to hearing issues. Losing her train of thought when distracting noises occur is a problem for her.

Scientific research studies have shown that rapid shifting of attention between two different stimuli is very difficult for people with autism. When Temple is listening to two different people at the same time she can only hear one at a time. She describes that a noisy room makes it hard for her to understand speech because she can not screen out the background noise. Her ability to process and attend to one voice against the background of another voice is severely impaired. The binaural fusion test showed that she had a distinct deficiency in timing sound input between her ears. To her words would sound like this: “woodchuck” became “workshop” , “doormat” became “floor lamp” and so on. Face recognition can also be a problem with autistics. Fluorescent lighting cause a sixty-cycle flicker that can create a severe problem with those with autism.

They also may have taste and smell sensitivities. Many autistics smell things since it provides more reliable information about what is around them in their environment. My oldest used to smell my clothes while my youngest smells teddy bears and blankets. Children with autism are picky eaters. Tolerating texture, smell, taste, and/or sounds of food in their mouth can be difficult.

Sensory mixing occurs in people with severe processing deficits, vision, hearing and other senses. They tend to have a hard time trying to figure out reality. Temple recalls not fitting in socially because she was not aware that her method of visual thinking and overly sensitive senses were the cause of her difficulty in relating to and interacting with other people.

Sensory integration is offered by an occupational therapist and can help most children with autism. Deep pressure and swinging calm and relax an over-sensitive child. They help to stabilize abnormal sensory processing and usually needs to be done everyday. Temple had designed the squeeze machine to embrace the body while delivering soothing pressure to the body.

Chapter four focuses on emotions and empathy. These have to be learned for autistics. Using her squeeze machine, Temple was able to hold an animal gently and also maker her a kinder and gentler person. As she describes, being held takes away negative thoughts. She believes that the brain needs comforting sensory input. Gentle touching teaches kindness. She tells of how she could sense a cows feelings and would touch them to calm them down. Her whole life were the animals that she made comfortable during procedures of all kinds. In order for the cow to stay calm, Temple had to as well. Pressure on the body teaches the brain how to be touched.

Autism is caused by neurological abnormalities that shut the child off from normal touching and hugging. Abnormalities of the cerebellum and the limbic systems may cause sensory problems and abnormal emotional responses by immature neuron development.

For some autistics, fear is a dominate emotion for them. Some childhood tantrums are not expressions of emotions but more like a circuit overload. Temple describes how fear and anxiety became her emotions, priorities, and how she overcame the worst. She only understands simple emotions, such as fear, anger, happiness, and sadness. She does not understand complex emotions such as loving one minute and hating the next in a relationship. She tells stories of different people with different emotional understandings. She explains how people need guides to teach them how to survive a social world.

In Chapter five, “The Ways of The World” is a story of learning the rules that come with that of surrounding environments. Dr. Kanner noted that an autistic person’s fixations can be their way to achieve some social life and friends. Autistic persons need rules because they concentrate intensely on how things are done. Temple uses pure logic to guide her behavior. Still even after college she needed the guidance of others, and luckily she had those. Temple has always strived for social skills, and determination is what kept her going.

Temple is a believer in biochemistry and describes in Chapter six. After years of anxiety and fear that caused havoc on her nervous system, she felt she needed to do something for it. She explains that by the time she was thirty her panic attacks were destroying her life and causing serious stress- related heath problems. She became desperate for help and the biochemistry she was interested in finally gave her some relief. Panic attacks and anxiety are very common with those who are autistic. It is said that half of high functioning autistic adults have severe anxiety and panic attacks. In this chapter she talks about the different kinds of medicines that can be used and the results that have occurred.

In Chapter seven, autism and relationships are described. Temple has remained unmarried because she just does not understand personal relationships very well. She has learned that the autistic people who adapt most successfully in personal relationships either choose celibacy or marry a person with similar disabilities. Physical closeness is as much a problem as not understanding basic social behaviors. She describes other’s relationships and how difficult it was for them to maintain.

Chapter eight, “ A Cow’s Eye View” talks about her life connecting with the animals she works with. She had to get down to the eyes of a cow to really understand what and how they see. This helped her visualize how to design the equipment to keep the animals stress down.
Chapter nine is about an understanding of animal thought. “Many people have been fascinated by the terrific feats of memorization of savants. According to Bernard Rimland, of the Autism Research Institute in San Diego, approximately 9 to 10 percent of people with autism have savant skills.” Savants can be impaired in socializing, but can remember incredible amounts of information. Their memory skills exceed those of normal people, but their cognitive deficits are great. When a savant’s concentration is locked onto one thing, it is difficult for him or her to switch their attention. Temple describes how animals “think” and generalize about their surroundings. Temple says, “ When a well-respected animal scientist told me that animals do not think, I replied that if this were true, then I would have to conclude that I was unable to think. He could not imagine thinking in pictures, nor assign it the validity of real thought. Mine is a world of thinking that many language-based thinkers do not comprehend.”

Chapter ten talks about the link between autism and genius. "In the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Sukhdev Narayan and his colleagues wrote that the intelligence and educational achievements of the parents of an autistic child with good language skills are often greater than those of similar parents without any autistic children. Three different studies reported in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and one in the American Journal of Medical Genetics indicate that there is a relationship between autism and depression, or affective disorder in families. Mild autistic traits often show up in the parents and relatives of children with autism."

Another study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, by G.R. Delong and J.T. Dwyer, indicated that over two thirds of families with a high- functioning autistic child had a first or second degree relative who had Asperger’s syndrome, the mild form of autism. People with autism run a greater risk that others of having a child with autism. Learning difficulties, or developmental problems. Family history studies by Edward Ritvoe and his colleagues at UCLA have shown that the siblings of an autistic have almost no increased risk of having an autistic child, although they do run an increased risk of having children with learning disabilities or mild autistic traits. Many researchers speculate that the cluster of interacting genes may cause a variety of disorders such as depression, dyslexia, schizophrenia, manic depression, and learning disabilities.

Chapter eleven: Religion and Beliefs a Stairway to Heaven. Temple describes her beliefs in this chapter. She writes in her journal, “ I develop my views from the existing pool of knowledge and I will adapt my views when I learn more. The only permanent view that I have is that there is a God. My views are based on the basic fundamental laws of nature and physics that I am now aware of. As man learns more about his environment I will change my theory to accommodate the knew knowledge. Religion should by dynamic and always advancing, not in a state of stagnation.” June 14, 1968. With the Stairway to Heaven completed on September 9, 1974, she wrote, "I believe that a person goes on to somewhere else after they die. I do not know where. How a person conducts themselves on Earth during their life will have an effect on the next life. I became convinced that some sort of an afterlife exists after I discovered Got at the top of the Stairway to Heaven. The Swift Plant (cow plant) was a place where beliefs were tested in reality. It was not just intellectual talk. I watched the cattle die and even killed some of them myself. If a black void truly exists at the top of the Stairway to Heaven then a person would have no motivation to be virtuous."(September 1977)

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