Informational
NEW Inclusive Programming – Uncover the Pitfalls, Challenges and Path to Success
Nov 15th
Discover Everything You Need to Know About Inclusive Programming for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders! Uncover the Pitfalls, Challenges and Path to Success.
Inclusive Programming for Students with Autism & Asperger’s Workshop – 4 DVD Set!
Here’s a Brief Overview:
• Quality indicators
• Assessing the student, class, teacher
• Data collection, collaboration
• Positive behavior programs
• Motivational assessment
• Individual behavior plans
• Strategies for embedding social skills
• Social skills assessment & curricula
• Elementary, middle, high school!
• Strategies for modifying academics
• Strategies for transition issues
• Encountering and eliminating bullying
…and much more!
This special 4 DVD presentation presented by Sheila Wagner, M.Ed. will examine the process of behavior analysis for teachers that have students with autism spectrum in general education classes. This setting poses challenges that must be considered in light of this disability, zero tolerance and student needs. Too often, inconsistent behavior plans leave students and teachers confused as to why behaviors return. This lecture will identify the key components for analyzing the inappropriate behaviors and identify ways to improve student performance, increasing the likelihood for inclusion.
[PACKAGE INCLUDES]
DVD1: Quality Indicators for Inclusion Programs [39.95]
DVD2: Positive Behavior Programs for Inclusion Programs [39.95]
DVD3: Inclusion Strategies for Embedding Social Skills [39.95]
DVD4: Teaching Strategies for Inclusion Strategies [39.95]
PLUS Digital Handouts
Order Today and Get a Bonus
Temple Grandin 90 Minute [49.95] DVD Presentation!
Receive ALL 4 BRAND NEW Inclusive Programming DVDs plus the Bonus Temple Grandin DVD + Digital Handouts!
Regular $209.75
The Art of AUTISM
May 13th
BE A PART OF THE ART!
The ART of AUTISM Tour takes on Hollywood on May 19th! Keri Bowers – Advocate, Speaker, Seminar Leader, and Filmmaker – will host The ART of AUTISM, at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre to celebrate the talents of individuals on the autism spectrum. Music, dance, drama, monologues, art, film, and great fun. Performers include: Arrest My Sister, The Miracle Fly Kids, Autism Movement Therapy Dancers, Taylor Cross, Diane Isaacs, Susan Sheller, Nick Guzman, Dani Bowman, Kennedy Moore, Ballet for All Kids, and more.
HEARTS AND ARTS AWARDS will be presented to Janet Grillo for her work in advocacy and film (Fly Away and Autism the Musical); Naomi Heller (posthumously) for 30 years of dedication to children with Special Needs (Founder Intercare Therapy, Inc.) and Susan Baukus, behaviorist, for her dedication to children with special needs.
Debbie Hosseni will share her book, ARTISM: The ART of AUTISM, published by Autism Today, and a couple of guests will win free books and films at the event. Come see Trevor Aykin’s spray art LIVE, and artist Joel Anderson will be there to sign books as well!
Tickets are 20 bucks, visit www.itsmyseat.com to purchase.
This event will make you laugh and cry. BRING TISSUE!
www.normalfilms.com for more information
The ART of AUTISM; Hollywood is principally sponsored by Intercare Therapy, Inc. with co-sponsorship by Autism Today, Debbie Hosseini, and
PAUSE4kids.
It’s a Personal Question: Are You Behavioural or Biomedical? Or Both?
Mar 25th
Dear friends,
Welcome to this special Autism Vancouver edition of the Autism Today newsletter. In just two weeks, I will stand up at a podium at the magnificent Vancouver Convention Centre, on the harborfront of one of Canada’s most beautiful cities, and open our 3rd Biennial Behavioral and Biomedical Congress. I am thrilled by how far we’ve come since our first Biennial Congress. And imagine our speaker line-up: Temple Grandin’s mom, Eustacia Cutler; Sheila Wagner of Emory University, one of America’s top autism educators; Dr. Bill Shaw, CEO of Great Plains Laboratories, and one of the top advisors to health professionals on the biomedical aspects of ASDs; popular behavioral experts like Stephen Shore and Doreen Granpeesheh; and many others.
I won’t kid you – it’s not easy to combine the true believers from either the purely behavioral or purely biomedical schools of thought at a single event. Some people feel deeply antagonized by the mere suggestion that both sides could have something to teach us. Some speakers don’t like the format, some families and teachers don’t understand it. And imagine trying to explain the significance of such a happening to the mainstream media! But at Autism Today, we are deeply focused on empowering individuals – people with autism spectrum disorders and their families – on the most complex, personal journey they will face – the path of emergence (some even say, “recovery” and even, “cure”).
