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.

The Art of Autism is universal.  For so many of our kids, art is that first inspiration that lures them out, into a world of fulfilling social interactions, through their exceptional, autism-enhanced ability to connect to others through art.  That’s why Autism Today has teamed up with author Debbie Hosseini, to create Artism: The Art of Autism, a magnificent coffee table book, packed with beautiful art by artists who happen to have autism.  As you enjoy the book, Hosseini takes you on a journey into the lives of 54 artists from around the world, and how each has used art to overcome the challenges of living on the spectrum.  In the process, she dispatches, one by one, with common myths about people with autism, perceptions among neurotypicals for example that people on the spectrum lack emotion, creativity, sensitivity, and empathy.

But Artism: The Art of Autism is not just a book.  It’s a community!  Be sure to check out our website, ArtismToday.com.  Interact with Debbie Hosseini, who curates the site.  Follow Artism artists in the news.  Each artists continues to attract interest and media coverage now that Artism: The Art of Autism is now available.   Learn about Keri Bowers’ upcoming Art of Autism Tour dates and how to participate, www.normalfilms.com.  Share YOUR story or that of a friend whom art has helped to cope or to transcend the challenges of autism.  Best of all — have fun!  Our goal is for ArtismToday.com to be an online crossroads for everyone interested in art and, yes, autism too.

We look forward to seeing you, interacting with you and learning about you and your art soon, on ArtismToday.com!

I didn’t stop playing their music, not even while my kids were growing up so they got to jam out with me in the car to Supertramp all their lives.  My fifth son, Stephen was the one who alerted me to the fact that they were coming to Edmonton. The funny thing was, I didn’t even know the key musicians name until Stephen invited me. You see,  I always knew him as Supertramp and never even thought about what his  actual name was, didn’t really care, just I knew I loved loved loved Dreamer and Superstar!  Who knows, maybe in the back of my mind part of our Autism Today Star logo came from that song.

My dream that came through was that my kids went with me and we got to enjoy the music together screaming, dancing and dreaming all in a state of exuberance.  I almost missed out because I didn’t connect the dots of Roger to Supertramp so when Stephen asked if I was going I almost didn’t go.  Sounds a little like autism eh?  I guess as a parent I’m probably a little spectral in nature too, you know, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

Another special thing that happened (this is unheard of!)  my teenage son Stephen came to the back of the venue where I was seated because I registered at the last minute and asked his friend to trade places with me because I was more fun!  Wow!!! I wouldn’t have been caught dead with my parents at that age.

Heres a picture of Jonny, Kim and I having a blast at the concert.  You can see by Jonny’s expression, I keep forgetting to call him Jon now that he’s older, he’s full of character!  We ended up talking about the label of autism and how ridiculous he thought it was that people didn’t like the word autistic.  He said its an incredible over use of words to have to say “person with autism” each and every time they talked about autism because some people thought it was bad to say autistic.  He said its not derogatory in his mind.  Hummmm interesting!  Straight from the horses mouth, not that he’s a horse of course.

My daughter Kim also in the picture shared a story of when she went into a printers office, the kid came over and was stimming on an apple computer.  He clearly had autism.  The woman kept making apologies for his behavior and Kim’s attitude was “get over it woman” its okay, lighten up!  You don’t need to be embarrassed about autism.  It is what it is and so what.  Look at the kid’s strengths and how intelligent he is and enjoy him for who he is.  Wow, this was my true dream come true.  Yes I want to change the world so that everyone has this message and “gets over it” that is, the embarrassment, the hiding in the closet, the covering up etc.  I was thrilled to hear my own children “get it” because as a parent, you must know, its sometimes easier to get the whole world to see your point before your kids even do and finally they are getting it too!!!

When asked ‘why Autism Today‘ Jonny replies “”Parents and Professionals need to know what their child has so they can understand what they’re going through and how they can help to improve the quality of their life and all those that support them”

Sincerely,  Kims, Matts, Christinas, Jonathans, Stephens and Alex’s crazy mom, Karen!

