Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Fri, Aug 27, 2010
Article by Laura Ketcham
UM-NSU CARD is an organization to help children and adults with autism. This specific organization is based out of two South Florida universities including the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern at three different locations. There are also other regional centers around Florida, based at the various Universities, and also other organizations around the United States that have the similar goals. UM-NSU CARD provides family support services, consultations, training programs, and community outreach to individuals with autism, their families, and individuals who work with them.
Individuals who ask for assistance with a child or adult with autism from UM-NSU CARD are served at their home or schools. The staff members travel there and may help them with various concerns including behavioral, communication, or learning difficulties. They will make suggestions for therapies or programs that may help the individual with autism. They cannot help with providing a diagnosis for the individual, but can help families to obtain information to contact physicians or organizations that can help with those needs.
Their website also has many online resources for educators and parents to learn more about various services, facts, therapy options, behavior and social modifications and strategies to support individuals with autism. These resources can help teachers and parents to learn more about autism, therapies and programs that can help the child build socially appropriate behaviors, and teaching strategies for learning new skills.
Being part of this organization allows the parents and teachers to join this “community” in South Florida. It can open doors to meet other families or teachers working with children who have autism. Building this network can lead to finding therapy options, programs, strategies, or other connections for assisting children with autism. UM-NSU CARD holds various fundraising events and support group sessions throughout the year in both Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
There are many other support groups throughout the nation that provide similar services. Many of these are federally funded and run through local universities. These can be helpful organizations to provide the needed assistance and education for both parents and teachers to help autistic children to lead independent and successful lives.
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Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Wed, Aug 18, 2010
Children with special needs or other learning disabilities usually need extra help in the classroom, but they oftentimes need help outside the classroom in social situations and other interactions with people.
Teaneck’s Extended School Year is a six-week summer program that is offered to the special education students in New Jersey school districts. The programs focus on behaviors like nonverbal communication, problem solving and appropriate social behavior.
With students ranging in differences from all over the autism spectrum, there are many different needs and behaviors that have to be addressed. One thing in common is that all of these students need help in socializing with one another. With the help of this program, six different social skills modules will be covered.
Because social skills are such an integral part of education for autistic students, the summer program is also used to help them keep up with these behaviors through the summer months. Some students may have trouble communicating with others while some may have a harder time socializing.
A main focus is on nonverbal communication, which can alter relationships with teachers and students in the classroom if misunderstood. Combined with help from the West Bergen Mental Health Center, parents are also offered classes and guidance in supporting their children.
By combining education and health, the friendly and knowledgeable staff hopes to offer helpful and effective help to help children with special needs lead more efficient lives. Keeping up in the summer months is a crucial step in bettering social and behavioral interactions during the school year.
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Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Tue, Aug 17, 2010
For many people with special needs, learning more than just academics can be a vital and important aspect of their education.
The Groden Center, a Rhode Island school and residential treatment facility for youths with autism and other developmental disabilities, was fortunate enough to receive a $333,000 federal grant.
This school has been both treating and educating students and their families for over 30 years. The majority of this grant money will go towards developing the program they have for vocational training and employment for those people with Asperger’s syndrome. This disorder, which is on the high end of the autism spectrum, often makes social interaction and communication more difficult.
Although they may be slower to develop social relationships, people with Asperger’s syndrome are willing to work hard and are usually reliable and loyal, great characteristics for employees. The vocational program is the perfect opportunity for these students to further enhance the skills necessary to finding and maintaining jobs in the future.
In addition to giving the people skills and information needed for future jobs, it is also useful to provide all other members of society with the information they may need to know when dealing with these members of society, making everyone more aware of people with differences.
Within the first year of the program, participants landed successful jobs or internships including positions in banks, school cafeterias, auto shops and other local businesses. The Groden Center also has future plans to add an academic component to the program, helping participants of the program to continue to further their education while working on the social challenges they come across.
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Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Mon, Jul 26, 2010
Haley Moss is an autistic teenager from Parkland, Florida. She is also an artist and a writer. At 16 years old, she currently has her artwork being shown at various South Florida galleries and has published her first book. She is a student at the Pine Crest High School in Ft. Lauderdale and attributes part of her success to the great teachers at the schools she has attended. She attends regular classes, and until now, many of her fellow classmates didn’t even realize that she had autism; they just thought she was shy.
Haley is a high-functioning autistic girl who gets good grades and is able to strive in mainstream classes. She struggles socially, but realizes that it is just part of who she is, not all of who she is. Her book, Middle School: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About, is about her struggles through middle school and how her experiences can help other students to be successful both academically and socially through the awkward years of middle school.
