Proloquo2Go: Communication Devices Made Affordable

Special needs children who have difficulty speaking due to autism, Lou Gehrig's disease, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other conditions that prevent ones communication now has a window of opportunity. And guess what, it is affordable. Imagine spending up to 10,000 dollars for a computerized machine, like many parents are trying to do for their children. For most that is too difficult when we are already paying for other treatments and things, or for that matter just maintaining the household.

Proloquo2Go (which is Latin for "speak out loud") that was created by AssistiveWare is a program that is actually affordable. How does $189 sound? Pretty good to me! Please visit Proloquo2Go.com to learn more about the features. The video link below will show you how it works.

It creates sentences from grouping pictures together using around 8,000 symbols. It is available for the iPod touch which runs from $200 to $400, iPhone which runs about $100 to $300, and now introducing the iPad for up to $1,000. Prices come from the Apple Store.

Proloquo2Go can be downloaded at the App store here. It is also located in the education category. View the video interview from ABC on Proloquo2Go.

The company is working to make it easier for parents to own, when they just do not have the resources to purchase this product.

This is the new way to go in today's technology, and one of the most affordable communication devices, and most portable.

Hope that you will consider this for your loved one who has difficulty communicating with others. Now we can all speak out.

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Dr. Stanley Greenspan Has Passed

The autism community is grieving today. Dr. Stanley Greenspan who invented FloorTime and DIR has died on April 27, 2010. He was 68 years old. Dr. Greenspan is a hero among the autism community. He was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at George Washington University Medical School and Chairman of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders. To learn more on FloorTime, you can watch a video of Greenspan explaining FloorTime and DIR. He has written many articles and books that include Overcoming ADHD, and Engaging Autism. A beautiful farewell article about Greenspan's death describes his life in the autism world.

He will be missed greatly by everyone including the children that knew and worked with him. Thank you Dr. Greenspan for everything that you have done for the autism community. You have made a huge impact on the world of autism. God Bless You!

Many tears and cries will be heard as we will all miss you.

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Participate In CureTogether Autism Study

CureTogether is an online social health community that has announced the launch of its autism treatment study according to PR Web. They are interested in parents who can share and rate the success of their treatments for their autistic children. CureTogether will provide an online venue for parents to anonymously share their information.

CureTogether is interested in collecting information about any and all treatments tried including: Anxiety and Depression medications, Chelation and IV therapies, Glutathione, Naltrexone, EDTA, DMPS, DMSA, Detoxification, vitamins B-12, B-6, supplements, Gluten-Free and Casein-Free Diets, Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments, Stem Cell Therapy, Play Therapy, Music Therapy and others. If you have any other type of treatment/therapy, you will be allowed to add that to their search.

Please visit CureTogether to participate in the study. The more people who participate, the better chance of a thorough study. 8,168 have taken the survey so far, and they are needing more. Please take the survey. It is very short and very easy to do and understand. Once you have entered your email address, then you are able to sign in to CureTogether for things like managing your health. Hope that you will all give it a try... so go go go!!

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Hotel Offers Autism Rooms In Austin, Texas

America has done it again. The Wyndham Garden Hotel in Austin, Texas has opened up a new wing that has rooms for autistics and their parents. The five special needs rooms opened up on April 14, 2010. Each one was filled for the first night. KVUE has more on the story. Worried about the GFCF diet? No need to, because they offer menus to serve those who are on the diet. Now you can enjoy your vacation at yet another hotel that offers rooms for those with autism. I had recently wrote about the Clinton Inn in Tenafly, New Jersey offering rooms for autistics. The hotel is also offering discounts for the rooms. You can contact the hotel for more information at 512-448-2444. They are located at 3401 South IH-35 in Austin, Texas.

Austin is a wonderful place to visit for vacation. I have been there while I stayed with my mom, and I absolutely enjoy the city very much. I love the capitol building as well. Some 15 years ago, squirrels and birds would come up to your hands and take food that you have brought. Really brings back the memories for me, and I am sure that you and your family will enjoy Austin as well. You can plan your Austin trip with ease and know that you will have a hotel that is safe for your children.

I hope that you have a wonderful vacation, and it is all just in time for summer! Happy staying and be safe!