When I woke up, I couldn’t believe the pain shuddering through my entire body.  I wanted to die.  But wait, where was the baby?  I knew I was pregnant and that I had just delivered a beautiful baby boy, but he was nowhere in sight?  As I glanced out the window I noticed the grass was green, but just yesterday snow had covered every square inch of the landscape.  How could this be?  As my nurses came into focus, as well as the faces of my husband and mother, a story began to unfold as miraculous as those angels that surrounded me. They began to tell me what had happened during the past 57 days. I had almost died, was given a 1% chance to live, and was even read my last rites, but I had somehow managed to live again, against all odds.

Yes, I had survived, and so had my son.  But our real story was just beginning. My new baby, Alex, was soon to be diagnosed with ADHD.  His brother Jonathan, my two-and-a-half year-old, had just been diagnosed with autism.  It was a double-whammy!  Along with these two special boys and so many children like them, I had survived for a reason that would soon become very clear.

Where a life starts and why it starts again is the question every survivor faces. My story actually began fifty-three years ago when I was born in Oklahoma City.  Six years later our modest family of four packed up and moved to Florida where I grew up, from one hurricane season to the next.  This must be the reason for my attraction to high-energy people and my fearlessness, which both have served me well.
Dad had his own aeronautical engineering company, and mom worked for Pan Am Airlines, so my sister and I got to travel the world at an early age.  I loved the picturesque, quaint communities and the unique perspective others had in the many different cultures I visited.  I remember one woman in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, being totally content sitting on top of a pile of rocks and breaking the big rocks into little rocks.  That’s what she did all day long and she had the biggest grin on her face I’d ever seen!  This is also where I fell in love with gemstones, which would become one of my callings in life.

After graduating from high school I attended college in north Florida and then decided to join the U.S. Air Force where I was stationed in Panama City, Florida. But four years was more than enough time for me to realize that the military life was not for me, so I received an honorable discharge and enrolled in the Gemological Institute of America in Santa Monica, California to become a Graduate Gemologist. Upon graduation I started a company in Bellevue Washington.  I later sold the company when, at age thirty-one, I met my current husband and moved to his home in Canada where I set up a jewelry store called The Gem Gallerie.

Jim and I had a wonderful life together. When I was younger, I would never have thought I wanted children, but at age thirty-four, Jim and I began our large, happy family.  We had our first three children in three consecutive years, one right after the other. I had my fourth child, Jonathan, when I was thirty-nine years old. He was rather quiet from the start, which was fine with me since I had three other kids in diapers.  I never noticed anything was different.  How could I?  Kim, Matt, and Christina consumed all of my energy, and I was still running the jewelry store.  Jonathan, I thought, was the perfect baby.  He would lie quietly in his crib, apparently perfectly content with the world.  In fact he didn’t really like to be held much.

It was my sister-in-law, Anna, who insisted that Jim and I get Jonathan evaluated for autism after she happened to listen to a radio talk show on the subject. How could I have known he was autistic?  I didn’t even know what autism was or what symptoms I should be looking for.  This was 1992 and autism was still relatively new territory, even for specialists.  It turned out that Jonathan did have autism and I was told to bring him back in a year, when he would be three-and-a-half years old.

For the next two years I met with special needs counselors and teachers who helped us work with Jonathan and I attended special needs conferences all across Canada.   We also went on to have our fifth child, Stephen, who was perfectly healthy. We thought we had faced our major hurdle in life and had come through it together as family.  We never guessed what lay ahead.

On April 18, 1994, I checked into the hospital for what I thought would be another routine childbirth like all the others. I was ready to deliver what would be our sixth and—though we didn’t know it at the time—last child. I had had a typical, healthy pregnancy.  I expected to go home in a couple of days and resume our busy, fun-filled life together.  But just minutes after Alex was born, I started to hemorrhage.  Nothing could be done to stop the bleeding.  What happened in the next 57 days was an unimaginable fight for my life. My family, friends, doctors, and nurses tried everything to pull me through—including a few “wild” schemes to get through to me in my comatose state.  It was ultimately just a few words from my husband that, unknown to him, gave me an ironclad will to live and to return to my family.  His words still ring in my ears.

“Don’t worry, honey.  I’ll take care of the kids”

After I woke up from my near-death experience, or “back-to-life experience” as I like to call it, one thing after another began to happen.  I had an internal drive and relentless passion first to write a book for my autistic son, Jonathan, called Little Rainman so he could understand his own autism as well as the people and the world around him.  I had six children at home at the time, so it’s not like I had extra time on my hands!  In fact every spare moment went into my urge to share my experiences with Jonathan with the world.