Haley began speaking openly about her autism when she spoke at a national conference on Autism. Today, 1 in 110 children have autism, and 1 in 70 are boys. Many of her classmates didn’t know she had autism until she spoke out about it while her artwork was beginning to be presented at local South Florida Galleries and had several articles and TV interviews during April – Autism Awareness Month. Her digital art, created with a computer, is a cross between Japanese cartoons and whimsy. Many of her pieces relate to her life including her friends, her struggles, and her mother.
Part of Haley’s success can be attributed to her parents who were persistent and tried various therapies until they found a combination of successful tools that helped Haley to speak, read, and learn social stills. They stress that they never gave up – nor should other parents in similar situations.
Besides being an author and artist, Haley is also starting a jewelry line. Many of the proceeds from her various works help to aid various organizations that support autism research and assistance. There is a current article including information about her book and picturing various electronic paintings created by Haley in the South Florida Parenting Magazine. You can also check out what Haley, this extraordinary teenager is up to on her website.
This inspirational teenager will stimulate both teachers and parents to continue to work with their children to find what tools, technology, therapies, and academic modifications can help them both academically, socially, and with life skills and to help them live the most independent and successful life.
Article By: Laura Ketcham
Picture By: Beverly & Pack
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Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Mon, Jun 21, 2010
High school graduates may not always remember their fellow graduation speakers, but for the students of Rhode Island High School, most of them will.
Salutatorian Eric Duquette was just not any other high school student. Diagnosed with autism at a very early age, Eric did not talk until he was five years old. Working hard with his mother at speaking and communicating through sign language, Eric’s parents were told that they would most likely have to send their child to some type of an institution. His parents spent up to 8 hours a day working with Eric on just 10 words.
Eric and his parents did not listen to the doubts that they were given. Much to the surprise of doctors and teachers along the way, Eric went on to become the school’s salutatorian. He also speaks both English and Spanish fluently. Not only did he have these great accomplishments, but he also was accepted to every college to which he applied to. He jokes in his speech that college must be the institution that they were talking about.
As you can see in the video, Eric gave a very touching speech at his high school’s graduation, thanking his parents, teachers and peers for believing in him and making him feel that anything is possible. His outstanding achievements really do emphasize that point. He is a prime example of believing in yourself and putting your mind to a goal. Learning disabilities should not get in the way of the hopes and dreams of anyone. Eric shows success in that belief as he will be attending Rhode Island College in the fall.
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Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Wed, Jun 09, 2010
At
Adelaide Elementary School
in Bountiful, Utah, classes can sometimes be out of the ordinary.
In Meredith Dyer's classroom, about one-third of her fourth grade students sit on big bouncy balls instead of traditional desks and chairs. These large fitness balls allow the kids to rock and roll and bounce around while they are learning.
For the three years that she has been using the balls in class, Dyer has noted that for some of her students that have trouble focusing in the classroom, the balls have actually helped them stay on task. Teachers around the country have also started using the bouncy balls instead of small, stiff chairs, noting it is also a way for students to shake off extra energy while also improving posture.
A study from the American Journal of Occupational Therapy found the balls have positive effects for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They help them stay seated and write more clearly. Other studies from autism researchers have found the balls may also help children with autism stay in their seats and be more engaged in their surroundings.
There are even companies, like WittFitt that sells these balls specifically for school use. Started by a former teacher, she originally used the balls about 10 years ago to help students become more physically active. She now sells them along with lesson plans and information for teachers on posture, health and other safety tips for students using them in the classroom.
Students will benefit in more than one way by using these balls in the classroom. Improving posture, focus and comfort are just a few of the reasons to try it out.
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Picture By: stevendepolo
Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Wed, Jun 02, 2010
For students with special needs, it is important that they get the same chance any other student would get. At James E. Duckworth School in Beltsville, Maryland, these students get that chance. This school serves students with moderate to severe disabilities from ages 5 through 21. There are 90 students at the school who all have some sort of disability, including anything from cerebral palsy to autism. Students participate in a mentoring program all year long, which offers regular visits from students in nearby schools and allows them to participate together in activities such as arts and crafts and games.
Each year since 1994, the school hosts an annual Challenge Day, where students participate in a whole day dedicated to athletic events and activities. The main focus of this event is to give students who cannot compete in the Special Olympics a chance to shine. This day is made possible with funds from volunteers and many organizations.
Months of practicing motor skills, basketball, javelin, biking and many more went into preparing for this day. The theme of the day was "Dream it; believe it; achieve it". By wanting to achieve success, the students demonstrate the importance of this theme.
