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