Shortly after the book was published I started a non-profit organization.  I would wake up in the middle of the night with visions of what this would be and the words “Key Enrichment for Exceptional Needs” would appear in my head.  In 1996 the KEEN Education Foundation was born as a driving force behind the effort to serve not only autism but also all types of special needs. Today, KEEN continues to support the educational goals of people with exceptionalities by providing them with the tools, research, and resources they need to thrive.
After this I started Autism Today, a small company that became the exclusive Canadian distributor for the worlds largest publisher of autism books and resources at the time.  I attended conferences and workshops to learn as much as I could about autism and special needs.  We’ve now grown from a simple one-computer, home-based business to an international organization that receives close to three million hits a month on our website, www.AutismToday.com.  Parents, educators, and more come to us for resources, coaching, and the latest news and articles from the top experts in the field. When baby Alex was diagnosed with ADHD, I expanded Autism Today to offer information and resources for the parents and educators of all special needs children.

Looking back now, I believe that breaking open my own rocks to see shining gems emerge from what look like only rough stones has always been part of what makes me smile as well–even today–only the stones have changed. What we experience when we are young and what we gravitate to as we grow is preparing us for everything life has in store for us.  Our new banner headline for Autism Today is “Shining New Light on Special Needs.”

As far as surviving, I suppose it is only in looking back at where we’ve been that those meaningful patterns start to emerge.  A new phase in my life is starting Healing Attitudes Seminars, which redefine perfection to share the secrets of the survivor’s story with others who have been there and for those who realize there will always be challenges in the road ahead.  In one way or another, we all are or at some point will be survivors. Here are just seven of the secrets I have learned and now develop and share with others through this program:
What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger–for a reason.

We all teach what we need to learn most, and by doing so everyone’s life is enhanced.
We all have special needs—some are just more obvious than others.  Do what you can to help others heal.
At any given moment, choose peace rather than conflict, love and acceptance rather than fear, and compassion and understanding rather than guilt and judgment.

Practice empathic listening and hearing your own inner, intuitive voices as well as  “true” voices of others.
Transcend all “types” of spirituality to embrace and teach the underlying message of love.
Bring others “up” to shine, acknowledging each person’s special gifts–the beauty and the hope.

I am certainly no angel, but I feel to the very depth of my being that I’m surrounded by miracles.

Karen Simmons is the parent of six children, ages 10 to 20, two of whom have special needs.  She is the founder and CEO of the internationally recognized Autism Today© non-profit organization, established in 1998, one of the world’s leading resources for all special needs, both online and at numerous conferences and events worldwide.

Karen is also the author of four celebrated books, including her soon to be re-released survivor’s story, Surrounded by Miracles.  Currently based in Alberta, Canada, Karen is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, which gives her and her organization a uniquely expansive network with the special needs community worldwide. For more information about Karen’s Healing Attitudes around Special Needs Seminars, her books, and other special needs resources, please visit www.AutismToday.com

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.

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”

1. SUPER
2. That’s RIGHT
3. That’s good
4. GOOD WORK
5. Perfect one
6. You’ve just about got it
7. THAT’S IT
8. Now you’ve figured it out
9. GREAT
10. I knew you could do it
11. Now you have it
12. Good for you
13. Couldn’t have done better myself
14. That’s the right way to do it
15. You did it that time
16. You’re on the right track now
17. Nice going
18. WOW
19. That’s the way
20. Keep up the good work
21. TERRIFIC
22. That’s the way to do it
23. SENSATIONAL
24. EXCELLENT
25. PERFECT
26. Much better
27. WONDERFUL
28. You did that very well
29. FINE
30. OUTSTANDING
31. FANTASTIC
32. TREMENDOUS
33. That’s great
34. Right on
35. Superb
36. Good remembering
37. MARVELLOUS
38. I like that
39. Way to go
40. Good thinking
41. Good going
42. Very good
43. You remembered your sound
44. That’s really nice
45. Uh huh
46. That’s a good one
47. Yes
48. I liked that sound
49. Good
50. Nice
51. You’re really working hard today
52. You are very good at this
53. I’m happy to see you working so hard
54. I’m proud of the way you’ve worked today
55. You are doing much better today
56. That’s the best you have ever done
57. You’re doing a good job
58. That’s quite an improvement
59. You’re getting better every day
60. That’s the best ever
61. You must have been practicing
62. You’re really going to town
63. ow that’s what I call a fine job
64. You’re really improving
65. You’re doing beautifully
66. You’ve got that down pat
67. You certainly did well today
68. Keep it up
69. You did a lot of work today
70. I’m very proud of you
71. Now you have the hang of it
72. You’re doing fine
73. You are really learning a lot
74. You out did yourself today
75. You figured that out fast
76. That kind of work makes me happy
77. That’s it

