Online conference

Get Educated about Autism Conference

In honor of Autism Awareness month, AutismCollege.com, a new on-line resource for parents and educators, is co-sponsoring a free virtual conference with 16 autism experts over two days on Saturday, April 9^th and Sunday April 10^th from 8:00 to 5:00 PST.

You can ask questions, get answers and participate from home without the expense of travel or a respite worker. All you need is a phone or a computer and the desire to learn. The theme of the conference is “Get Educated About Autism.” Topics covered will include communication, sensory issues, exercise and ASD, inclusion, best practices in educating children on the spectrum, legal rights, medicine, nutrition and much more. Please log on to momsfightingautism.com for a detailed conference agenda.

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., subject of the recent HBO movie, winner of seven Emmy Awards, will be the Keynote Speaker on Saturday at the “Get Educated About Autism” conference. Dr. Grandin will be discussing “The Basics Every Child Needs to Learn.”

Other presenters include Dr. Cathy Pratt; Dr. Carl Hillier OD FCOVD; Darlene Hanson MA CCC; Nancy Brady Ed-Sp ATS; Elaine Hall; Chantal Sicile-Kira; Areva Martin, Esq; Dr. Feder DFAPA; Julie Matthews; Michele Hardy, Beth Gallagher; Lauren Hardy; Brian King LCSW; Lindsey Biel; Eric Chessen; Dr. Jed Baker.

“Many parents have a hard time leaving their home to attend conferences. An on-line colloquium is the best way for many people to get information they need without leaving their home. I’m glad I can help make their lives a little easier.” said Ernest Priestly, founder of momsfightingautism.com.

Momsfightingautism.com is a producer of webinars for mothers of children with autism. This website provides the tools and services that allow moms to vent, cope, support, and learn from each other http://www.momsfightingautism.com/. Autism College is a place where people can get educated about autism. For information and to sign up for the conference, visit http://autismcollege.com/. Questions, Call (714) 335-8176 and ask for Ernest.

Autism Symposium

Autism Symposium:

Quality of Life for Adolescents & Adults with ASD/Asperger's Syndrome

May 12 - 13, 2011

Marriott at Centerpoint
3600 Centerpoint Parkway
Pontiac, MI 48341

For educators, parents, family members, policy makers, researchers,

practitioners, students and persons living with ASD

Presenters:

Jed Baker, Ph.D.

Shana Nichols, Ph.D.

Avi Glickman, M.Ed.

Presented by Oakland University's Center for Autism, Research, Education and Support (OUCARES) and the Department of Human Development and Child Studies

For more information and to register, go to: http://www.oakland.edu/?id=16741&sid=156

Ziggurat and CAPS explained

Interested in the Ziggurat and the CAPS model of creating plans in schools for children on the spectrum? The staff at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have put together an article explaining the two models. Each of these tools can help provide comprehensive and consistent plans for your students.

Read the entire article at: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=3358

Setting Up Classroom Spaces

Need some help figuring out what works best in your classroom for students on the spectrum? Check out Setting up classroom spaces that support students with autism spectrum disorders. This book will demonstrate classroom configurations, materials, and furniture that will help your students reduce anxiety and increase focus on the learning at hand. The book features checklists, supply lists, and plenty of pictures to help you ensure success in your classroom.

Check out this title by sending us an email at cedir@indiana.edu, or try using worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Behavior as Communication

Understanding behavior as communication is the goal of the book, When actions speak louder than words: Understanding the challenging behaviors of young children and students with disabilities written by two of our own Institute staff members and published by Solution Tree. This book provides information and tools to support children whose way of communicating is through their behavior. The authors show how to create an improved learning environment and offer proactive strategies to support more acceptable behaviors.

The cost is $25 plus shipping and handling. To order a copy of your own, go to: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=9&mode=mod_order&action=shop&todo=display_prod&prod_id=146

Only six copies are in stock, so order today!

To check it out from the library, send us an email at cedir@indiana.edu.

IU Auditorium to present 'Thomas & Friends Live!' April 11-12

WHAT: Thomas & Friends Live!

WHEN: April 11 and 12, 7 p.m.

WHERE: IU Auditorium

TICKETS: $19.50-$31.50 and $77.50 for VIP seating and reception, on sale starting Fri., March 11 at 10 a.m. Individual tickets may be purchased online at IUauditorium.com, in person at the IU Auditorium Box Office, as well as through Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. The IU Auditorium Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit: http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/17664.html

Grocery shopping social story

Grocery shopping is generally a fact of life for most people. Some people even manage to enjoy it. If you have a child who needs help with social skills, however, grocery shopping might sometimes be challenging. Off we go to the grocery store is a social story written in clear language with colorful illustrations showing what to expect when shopping for groceries.