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Rapid ABC: Testing For Autism In 5 Minutes

For us autistic parents, we remember how long it was for our children to be evaluated for autism. Long hours at the examination office can be overwhelming with the tedious behaviors of our children sitting somewhere for a long time. That is all to familiar with most of us. For parents of young children, there is a new procedure in testing for autism and it only takes about five minutes including interactive play that will check for how the child learns, speaks, moves and behaves. Hearing and vision is also tested to ensure there is no problems there. Also, neurology is tested. Doctors still consider screenings at 9 months, 18 months, 24 or 30 months, with continued screenings if the child is within the high risk area. The test is called Rapid ABC or The Rapid Attention Back and Forth Communication screener, and was developed by Emory Autism Resource Center and Georgia Tech University. The Rapid ABC is designed to assess a child's risk for ASD's during a regular checkup in a pediatrician's office. For more information you should contact the Emory Autism Resource Center directly. You can also e-mail Monica Allen, who is the Senior Psychological Specialist at rapid.abc@gmail.com. The guidelines for autism determination from the American Academy of Pediatrics still recommends children be screened for autism at one and a half to two years of age. As Katy Crowther, mother of Ben, decided to push for autism testing at just 14 months. She said that "He wasn't imitating us. He wasn't pointing or clapping or playing any of those sort of interactive games." The Early Intervention has helped the Crowther family with their son Ben's development.

Here is the news cast video link for New Test For Autism from ABC KABC-TV Los Angeles, CA. I tried to put the video up here for you, but the embedded code was broken.

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Build A Bear Workshop Helps Autism Speaks

Do your children love teddy bears? Mine sure do. For the last six years Build A Bear Workshop is taking donations for Autism Speaks. Now you can enjoy these wonderful bears, and help autism.

Between March 31, 2010 and May 2, 2010 you can go to any retail Build A Bear Workshop store to donate $1, or how ever much you wish to donate. Click here to find a store near you.

You can also give back at the company’s virtual world. From April 1 through June 30, you can choose to donate a portion of the proceeds from the purchase of Bearville Outfitters Virtual Stuff Game Cards to Autism Speaks when you activate your card.

I encourage everyone to help in the fight against autism. Without you we can not move forward to learn the mysteries of autism. Thank you all for your help.

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Hotel Room For Autistics In New Jersey

The Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly, New Jersey is offering accommodations for parents and children of autism spectrum disorders. The rooms include unbreakable glassware, bumpers on furnishings, special locks and in-room decor and accessories that can't be knocked off. For those who choose to stay at the hotel will receive a welcome box of activities, a special-needs menu, free in-room movie and even access to a reserved table at the hotel's restaurant. Clinton Inn also donates part of the proceeds from stays in the suit to charitable organization Autism Speaks, according to The News Tribune. In Mercury News, rates for the special-needs room start at $179 per night. Would you not pay anything to have a peaceful nights sleep knowing that your autistic children are safe and sound, entertained, and feed correctly while you are on vacation? So if you are looking for a place that can accommodate your children's special needs so you can have a vacation to remember, then try the Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly. The name of the suite for autistic children is called the Alpine Suite.
Clinton Inn manager Tony Morreale knows firsthand the challenges of parenting an autistic child.

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Weight Gain: Abilify

Earlier this month I was reading headlines from blogs that I have subscribed to, and I found something interesting. Action For Autism is looking for autistics who are currently on Abilify. Abilify has been approved for those with autism. Weight gain is the name of the game, and it is said that you can gain up to a pound a week. For the past two years, I myself have been on Abilify, and I have seen significant weight gain. I take it as a mood stabilizer. Before I started taking the medication, I weighted about 115 pounds (little I know). Over time, I have gained about another 50 pounds. I had talked to my doctor about it once, and she had assured me that it was not the Abilify that was causing my weight gain, but just feeling better. I still had my suspicions about the whole ordeal, and was excited to learn that my suspicions were if fact correct. If you have a child on Abilify, please contact Action For Autism. There is also a Yahoo group for Abilify and weight gain if you would like to join. The link will be on Action For Autism's blog. Please visit the link above for more information. You can also click on the button below. Thank you and let your voice be heard!!