Much love and joy and MAGIC for the holiday season.

Lovingly,

Karen Simmons

Founder & CEO Autism Today

Chicken Soup for the Soul, Children with Special Needs

I found out about my mom’s passing at the exact moment that the movie “Temple Grandin, based on the life of Dr. Temple Grandin received the Emmys for the acting of Claire Dane and others and Temple grabbed the microphone on stage to ask her lovely mother, Eustacia, to stand up and be recognized.

My sister Susan was the one who called me to tell me that my mother had suddenly passed away from a stroke and I do believe I was in shock!  At that moment I realized that I will never have my moment of asking my mom to stand up and be recognized like Temple did, so maybe we can all ask Eustacia to be `the mom“ that stands up for the other moms that can’t be there.

The phone which was glued to my head went completely dead during this time of the Emmy’s and I completely forgot it was there as I was numb from the news.  It was almost like Mom was saying from Heaven, I want you to enjoy your friend, Temple Grandin`s fine moment in the spotlight as she hugged Claire Danes! Hugs are unusual for Temple. I also reflected that as an individual, the reason I do what I do is due to moms passion.

Mom would always tell me “Karen, you can do whatever you want to do as long as you set your mind to it”. It’s because of her that I pursue my work with relentless persistence never giving up no matter what gets in the way.  It was also very coincidental that this Emmy celebration was all about `What did your mother want you to be when you grew up’.  They would ask the stars that question and show the stories in little vignettes.

I still can`t believe she`s gone.  Mom was in everything that I do, she even drew some of the pictures in my first book, Little Rainman: Autism Through The Eyes of a Child.  She was truly my biggest cheerleader and fan and I feel her presence still there shining down from above as I write this blog.  To get a sense of my mom (and maybe even yours) I will share the poem I wrote for her…

MITZI MY MOM

She never knew a stranger, she always knew a friend

Her heart of gold she shared with you and presents she would send!

Every moment a story shared with love and passion true

By my side when I almost died, only to start my life anew

When mother said “now girls”, we knew we were in trouble

She’d holler out, “you kids clean up right now and on the double!”

She traveled the world from Hong Kong to Beirut, and with Bunny painted the town red

Operas, musicals, shopping, fancy clothes, always tasteful in what she did and said!

When she tried something really good, it was simply “the best she’d ever tasted”

And boy was she frugal you could always count on her for not a penny wasted!

An artist to her core, she’d say “oh, look at the trees and flowers”

She’d talk about her times and memories and we’d listen for many hours

She never knew a stranger, she always knew a friend

Her water colors are still filled with every color in the wind

Everything always had a place she’d say Karen “put it back where you found it”

Of course as kids when she said clean up, we’d say when we get around to it

She had a saying for everything like “I feel more like I do than I did”

If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,   I hear her recite now in my head!

She always had her “face on” and was impeccably dressed

Perfection was her middle name and she always looked her best.

She was lovingness, please and thank you’s and her home was someplace special

Like a dream-world keeping things clean, “don’t put it down, put it up” all very beneficial

Somehow I never thought she’d leave us, and we’ll cherish her forever

She taught us all how to love and feel and was a mother like no other

Remembering her with wonderment like a connoisseur of dark chocolate

A real lady with all the class in the world, she’d want to be remembered like that!

She never knew a stranger, she always knew a friend

Her memory will live on in our souls, and over time our hearts will mend

Your essence will live on in our being and you will leave us…… never

We will all remember you Mitzi, love and butterfly kisses….. forever!