By allowing them to showcase their skills and hard work, these students can show to the community, and the world, that they are capable of anything the any other student is. With community members and school alumni, the event had over 200 spectators this year. The more attention events like this gain, the more awareness we can raise on equality for all students.
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Picture By: szlea
Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Mon, May 24, 2010
Staying focused is often a challenging task for students with special needs. The Adams 12 Five Star School District decided to change the approach of teaching students with autism and other learning disabilities. At Rocky Mountain Elementary School in Westminster, Colorado, a change has been made. This started as an Integrated Listening System (ILS) pilot last year and is now being planned to expand.
They have been implementing these new teaching strategies with special needs students. By combining music and physical activities, the students work to help the brain process multi-sensory information. For example, a few times a week, some students puts on a headset and listen to music that was picked specifically for their brain functions. Exercises with a physical therapist also are done to stimulate different parts of the brain at the same time.
An example of this process could be balancing on one foot while reciting the alphabet. The music is played through headphones and also through another speaker that is placed at the top of the student's head to send vibrations through the skull to the inner ear. With the changes in these frequencies, students with different types of learning disabilities are affected.
For many students, it helps them focus. Being able to hear noise and perform a task translates into better focus and attention in the classroom. The student featured in this video has made successful progress since starting the program. Other students have made progression both in and out of the classroom thanks to this program.
Posted by Amanda Kenuam on Fri, May 07, 2010
www.easterseals.com
Easter Seals and Google SketchUp are teaming together to help make spaces more accessible to students with autism in the Easter Seals' Sketch-A-Space Competition. $2000 to design your ideal, dream space is up for grabs for students with autism, students interested in learning more about autism, or students who have someone in their life that lives with autism (aged 13 and older). The Sketch-A-Space Competition aims to raise awareness about autism while helping students express their creativity. Google SketchUp has become very popular for students with autism since many autistic students are visually and spatially gifted and are well-crafted in creating 3-D models.
How to Win $2000 for Your Dream Space
To enter, students must use Google SketchUp's free 3-D modeling software to design their dream space.
Step 1: Browse the competition rules. If the student is under the age of 18, parent or guardian approval must be granted. Note, there are four categories of competition.
- Youth with Autism: individuals with autism age 13-17.
- Adult with Autism: individuals with autism age 18 and over.
- Youth: individuals without autism age 13-17.
- Adult: individuals without autism age 18 and over.
Step 2: Create your dream space in the Google Site Template. Don't forget to name and save the entry page. Be creative if you are in it to win it!
When designing your space, keep in mind the unique needs of students with autism. Here are some interior design resources for students with autism provided by Easter Seals.
- Advancing Full Spectrum Housing: Designing for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (PDF).
- Opening Doors: A Discussion of Residential Options for Adults Living with Autism and related Disorders (PDF) (Chapter Six specifically addresses design needs)
- Design + Autism.
- Classroom Design for Living and Learning with Autism.
- Individuals with autism may present with a variety of sensory needs. The following site has information about how these needs may present in individuals with autism and how they might be addressed.
Step 3: Submit the Sketch-A-Space competition entry by July 16, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
Step 4: Await the results. Winners will be notified no later than September 1, 2010. Entries will be judged on a variety of categories including how innovative the design, how the design addresses the unique needs of students with autism, thoughtful use of materials, and the quality of the SketchUp model.
Step 5: Accept your prize! 3 of the four finalists will receive $1000 to a home design/home improvement store. One grand prize winner will receive $2000 to a home design/home improvement store.
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Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Thu, May 06, 2010
Finding resources that are specifically aimed at special needs students can sometimes be difficult. What's great about these resources, once you find them, is that they can be used and applied to all children. WhizKidGames is a useful site that features free online games and activities that are designed for children with autism. Researchers from the Swinburne Autism Bio-Research Initiative (SABRI) and many teachers from Bulleen Heights Autism School came together with 80 multimedia design students to research and create the site.
The games and activities that are found on the site are aimed at helping autistic children develop their independent living skills. The games and activities focus on topics like coping with changes and recognizing emotions and non-verbal communication.
The site has a total of 16 games that have everyday themes and activities that kids experience and participate in everyday. From going to school to following a schedule, the activities are real world applicable. Themed activities like "Ted's Ice Cream Adventure" and "Eric Goes to the Airport" will engage and motivate students.
Because children with autism sometimes face challenges when placed in the traditional classroom settings, working on a computer is often times easier and more preferred by them. The graphics on each activity are very clear and look almost like a cartoon television show or movie. The colorful games with engaging and cool characters will help students enjoy the site and build meanginful life skills.
By incorporating fun games and characters with independent living skills, Whiz Kid Games will help students build skills that will be useful later in life.
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