Drawing a blank

Got a child who has trouble with reading comprehension? Here's something that may help: Drawing a Blank: Improving Comprehension for Readers on the Autism Spectrum. This book includes ideas on how to improve both vocabulary and comprehension while emphasizing the importance of using proven techniques after assessing each child's needs. The author, Emily Iland, M.A., provides a review of the literature and also tells her own story of her struggle to find supports for her son with autism.

Iland will also be presenting a workshop on this topic in Noblesville, Indiana, on April 21st. For more about the workshop, see our post dated February 3rd, or go to: http://iidcautismresources.blogspot.com/2011/02/workshop-drawing-blank.html

Interested in checking out this title? Send us an email at cedir@indiana.edu, or try using worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Twin: A Memoir

Twin: A Memoir is a book about growing up with autism. Delving deeply into his family history and secrets, author Allen Shawn shares his memories and angst about his twin sister, Mary, who was placed in a residential facility when they were eight years old. Shawn discusses his feelings about losing her in his daily life and the way their lives seemed to parallel each other.

Want to read it? Send us an email at cedir@indiana.edu. Or try worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Basic Course on the Greenspan Floortime Approach(TM)

Interested in learning more about the Floortime Approach^TM? An online course will be available from March 4, 2011 through May 15, 2011. The course will include not only include the basic course--Assessment, Diagnosis, and Intervention for Developmental and Emotional Disorders, but also four workshops--The Learning Tree: Overcoming Learning Disabilities from the Ground UP, Regulatory Sensory Processing Disorders, A Lifespan Approach to Autism, and Meltdowns: Helping Infants, Children and Adolescents Overcome Behavior Problems, Aggression and Tantrums. For more information on this course, go to: http://stanleygreenspan.com/

Mark your calendar!

IRCA Summer Institute

June 6-10th, 2011

at the

Indiana Institute on Disability and Community

2853 East 10th Street in Bloomington

Participants in this year's Summer Institute will learn tools to evaluate classrooms, validate outcomes of programming and learn how to implement evidence-based practices.

The cost of the Summer Institute is $400. That will include morning pastries and coffee, instructional materials, snacks, and parking permits. Spaces are limited so register right away!

For registration questions, contact Donna Beasley at (812) 855-6508 or via email at

dbeasley@indiana.edu, for information on content email Cathy Pratt at prattc@indiana.edu, or visit our website at www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca.

YAI Network 32nd Annual International Conference to Focus on Autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) will be a major focus throughout the YAI Network’s 32^nd Annual International Conference “Bridges to Success in Developmental and Learning Disabilities.” The conference will take place May 2-5, 2011, at the Hilton New York and feature some of the most prominent experts from throughout the U.S. and abroad to address critical issues in the field of ASD.

For more information about the conference, speakers, and to register, go to: http://www.yai.org/about/sharing-our-stories/yai-network-32nd-annual.html

What blame can tell us about autism

Although most children develop theory-of-mind ability (the ability to infer other people's thoughts) around the age of 4 or 5, children with autism seem to have a much more difficult time developing this skill, if at all. A new study, released earlier this year, from MIT reveals that high-functioning autistic adults appear to have trouble using theory of mind to make moral judgments in certain situations.

To read more about this study, go to: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/autism-theory-mind-0201.html

TEACCH Five Day Training

The Institute’s Indiana Resource Center for Autism will host a five-day training for professionals who work with students with Autism, June 20-24, 2011 at the Edgewood Early Childhood Center, Ellettsville, IN.

This intensive five-day workshop combines hands-on classroom experience (including setting up the classroom for five students), lectures on topics related to working with students with autism, and group discussions of classroom activities including:

· Supervised experience in a demonstration classroom setting;
· Hands-on experiences with students with autism of varying ages
and functioning levels;
· Active learning; and
· Presentations and demonstration of working with students with autism.

Registration fee is $1,990.00 per person. Attendance is required for all five days. Certificates of attendance will be provided and free to be used as Professional Growth Points. CEUs will be available on-site. An administrative fee of $15.00 will be charged. Graduate course credit will also be offered on the first day.

For information on Consumer Investment Funds for family members or individuals with disabilities in Indiana, contact the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities at (317) 232-7770.

