Webinar on Suicide Screening and Prevention

Suicide Screening and Prevention in the Autism Community: 

New Developments, New Perspectives

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

11:30 p.m - 1:00 p.m

From the Association of University Centers on Disability comes a webinar that will look at the issue of suicide in the autism community, explore challenges in the mental health service system, review the background of suicide, and more.

There is no charge for this webinar, but registration is necessary. For more information on the webinar and to register, please visit:
http://www.aucd.org/template/event.cfm?event_id=7911

Autism Intervention Every Day!

Autism intervention every day! is 144 pages of interventions for very young children (birth to three) who may be exhibiting early signs of having an autism spectrum disorder. Written by an occupational therapist and a speech-language pathologist, both of whom are board certified behavior analysts, this book offers early intervention providers a host of interventions that can be done within everyday activities such as dressing and diapering, during meals and play time, and more. It is meant to teach providers how to coach parents in helping their children develop critical skills and manage their behavior.

The book starts with an overview of autism and the way in which young children are diagnosed along with a discussion of what might constitute a "red flag" as a potential characteristic of autism. Information on connecting families with services is covered along with specific teaching strategies and why they work for children on the spectrum. Critical skills along with research findings are presented along with suggestions for monitoring progress. The book also includes a Reinforcer Survey that is able to be photocopied but also is downloadable, depending on your preference.

Want to check it out? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu or use worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Temple Grandin Articles

Did you know that the Indiana Resource Center for Autism has a number of articles written by Dr. Temple Grandin? The topics of these articles range from medication to employment to social problems.

In her latest article, Dr. Grandin was asked to identify those factors that facilitated her successful transition and employment. She wrote on making the transition from high school to the work place.

To read the entire article, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/transition-ideas

Mobile App Monday - Calm Counter Social Story & Anger Management Tool

Looking for an app that can help individuals on the spectrum calm down? Calm Counter offers not only a social story about anger management but also a countdown from 10 with both voice and visual cues when you need a break.

To learn more about this app, please visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id470369893

High-functioning autism and difficult moments

High-Functioning Autism and Difficult Moments is a 110-page guide to understanding and managing the meltdowns that sometimes occur when working with an individual on the autism spectrum. Written for parents, educators, and professionals, the book offers strategies to use when meltdowns occur to help reduce their frequency and severity and possibly begin to avoid them.

Understanding what is happening in the brain when a meltdown is triggered can go a long way toward mitigating them, so the book starts with neurological research and the brain. It covers the topics of self-regulation, sensory issues, reinforcement and more. It then goes on to analyze the cycle of meltdowns from the early stages to the last moments. A chapter on functional behavior assessment is included that discusses the iceberg metaphor and the underlying characteristics of autism. More than 40 pages of strategies are offered, and these are broken out into topical areas including instruction, interpretation, coaching, and obstacle removal.

Case studies, tables, and charts are used throughout the book to highlight specific ideas and there is a short summary at the end of each chapter that reiterates the message.

Want to check it out? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu or use worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Teaching time-management to learners with autism spectrum disorder

Teaching time-management to learners with autism spectrum disorder offers 190 pages of strategies to teach time-management to those on the autism spectrum of any age. The authors, both professors at the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, point out that teaching time is not the same as teaching time management, and several skills are necessary in combination with each other to successfully manage your time. Time management, the authors say, is a concept that can be taught throughout the lifespan.

The book starts with an overview of time management including its definition and the skills needed to learn and then effectively use the concept. It goes on to describe how time management can be taught throughout the lifespan and covers the different dimensions of time management skills. The fourth chapter specifically highlights some of the characteristics of individuals on the autism spectrum that can be challenges to understanding and learning time management, and the fifth chapter breaks down time management over the span of a day. Low-tech and high-technology strategies are offered as well as thoughts on monitoring progress. The book is full of charts, forms, and case studies, and offers learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter and application activities and discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

Want to check it out? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu or use worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Don't Miss: Collaborative & Proactive Solutions workshop

Collaborative & Proactive Solutions: 

Understanding and Helping Students with 

Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Challenges

November 18, 2016

Westfield, IN

This is the empirically supported model Dr. Ross Greene describes in his influential books, The Explosive Child and Lost at School. The CPS model has transformed thinking and practices in countless schools, inpatient psychiatry units, and residential and juvenile detention facilities, and has been associated with dramatic reductions in disciplinary referrals, detentions, suspensions, seclusions, and physical, chemical and mechanical restraints.