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Our Christmas

It has been a few days since I last wrote, and we have been busy doing other things that needs to be done. We had a quiet Christmas at home this year, however it did rain Christmas Eve. The boys are enjoying their new toys, especially the Transformers they got. Devin had it tough just before Christmas. He just could not wait until it was time to open presents. One afternoon, I found him sleeping under the Christmas tree next to the presents. He cried and fussed some days, and others it did not seem to bother him to much. Eddie only tried to take them once, after that he left them alone. For Christmas they got Lego building sets from Grandma, and we still have to put Eddie's giant aircraft carrier together. Devin's car play set (Streetz from Matchbox) was easier to do. Devin likes the light up truck and two mini cars that came with it. A piece of the crane had a bad molding defect, but I think it is fixable with super glue. They are both having lots of fun with their new toys.

Just before Christmas, I had taken Eddie off of his Adderall, due to some concerns we had. We had talked it over with him, and he agreed that he no longer wanted to be on it. Have I noticed a difference? I would say yes. He seems to be easier to handle and he seems to be focusing a lot better. I wonder how he will do when he goes back to school. He still has a "goofy" personality due to autism, but I think that his ADHD may be getting better. He still moves around a lot. He is very expressive with his language and his whole self will be affected. I guess we will wait longer to see how he really does; especially when school starts back.

Thanks for coming to visit me today! See you all soon!

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Barak Obama Nominates Ari Ne'eman

Barak Obama has nominated new people to the U.S. National Council on disabilities. One is causing autism parents some concerns. Ari Ne'eman has a perspective that autism is just one of many different ways of thinking, rather than a disability or disease to be cured. What? As we turn around we are finding that Obama is not even considering to find a cure for autism during his presidency. What? Now what are we supposed to do? I really do not like the idea of this at all. I first learned about this from Facing Autism in New Brunswick, and the post is here. I wanted to make this one short since I want to give credit to Facing Autism. Social Security sees autism as a disability. Will that end up being taken...I wonder what Barak Obama will do next. Well, then again maybe I do not. What will he destroy next? The comments there are worth reading as well. See what others think and know what you feel.Let me know what you think about all of this!!


*UPDATE*
From Facing Autism in New Brunswick

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Jim Carrey Wants Generation Rescue Donations For Christmas

Jim Carrey has decided that instead of presents for Christmas from his fans, he is wanting them to donate to Generation Rescue. His girlfriend, Jenny McCarthy of four years is part of Generation Rescue. Their seven year old, Evan, has autism and epilepsy. Her son is what inspired her to create the non-profit organization. Autism is still in need of funding, and I hope that you will donate as well. It would be like giving Jim Carrey a Christmas present. Sounds like fun, and then you are helping autism as well. You can mail your donations to Generation Rescue, 13636 Ventura Blvd #117,
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Join Jim Carrey in helping autism today!

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Autistic Teen's Family Sue's Chicago Police Department

Back in April, Oscar Guzman was attacked by two Chicago police officers. Oscar was 16 at the time, and has autism and special needs. Local police officers said that they were out on patrol in a high gang area when they had noticed Oscar doing something, so they say. The family says otherwise.

When Oscar was approached he was outside of the families business. The police has said that Oscar had hit one of them in the chest once the officer had tried to grab his wrist. His family members said that he did not hit the police officer. The officer had tried to hit him in the shoulder, but missed and hit him in the head which required eight stitches. This has left Oscar emotionally broken, and is having troubles. How can one tell him that the police will protect him when they are the ones who caused this on him. The family had tried to explain that he was autistic, but they apparently did not listen.

His sister, Nubia Guzman, was threatened with arrest by police when she had tried to explain the situation concerning her brother. The family is now suing the police department. The lawsuit also accuses the Independent Police Review Authority, the agency that investigates complaints against police, of using investigative techniques that favor police employees. You can read about the story here.

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Today's News

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

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.





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Autism Spectrum Disorders.. What Is In It For Autistics

Autism Spectrum Disorders are very complex in nature, and are still not completely understood. With one in 150 being diagnosed, how is it not an epidemic? So what is it in for a child/adult with autism?