The argument over how to define a fulfilled, fully expressed life is as varied and endless as the human race. Our job, as we see it at Autism Today, is to equip each person and his or her family with information about every legitimate tool they might use to find their own way. There are not top-down answers in autism. It’s not only grass roots; it’s deep in the soil. Success depends in part on a willingness to get dirty! And on some level, love that process. Watch the HBO movie about Temple Grandin, or listen to painter Keri Bowers describe her work with her son Taylor Cross, literally spending hours, dipping him bodily into paints, and creating art, or listen to almost any narrative of successful intervention, and you learn – it’s a hands-on process.
Autism Vancouver is still two weeks away. But it is not too early to give thanks to our champions who will make this such a special event. None of this could happen without a dedicated staff and the support of our Autism Today friends and family. We especially wish to thank Keri Bowers, founder of Normal Films, and director of Normal People Scare Me, Debbie Hosseini, author of our newest title, Artism: The Art of Autism – both tireless champions of the arts as a vehicle of emergence — Kelly Lebrock, who has donated her star power and agreed to act as honorary hostess of our Gala, and Diana Graling, of Helms-Briscoe, whose invaluable logistical counsel is helping us to run a tight ship in Vancouver.
For those unable to join us in Vancouver, I hope you won’t mind this special Congress edition of the Autism Today newsletter. Please remember we will be broadcasting segments of the Congress via webcast every day of the Congress, April 7-9, and for those who wish to experience the complete program, we will make this available in DVD for purchase.
Soon, we will have the capacity in place to make all of our programming available by live webcast, so you can enjoy and benefit from it without the expense of travel, and in the company of family, students or colleagues. Keep an eye on our newsletters for announcements about these enhancements to our program offerings.
Thank you again for your friendship and support.
Warm regards,
Karen?
“Different Son” by Susan Werner – A Song about a Boy with Autism
Feb 26th
Dear friends,
I launched Autism Today as an online community in 1998. For families touched by autism, and facing so many challenges already, the Internet is more than a tool, it is a lifeline, connecting us with other families, expertise and resources, inspiration, and yes, good old entertainment.
Every week, something truly magical pops up on YouTube. This week we received a video by Susan Werner, a deeply personal song about autism, entitled Different Son. It is from her album, Kicking the Beehive, which will be released March 1st.
Her agent says he fears Different Son will not get radio play, because it deals with too serious a subject. But with one in 110 children born with the disorder in the US, we feel this is, for all the right reasons, music for all ears.
At Autism Today, we have a special love for artists. Something magical happens when a child on the spectrum is moved to create art. Properly cultivated, art can be the key to unlock exceptional gifts.
This is why we created the Artism series; and will soon publish Artism: The Art of Autism; and celebrate Autism Vancouver with a wonderful arts carnival.
So, today, instead of my usual blog, I decided it would be enough to share a beautiful song, about something we all are passionate about. Sometimes a picture — or a song — is worth a thousand words.
Have a lovely week!
Love,
Karen
77 Ways to say “Good Job”
Jan 17th
Everyone likes positive pats on the back, recognition and acknowledgement for a job well done. It’s especially vital when raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder. We should be mindful that sometimes, with our children with ASDs, the label we use can be the opposite of a back-pat.
When I founded Autism Today, I asked my sister Susan to create a logo that would be overwhelmingly positive. I asked her to use a star, like the gold star we all loved to get from our teachers in school, instead of the puzzle piece. Autism Today is about celebrating the gifts of our children on the spectrum, not focusing on what we all know and understand to be real challenges. There’s no argument autism is real and, for those without the necessary resources, overwhelming. But all of us, parents and children with ASDs, must focus on the unique and often amazing attributes – the positive side – of ASDs, first to cope, next to survive, and, finally, to thrive. I raised my son Jonny to think of his autism-related skills as wonderful gifts. When he was born, I could never have imagined how much fulfillment and fun Jonny would bring into our lives as a family. Focusing on his ASD as a gift, rich with possibilities, was an important aspect of that journey.
I remember people challenging me that no one would know we were about autism since we didn’t use the puzzle piece like everyone else. My thinking has always and will always be to accentuate the positives and eliminate the negatives. That old Johnny Mercer tune was a great favorite of my beloved father, Jack Simmons, a World War II veteran, pilot and aerospace engineer. Attitude got him and many hundreds of thousands of military folk through a terrible time in history. It can be easy to be overwhelmed by the trials in our lives raising a child on the spectrum. But inside that child is a treasure chest of possibility. It is our duty, those of us who know and love these children, to find the gems within – and to do that, we must always, every day, focus on unlocking those gifts. To do it, we must always accentuate the positive!