Wan to learn more about it? Please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu//index.php?pageId=ross-greene-workshop

Camp Yes And: An Improv Camp for Teens with ASD and Teachers

Staff at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have published an article on the success of the summer camp co-supported by IRCA and the Center for Education and Lifelong Learning. Camp Yes, And is a one-week session that offers the use of improvisational techniques to help improve the communication skills of teenagers on the autism spectrum.

To read the article, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/camp-yes-and-an-improv-camp-for-teens-with-asd-and-teachers

Mobile App Monday - Swaha

Swaha is a great app for creating social stories using your own voice to narrate! Simply take pictures, then in the app, narrate each one and swipe to the next. Young kids can use it, people with autism spectrum disorders, brain injuries or dementia can use it or anyone who might need a little help remembering how to do something.

For more information about this app, please visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id926110666

Switched on: A memoir of brain change and emotional awakening

Switched On is a 320-page memoir of a man with Asperger's who was given the opportunity to transform his life by way of an experimental brain therapy. This book is an examination of how that therapy changed his brain, his relationships and his ability to empathize.

The author spent his first fifty years with Asperger's working with electronics at music events and then owning a small car repair business while working as a professional photographer. Despite his successes in life, when a scientist from Beth Israel Hospital spoke to him about a study that uses TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) to unlock emotional intelligence, Robison needed to know more. His story is sometimes serious, sometimes laugh-out-loud humorous, and intensely personal.

Want to check it out? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu or use worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Effective Interventions for Behavioral and Social Challenges Workshop

Register now for All Kids Can Succeed: Effective Interventions for Behavioral and Social Challenges workshop presented by Jed Baker, September 22, 2016, in Newburgh, Indiana.

Sponsored by the Institute’s Indiana Resource Center for Autism in collaboration with Warrick and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, this workshop focuses on strategies to handle meltdowns and design effective behavior plans to prevent these moments and reduce frustration and anxiety. The second part of the presentation details strategies to motivate students to learn, ways to teach social skills, how to generalize skills into the natural setting and increase acceptance and tolerance from peers. Information will be imparted though lecture, interactive exercises, and video clips.

Registration fee is $100.00 per person. For more information and to register, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/jed-baker

Students on the Spectrum Club at IU

The Indiana Resource Center for Autism is pleased to announce its 8th year of support of a student group on the Bloomington campus of Indiana University: Students on the Spectrum (SOS). SOS is a safe place for students to come and be themselves.

All Indiana University students who live with an autism spectrum disorder are welcome. SOS will provide students with the opportunity to engage with each other and others within the university community around topics and activities of their choosing and interest such as becoming an effective self-advocate, dealing with anxiety, communication and social skills, and exploring supports and activities on campus and in the community.

The SOS Club meets weekly at the Indiana Memorial Union on the Indiana University-Bloomington campus. For more information, contact Marci Wheeler, SOS Club Advisor at mwheeler@indiana.edu or phone (812) 855-6508.

Mobile App Monday - SoundingBoard

"SoundingBoard transforms your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad into the latest in communication technology. In just minutes, you can create custom boards using AbleNet symbols or your own words. Perfect for children in special education, persons on the autism spectrum, and adults with disabilities. SoundingBoard includes switch access and is compatible with the AbleNet Blue2 Switch." -iTunes

Want to learn more about this app? Please visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id390532167

Holiday hours

In observance of the upcoming holiday, the CeDIR library will be closed on Monday, September 5th. We will close today at 4:00 p.m. and will re-open on Tuesday, September 6th at 8:00 a.m.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!