Kate Winslet narrates Sunshine Boy

The talented film starlet Kate Winslet has agreed to provide the voice-over narration for a documentary about autism: The Sunshine Boy. The film was made by Icelandic director Fridrik Thor Fridriksson about a woman's international search for information and treatment for her son with autism. The film interviews notables like Temple Grandin, and features other families of children with autism in America.

The Iceland Review reported that Winslet had been persuaded to provide the English narration after viewing the video and with the prompting of the country's president's wife, Dorrit Moussaieff.

The movie will premier at the Toronto Film Festival in a few weeks.

For SLP's and Audiologists - Fall Conference

Indiana Speech Language Hearing Association - Fall Conference
9/26/09, Indianapolis IN

One of the speakers --
Diane L. Williams, PhD.,CCC-SLP, "Language Intervention in Autism: Appying Insights from Neuroscience".

For more information, visit: www.islha.org

Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders

The Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders is a two volume series discussing research, services provided and advocacy for people with autism and pervasive developmental disorder. Within the handbook, the reader can find information about diagnosis and classification, development and behavior, interventions, public policies, international thoughts on autism and pdd and much more. The Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders is an excellent way for people to gather more information on a personal and international level on autism and pdd.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Is your doctor prescribing Celexa?

If he is, you should find a new one. A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry reveals that the antidepressant Celexa, which doctors sometimes prescribe to children with autism because it has been shown to alleviate repetitive behaviors in individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder, is no more effective than a placebo. Furthermore, the drug puts children at risk for dangerous side effects.

The study was headed by a researcher at Seattle Children's Hospital in conjunction with six other medical centers. 149 children with ASDs enrolled in the study were administered either Celexa (a.k.a. citalopram) or a placebo for twelve weeks. One third of the children taking the antidepressant showed signs of improvement in repetitive behaviors. However, the placebo was shown to be slightly more effective, without the debilitating side effects of dry mouth, shakiness, and drowsiness.

The primary author of the study noted that doctors and parents experimenting with prescriptions may be impressed by the 33% improvement, and may continue the medication inappropriately because it appears to be working. This research shows that there is no scientific evidence of effectiveness, and the use of this medication for ASDs should be discontinued immediately. You can read a summary of the article in the LA Times.

New Competencies for Teachers of Students with Autism

The IU Newsroom featured the publication of a new set of professional competencies for special education teachers who work with students with ASDs: What Every Special Educator Needs to Know. Cathy Pratt, director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, worked on the competencies. She described the publication as "a national standard that can be used for both course and program creation and for professional development in schools...This will increase the probability that new teachers will enter the classroom with the skills and knowledge needed to educate students across the autism spectrum."

The competencies were compiled with a grant from the Autism Society of America and published by the Center for Exceptional Children.

Outsmarting Explosive Behavior

Outsmarting explosive behavior by Judy Endow is an interactive "game" for children with autism. The game uses the "train model"--a method of identifying triggers for emotional outbursts ("go" signs") and techniques for staying under control ("stop" signs). The kit comes with a workbook, manual, and poster with Velcro attachments for specified signs.

Interested in this kit? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Two Day Workshop: Structured Teaching Strategies

Workshop-- Structured Teaching Strategies (as Developed by the TEACCH Program), Presented by Catherine Davies, Educational Consultant, IRCA; Sponsored by Indiana Resource Center for Autism.

A Two-Day Workshop (with optional follow up consultation):
Dates: September 16, 2009 & October 21, 2009
Location: Bloomington, IN

Visit our website for more information: www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca

Workshop: The Ziggurat Model

Workshop--The Ziggurat Model: Planning Comprehensive Behavioral Interventions for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Presented by Ruth Aspy, Ph.D., and Barry Grossman, Ph.D., Sponsored by Indiana Resource Center for Autism.

Dates: October 1 & 2, 2009, Westfield, IN

December 8 & 9, 2009, Michigan City, IN

Visit our website for more information: www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/

More Laughing and Loving with Autism

More Laughing and Loving with Autism by R. Wayne Gilpin is a collection for stories that are both humorous and uplifting. Although the stories are mostly about Gilpin's son Alex, who has autism, but through these stories the reader can experience how a person with autism sees everyone else. Laughing and Loving is not a book that discusses the trails and tribulations of people living with autism but how they see the world and how the people around them react. More Laughing and Loving with Autism gives a unique perspective on life with autism.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Finding Out about Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and PDD

Finding Out about Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and PDDby Gunilla Gerland is an excellent way for children that have recently been diagnosed with asperger syndrome or autism to learn about them or for adults that want a better understanding of it. Within the book, the reader can get a first hand experience of autism through the author who was also diagnosed with high functioning autism.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

My Andrew

In Wallis Simpson's My Andrew: Day-to-day living with a child with an autism spectrum disorder, you will find an intense, emotional journey through a family's life with a child with autism. Through her journal, Andrew's mother takes us through their daily lives beginning with Andrew's birth as a healthy, happy boy. Simpson relates her frustrations with Andrew's behaviors as he enters school, her anxiety after his diagnosis, and her joy at watching him grow into an independent and intelligent young boy.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Top 50 Autism Blogs

Can't get enough information from our resource blog alone? The Examiner has a list of autism support and research blogs voted in the "top 50" by nurse practitioners. Some are social networking sites, some opinionated, and others scientific. If you're looking for information on laws, politics, health recommendations, personal insights, or links to even more blogs, you'll find it in one of these well-chosen links.