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

Social stories

Kids with autism or any developmental delay can benefit from social stories like the one in Off we go to the dentist. Written to alleviate the stress and anxiety kids sometimes feel about getting their teeth cleaned, the author uses simple text and happy, cartoon illustrations to show what happens during a typical visit to the dentist's office.

Email us at cedir@indiana.edu to check out this title. Or you can use worldcat.org to find the book in a library near you.

Off we go for a haircut!

Not just kids with autism but kids with any developmental delay might benefit from social stories like the one in Off we go for a haircut. Written to alleviate the stress and anxiety kids sometimes feel about going to a salon to get a haircut, the author uses simple text and happy, cartoon illustrations to show what generally happens during a visit to a salon.

Email us at cedir@indiana.edu to check out this title. Or you can use worldcat.org to find the book in a library near you.

Practical solutions for stabilizing students

Looking for a resource to help stabilize students with autism? Practical solutions for stabilizing students with classic autism to be ready to learn: Getting to go! may be able to help. Author Judy Endow suggests that some kids with autism may perform better with stabilizing strategies at the outset before going to functional behavior analysis. This book offers suggestions on sensory regulation and visual supports in the classroom, oftentimes making it easier for kids to become better regulated and more able to communicate, lowering the instances of extreme behaviors. Then kids can really be ready to learn.

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

Wretches & Jabberers

The Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA) at Indiana University and the Autism Society of Indiana have been selected by the Autism Society of America (ASA) to host two screenings of the film Wretches & Jabberers, on April 16 in Bloomington and April 23 in Indianapolis, to commemorate National Autism Awareness Month.

Wretches & Jabberers, directed by Academy Award winner Gerardine Wurzburg, follows two men with autism, Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette, who embark on a global quest to change attitudes about disability, intelligence and communication. The movie is the latest documentary by Wurzburg, who won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for her film Educating Peter and was again nominated in 2005 for Autism is a World.

Read the entire press release at: http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/17641.html

Squirmy Wormy

Sensory processing disorders (SPD) can be difficult for children to understand. Squirmy Wormy, explains the disorder using colorful pictures and easy-to-read text told through Tyler's eyes. Tyler is a child with autism and SPD who enjoys watching the ceiling fan go around and around but tells us that what he really needs is the merry-go-round at the park. This is a fun book that suggests options for children with SPDs.

Interested? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu to check it out. Or try worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

CeDIR Citings

It's Spring! It's Spring! Or at least it will be in a couple more weeks. Until then, please enjoy our latest issue of our biannual newsletter, CeDIR Citings. This Spring issue is about new beginnings and focuses on resources for behavior supports.

To see the latest issue, go to:http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/cedir/newsletters/CeDIR_Citings_0311.html

Think you might have missed one? Back issues are archived on our website at:http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=2316

Free Asperger Syndrome Video

Press release from Coulter Video:

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Coulter Video has released a free video for parents of children who have been recently diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome or “AS.”

“In this program, parents who’ve dealt the Asperger Syndrome for years share stories of how they reacted when their own children were diagnosed and how they used what they learned to make life better for the diagnosed child and everyone in the family,” said Dan Coulter, the video’s producer/director and parent of a son with Asperger Syndrome. “We’ve found that hearing from moms and dads who have experience raising a child diagnosed with AS is tremendously helpful for parents just learning about the diagnosis.”

The 15 minute program, titled “Asperger Syndrome Diagnosis: Parent Stories,” can be viewed online without charge on the Coulter Video website, www.coultervideo.com, and is also available for viewing on YouTube. The direct link to the video is: http://www.coultervideo.com/content/asperger-syndrome-diagnosis-parent-stories

Coulter Video is an independent video production company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA and owned by Dan and Julie Coulter. The Coulters are nationally recognized speakers who have produced ten DVDs designed to help people with Asperger Syndrome and autism.

Diagnosis/Assessment in Indiana

Do you suspect your child might have a disorder on the autism spectrum? Looking for information on getting a diagnosis and/or assessment in Indiana? The Indiana Resource Center for Autism has recently updated its article on getting a diagnosis. The article, written by IRCA Director Dr. Cathy Pratt, BCBA, includes tips on locating the right assessment team for your child, and it concludes with a list of professionals around the state and the surrounding states (Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio) who may be able to diagnose or assess your child for autism spectrum disorders.

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=269