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AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Friday December 14, 2001
INDEX:
* The Newest PC Version of Boardmaker
* Education is a
lottery for autistic children
* New Web Site On Gluten Free Foods:
* How one man overcame gibes to get good job with Prospects
* Britain to Allow Genetic Baby Screening
* Clay County commissioners replaced three members of the
Developmental Disabilities Resource Board on
Monday despite pleas
from board members to retain them.
* Bipolar disorder successfully treated with nutritional supplement
******************************
The Newest PC Version of Boardmaker
The New Boardmaker has so many powerful features for
creating new symbols. It has features of the paint program incorporated
into Boardmaker itself. So you can change the colors of the colored symbols
from within the program in seconds!
I turned the horse blue for the "Brown Bear" story with 4 mouse
clicks. You
can also use the draw feature to draw more than straight lines over existing
symbols. For example, I drew a bunch of crazy jack-o-lantern faces on the
plain pumpkin symbol. You can even flip/ rotate the symbols from left to
right, up/down, and in degrees. You can see all of the picture libraries
onscreen at one time in thumbnails, and can click away and fill your board
without toggling back and forth to your draw window. (And you can see all
the symbols for "play" at once!) And you can have multiple
boards open at
one time so you can copy and paste among them; you can make 6 lotto boards
onscreen at once and just move the location of your symbols!
It also has 20 blank "categoriese" that you can easily
customize as your own, and I store all of my new symbols there. Another feature
that has saved me so much time.....when you have a symbol in your symbol finder
window, you click next to where you typed in the name for your search,
and all the synonyms for that symbol appear in a pop-up menu. So you can
select another name for that
symbol by simply highlighting it from the menu. And you can add your own name
to the synonym list by simply typing it in!
So "Person 28" can also be named for one of your students without
going through the "Copy, Paste, Change Name Routine". If
you use the black and white symbols, and then color the background of the cell,
they stay nontransparent (the inside of the symbol stays white to improve
visual contrast.) Finally, you can save your own blank boards as templates that
cannot be changed. When you open them, the program forces you to
"Save as" so your templates remain blank for evryone to use.
I teach Boardmaker lab classes in both Mac and PC formats. Unfortunately,
Mayer-Johnson has no plans currently to incorporate these powerful new
features into their Mac version. I hope they will reconsider, because I
can
create boards in much less than half the time with these new features.
I also heard that the price for both versions of Boardmaker is going to
be reduced in the new 2002 catalog, so ask about the new price if you are
ordering!
Link Now: LAB Resources
Boardmaker
******************************
Education is a lottery for autistic children
BY NIGEL HAWKES, HEALTH EDITOR
THERE is no coherent strategy for educating children with autism, a survey of
local education authorities has shown. Although almost all authorities report
that numbers are increasing, none really knows how many there are, or how to
deal with them. This makes planning and the training of staff extremely
difficult, says the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, which organised
the survey. Stephen Ladyman, the chairman, said: “We are not blaming anybody,
but the truth is that nobody has faced up to the problem. Now we are beginning
to get a sense of how big it is, and the need to deal more effectively with
it.” The National Autistic Society is the subject of this year’s Times
Christmas Appeal. Readers are asked to contribute to the charity, and in
particular to its educational efforts, which aim to help autistic children to
make the best of their lives. The all-party group commissioned its survey of
local education authorities after Dr Ladyman asked in the Commons how many
children with autism there were in Britain. “The answer was that nobody knew,”
he said. “What is more, until I asked the question, nobody even knew that they
didn’t know.” Provision for educating autistic children is patchy, he said.
Whereas some are so seriously affected that they need to go to special schools,
others can get by in mainstream schools as long as they have an autistic unit
in which they can spend some time. Others can manage in mainstream schools if
at least one teacher has some training in dealing with autism. “I believe that
all children should be screened as toddlers to see if they are autistic, and
that screening should be repeated regularly through life to pick up those whose
symptoms develop later,” Dr Ladyman said. Even modest awareness of autism can
make a lot of difference. Dr Ladyman cited the example of a girl who was always
disruptive at her primary school when the time came for sitting down on the
floor in a circle for reading. “Nobody could understand why, until a teacher
familiar with autism was consulted. She realised that all the children simply
sat down wherever they happened to be standing at the time, which meant this
little girl was always in a different place. “She found that very upsetting.
