SCHAFER AUTISM REPORT "Healing Autism:

No Finer a Cause on the Planet"

Your Profile: Name? Last Name? Zip/Postal Country

________________________________________________________________

July 3, 2002 CALENDAR LISTING: EVENTS@doitnow.com

TREATMENT

* Angels on the Web: Music Makes the World Go 'Round

* One in 40 Children Drugged: Ossie Survey

CARE

* "Model" Social Skills Day Camp Opens In Sacramento

EDUCATION

* Students' Private Records Found Outside NY City School

* The Cost Of Public Vs. Private Schools: Comparisons Are Tricky

MEDIA

* Hope & Inspiration Fills Summer issue of Autism Asperger's Digest

* Readers' Posts

TREATMENT

Angels on the Web: Music Makes the World Go 'Round

The idea of music as a healing force is not new. Ancient Greeks worshipped Apollo as the god of both music and medicine, and in the Egyptian and Greek education systems, healing and sound were considered a highly developed sacred science.[1] Today, the medical profession recognizes the value of art -- music, drawing, sculpting, and writing -- in the healing or palliative care of a wide variety of patients: the chronically or terminally ill, the disabled, the neurologically impaired, and the mentally challenged. Physicians and other healthcare workers, psychologists, behavioral therapists -- and, of course, musicians -- are among the believers. Some believe in it so devoutly that they are willing to donate their time to the cause without financial gain. Read on to see some examples of such individuals, and the charitable organizations they have formed. Songs of Love: The Medicine of Music.

A few years ago, John Beltzer, a successful New York-based musician/songwriter, had the idea that he would integrate his love for music with his love for children -- more specifically, his compassion for terminally ill children. Wouldn't it be nice, he thought, if songs could be written and performed for sick children to make their illness more bearable? Or even to contribute to their healing? He discussed the concept with other singers and songwriters and, before long, he had put together a team of talented people who were writing personalized songs and performing them at children's hospital wards and private healthcare institutions -- and sometimes even making house calls.

Beltzer founded the Songs of Love Foundation, and, along with other volunteers, currently collaborates with about 350 musical artists to give "encouragement and love to those who need it most through the medicine of music." Since its inception, this nonprofit organization has visited thousands of children in more than 150 hospitals and other healthcare institutions in the United States, and has worked with families to bring the joy and inspiration of music to children's hearts.

Many schools have gotten involved with the Songs of Love program. Beltzer brings the sheet music for a personalized song, along with a profile and photo of the child for whom the song was written, to the participating school, and the students learn how to sing and record the song on site using equipment provided by the Foundation. A few days later, the students and their selected child will receive the recorded Song of Love.

You can be among the performers or songwriters; see the "Join Us" section on their Web site. If your talents lie elsewhere than music, you can help out by ordering an original CD compiled by the foundation or a "Songs of Love" T-shirt, or by making a tax-deductible financial contribution.

Starlight Children's Foundation

Since 1983, this international nonprofit organization has brought a variety of entertainment to more than 850 hospitals worldwide, giving a much-needed boost to over 85,000 sick children each month. Starlight offers 6 core programs, on both an inpatient and outpatient basis, that provide the medicine of laughter.

"Hospital Happenings" brings cheer to the pediatric ward through holiday parties and visits from clowns, musicians, and other entertainers. Parents and medical staff members are also invited to these gatherings.

Recent happenings have included a "Kermit the Frog" show, hoedowns, sock hops, and Hawaiian luaus.

Under "The Kids Activity Network," Starlight provides families of pediatric patients with an opportunity to reconnect and meet up with other families going through similar situations at a variety of events and outings.

These events are organized for the families of children who have noncommunicable illnesses and vary widely by location; they include theme park visits, plays, movies, and parties.

"Starlight Fun Centers" are mobile entertainment units containing a television monitor, videocassette recorder, and Nintendo game system. What child wouldn't feel less depressed and less isolated after playing a game of Nintendo? Caregivers have reported reduced need for medication and decreased levels of stress among their pediatric patients who are offered this diversion. Similar in concept, "PC Pal" affords hospitalized children the opportunity for interaction, entertainment, and education through the use of mobile personal computers with custom-designed software (Figure) and Internet access.

"Starlight Sites" transform ordinary hospital spaces into cozy recreational environments that provide kids with a safe and comfortable respite from the otherwise institutional decor. These modules are equipped with games, toys, books, and multimedia equipment and contain warm and appealing furnishings and decorations.

Through its "Wishes" program, Starlight has granted more than 21,000 wishes since the organization's inception. Granting a wish to a sick child can mean anything from awarding a trip to Disney World to arranging a meeting with a celebrity. Some children's wishes are more material, such as bicycles, computers, or toys.

Corporate sponsorship has gone a long way toward enabling The Starlight Children's Foundation to improve thousands of children's lives. Among the foundation's numerous corporate sponsors are Colgate-Palmolive, Nintendo of America, Toys R Us, and American Airlines. The organization also depends on individual donations, and purchases can be made through The Starlight Store (sale proceeds benefit the foundation). North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre Based in Malton, the British Isles, this registered charity employs 4 trained music therapists who travel to rural community hospitals, special schools, day care centers, and individual homes. Using a variety of acoustic and electronic instruments, the therapists help patients of all ages to express themselves and communicate through the power of music. Concentration and memory can be improved by music therapy, the therapists say, as can movement, strength, and coordination. This form of therapy can also benefit those with terminal illnesses, mental health and emotional problems, speech or language impairment, a history of alcohol or drug abuse, dementia, eating disorders, stress, and autism.

Usually, it is a general practitioner, psychologist, teacher, or caregiver who refers an individual for music therapy. One of the therapists then pays several visits to the referred individual and performs an assessment of his or her needs.

Individual music therapy sessions are usually 30 minutes long, and group sessions can be as long as 1 hour. They are held at weekly intervals, and the music therapists provide written reports at regular intervals to chart progress in meeting the goals that were set during the assessment period.

The North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre relies on grants and donations. Although you cannot make a donation online, you can contact Penny Hamer at admin@nymtc.demon.co.uk to find out how.

Conclusion

Music therapy is a burgeoning profession. It is being offered in traditional clinical settings where individuals with emotional, developmental, or physical disabilities are cared for, as well as in other areas of healthcare delivery (eg, hospice care, substance abuse programs, oncology treatment centers, pain/stress management clinics, special education programs, correctional settings, early intervention centers, preschools, day care settings, home-based programs, and residential treatment centers). Music is frequently used in these settings to combat depression, alleviate pain, relax or sedate the patient, and brighten the patient's perspective on life. A qualified music therapist creates a structured and positive environment in which the elements of music are used to enhance an individual's self-awareness and spiritual growth, thereby increasing his or her quality of life.[2] (See the Suggested Reading section for books and articles about music therapy.) The healing power of music cannot be overestimated. Some inspiring quotations that reinforce this notion are cited in Table 1. Medical care alone can keep a sick child alive, but it is the child's emotional state and quality of life that often determine how well he or she responds to that care.

"You, the listener, determine the final impact: You are an active conductor and participant in the process of orchestrating health." -- Don Campbell (author) "Where is music? You can find it at many levels in the vibrating strings, the trip of the hammers, the fingers striking the keys, the black marks on the paper, or the nerve impulses produced in the player brain. But all of these are just codes; the reality of music is the shimmering, beautiful, invisible form that haunts our memories without ever being present in the physical world." -- Deepak Chopra (author; lecturer; CEO and founder of The Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, California) "(Music therapy) can make the difference between withdrawal and awareness, between isolation and interaction, between chronic pain and comfort -- between demoralization and dignity." -- Barbara Crowe (past president of the National Association for Music Therapy) "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything." -- Plato "Simply put, music can heal people." -- Senator Harry Reid (Democrat-Nevada) "Almost all children respond to music. Music is an open-sesame, and if you can use it carefully and appropriately, you can reach into that child's potential for development." -- Dr. Clive Robbins (Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Clinic) "I regard music therapy as a tool of great power in many neurological disorders -- Parkinson's and Alzheimer's -- because of its unique capacity to organize or reorganize cerebral function when it has been damaged." -- Dr. Oliver Sacks (neurologist and author of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat)

Contact Information for Web Sites Mentioned in This Article

North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre 13a Newbiggin Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 7JE Phone/FAX: 01653 698129 Email: admin@nymtc.demon.co.uk

Related Links

Founded in 1998, AMTA's purpose is the progressive development of the therapeutic use of music in rehabilitation, special education, and community settings. Predecessors of AMTA included the National Association for Music Therapy founded in 1950 and the American Association for Music Therapy founded in 1971. AMTA is committed to the advancement of education, training, professional standards, credentials, and research in support of the music therapy profession.

_______________________________________________________

>> DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW <<

Subscribe, Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.

No Cost!

_______________________________________________________

* * *

One in 40 Children Drugged: Ossie Survey

[By Julie Robotham.]

One in 40 Australian children has received medication for emotional or behavioural problems, according to the first comprehensive national survey on the issue.

Ritalin and similar behaviour-modifying drugs, used to control attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), were overwhelmingly the most common. The disorder is believed to affect 11 per cent of children, and the new survey found 13 per cent of those were taking stimulants.

But of all the children identified as taking stimulant medicines, one in four did not have a diagnosis of the disorder. Instead, they were taking the drugs for other problems such as autism or aggressive behaviour.

"Regrettably, ADHD medication doesn't fix aggression, it doesn't fix most of the other problems," said the study's coauthor, Joseph Rey, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Sydney.

Medication was clearly valuable in children with severe ADHD, in which both poor concentration and over-activity were present. But the diagnosis had recently been expanded to include poor concentration or impulsive behaviour alone.

"Should all those kids be treated? . . . a child who has his or her head in the clouds could be for a variety of reasons that may not be ADHD," Professor Rey said.

The value of stimulant drugs in the inattentive-only version of the disorder was unproven, he said, but the drugs would certainly boost the concentration of any child or adult. That could raise the spectre of parents seeking the diagnosis of a disorder in order to improve a child's academic performance.

The study - an offshoot of the the Commonwealth-funded Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing - sampled a representative group of almost 3600 children, aged six to 17 years, whose parents completed detailed interviews.

It found boys with ADHD were at least twice as likely as girls to be treated with Ritalin or dexamphetamine, the other major drug in the category, and up to six times as likely if their condition largely showed up as inattentive behaviour. Younger boys with the condition were also more likely to be prescribed the drugs.

Seventeen per cent of those aged six to 12 were on medication compared with 12 per cent of 13 to 17 year olds. But the situation was reversed for girls. In the younger age group, four per cent of girls were on stimulants, compared with 10 per cent of adolescent girls with ADHD.

Children taking Ritalin were more likely to be from low-income families with less-educated parents, perhaps because the disorder was more common in some social groups, said the study's lead author, Professor Michael Sawyer, head of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Adelaide.

But, he said, it also raised the question of whether "children (are) being treated with stimulants because they have a condition that might respond to them, or because they conform to particular demographic characteristics".

"What we want to know next is, amongst those children who receive medication, what dosage do they receive, over what period of time?" he said.

* * *

CARE

"Model" Social Skills Day Camp Opens In Sacramento

"Announcing the availability of a truly unique service for children and adolescents diagnosed with autism. This program has been a long time coming and it is finally here. Sacramento now has a place for children and adolescents with autism to go after school and on the weekends to improve their social skills as well as develop individual recreation and play repertoires."

We are thrilled to announce this new program for children, adolescents and teens diagnosed within the autism spectrum. This project is the result of four intensely committed individuals who have combined their passion and experience to provide a center where individuals with autism can come to recreate, socialize, and enhance individual and group skills and access programs in the community that they would not otherwise be able to access. It is our goal at Advance Education, Inc. to assist participants in achieving social integration as well as develop their ability to learn and participate as members of a group and community.

In this endeavor we have hired dedicated and energetic staff that are

committed to assisting your children in achieving success. Advance

Education will be partnering with Sacramento City Parks and Recreation to provide a wide variety of activities and integration/inclusion opportunities for your children.

How to Enroll Your Child

Step One: Contact your service coordinator at Alta California Regional Center to request the service. If you are going to be paying privately, you may contact Advance Education immediately.

Step Two: Contact Advance Education and make an appointment to visit the program and reserve session time for your child.

Step Three: Complete the intake process with the Director.

Step Four: Bring your child to the center for his/her sessions and see the progress!

Please feel free to ask questions at any time. Our team members are here to make your child's participation successful and enjoyable for your whole family. We are happy to assist you in any way we can.

