All aboard!

Whitewater Valley Railroad

Got a kid with a fascination for trains? Would s/he like to take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine pulling the train? The Whitewater Valley Railroad in Connersville, Indiana, is announcing that Thomas the Tank Engine will be on hand to do his very best June 17-19 and 24-26, 2011. Visitors will get to:

• Take a 25 minute ride with a full size Thomas the Tank Engine™
• Meet Sir Topham Hatt
• Listen to storytelling and live music
• Build with MEGA BLOKS® and much more!

For tickets and information, visit http://www.ticketweb.com/dowt or call 1-866-468-7630. Tickets are $18.00 for ages 2 and up. Group price is $14.00 per ticket for 20 or more. Advance purchase is recommended. All sales are final, events happen rain or shine.

Apps for Autism

Want to know more about all those apps everyone keeps talking about? Want to know how to evaluate apps for your child with autism? Shannon Des Roches Rosa is a mother, writer, and advocate for autism and special needs. She is also a former software producer for Electronic Arts and The Learning Company. Last year, she wrote a guest post on Moms with Apps' blog suggesting tips on evaluating apps.

To see this post, go to: http://momswithapps.com/2010/08/04/characteristics-of-great-apps-for-kids-with-autism/

Wretches & Jabberers

Don't forget this Saturday is Bloomington's screening of the film Wretches & Jabberers. This documentary, directed by Academy Award winner Gerardine Wurzburg, follows two men with autism who decide to travel the world in order to change attitudes about disability. The movie will be shown at noon on the 16th at the AMC Showplace 12 West in Bloomington.

Thinking Maps

Got a student who needs help with organization or visualization? Students of all types and abilities can benefit from using Thinking Maps^® according to the author of Student successes with Thinking Maps^®: School-based research, results, and models for achievement using visual tools. This book presents eight visual models that can boost all learners’ metacognitive and critical thinking skills.

Want to check it out? Send us an email at cedir@indiana.edu.

Social Security Benefits

Want to know more about Social Security benefits and employment? A new article has been published by the Indiana Resource Center for Autism on this subject. The article reviews two Social Security programs that supply cash benefits to people with disabilities, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

For a closer look, go to: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=3413

Social skills program

Making friends, preK-3: A social skills program for inclusive settings is the second edition of Ruth Herron Ross and Beth Roberts' Wanna play? (Corwin ©2006). The book features lots of games and activities that can be linked to IEP goals for kids with disabilities. It targets topics such as safety and regulating emotions and can also be used with kids without disabilities.

Interested? 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.

April is Autism Awareness Month

Just in time for Autism Awareness Month, the staff at the Indiana Resource Center for Autism have put together a new article on working with students on the spectrum. Titled Autism Awareness Month: Facts and Tips for Working with Students on the Autism Spectrum, this article offers interesting facts and features tips and suggestions from Indiana's Autism Leadership Network to help students on the spectrum succeed.

The entire article can be found at: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=359