Library Hours

In observance of Memorial Day, CeDIR will be closed on Monday, May 30th. We will re-open at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31st. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day!

Beading to Beat Autism

Are you crafty? Want to help a young girl in Louisville, KY raise money for an autism research and treatment center? Michala Riggle is a teenager who has a brother with autism. She has already raised thousands of dollars to support autism research and treatment and wants to do more. Read all about Michala, her brother, and her nonprofit organization at: http://www.beadingtobeatautism.org/

Special Needs Registry Week

The City of Bloomington and Monroe County are promoting the voluntary registration of information from people with disabilities for use by first responders. The initiative coincides with May 23 through 29 being designated "Special Needs Registry Sign-Up Week." The "Special Needs Registry for First Responders" provides first responders immediate access to disability-specific information for use in emergency situations. Residents with disabilities are encouraged to sign up.

In the event of an emergency, information provided by residents lets emergency personnel know about visual, hearing, mobility impairments, dementia and developmental disabilities for those who have signed up with the registry.

"Anything that can help emergency personnel provide the highest level of care as quickly as possible is a big win for everyone," said Mayor Mark Kruzan. "This really is a great initiative that can affect the community in a positive way."

Individuals with disabilities or family members who would like to be included may register athttp://bloomington.in.gov/specialneedsdispatch.

The registration form may be printed from the website, completed and mailed to Bloomington/Monroe County Special Needs Registry, 220 E. 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47401. Alternative formats of the registration form are also available; paper, large print, Braille and Spanish language forms may be obtained by calling 349-3429 or e-mailinghuman.rights@bloomington.in.gov. Anyone needing assistance in completing the form may use the same contact information.

After registration, a City representative will contact registrants every six months to ensure the information is up to date.

"This registry is an extremely important step toward improving effective emergency preparedness for individuals with disabilities in Monroe County," said Katie Herron, Chair of the City of Bloomington Council for Community Accessibility. "Information gathered will allow first responders to maximize the effectiveness and quality of care provided. Having disability-specific information prior to arriving at the scene of an emergency could mean the difference between life and death."

For more information, contact Craig Brenner at 349-3471 orbrennerc@bloomington.in.gov.

Timer mobile app

Looking for a mobile app timer for a child with autism? Try Autism Timer. It clearly shows how much time has elapsed in bright colors, and three different times can be set at once. When time is up, it will beep/vibrate and the black and white checkered flag is shown.

Learn more about it at: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=409539780&mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D6#

Nurturing Narratives

Language and academic skills are important for all children to learn. But for children with learning difficulties, these skills are sometimes too complex. The book, Nurturing narratives: Story-based language intervention for children with language impairments that are complicated by other developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorders was developed as a story-based language intervention for children. It emphasizes comprehension, tailors language to the child's developmental level and stresses social engagement.

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

Individualized Technology Plan Helps Student with Autism Achieve Learning Goals

Got a child with autism who is struggling to learn? One teacher aide decided to try using technology with a third-grader who has severe autism. His results were terrific! The child learned in two months what he hadn't been able to learn in two years.

Read the entire article at: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/05/individualized-technology-plan-helps.html

Bookstore galore!

Looking to purchase a book on autism spectrum disorders? Here are a few bookstores that may have just what you're looking for.

• AAPC Publishing at http://www.aapcpublishing.net/
• Amazon at http://www.amazon.com
• Autism Parents Bookstore at http://autismparentsbookstore.com/
• Autism Shop at http://www.autismshop.com/
• Future Horizons at http://store.fhautism.com/
• Spectrum Training Systems at http://store.spectrumtrainingsystemsinc.com/aubo.html

Of course, if you would rather borrow a book, give us a call at 800-437-7924 or send us a message at cedir@indiana.edu. We're happy to help!

Colleges welcoming students with Asperger's

An article on Philly.com notes that colleges and universities are seeing more students with Asperger syndrome than ever before. The article states that students with ASD are part of a new "wave of diversity to reach college campuses" as the first children diagnosed with Asperger's are now reaching college age.

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/20110509_Colleges.html

New study on autism rates in South Korea

According to the Autism Support Network, a study recently published in the American Journal of Psychiatry reveals that rates of autism in South Korea are on the rise. The researchers, made up of a team of international investigators from the U.S., South Korea, and Canada, are estimating the prevalence of autism to be 2.64% in children between 7 and 12 years old, or approximately 1 in 38 children.

Read the article at Autism Support Network: http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/new-study-finds-autism-rates-south-korea-now-1-38-children-38994322#ixzz1LxvBdkwN

The Child with Autism at Home and in the Community

Looking for some suggestions on avoiding overload when taking your child with autism on an outing or even when you're just staying at home? Authors Kathy Labosh and LaNita Miller have put together more than 600 of them in the book, The Child with Autism at Home and in the Community. After first taking on home life, the authors tackle community outings, proving tip after tip of experience-laden wisdom. Advice is offered for going to restaurants, church, the doctor's office, the grocery store, family gatherings, and more!

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

Autism & Reading Comprehension

For grade levels 1-5, the book Autism & reading comprehension: Ready-to-use lessons for teachers can help make a difference for teachers who have children on the spectrum in their classroom. Ninety hours of animal-themed, whole group instruction is included in this book along with two student worksheets for each of nine animals. Sentence-building exercises, an appendix with complementary activities for each animal theme, and assessment forms round out the lesson plans. A companion CD accompanies the book to make printing lesson plans quick and easy.

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

2011 Parent Meetings Set

The Indiana Resource Center for Autism today revealed its Parent Group Meetings schedule for May through November 2011. Indiana Resource Center for Autism staff will present information on various topics to parent support groups across Indiana, from behavioral strategies to puberty to employment. For a look at the complete list with dates, times, and places, go to: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/IRCA/parent%20groups%20for%202011.pdf

IAN Research Report

Preliminary findings from a new study by the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) show that people on the autism spectrum often "wander," "bolt," or "elope" from safe places. The Autism Research Institute, the Autism Science Foundation, Autism Speaks, and the Global Autism Collaboration partnered with IAN to create a national survey on elopement in ASD in response to the need for more information on this topic. These early findings come from 856 parents who had responded to the survey by the time the report was completed.

To read the report from IAN, go to: http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/ian_research_reports/ian_research_report_elopement

Summer Institute only 5 weeks away!

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.

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 the website at www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca.