Mobile App Monday - ExpressionArcade

"Some students have a difficult time learning social skills that would seem obvious to others. Having and understanding social skills can really be an integral factor in an individual's success. ExpressionArcade is a fun way to learn and increase social skills for people of all ages." -iTunes

Want to learn more about it? Please visit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/expressionarcade/id684396188?mt=8

City Hall Will Display Blue Lights for Autism Awareness Month

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington will display blue lights on the City Hall Showers Building April 2 in commemoration of the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day.  The lights will coincide with national organization Autism Speaks’ “Light It Up Blue” ceremony held throughout the international autism community.

Preceding the event on April 1,The City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department is sponsoring an autism program from 4 to 6 p.m. in Council Chambers of City Hall, 401 N. Morton St. A panel of experts on autism, including a person with autism, will provide valuable information on autism diagnosis, education and treatment. This event is open to the public and free of charge. Light refreshments will be served.

“Light It Up Blue” is a unique, global initiative that kicks off Autism Awareness Month and helps raise awareness about autism. In honor of this historic day, many iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, bridges and retail stores are among the hundreds of thousands of homes and communities that take part to “Light It Up Blue”.  More information on this event can be found at http://liub.autismspeaks.org/home.do.

Additionally, World Autism Awareness Day celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe. Autism is one of only three health issues to be recognized by the United Nations with its own day.  More information on this day can be found at http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/world-autism-awareness-day.

For more information regarding the lighting or the autism program, please contact Health Projects Manager Nancy Woolery at 812.349.3851. To find out more about the organization Autism Speaks, visit the website at http://www.autismspeaks.org/. 

Does autism start before birth?

"The symptoms of autism may not be obvious until a child is a toddler, but the disorder itself appears to begin well before birth." So begins an article found on NPR this morning about a study that looked at brain tissue taken from children with autism who had died. The tissue had "patches of disorganization in the cortex" that did not show up in brain tissue taken from children without autism.

Want to read the entire article? Please visit: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/03/26/294446735/brain-changes-suggest-autism-starts-in-the-womb

A Week of Switching, Shifting, and Stretching

A Week of Switching, Shifting, and Stretching is a picture book that assists children, especially those on the autism spectrum, in thinking more flexibly. Using repeated rhymes and illustrations, children will begin to recognize that the more flexible their thinking is, the better they will be able to cope with the challenges that life presents.

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

Visual supports for visual thinkers

Visual supports for visual thinkers is a guide not only for teachers but for therapists, parents, or anyone who works with students on the spectrum or any student who has difficulty learning. The tools involved are simple and effective in aiding the education of students with special education needs. From the way in the classroom is laid out to the use of schedules and time planning aids, there's something in this book for everyone.

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

Mobile App Monday - Touch-Words

Looking for an app for kids with communication differences? Touch-Words offers a visual-based approach to help children who are at the first stage of learning to talk and to read. It is specifically designed for children who may have difficulty learning to talk and to read and other visual learners.

Want to learn more? Please visit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/touch-words/id722231281?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Applied Behavior Analysis: Statewide Issues and Solutions Webinar

Applied Behavior Analysis: Statewide Issues and Solutions Webinar

Thursday, April 24, 2014- Thursday, April 24, 2014
3:00 PM EST - 4:00 PM EST

Webinar Description:

In this webinar, issues around the implementation of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs will be discussed including licensure, funding, diversity of practices and quality, understanding of ABA and collaboration between ABA providers and other organizations.   Both Tennessee and Indiana have addressed these issues and in different ways.  This webinar will highlight the processes both states have followed in trying to reach some consensus and to promote legislation in this area.

For more information and to register, please visit:
http://www.aucd.org/template/event.cfm?event_id=5497