We all know that chemicals and toxins are transported from the mother to the child in utero. Some mothers are carrying predispositioned children that are vunerable to every aspect of their environment, which can cause difficulties including autism and other learning and physical problems. Autistic children already have weakened systems, and are being noticed when the child is diagnosed with autism. They can not excrete metals and other toxins in their bodies (even during utero) causing an overload resulting in autistic like behaviors.

Interventions such as the GFCF diet, removal of additives, food coloring and flavoring, biomedical treatment, applied behavioral analysis, speech and occupational therapies, Floortime, and many others can help with the physical and social aspects of everyday living as a child with an autistic disorder.

There are many possible causes for autism spectrum disorders, and no one knows where to start in finding the one answer the world is waiting on. Is it genetic or is it environmental? I would say a little of both. With the modern technology of foods after World War II it seems likely that the food colorings and additives could play a major roll especially with behavior.

Researchers have also considered rainfall as a link to autism. I do live in one of the rainiest states in America. Their hypothesis is that it is due to a Vitamin B deficiency. One of the latest is autism and vinyl flooring. The list keeps going on and on. I usually overlook these and say well, it is a possibility.

The most common cause (for most parents) is vaccines due to the mercury/thimersol that was used as a preservative. In 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) directed U.S. vaccine manufactures to remove thimersol from all children's vaccines as soon as possible. However, the preservatives found in the flu shots have not been removed. Please visit Safe Minds for more information. They are a non-profit organization whose mission is to investigate and raise awareness of the risk to infants and children of exposure to mercury from medical products.

As a young child, autistic children show a variety of autistic behaviors. What was your child eating before the diagnosis of autism? What were his first foods? Baby food contains salicylates and additives. Therefore unless you made it yourself it is processed baby food. Other foods were cooked vegetables (possible salicylates), fries cooked in oils containing BHA, BHT. and TBHQ. Read Common Additives In Foods, and Phenol Intolerance (PST) Dificiency.

You then realize that the biomedical aspect of autism becomes the child's state of well being. Their biomedical doctor keeps their bodies going. Therapies keep their bodies functioning properly helping with speech, and doing everything imaginable to help a child with autism spectrum disorder to function properly on a day to day basis. What extraordinary people they are.

I'm not very knowledgeable about teenagers and adults, but I do know that it can be a cherishable time, and then it can be difficult. At times when these teenagers and adults with autism express their sensitivities and "tantrums." It can go as far as the Sky Walker case, but it is rare. Most autistic teenagers and adults are just striving to survive in their world the best that they can. Gotta love all those wonderful people for working hard to understand their way of life. A friend of mine with triplet autistic boys is an example of how they are striving. Autistic couples are one of a kind and are striving even today. How wonderful that it is for them to share their lives together.


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Autistic Son Enters Gifted Class Despite Behavior Problems

Great news from the school on Eddie. He has scored high enough on the RAVEN test to qualify for evaluation for the gifted class at school. A few years back he was tested, bud did not quite make it. We are very proud of him any happy that he has accomplished this task.

Eddie is a very smart child with autism who has his difficulties. By the time he was six months old he was pulling up in his bed where he loved to play. He would then turn and dive to the mattress. At first we found what as now a child with an autistic trait to be astonishing and scary at times. Clearly as I recall now he was defiantly autistic then. We just had no recollection of what autism was back then. Not until he was three years old that we had learned the meaning of autism. He did have problem with sleeping habits by the time he was a week old and got rid of jaundice.

By the time he was one, he was throwing large toys at me, and here I was pregnant with Devin. I always had to watch my back with that child. I still have to watch out with him today, and he is seven -and-a-half. He had behavior problems in preschool as well, which caused me to visit the school on a number of occasions. He did "request" having the words wrote out along with the shape drawn so that he could learn how to spell words. I remember that in pre-school while staying with my mother he would write the names of his friends on a chalkboard. I was astonished. He never talked until he was three -and- a -half, and by the time he was four he was reading, writing, and spelling words.