If you need assistance in the enrollment process, please contact Michelle Wenell at 916 920-4012.

General Information:

June through August ONLY.

Monday through Friday 8:30 am - 7:00 pm

Saturday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Sunday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

September through May:

Monday through Friday 2:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

* * *

EDUCATION

Students' Private Records Found Outside NY City School

Included records about special education students, most of whom were identified as having cerebral palsy. . .and I.E.P.'s

Anyone walking by Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Manhattan on Friday night was free to learn Jarnell Branford's address, her phone number, her Social Security number, even her educational progress.

And they could read confidential information about many of her classmates, too - their grades, disciplinary reports and, for disabled students, medical reports - just by poring through boxes and boxes of records apparently discarded with the trash.

"I think this is awful that my kid's personal papers were thrown out like that," said Trinal Branford, Jarnell's mother. "I feel that is just awful."

Dozens of residents of nearby buildings and passers-by thumbed through many of the thousands of pages of documents left on West 65th Street, near Amsterdam Avenue, outside the school.

The records, many of which are from the last few years, included information that appears to be protected by United States Department of Education regulations requiring schools to "protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information at collection, storage, disclosure and destruction stages."

The regulations, available on the department's Web site, require schools to destroy or remove personally identifiable information from the records of special education students. In addition, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 requires that schools keep personally identifiable information secure and access to it kept to a limited number of people.

Schools risk losing federal financial assistance if they violate the act or the Education Department's regulations.

The Manhattan high school superintendent, W. L. Sawyer. Mr. Sawyer said he opened an investigation into the disposal of the records after being notified by Board of Education officials.

"I am still trying to ascertain what type of documents they were," Mr. Sawyer said yesterday afternoon. "I am obviously going to investigate this very carefully and obviously this is something that should not occur."

"A violation of children's privacy has most certainly occurred," Mr. Sawyer said, adding that he planned to meet with school officials on Monday to discuss the matter.

Police officials were contacted by The New York Times early yesterday after neighborhood residents called the newspaper to report the presence of the records. The police officials said that they had no jurisdiction to confiscate, remove or discard them.

A police spokesman, Officer George Jensen, said that the documents were "not our records, not our jurisdiction," and that if school officials "put something out, they deemed it to be trash."

The records were still on the sidewalk as of early yesterday. But Mr. Sawyer said that sanitation workers had removed most of them by the afternoon.

One box included letters that students had written to one another to be included in a time capsule; another included records about special education students, most of whom were identified as having cerebral palsy.

Many documents are what are known in educational circles as I.E.P.'s, or individualized educational programs. Those records document each special education student's eligibility for special accommodations and services, and outline the school's plan to guarantee that student an education that meets his or her needs.

"This is simply outrageous and unprofessional," said a parent of a special education student whose records were left outside the school.

"It's unbelievable," said a man who identified himself only as a neighborhood resident. "It has everything there. Someone could take on the kids' identity. It's just so crazy that they could do this; it's mind-baffling."

With 3,000 students, Martin Luther King Jr. High School is large even by New York City standards.

Enid F. Margolies, a former director of educational safety, development and support for the school system, was recently appointed interim principal, succeeding Steve Gutman, a 36-year veteran of the school system. Mr. Gutman retired in September 2001 but returned in February after the removal of Ronald Williams Wells, during whose tenure there was a spate of violence involving weapons at the school, including a January shooting. Board of Education officials who toured the school at the time complained that some people who were in the building were not enrolled in courses but were carrying photo identification cards.

Mr. Sawyer has said that Dr. Margolies will oversee efforts to improve the school's security and curriculum as well as its transformation into two smaller academies next year.

* * *

The Cost Of Public Vs. Private Schools: Comparisons Are Tricky Special Education costs are a key factor

Do private schools offer a better education value than public schools?

A look at spending for public and private schools in Minnesota can certainly raise questions. Consider this:

It cost $10,685 during the 2000-01 school year to educate a child in the Minneapolis public schools, where hundreds of kids flunk state basic-skills tests every year.

But the tuition was $8,375 for a high school student at Minneapolis' private Minnehaha Academy, where 95 percent of graduates go on to college.