See the selection here.

Reaching out with Robots

ABC news recently highlighted the latest advances in autism research: robots.

A diagnostic, robotic basketball game has been developed by engineers at Vanderbilt University. The mechanical "toy" reads the physiological condition of its players--such as heart rate, muscle movement, and skin temperature--and uses these measurements to predict emotional states. The robot has been shown to be 80% accurate in its predictions; the same level achieved by human therapists. Reporters speculate that the game may make children with autism feel more at ease than human therapists, since its movements are steady and predictable.

You can see an online video of the report at ABC7 Los Angeles.

Diary of a Crazy Woman

"I thought I was pregnant again, and told John the exciting news...His reaction was, 'Well, you've got to get rid of it. I don't think I can take another one like him.'"

Diary of a crazy woman: one woman's fight to help her son with autism find a place in the world is an autobiographical work by Mayra Ron, the single parent of a 24-year-old man with autism. Mayra describes the pain of her failed marriage, the loan struggle to evaluate her son in his early years, crossing national borders to find schools and social acceptance, and finally watching him bloom into a nationally recognized painter.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum

Girls growing up on the autism spectrum: what parents and professionals should know about the pre-teen and teenage years is a book by Shana Nichols (PHD), Gina Moravcik (MA, CCC-SLP), and Samara Pulver Tetenbaum (MA) targeted towards caretakers of girls on the cusp of adolescence. The book covers issues all teenagers deal with--the onset of puberty, body image and fashion consciousness, sexual education, personal safety and health, bulling--and how girls with ASDs can adjust. Each chapter contains personal stories from girls and parents and culminates with a list of suggested reading.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Automoblox Campaign

The New Jersey toy company Automoblox, a maker of unique wooden cars, has initiated the "Cars for Classrooms" summer charitable campaign to benefit children with autism. For every car bought in August from their online store, they will donate a toy to "a school providing specialized educational services to children with autism" selected by the May Institute and the National Autism Center.

These cars are designed to develop children's fine motor skills; each can be dissembled and reassembled and parts from different models can be combined into unique creations. The toys run from $38 to $45 a piece.

Visual Thinking Strategies

Visual thinking strategies for individuals with autism spectrum disorders: the language of pictures is a unique resource that teaches readers how to match the complexity of the visual teaching tools used in language development (photographs, checklists, flowcharts etc.) appropriately to the level of individual learners. The book is a collaboration between Ellyn Lucas Arwood, a professor at the University of Portland specializing in neurolinguistics and learning theory; Carole Kaulitz, a speech-language pathologist/autism consultant with 30+ years experience in public school systems; and Mabel Brown, a learning/language/behavior consultant and manager at APRICOT, Inc.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

The Power of Words

"One in 150 children in the United States has autism. As an adult with an autism diagnosis, Judy Endow has experienced first-hand what it feels like to be the “1” in the 1 in 150."

The Power of Words is a striking DVD that examines how even the best-intentioned words we use towards individuals with autism can affect inclusion and acceptance. In a poetic format, Endow reveals how damaging labels can be to persons with ASDs.

Interested in this DVD? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this movie at your local library through WorldCat.

Everyday Heaven

Everyday Heaven:Journeys Beyond the Stereotypes of Autism by Donna Williams is the fourth installment describing her life with autism. Within Everyday Heaven, the reader will see how Donna learned about sexuality and orientation, dealing with the deaths of people close to her and finally how she dealt with learning in her adulthood that her "exposure anxiety" was really autism. Everyday Heaven is excellent for those wanting to get a better understanding of what the world is like for a person with autism.

Interested is this book and live in Indiana? Contact us.

If not, check to see if your library has it in WorldCat.

Little Rainman

"Little Rainman": Autism-through the eyes of a child by Karen L. Simmons tells the story of her son Jonathon and how he sees life with autism. Little Rainman is designed for children with autism, as well as their family and friends, to see the "real world of autism." Because of this, parents will hopefully get this children into an early intervention program that will allow for a good prognosis. Little Rainman allows the reader to look into the mind of an autistic child. It is a great read for people learning about autism for the first time.

Interested is this book and live in Indiana? Contact us.

If not, check to see if your library has it in WorldCat.

Dating for teenagers with Asperger syndrome

The guide to dating for teenagers with Asperger syndrome is written by special education teacher Jeannie Uhlenkamp. Uhlenkamp answers common questions young people with AS have about dating, like how to ask people out, how to make up after arguments, how to deal with jealousy and disapproving friends, how to break up tactfully, and more.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Email us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Considering Homeschooling?

A writer for the Examiner recently published on article weighing the pros and cons of homeschooling your child with autism: Parenting & autism 101: What about homeschooling an autistic child?. She summarizes advantages such as environmental control, flexibility for therapy/doctors appointments, and elimination of upsetting stimuli such as loud classmates, as well as disadvantages like cost and time commitment.

The article contains some useful links, but since the author is based in North Carlina the legal channels mentioned may not apply. To explore homeschooling in Indiana, start with the Indiana Department of Education's Homeschool Helpsheet for official guidelines on notifying educators, curricula, and other laws.

The CeDIR library also has two books on homeschooling: Homeschooling the child with Asperger syndrome: real help for parents anywhere and on any budget and Choosing home: deciding to homeschool with Asperger's syndrome. If you're an Indiana resident and wish to check either of these out, email us.