Autistic children like routine. The problem was solved very simply, by getting
hold of a red carpet tile, which she always sat on for reading. She stopped
being disruptive immediately.” Dr Ladyman will present a copy of the report to
the minister responsible, Baroness Ashton of Upholland, today. He said that
every school should have at least one autism-aware teacher, and central
government should establish the numbers affected and ensure that there are
enough places in all types of school for them.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001573758,00.html
******************************
New Web Site On Gluten Free Foods:
On this site you will find gluten free and casein free
foods and goodies 'created' just for people with special dining needs in mind.
I have painstakingly created foods free from gluten, casein, and other
allergens that can compete head to head with the store-bought versions that we
are unable to resist, yet are unable to eat. So, relax and enjoy my
creations!!!
http://www.creationsbykristin.com/index.html
******************************
How one man overcame gibes to get good job with
Prospects
BY LAURA PEEK
IAN WOMBWELL was bullied at school and branded a “weirdo” at work because the
rare form of autism he has was not diagnosed until he was 29. Ian, now 35, has
Asperger’s syndrome, the highest functioning type of autism. This means that he
lacks social skills but his intelligence is not affected. His condition has
made life a constant struggle. He has found it hard to find and keep work,
despite having a degree in economics, and his strange behaviour has attracted
bullying and taunts. Ian’s life was turned around six years ago when the
illness was diagnosed and he contacted the National Autistic Society (NAS). The
charity helped him to come to terms with his condition and its employment
service, Prospects, helped him to find a job that he loves. The Times Christmas
Appeal is raising money for the NAS. Prospects, Britain’s only employment
service for people with autism, helps people into work and educates employers
about the condition. Ian, who did not start to speak until he was six,
struggled through his first 29 years. He found it hard to make eye contact or
tell when someone was joking. He was often in trouble at school and his
classmates picked on him. In the sixth form one of his essays was held up by a
teacher as the most eccentric in the class. “From square one it was obvious
that Ian was different,” his father, Ray, 58, said. “He was always a loner.”
But Ian, from Essex, prospered academically and read economics at Staffordshire
University. After graduating he had to settle for manual work in a warehouse,
where he was taunted by colleagues who called him a “weirdo”. “I had trouble
fitting in,” he said. “I became the butt of people’s jokes.” He moved to an
insurance firm but was made redundant and returned to his old warehouse job. “I
worked hard but it got me nowhere,” he said. “I felt cheated.” Asperger’s
syndrome was diagnosed after Ian’s father read an article about it and
contacted the NAS. The charity assigned Ian a case worker, Antony Lipski. Ian
left the warehouse and enrolled on a work-based learning course before applying
for a job at Essex County Council. The Prospects team briefed council managers
about how to interview Ian to get the best out of him. They were advised to ask
straightforward, unambiguous questions that would not confuse him. When he got
the job his future colleagues were taught about the condition. “It was an
education for us,” his employer, Kathryn Day, said. “But he turned out to be
the best candidate. It has been great having him here. He has fitted in so
well.” Mr Lipski, who has worked with Ian for three years, said: “It is
brilliant to see him in his new job. He has grown in confidence and I think he
feels vindicated that the struggle he has been through has been worthwhile.”
About 12 per cent of adults with Asperger’s syndrome work full-time employment
and 6 per cent work part-time. A spokeswoman for Prospects said: “We want to
stress to employers the benefits of employing people like Ian. They are
dedicated and have a real passion for their subject.” Employers who want to
learn more should contact Catherine Burkin at Prospects on 020 7704 7450.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001573759,00.html
******************************
Britain to Allow Genetic Baby Screening
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain relaxed
rules on embryo screening Thursday to let couples at risk of passing on serious
genetic disorders select embryos so as to ensure that they have a healthy baby.The
healthy infant could also help save the life of a sick brother or sister by
providing cells for treating them.But the Human Fertilization and Embryology
Authority (HFEA), which licenses and monitors fertility clinics in Britain,
said it did not open the door for a flood of ``designer babies.''Under the new
rules, couples could use pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), a
sophisticated screening technique, to ensure their child was free of genetic
disease.The move would also allow doctors to select an embryo whose umbilical
cord blood would be suitable for taking stem cells that could be used to treat
a sick brother or sister.``We have considered the ethical, medical and
technical implication of this treatment very carefully indeed,'' HFEA chairman Ruth
Deech said.``Where PDG is already being undertaken we can see how the use of
tissue typing to save the life of a sibling could be justified. We would see
this happening only in very rare circumstances and under strict controls,'' she
added in a statement.Deech emphasized that the decision, which received
widespread public backing in a two-year public survey published last month,
would not allow parents to have ``designer babies'' of a specified sex, or eye
or hair color.``Saving life, yes; selection of desirable characteristics, no,''
Deech said.But a leading fertility expert said approving the technique, which
has already been used in the United States, raised the prospect of children
being created as potentially unwilling transplant banks for their brothers and
sisters.``It will not stop with the cord blood. The trouble really is that this
child has been brought into the world because it is a commodity,'' British
fertility expert Lord Robert Winston told BBC radio.As the child grows up, it
could come under pressure from its elder sibling or parents to give other stem
cells, ``to be a kind of bank.''``Whether you should be engendering a life to
save another life is a very difficult question,'' he added.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011213/sc/health_britain_embryos_dc_1.html
******************************
Clay
County commissioners replaced three members of the Developmental Disabilities
Resource Board on Monday despite pleas from board members to retain them.