Before all this happened I had asked our Autism Today friends to submit articles to share with our readers.  We received an overwhelming amount of articles.  Then I had to fly to Alabama to tend to my mother’s affairs.  I don’t want anyone to think I dropped the ball or forgot about them as we still have all the articles ready to post to my site waiting on my computer and they are deeply appreciated so I want to thank each and every one of you that sent me articles for sending them.  Because of all that’s happened, we’ve decided to put them into the new website we are launching in November – December this year.  If you were one of the folks that submitted an article please watch for it on the new “launch” of Autism Today

Since I know so many of us are baby boomers and you may have lost someone very special in your heart recently as well.  To you I send my condolences.  Moms are everything, aren’t they?  They nurture us when we are sick, they love us and care for us unconditionally.  Temple’s birthday was on August 29^th and my mother passed away on that very same day.   I will continue to do whatever it takes to bring her loving passion through me to the cause of autism related disorders.

Much love and warm wishes!  Have a happy holiday season.  Your loved ones would want it to be that way.

Love,

Karen Simmons

Happy Anniversary…A Celebration Of the Not So Typical Child

by Margaret Spielman

If I asked you all where you were on September 11, 2001, I am sure we can all remember EXACTLY what we were doing.  However, if I asked you where you were on February 17, 1996 at 6:30pm, I am sure most of you can’t remember and you probably shouldn’t.  However, for me that was the day I got the call that my son had a disability.

Tomorrow is our 13 year anniversary of his autism diagnosis. I find it strange to even think about it because usually it’s not really on my mind.  This year is different.  Maybe it’s because I am a new mom and I worry about how to raise a typical child or maybe it’s because I had to revisit those memories today.

As I sit here, I look back at the girl I was and now the woman he has helped me to become. All the opportunities that have been afforded to me because of his disability and the great strides he has made not because I am his mother, but because of the great team of teachers, doctors, friends, family and community partners that joined me in deciding that pretty good wasn’t enough for him. Everyone has played a part in his success. They have taken the attitude that failure is not an option and that if we expect greatness, he will most certainly give it.

When asked to describe him today I said he is the child that has the faith of a mustard seed, the courage of a lion, and an unconditional love for ALL people! Is he perfect?….NO; difficult at times?…..YES; worth it?……DEFINITELY!!!!

So as I awaken in the morning, I will remember that 13 years ago God revealed to me through my son the beginning of the plans for me that he spoke about in Jeremiah.  I will remember that in my brokenness he was able to bring forth in me courage, faith, determination, compassion and love.  I will give thanks for all that he has done in my life and Hunter’s and for what he has promised to do.

Last but not least, I will take a moment to give thanks and love to my child for never letting me stay at the pity party too long, for reminding me that life is hard but giving up is not an option, and that any limitations that are put on him were not set by him but by others who saw his disability as a weakness.  I will thank him for the joy, unconditional love, courage, determination, faith, compassion and patience that he freely gives to ALL with whom he comes in contact and that he graciously gives to me.

As I close I want to share a story with you.  Years ago when I worked at a bank, I would go to the top floor of the parking deck and sit in a corner to eat my lunch.  It was quiet there and I could relax and just enjoy the weather without having to entertain anyone.  One day while eating I dropped a piece of a crunchy Cheeto on the ground beside me.

I went about eating my lunch and decided to pick it up after I was finished.  However, there was an ant that had different plans.  I sat there and watched as a small ant came out of a tiny crack in the concrete and picked up that piece of Cheeto.  The Cheeto was significantly larger than the ant, but he picked it up and began to take it back to his home.

As he arrived at the entrance he found that the Cheeto was slightly larger than the crack, so he began to work with it.  He moved the Cheeto around to different angles until he finally got it in.  I thought this was amazing so I told one of my friends.  I then asked this question, “How can an itty bitty ant pick up a big ole piece of Cheeto?”  Expecting to hear the scientific explanation, I waited.

He replied, “No one ever told him he couldn’t!”  I thought about what he said and I knew he was right!!  There was no one there who said, “Oh, you are too small; you can’t do that!” or “You need to just leave that there and let the bigger, more experienced ants get it!”  He did it because failure was not an option.  He did it because he believed that greatness comes when you stop saying that things are impossible and start saying, I’m Possible!!!

To find out more about making best of one’s strengths, see Temple Grandin in Calgary this November 22 & 23 at “Keys to the Treasure Chest“