And at Ascension Catholic school in Minneapolis, where most students are poor minority children, and where passing rates on state basic-skills tests were far higher than those of Minneapolis public schools, tuition was a mere $1,200.

Such comparisons become especially relevant in the wake of Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of school vouchers. Vouchers allow students to use public funds to pay private-school tuition.

Gov. Jesse Ventura latched on to the comparison between what private schools charge and public schools spend last February, stating that the tax money needed to educate a public-school student is more than the cost of tuition at one of the metro area's top prep schools. That, he said, indicates that something is wrong with the public schools.

But a closer look shows those numbers are misleading.

With the cooperation of several Twin Cities public and private schools, the Star Tribune examined how both sectors break down their finances. The picture that emerged is one of two systems that, though they're both in the business of educating children, spend their money so differently that it is tough to say for certain which offers more educational bang for the buck.

Among the newspaper's findings:

* Tuition doesn't cover the cost of a private-school education. At St. Paul Academy and Summit School, one of the Twin Cities' most prestigious prep schools, the average tuition will be $15,900 next year. But the cost of educating the average student will be $17,800, higher than the per-pupil cost of any public school district in Minnesota.

The gap is greater at many other private schools. Tuition and fees at Victoria's Holy Family Catholic High School in 2000-01 were $6,800 per pupil, but the total cost of educating that student was $10,136. That's a higher per-pupil cost than all but 11 of the state's 345 public school districts. Private schools make up much of the difference by soliciting donations from parents and alumni.

* Private schools aren't just privately funded. They get millions of dollars for textbooks and health and counseling services from the state, as well as bus service from neighboring public schools and the use of public-school facilities, according to the state Department of Children, Families and Learning.

The suburban Mounds View district funneled $529,625 in state funds to private schools within its boundaries during the 2000-01 school year.

Public funds "pay for our school nurse," said Pamela Clarke, the head of St. Paul Academy and Summit School.

Minnehaha Academy financial figures show that Kristi Classen's third-grade class of 22 children got $1,349 in state funds in 2001-02 for books and other materials. "If we lost that state funding, we would really be hurting," said Minnehaha Academy lower school Principal Kathy Johnson.

* Private schools admit whom they want. Public schools must accept every school-age child -- and the costs of serving them. At Minneapolis' Roosevelt High School, $1.8 million was spent on special education in 2000-01. That same year, Holy Family Catholic didn't spend a dime on special education. Minnehaha Academy, with about three-quarters the student population of Roosevelt, spent $60,000.

* Public high schools spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for vocational programs to help students who aren't on the college track. Vocational education at New Brighton's Irondale High School cost $618,000 during the 2000-01 school year, and just $16,000 at Minnehaha Academy that year.

While the Supreme Court's school-voucher ruling could open the door nationwide for more state voucher programs, its impact on Minnesota is uncertain. A state voucher proposal probably will be put before the Legislature next year. But a similar proposal by Gov. Arne Carlson in 1996 was rejected, and feelings among current state leaders are mixed. Both Gov. Jesse Ventura and education Commissioner Christine Jax have voiced concerns about using public money to fund private, especially parochial, schools.

Still, every year, thousands of parents struggle with the decision of whether to dip into savings to send their kids to private school. Thousands more wonder whether their property-tax dollars are being spent wisely by local public schools.

Making comparisons

To learn more about public-and private-school spending, the Star Tribune gathered detailed financial information from four public and two private schools. Public schools included Roosevelt High and Andersen Elementary in Minneapolis and Irondale High and Valentine Hills Elementary in the Mounds View district. Private schools were Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis and Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria.

Across broad categories, such as regular instructional costs, private and public schools can show similar spending trends. But within those categories, differences emerge.

One of the biggest is in teacher salaries.

Public schools, which negotiate contracts with teachers unions, pay more for teachers than private schools. Sometimes much more. Minnehaha Academy's lowest teacher salary for the 2000-01 school year was $24,256, and its highest $55,710. The lowest teacher salary at the public Valentine Hills Elementary, in Arden Hills, was $28,000, and the highest $60,506.

Benefits can be vastly different. Holy Family Catholic averaged about $3,455 in benefits for its teachers in 2000-01. Average teacher benefits at Valentine Hills were $11,856 that year. Some state officials argue that teacher pay is where public schools fail to spend responsibly, negotiating generous contracts, then cutting staff and programs when the books don't balance.