Lorry Kohrs
Kelly, Kearney, Meghan Badwey Conger, Kansas City-North, and Mary R. Olshefski,
Gladstone, replace Daris Mann-Bingham, Pam Cone and Jim Ray, effective Jan.
1.Commissioner Craig Porter nominated Kelly, who just resigned from the
Lighthouse Preschool Board of Directors where she served as president. Kelly is
an attorney with the Court of Appeals and has a developmentally disabled
child.Kelly's husband, Mark Kelly, has acted as voluntary legal counsel for the
Lighthouse Preschool, which receives about $290,000 annually from the
DDRB."My guess is if it's a problem, he would not represent them,"
Porter said.Lorry Kelly said her husband had represented Lighthouse Preschool
on occasion on a non-paying basis."He is currently not representing
them," she said. "He would not represent them if it involved the
DDRB. We would avoid any conflict."Kelly said she will serve on the board
with an open mind.The DDRB helps fund Lighthouse Preschool, which serves
children from Clay and Platte counties. DDRB members last month called
Lighthouse representatives on the carpet to answer questions about why the
school expelled an 18-month-old child with disabilities without prior notice to
the parents.Lighthouse also is in debt to the DDRB for funds used to purchase
the preschool.Conger, nominated by Commissioner Tom Brown, serves on several
civic boards. She has a developmentally disabled nephew and her close friend
has an autistic son."As a Mom, I think I can really relate to people with
developmental disabilities," she said. "I'm excited about being on
the board."Conger said she does not know any DDRB members."I'm
interested in seeing county money spent properly," she said. "I'm not
saying that's not happening, but that would be my goal."Commissioner Tom
Brandom nominated Olshefski, a special education teacher with the North Kansas
City School District. She is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children
and the Missouri State Teachers Association.Olshefski is certified by Missouri
in mental retardation behavior disorders in children ages kindergarten through
12th grade.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=2767385&BRD=1452&PAG=461&dept_id=155076&rfi=6
******************************
Bipolar disorder
successfully treated with nutritional supplement
Study in the latest Journal of Clinical Psychiatry points
to possible link between nutrition and mood stabilizationThe idea that effective mood stabilization can be achieved
through the use of vitamins, trace elements and amino acids is advanced in a
study of bipolar adults published in the latest issue of the Journal of
Clinical Psychiatry. The same issue contains a commentary on the research. The
articles are available at: http://www.psychiatrist.com/bipolar/index.htm
The subject of the research is EM Power+, a nutritional supplement formulated
by the Synergy Group of Canada. The supplement has 36 ingredients and is
comprised of natural dietary minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc,
copper, potassium, as well as various vitamins such as A, C, D, E, and several
B vitamins. David Hardy and Anthony Stephan, co-founders of the Synergy Group
of Canada responded to the study results: “This study is an important step in
the evolution of our efforts to help the mentally ill.” “We have spent the last
five years developing and testing a nutritional supplement that will help
alleviate mental illness. To have our research findings validated by this group
of formidable academics is very encouraging. This is good news for the mentally
ill,” they added.
About Synergy The Synergy Group of Canada Inc. is an Alberta-based organization
dedicated to researching and overcoming disorders of the Central Nervous
System. For more information or an interview contact: Eleanor McMahon
Media Consultant
The Synergy Group of Canada, Inc.
(613) 628-9890
eleanor.mcmahon2@sympatico.ca
For information about Synergy: (888) 878-3467
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-12/tsgo-bds121201.php
******************************
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