Kindergarten rolled around and he was having major behavior problems. His autistic behaviors included, destroying property, hitting others, climbing under tables, and being disrespectful. He started medication in first grade to help control ADHD which they both suffer from. Things got better for him, but he lost a lot of weight, so I ended up changing his medicine again. We are still wishing for better help which only biomedical, GFCF Diet, Feingold Diet, therapies, and etc. that can help with autism symptoms. Getting that help when you are dealing with autism and poverty can be one of the most difficult things you can go through.

Second grade is here and he has done very well. He is now in a regular classroom, and only has a few sensory integration deficits such as sounds and lights. He does not like the chatter of the other classroom children. The intercom is another sensory problem with him. All he can do is cover his ears to get away from the noise. Eddie has done well, growing up with two conditions.



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Is this little guy cute or what? Marek Michalowski, a research and doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University, co-created Keepon with his mentor Hideki Kozima, with the aim of studying children with autism. This little guy is designed to do the following four tasks. bouncing, swiveling and rocking from side to side and tipping to the front and back. His eyes are cameras and his nose is a microphone. He is just the cutest little thing. This autism robot is really going to help autistic children communicate with their world. Here is a video of him that I thought that you would enjoy.

For more information you can go to BeatBots.



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Lowe's Motor Speedway To Donate To Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks will be receiving ten dollars for every ticket sold between now and April 11 for the Lowe's Motor Speedway. What a wonderful thing. Can you imagine how many people will be there for that race? The NASCAR Sprint All-Star race will be held May 16, while the Coca-Cola 600 is May 24. Believe it or not, but I do have a racing streak in me. Not really like the idea as a job though. To dangerous for me. I have went to see a "race" in our area that was on dirt. It was fun and very loud. There is an article about donating portion ticket sales to Autism Speaks that has Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Lowe’s Motor Speedway comment. If you are in the area for these races, then this would be a wonderful time to have fun for a cause. I believe that ten dollars is a wonderful amount to be offered. Makes you wonder how much that they will generate out of this one.





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ARTS Film Premeire At Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in LA

"ARTS" Film Premiere
a film about possibilities, disabilities and the arts


Friday, April 17th @ 6:30 PM
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre
4800 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027

$20 per person

Tickets available online at www.BGTtix.com or the night of the premiere in the Barnsdall Gallery Theater box office.
film premiere 2009


ARTS, a ground-breaking documentary that highlights "Possibilities, Disabilities and the Arts", will be featured at its Los Angeles premiere presented by the Autism Society of America-Los Angeles (ASA-LA) Chapter on April 17, 2009 at 6:30 pm at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater.

In this innovative documentary, filmmaker Keri Bowers shares how the arts offer valuable free and low cost "power tools" families and professionals can use to improve social skills, self-confidence, life skills, language, emotional well-being, and even potential career paths for those with special needs. ARTS delves into painting, film, drama, writing, dance, public speaking and other creative mediums through interviews with internationally recognized luminaries, such as Temple Grandin, Stephen Shore, Stephen Wiltshire, Donna Williams, Jerry and Mary Newport, Geri Jewell among others.

At the premiere of ARTS, guests will enjoy an art exhibition and silent auction. A presentation of ASA-LA and Normal Films' "Hearts and Arts Award" will recognize individuals who have promoted excellence in community service and autism:

Those in attendance will mingle under the stars, overlooking the Hollywood sign and Griffith Park Observatory with the filmmaker and many of the film's stars, including singer Nick Guzman, who performs his breakout song in ARTS, "Since We're Friends", written for him by Joey Travolta and composer Jeff Lass. Joanne Lara of Autism Movement Therapy will dance with several of her young students. Two short films, created by students with autism at the Media Enrichment Academy in Sherman Oaks will also debut their work before the screening of ARTS.

Tickets are available for $20 to the general public online at www.BGTtix.com or the night of the premiere in the Barnsdall Gallery Theater box office.



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Giving Away Five Books " The Horse Boy"

A notice to let you know that you can also receive the book called, "The Horse Boy" by: Rupert Isaacson. The publishing company is wanting to give away five books to my lovely readers. If you would like to receive a copy of this book, please email me your name and address. Your name and address will be kept private by me and the publishing company. Hope that you will take up on this wonderful opportunity. In future time, I will be doing a book review on this book so stay tuned. Hope you have a wonderful time reading article that I have recently posted.



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