For content questions, contact Catherine Davies at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail daviesc@indiana.edu. For registration questions, contact Donna Beasley at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail dbeasley@indiana.edu.

Dental Visits

Have a child on the spectrum who needs to visit the dentist? The folks at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, in collaboration with Riley Child Development Center, Easter Seals Crossroads, and the Sonya Ansari Center for Autism at Logan, have put together a new article on what to expect before your first visit. The article includes suggestions on preparing your child for the visit, sensory issues, communication, and more. Several resources are also located at the end of the article.

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=3384

STAR Autism Support Training

The Institute’s Indiana Resource Center for Autism will host a two-day workshop with a focus on research and outcomes associated with the STAR Autism Curriculum and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) instructional strategies (discrete trial training, pivotal response training, and teaching functional routines.

Participants attending this May 5-6, 2011 workshop will:
· Understand developmental curriculum content appropriate for children with
autism;
· Learn curriculum-based assessment techniques for baseline and program
monitoring;
· Use applied behavior analysis lesson plans;
· Teach children with autism using the discrete trial training method;
· Learn pivotal response training and the research; and
· Understand the critical skills students with autism need to learn.

This event will be held at the Central Indiana Educational Service Center in Indianapolis. Registration fee is $300.00 per person. Certificates of Attendance and CEUs will be available. For content questions, contact Kim Davis at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail davisk@indiana.edu. For registration information, contact Donna Beasley at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail dbeasley@indiana.edu.

Download the conference brochure at http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=32.

New tool kit from Autism Speaks

Looking for help transitioning a teen into adulthood?

Autism Speaks has a new Transition Tool Kit that was created to serve as a guide to assist families on the journey from adolescence to adulthood. Anyone can download the free .pdf version of the tool kit, here: http://events.autismspeaks.org/site/c.jqLTI1OxGlF/b.6546229/k.5CF5/Transition_Tool_Kit_Download_Request/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=jqLTI1OxGlF&b=6546229&en=bsKQJZPzHbJUI2MzGbJNLVOAJdJML5OOJiIUI2NDI9LTIfPYF

Families of children with autism spectrum disorders who are between the ages of 14 and 22 can request a printed, complimentary copy of the Tool Kit here: http://events.autismspeaks.org/site/c.jqLTI1OxGlF/b.6546161/k.96F7/Transition_Tool_Kit_Request/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=jqLTI1OxGlF&b=6546161&en=dkLUK5MHKdLYI8OHKdLRI1MIIfKQKbOWLkJYJ7OOLhKZLlP6F.

Workshop: Drawing a Blank

Drawing a Blank: Improving Reading Comprehension for Good Decoders with Autism Spectrum Disorders

April 21, 2011
Noblesville Intermediate School, Noblesville, IN

Designed for teachers, specialists, parents, and school staff who work with students on the spectrum, this one-day workshop will assist attendees in understanding the multiple developmental differences in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that contribute to problems with reading comprehension. Effective methods for intervention specifically tailored to the needs of readers on the spectrum of all ages will also be addressed.

Registration fee is $90.00.

For content questions, contact Cathy Pratt at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail prattc@indiana.edu. To register or for questions, contact Donna Beasley at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail dbeasley@indiana.edu.

Visit http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=32 to download a registration flyer.

This workshop is a collaborative effort between the IRCA, Easter Seals Crossroads, and the Noblesville Schools.

Price Reduction!

WH Question Comprehension Test: Exploring the World of Question Comprehension for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Understanding the communication demands of WH questions such as Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How is challenging for many individuals with autism spectrum disorders and for others with language difficulties, such as those with Down Syndrome. Speech language pathologists will want to explore this new screening test for verbal students and gather ideas for facilitating WH question acquisition within the classroom and other settings. In addition to the test, the publication describes the research underlying the development of the test, highlights results from various populations, and provides practical insights and suggestions for interventions. 178 pp. Author: Beverly Vicker.

Original cost $40.00 – Now just $10.00 (plus shipping and handling)

Available for purchase through E-store at IIDC. Visit the E-store at:
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=9

If you have any questions about the contents of this book, please feel free to contact Kristie Lofland at klofland@indiana.edu or at (812) 855-6508.