What's tough to say is whether better pay allows public schools to attract better teachers. Some good teachers go for the bigger public paychecks, while others say the smaller class sizes and fewer behavior problems of private schools are worth less money.

Public schools such as Andersen, which have lots of poor and non-English-speaking students, are generally much more expensive to operate than most private schools.

In addition to the regular classroom teachers, last year's part-and full-time Andersen staff roster included these specialists: master teachers in reading and math to improve classroom teaching, a social worker, two English-language teachers, two special-education teachers, a psychologist, a bilingual program aide, an American Indian home liaison worker, a gifted-and-talented teacher, a nurse and an occupational therapist. And that's not a complete list.

By contrast, the elementary school at Minnehaha Academy shares a counselor between the Minneapolis and Bloomington campuses and a nurse with the middle school.

"We don't have the kinds of staff and aides that public schools have," said Principal Johnson. "We can allot more [in instructional supplies] to every grade level because we don't have instructional aides in every classroom or any kind of pullout special-ed programs. Our teachers do playground duties, where aides do those duties in public schools."

But even with higher teacher pay, suburban public schools with lower concentrations of poor and non-English-speaking students can be cheaper to operate than private schools.

For instance, administrative and office costs at Irondale High School were much lower at $476 per pupil than Minnehaha Academy's $777 per pupil. Irondale's per-pupil costs for operations and maintenance and instructional support services (which includes assistant principals, media centers, staff development and computer-assisted instruction), also were lower than Minnehaha Academy's.

Minnehaha Academy president John Engstrom thinks that's in part caused by expenses for such things as fundraising and admissions, which public schools don't have. He thinks it's also due to a strong commitment to technology.

"We've got a head of technology and four support people who just service our network and keep it running," he said. "When something goes wrong we fix it in a day or two. I don't think that's often the case in the public schools."

Equipment envy

Minnehaha Academy's big technology investment notwithstanding, private schools often focus their resources on the basics: small class sizes, classroom supplies and a core group of courses with few frills. St. Paul Academy and Summit School's average class size of 15 would be the envy of any public school, but Clarke can think of reasons to be envious in return.

"Often, the public schools have more and better equipment, particularly in the sciences," she said. On a visit to St. Paul's public Arlington High School, a school placed on academic probation by district officials for substandard student achievement, Clarke marveled at the bountiful equipment.

"They had wonderful computer labs with dozens of computers," she said. "I was very, very favorably impressed."

But not all private schools are alike. For example, in terms of its demographics, Ascension has more in common with Andersen than Minnehaha Academy. There can be a facilities and resources gap separating private schools, too.

"One of the public misconceptions of private schools is that they are all very well funded," said Jim Field, president of the Minnesota Independent School Forum. "I've been in some private schools that have very shabby facilities and are very poorly equipped."

You don't see much difference between the basic public and private school classroom, said Richard Engler, president and principal of Cretin-Derham Hall, a Catholic high school in St. Paul.

Visits to a number of schools bear him out. The basic supplies are

similar: books, blackboards or whiteboards, posters, chalk, colored markers and worksheets.

Older schools, public and private, have old desks and chairs and frayed carpeting patched with duct tape. Many have wall-mounted TV sets, computers and a CD or cassette player in the room.

Michelle Zenk-Olson's fourth-grade class at Minneapolis' Andersen Elementary is a bright, active room slathered with displays: posters, colored illustrations of multiplication tables and months of the year, featured student biographies and the like. Much like Classen's Minnehaha Academy third-grade room.

What's different is where the money comes from to buy such things.

Classen's supplies mostly come from the $2,500 classroom budget she shares with the school's other third-grade teacher. Plus, there's that book and materials subsidy from the state and a separate technology fund.

Meanwhile, Zenk-Olson must dig into her own pockets to furnish her classroom with the things she wants.

"I know my first week, just getting this room ready was well over $400," she said. ". . . Everything comes out of your own pocket. Everything."

What numbers don't tell

Beyond these differences, there are other ways that school cost figures can mislead. For example, Holy Family Catholic High School reported much higher per-pupil costs for administration and operations and maintenance costs than the other five schools surveyed. But Holy Family is designed to hold 1,000 students. It opened in 2000 with 147 students, and was up to only 217 last year. Such a small number of students is going to make its costs appear much higher.