My dear friend, Stephen Shore and I were talking about how positives are so good for our kids with autism, especially when accompanied with a red skittle, and sometimes teachers can get carried away with saying “good job” to often so we came up with 77 ways to say good job without being redundant. I thought I would share them with you all. Its rather cute. Enjoy and don’t forget to get the red skittles!
77 ways to say “GOOD JOB”
- SUPER
- That’s RIGHT
- That’s good
- GOOD WORK
- Perfect one
- You’ve just about got it
- THAT’S IT
- Now you’ve figured it out
- GREAT
- I knew you could do it
- Now you have it
- Good for you
- Couldn’t have done better myself
- That’s the right way to do it
- You did it that time
- You’re on the right track now
- Nice going
- WOW
- That’s the way
- Keep up the good work
- TERRIFIC
- That’s the way to do it
- SENSATIONAL
- EXCELLENT
- PERFECT
- Much better
- WONDERFUL
- You did that very well
- FINE
- OUTSTANDING
- FANTASTIC
- TREMENDOUS
- That’s great
- Right on
- Superb
- Good remembering
- MARVELLOUS
- I like that
- Way to go
- Good thinking
- Good going
- Very good
- You remembered your sound
- That’s really nice
- Uh huh
- That’s a good one
- Yes
- I liked that sound
- Good
- Nice
- You’re really working hard today
- You are very good at this
- I’m happy to see you working so hard
- I’m proud of the way you’ve worked today
- You are doing much better today
- That’s the best you have ever done
- You’re doing a good job
- That’s quite an improvement
- You’re getting better every day
- That’s the best ever
- You must have been practicing
- You’re really going to town
- ow that’s what I call a fine job
- You’re really improving
- You’re doing beautifully
- You’ve got that down pat
- You certainly did well today
- Keep it up
- You did a lot of work today
- I’m very proud of you
- Now you have the hang of it
- You’re doing fine
- You are really learning a lot
- You out did yourself today
- You figured that out fast
- That kind of work makes me happy
- That’s it
Canucks Autism Network
Dec 31st
It was recently our pleasure to speak with Jodi Simkin, Executive Director of the Canucks Autism Network (CAN). Canucks Autism Network’s mission is to provide year round, innovative, high quality sports, recreational, social and vocational programs for individuals and families living with autism, and to build awareness and capacity through community networks across British Columbia. Jodi took on her job in 2008.
But what a track record! In just 2 years, CAN has grown from a relatively small, locally-focused charity, primarily backed with Canucks resources, to a major force in the autism community in western Canada. Since 2008, Jodi has overseen the planning and implementation of a variety of grassroots-driven programs and services that now span the entire province. Exciting examples include Understanding Minds, a high school social network program, and Soup from the Soul, a pre-vocational/vocational training program for young adults. Congratulations Jodi and everyone involved in the Canucks Autism Network. We hope to find ways to collaborate with you. For more information, visit: www.canucksautism.ca
Eustacia Cutler – Temple Grandin’s Mom
Dec 27th
Eustacia Cutler
Eustacia Cutler is the mother of four children. Her oldest child is Temple Grandin, who has become a successful person with autism in the world today. Eustacia is a graduate of Harvard. She has been a band singer at the Pierre Hotel, New York City, performed and written for theatre and cabaret, and written for major television networks.
Her current book, “A Thorn in My Pocket” describes raising Temple in the conservative world of the 1950′s.
Dr. Temple Grandin
Eustacia was one of the first to tread new water as she overcame the difficulties of “challenging the system”. Like every parent and teacher, she wanted the best for her child. She understands the myth, reality, angst, and guilt a family experiences in society. She is where you will be in the future: looking back on the things you did to help you.
When the “system” is not meeting the needs of your child, you must be creative and design your own program. Piece by piece, you and your child can develop a meaningful, interrelated reality.
Hear Eustacia Cutler speak at this extraordinary upcoming event, the 3rd Autism Vancouver Biennial Congress 2011, April 8 – 9, 2011, Vancouver BC. Register early and Reserve your seat today!
Announcing the “Hope, Healing & Possibilities” Conference in Edmonton, AB
Dec 9th
The conference features some of the world’s foremost autism experts speaking on a wide range of topics featuring the latest research on the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. This conference is an excellent opportunity for those seeking evidence to support the use of various biomedical treatment options. It will provide a comprehensive overview of latest biomedical breakthroughs and research in the treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Discussions will include the role of nutritional deficiencies and supplements, special dietary interventions, food allergies, heavy metal toxins, enzyme deficiencies, inborn errors of metabolism, immune deficiencies, the role of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract, and much more. The goal at this conference is to provide an opportunity for those with autism spectrum disorders to reach their fullest potential. This will be one of the most comprehensive autism conferences in 2010. Details are at http://bit.ly/4N7Pb9
