Library Holiday Hours

Wondering when the library will close for the holidays? We generally follow the public school calendar's closings here in Bloomington, so this year we will be closed the week following Christmas Day and the week following New Year's Day. We will be open until December 23rd and will be closed until January 9th.

Happy holidays!

The power card strategy 2.0: Using special interests to motivate children and youth with autism spectrum disorder

The power card strategy 2.0: Using special interests to motivate children and youth with autism spectrum disorder is a 94-page guide for parents and teachers to help kids on the autism spectrum make sense of social situations, routines, the meaning of language, and the hidden curriculum that surrounds us.

This guide is a second edition of a popular strategy for using special interests or fascinations for teaching and guiding kids. In addition to an introduction of the second edition, there is also an introduction to the first edition at the beginning of the book. The first chapter defines special interests and their power in learning. The second chapter discusses how to develop and use power cards including their use at home and in the community. Chapter three offers examples of power cards used in different situations, and chapter four covers four case studies.

Want to check it out? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu.

The BASICS college curriculum

The BASICS College Curriculum is a series of books that  present a hands-on approach to learning essential independence and life skills for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The CeDIR Library has four titles in this series available to check out.

Independence, Social, and Study Strategies for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder focuses on the transition to college, developing key academic skills, navigating campus social life, and living away from home for the first time.

Developing Identity, Strengths, and Self-Perception for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder helps young adults to explore their identity and self-perception and encourages them to consider their personal characteristics and strengths, to help navigate college life more easily and to provide a starting point for thinking about future careers.

Turning Skills and Strengths into Careers for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder helps young adults to translate their strengths and interests into possible careers and develop job-hunting skills that will set them on the road to success.

Developing Workplace Skills for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder helps young adults to develop strategies for successfully managing workplace challenges, both before they enter the workplace and during employment.

Interested in checking out any of these titles? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu or use worldcat.org to find them in a library near you.

Respite Providers in Indiana

Staff at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have put together a listing of providers in Indiana that offer respite services for families of individuals with disabilities. The list includes counties served and contact information when available. Take a look at:

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/respite-provider-agencies-in-indiana

Library Holiday Hours

Wondering when the library will close for the holidays? We generally follow the public school calendar's closings here in Bloomington, so this year we will be closed the week following Christmas Day and the week following New Year's Day. We will be open until December 23rd and will be closed until January 9th.

Happy holidays!

CeDIR hours 12/15/16

CeDIR will be open from 8:00 a.m - 11:00 a.m.

on Dec. 15, 2016

Autism-Focused Parent Support Group Meeting

Marci Wheeler, social work specialist with the Institute’s Indiana Resource Center for Autism, will present a session titled "When Your Child is Newly Diagnosed," on February 16, 2017, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Earlywood Education Center in Franklin, Indiana.

This parent support group meeting is free and open to the public. However, the content will be geared toward family members of individuals who have a diagnosis along the autism spectrum. The information will not be geared toward professionals. If you are a professional and know of family members in your area that may benefit from such a meeting, you are encouraged to forward the relevant information. For more information, contact Kris Baker at (317) 738-5459 or e-mail kbaker@ssjcs.k12.in.us.

Raising the Shy Child: A Parent's Guide to Social Anxiety

"Raising the Shy Child: A Parent's Guide to Social Anxiety is a 240-page guide for parents who want to help their children find a path through their fears and social awkwardness. Written by a school psychologist who is also an award-winning author of nonfiction and teen novels, this book offers help and hope for parents.

Social anxiety can be a crippling disorder, but there are strategies that can be used to help overcome it. This book offers the latest research on evidence-based strategies and real-world stories from both adults and children to discuss the disorder. It also covers strategies to address school refusal, bullying, and identity issues.

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

Mobile App Monday - Christmas Wooden Puzzles

Puzzles are often a favorite of many children and those with autism are no exception. This free app offers the look of wooden puzzles on your iPhone or iPad. Help those fine motor skills by placing the pieces in their proper places.

To learn more about this app, please visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id573536245

YouCue Feelings: Using Online Videos for Social Learning

YouCue feelings: Using online videos for social learning is a quick 90-page guide to learning about feelings and relationships. Written by a licensed speech/language pathologist with over 30 years of experience in the field, this book offers a program for elementary and middle-schoolers who struggle with social/emotional learning. It includes 25 links to online videos portraying feelings and 50 easy activities to continue the education. The book offers a summary with each link that quickly explains the content of the video.

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

Uniquely human: A different way of seeing autism

Uniquely human: A different way of seeing autism is a 272-page guide to using a different approach to understanding individuals on the autism spectrum. Written by a world-renowned leader in the autism field, this book seeks to discover what is behind an individual’s behaviors rather than trying to just “fix” the person.

The book is written in two parts; the first part looks at understanding autism while the second part highlights aspects of living with autism. An extensive introduction discusses Prizant’s background work with individuals on the spectrum and his approach to understanding them. Suggestions are offered throughout the book about focusing on an individual’s strengths and abilities and how to support and enhance the person rather than trying to change behaviors.

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

Parties, dorms and social norms: A crash course in safe living for young adults on the autism spectrum

Parties, dorms and social norms: A crash course in safe living for young adults on the autism spectrum is a 288-page guide on growing up for teens on the autism spectrum. Written by professionals in the autism field, this book is broken out into three parts. Part one covers the social aspects of adult life including realtionships and sex in addition to practicing safe surfing online. Part two focuses on health concerns in adulthood including drinking, drugs, and managing stress. Part three discusses aspects of independent living including roommates, household safety and finances.

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

Life, animated: A story of sidekicks, heroes, and autism

Life, animated: A story of sidekicks, heroes, and autism is a 384-page memoir of life with a child who for many years was nonverbal. Deeply entrenched in Disney movies, the author’s son could not communicate with the family. This story is about learning how to connect with him. As with most children, Owen was a happy spirited toddler until about two and a half years old. Something changed at that time, and he regressed.

The book works through Owen’s stages of development from the beginning when he was a typically-developing young child to the “growing backward” stage, the doctors and their tests, to Owen’s fascinations. Disney movies played prominently throughout his life and became the connection the family finally discovered that could reach Owen.

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

The Augmentative/Alternative Communication Spectrum

Have you thought of Augmentative/Alternative Communication as a spectrum? There is a whole range of options from low/no tech to high tech solutions to empowering individuals with speech impairments. The folks at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have put together an article covering the spectrum of AAC.

To view the article, please visit:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/the-augmentative-alternative-communication-spectrum