"When we are at 1,000 students, the administration won't increase in size," said Holy Family Principal Kathleen Brown. "There are positions that need to be filled whether you have 20 students or 1,000 students."

Certainly, some private schools seem to be offering a good deal for the money.

Dorwatha Woods Adderly, Minneapolis' Ascension Catholic's principal administrator, figures her per-pupil annual costs at about $4,000, a pittance when considering the school's high poverty rate but impressive test scores.

But in most cases, trying to pit public against private schools based on school spending is like trying to compare those two different fruits.

"It's really hard to compare the two systems, because they are systems with two different purposes," Field said. "The private schools in the state exist to serve a specific purpose or population separate from government-supported schools. . . . Public schools have the task of educating everyone who comes in their door."

* * *

MEDIA

Hope and Inspiration Fills the Summer issue of the Autism Asperger's Digest

[From the Editor of the Autism Asperger's Digest.]

The July-August 2002 issue of the Autism Asperger's Digest, the nation 's only magazine devoted to autism spectrum disorders, has just been released. "It's an issue perfect for those lazy days of summer, when it's too hot to do much else. These are stories filled with hope and inspiration, from determined parents and dedicated professionals" stated Managing Editor Veronica Zysk. "One mom shares the gut-wrenching feeling of hearing the autism diagnosis, even though she suspected it right along. Another mom talks about the special gifts her daughter has brought to her life. A dad writes about the often amusing, characteristically autistic bedtime ritual he shares with his son, while a young man with autism openly expresses his appreciation to his mom for not curbing his autistic tendencies. It's a feel-good issue filled with useful information for parents and professionals."

_______________________________________________________

>> DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW <<

Subscribe, Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.

No Cost!

_______________________________________________________

* * *

Readers' Posts

******

My 2 year old son was diagnosed with autism last week. Coincidentally, we have also discovered that our house has severe dryrot and mold problems. One of the molds we found produces mycotoxins. Our local doctors say they know of no evidence linking molds/mycotoxins to autism, and an autism concern shouldn't prompt us to move out while we wait for repairs to being next year. Does anyone have any info regarding molds, stachybotrys, or mycotoxins causing or increasing autism? jmatthias@apl.com

******

******

I am a mother of a 5 1/2 year old autistic son, we are from India. At present I am In U.S for his tretment. He has a speech delay along with autisitic features, I would be very grateful if parents who had now-older children with the similar problems, if you'll have any material to share which is useful for training my son, especially his speech and language. lobonanc@rediffmail.com

******

******

or contact Ms. Tammy Locklear locklea1@niehs.nih.gov.

******

I am considering an SSRI (Prozac, Paxil, etc) for my nearly 3 yr old autistic daughter. Her obsessiveness and anxiety are reasons for considering the med. Already doing gfcf and behavior therapies. Any successes or failures stories to share? Debi H. fightingautism@yahoo.com

******

We are looking to purchase a used platform or sling swing similar to those used in OT. Does anybody have one to sell or know of where we can purchase? Thank you! Betsy8626@earthlink.net

******

Has anyone used the SRA's Direct Instruction for Reading and Math? I am looking to share a purchase with anyone who is interested in Level A,B for Reading and Level B for math. Or if anyone has used them and wants to unload the Presentation books, please e-mail me Schong6@hotmail.com.

******

******

>> FREE (Almost) READERS' POSTS <<

For Individuals, organizations, non-commercial and

commercial. Limit your posting to no more than 60

words please. There is no charge for this service,

but posters are obligated to thank all those who take

the time to answer your ads. This is a consideration

for others with autism after you and yours, who seek

assistance from appreciated readers. Send submissions to:

POSTINGS@doitnow.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

OTHER ADDRESSES:

* SUBSCRIPTIONS: SUBS@doitnow.com

* NEWS: POSTNEWS@doitnow.com

* EDITORIAL: Schafer@sprynet.com

_________________________________________________________________

Lenny Schafer, schafer@doitnow.com Kay Stammers Edward Decelie

CALENDAR EVENTS@doitnow.com Michelle Guppy Ron Sleith

====================================================================

Update your profile or unsubscribe here:

====================================================================

Update your profile or unsubscribe here: