Autism First Steps 11-24-01 (Part 3)

AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Saturday, November 24, 2001

INDEX:
* Horses help special riders
* Lions’ caring touch
* Jury Awards One Million to Fired Special Ed Teacher : Updates
* Sign language enriches learning for hearing children
* New Vedic City Aims to Create Ideal Municipality
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Horses help special riders

People with handicaps often find joy in hippotherapy

By Laura Lane,

Hoosier Times

Sophie Bortt smiles as she dismounts her horse in the arena at Fleur de Lis Farm west of Bloomington. Many people with handicaps ride the gentle horses as part of their therapy. Staff photo by Monty Howell

Stanford

A 21-year-old nag called Navaar transformed 14-year-old Kyle Strain's life. Kyle is a boy with autism. Navaar is white horse beyond his prime. Both are participants in a therapeutic riding program at Fleur de Lis Farm west of Bloomington.

PALS — People and Animal Learning Services — pairs physically and mentally impaired riders with gentle, specially trained horses for therapy and fun.

It's called hippotherapy, from the Greek word "hippos" for horse. The horse and its rhythmic movements are used as an integral part of physical and occupational therapy.

"It's therapy for the whole body," said Chris Holmes, a mother and pediatrician who volunteers as an instructor for the PALS program.

"Physical therapy usually hurts, let's face it. But I have never seen anything that motivates people like a horse. You can convince people to do things they might not otherwise do."

Hippotherapy relaxes spastic muscles, improves muscle tone, increases strength, helps joint and muscle function, elevates cardiovascular and pulmonary output and brings a confidence and self-esteem to riders. Memory is enhanced.

One of the first children Holmes worked with in hippotherapy was a girl who was blind, deaf, mute and profoundly retarded. She didn't want to be touched. Getting her to wear a helmet was a challenge. Convincing her to mount the horse was nearly impossible.

After a few lessons, the child would strap on her own helmet and drag Holmes into the ring. The struggle then became coaxing her off the horse when a lesson was over. "I'd never seen such a powerful transformation in a child," Holmes said. "She was close to flying when she was on the horse. She would make noises — sing — the whole time she was on the horse."

Participants often ride bareback so that riders can feel the moving muscles and warmth of the horse, she said. For many of the riders, the only time they feel free, and in control, is while on the back of a horse.

Teresa Steinsberger of Bloomington has seen the difference in Kyle Strain, her autistic son. Even as a toddler, being on a horse was the one way to bring a smile.

Kyle has been riding with the PALS program three years. He dons a helmet before each lesson and is helped by physical therapists who volunteer their time to be near him and work with him while he rides, one on each side.

"It's a way for him to show happiness, something that an autistic child sometimes can't do," Steinsberger said. "We can see it his eyes, in his smile, his gratitude for being able to ride a horse. There's feedback from him. It's good for him and good for us."

Kyle's vocabulary is limited and he rarely talks. After dismounting from a horse after a ride through an obstacle course at a PALS horsemanship show Nov. 10, his mother held his shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"Say, 'Navaar,' Kyle," she instructed. And he did. The word brought smiles to mother and son.

"The reward of the horse will cause him to do things he wouldn't usually do," she said. "Movements. Speaking. The horse is very potent medicine for Kyle. And it makes him smile, a nice thing for us to see."

Kristen McNeal is a respite care worker who used to bring Kyle to his PALS lessons. She didn't know much about horses, but immediately saw the benefits the Tuesday therapy brought to Kyle.

"I just liked the way he would get so excited about coming here," she said. "It was so much more fun that the other things we'd do. His best days were always when we came here to ride."

Now, she's a volunteer with the program and helps out during lessons.

Margie Walls said her 20-year-old son, Ben, who is autistic, used to shy away from horses at their farm. Since he started riding in the PALS program, he has a new attitude. "Now, he goes up to one old horse at the fence he used to be afraid of and wraps his arms around his neck for a hug," she said. "It's a big change."

Melinda Martin is 44. Her mother first enrolled her in a therapeutic riding program years ago. "I was afraid, then I wasn't," she said. "The movement of the horse makes me feel good. It helps with my balance and stuff."

Fern Bonchek is the woman behind PALS. She started the program in 1995 and now runs it at the farm and equestrian barn owned by family friends Larry and Donna Ferree.

PALS is one of 20 therapeutic riding programs in Indiana that belongs to the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. There's one other area NARHA riding center, New Horizons Therapeutic Riding, at Rocky River Farm on Russell Road in Bloomington.

"I've ridden horses my whole entire life," Bonchek said. "It's always been my personal therapy and this is a way to help others by using horses."

The PALS program started with 12 riders and has grown to 21 children and adults, ranging in age from 3 to 55, with various disabilities that include autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.

Lessons last 30 to 45 minutes and cost $30. Steinsberger said her son's lessons are paid for through state grants.

"The horse is beneficial to increasing coordination and self-esteem," Bonchek said during a break in a PALS horse show Saturday at Fleur de Lis Farm. "It's really exciting to see the new riders starting out fresh. I can see the benefits right away."

She recalled a little boy who went from being scared and withdrawn to running into the barn shouting, "I'm here. Where's my horse Navaar?"

Eight horses are used in the program. Some have been donated and others are on loan. Bonchek may take three months to train a horse for its special job.

"They are older and gentler horses," she said. "This is their retirement. The horses really love the attention and they are well cared for. The work they do is important."

While it's difficult at first to convince some people with disabilities to climb onto a giant horse, the problem quickly reverses itself.

"The biggest problem we have with a lot of the kids is they won't get off the horse," Holmes said.

Area therapeutic riding centers

There are 20 therapeutic riding centers located in Indiana. Two of them are in Monroe County.

For more information, contact People and Animal Learning Services (PALS) through Fern Bonchek at (812) 336-2798 or at pals@indiana. edu. The PALS Web site is: www.palstherapy.org.

Therapeutic riding lessons also are offered at New Horizons, located at Rocky River Farm on Russell Road in Bloomington. Contact owner Jean Loosemore or trainer Jennifer Lorinsky at (812) 333-0261. The Web site is silentfire@earthlink.net.

Both organizations are members of and accredited by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.
http://www.hoosiertimes.com/popunder/htarch.html
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Lions’ caring touch

By Christina Chin There is nothing more annoying than seeing a feet stomping, hair-pulling child screaming in a restaurant where you are trying to enjoy a quiet dinner. Autism robs a person of their ‘theory of mind’, rendering them unable to read what someone else is thinking or feeling. Because their sense of touch is heightened, an autistic person would never think of cheering or greeting another with an embrace. On the contrary, a consoling embrace could be the worst thing for an autistic child who is upset! Their world of proximal senses is both fascinating and frightening especially since it is almost impossible to suppress parental instinct to hold a crying child. Just like any loving father, Ong Choon Keng found it extremely difficult to understand and communicate with his five-year-old daughter, Yi Lin. She is autistic but looks as ‘normal’ as any other sweet, adorable child her age. The difference is that she only started talking when she was four. Yi Lin and her parents are among the many who have benefited from programmes conducted by the Association of Resource and Education for Autistic Children. A community service project, by the Tanjung Lions Club, the centre has been providing free services for autistic children and their families since 1987. From a small group of four, it now has more than 47 children with ages ranging from three to 18. Association of Resource and Education for Autistic Children chairman Lim Eng Chye said the centre does not provide day-care but is a training facility that aims to help parents of autistic children understand and manage the symptoms through support groups and therapy programmes. Ong said before coming to the centre, Yi Lin was not potty-trained. “We tried to teach her but she had such a short attention span. Now she is able to verbally express her needs and feelings. She even lets me hug her sometimes. “This is the only centre that provides free services. Most places charge hundreds of ringgit just to take care of the child for a few hours. Here we take turns to take care of the children so that when anyone of us has something on, we can leave our child with other parents in the group as they are already familiar with each other,’’ he added. Association of Resource and Education for Autistic Children volunteer principal Dr Sue C. M See said they were able to provide these services largely due to the support of the Tanjung Lions Club and public funding. “We have been very lucky so far in terms of financial aid. The public has been very generous with their contributions. “Three years ago, we wanted to start a music therapy programme but lacked the equipment. We appealed for funds through The Star and have since been able to conduct weekly music and play sessions for the children to help them develop their language, social and motor skills. “Hopefully this year, the public can again make our Christmas Wish List come true,” she said. The centre is now planning to introduce the Rotary Snoezelen Room to provide a tranquil and relaxing environment for the children through visual, auditory and touch stimulation. The therapy has a soothing effect that can help reduce temper tantrums and agitation. “The Snoezelen is actually a machine that projects moving images and has long been used for those who are handicapped, aged or colour blind. “In the Rotary Snoezelen Room we have things like fibre optic carpets that light up when you step onto it, calming music and even aromatherapy. ‘We had a volunteer artist come by to paint the walls and decorate the room. We are also hoping to get a giant screen, therapeutic relaxation CDs, humidifier and vacuum cleaner this Christmas," he added. From its humble beginnings on the island, the centre now has another branch on the mainland to cope with the increasing demands of families with autistic children in the northern region. Loh Kok Teong had to give up her job as training coordinator for a reputable company in Taiping just so she could care for her son, Adrian, 5. “I used to travel all the way to Penang for Adrian’s therapy sessions. Finally I decided to permanently move here as there was no such facility in Taiping,’’ she said. The centre is also looking for volunteers because all their programmes are conducted on a one-to-one basis where a volunteer is assigned to each child. “Volunteers need not have any prior experience with autistic children. We will provide the necessary training, but they must be able to be commited to the centre for at least a year because it takes time for an autistic child to get used to new faces,’’ See explained. About RM20,000 is required for its various projects that include training and teaching programmes. The money would be used to purchase a LCD projector, VCD player, computer, scanner, colour printer, cassette player, stationary and educational toys. Those keen to support the activities can send cheques crossed and made payable to the Lions Resource Centre for Autistic Children, to No 184, Jalan Bunga Cempaka, Bukit Glugor, 11700 Penang. For details, call 04- 6564357 or fax 04- 6578315.
http://penang.thestar.com.my/content/focus/2001/11/21/csli.asp
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Jury Awards One Million to Fired Special Ed Teacher

To see updates on this story go to:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/retaliate.settlegoode.htm
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Sign language enriches learning for hearing children

Scranton, Pa. -- Teaching sign language to hearing young children can improve their early communications with their parents and later boost the children's learning of language, says a Penn State researcher."When you see babies, you can see them experiment with their hands. They move them about, they touch their hands together, they try to reach things, they attempt to pick up objects, " says Dr. Marilyn Daniels, associate professor of speech communication at Penn State's Worthington Scranton Campus. "Sign language has the unique capacity to tap into the natural exchange between hand and brain, optimizing the emergence of language in the child because of the physiological advantage of American Sign Language (ASL) over English." Learning to speak, read and write English takes years, much patience and practice for young children. But they effortlessly use their hands for comfort, communication and acquiring information from birth, says Daniels. In her recent book, "Dancing With Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy," (Bergin & Garvey), the Penn State researcher outlines her research on this topic since 1991 and the theories behind the benefits of sign language on hearing children's education. She also offers directions to interested teachers and parents on how to teach reading, spelling and social studies with sign language. A mother in one project had a whiny nine-month-old boy. In seeking a way to communicate better with him, she taught him basic signs focusing on dining such as please, eat, and drink. He responded quickly and she added apple, pasta and cookie. At age 1, he learned the sign for bath, using it frequently when ready for a bath, and the sign for out, when indicating a desire to go out and play.By the time he was 14 months old, he knew more ASL words than spoken English words. Daniels recalls "More recently when he was two years and four months old, his mother told me that he can talk very well for his age. In fact, he is trying to teach his six-week-old sister to sign." "Sign does not hinder language development in any way, in fact, it fosters it," says the researcher. "Knowing a second language, such as ASL, also boosts self-esteem of the children and their confidence in learning, as well as their awareness of the Deaf culture."Sign language has had a long, complicated, interesting history. It is the native language of more than one-half million individuals in the United States, and is a symbol of cultural unity for the Deaf community, according to the book. ASL has been gradually accepted as a foreign language as its use in schools, workplaces and public agencies has grown since the passage of the American with Disabilities Act in 1990, the author notes. In addition to parents, teachers also have experienced learning benefits to hearing young children, beyond children in special education, says Daniels. A variety of techniques has been successful for different teachers, but they do not have to be a fluent signer, she adds, just interested in learning with their students. "Subject areas other than reading or spelling also can be enhanced with sign language," the Penn State researcher notes. "ASL is routinely used in many schools from first grade through fifth grade for social studies, history, music, science, geography and even math. In these settings, it clearly supports content by defining concepts and aiding memory."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-11/ps-sle112001.php
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New Vedic City Aims to Create Ideal Municipality

New Vedic City Aims to Create Ideal Municipality
http://www.mum.edu/news/releases/vediccity.html

Residents Voted "Yes" on Referendum to Incorporate in state of Iowa
A new city dedicated to creating maximum health, well-being and success
for its inhabitants was approved by residents in a vote late last month.
Located 2 miles north of Fairfield in southeast Iowa, Vedic City is
Iowa's first new city since 1982 and the 950th city in the state.

Vedic City is the first city in the modern world to be based entirely on
the ancient principles of Maharishi Sthapatya-Veda® design and other
aspects of Maharishi Vedic Science. "Veda" is the Sanskrit word meaning
knowledge. Rogers Badgett, one of the city's developers, said Maharishi
Vedic Science is comprised of 40 approaches, including architecture,
community planning, health care, education, music, agriculture, etc. Its
goal, he said, is to bring the life of the individual and society in
tune with the laws of nature and thus gain support of natural law for
every undertaking.

State of Iowa Approved Petition to Incorporate
Earlier this year, the State of Iowa City Development Committee approved
a petition to incorporate the 654-acre site for the new city. The area
currently has over 40 buildings, including The Raj, a nationally known
health spa and clinic based on Maharishi Vedic Medicine, two hotels,
many businesses, housing developments, condominiums, and a Vedic
observatory. More than $30 million has already been spent on development.

Maharishi Vedic Science Programs Attract Families
Over the last 27 years, more than 2,000 individuals and families from
across the US have moved to the neighboring city of Fairfield to take
advantage of the programs offered by Maharishi University of Management.
Founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the University integrates the study of
traditional academic disciplines with the practical technologies of
Maharishi Vedic Science to develop the students' full potential.

"Vedic City will provide this Vedic knowledge to its citizens in every
aspect of their lives and will provide visitors access to Maharishi
Sthapatya-Veda designed hotels, health clinics, and other amenities so
they can also experience improved health and well-being," said Bob
Wynne, a Vedic City developer.

Incorporation of Vedic City will allow financing such as general
obligation bonds that will help the new city to create necessary
infrastructure and municipal services.

The city is projected to grow from 125 to several thousand permanent
residents within a few years and to attract many more to its hotels,
clinics, and other amenities.

For more information, please call 641-469-7000.

Overview of the Unique Components of Vedic City
"The goal of every community should be to promote the highest level of
health, happiness and success for its citizens," said Vedic City
developer Rodgers Badgett. "The profound insights of Maharishi Vedic
Science give us a comprehensive framework for enlightened living. This
city will set the standard for all other cities."

Maharishi Sthapatya-Veda
This science of healthy buildings and enlightened community planning
includes recommendations for building and street orientation, room
placement and dimensioning, landscaping, building materials, etc. Vedic
City and its buildings are built in accord with these principles.

Maharishi Vedic Medicine
Maharishi Vedic Medicine programs provide knowledge and techniques to
unfold the inner intelligence of the body. The Raj, currently a central
amenity of Vedic City, has already gained an international reputation
for its success in addressing a wide range of chronic disorders.

In addition, developers of the new city donated 58 acres to Maharishi
University of Management for the construction of the UniversityÕs
College of Maharishi Vedic Medicine, which recently received $7.9
million in grants from the National Institutes of Health. The College's
Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention is one of 12 specialized
centers of research in complementary and alternative medicine in the
country sponsored by the NIH.

Consciousness-based Education
The new city is just down the highway from Maharishi University of
Management and the Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment (K-12).
Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the
University offers bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. programs in the
sciences, arts, and humanities and integrates Maharishi Vedic Science
into its curriculum. Research on the University students has shown
improved brain functioning, increased IQ and creativity, less anxiety
and stress and improved health, all fundamental components of a
successful education. Students at the K-12 school consistently score in
the top 1% on standardized achievement tests and have won more than 70
state titles in the past decade. Twenty-five percent of the students in
last year's graduating class were National Merit scholars and finalists.

Maharishi Vedic Observatory
Ancient observatories are found in almost every country in the world
either as physical remains or a myth or legend - Stonehenge in England,
Maachupichu in Peru, and observatories in Mexico, China, Egypt, and
India. The Maharishi Vedic Observatory, which sits on two acres
centrally located in Vedic City, consists of ten full-size working
astronomical instruments based upon ancient designs. The precise
measuring instruments of the observatory reflect in their form and
function the movement of the stars and planets with relation to the
individual, and display this mathematical relationship.

Coherence-Creating Group Meditation
Every morning and afternoon Vedic City residents create a harmonious
influence in the environment through their group practice of the
Transcendental Meditation® and TM-Sidhi® program, including Yogic
Flying, in the Golden Domes of Maharishi University of Management.
Rodgers Badgett said, "The desire to create perfect health and a
peaceful world and to unfold our full potential is the shared priority
of everyone in this community. It's the purpose of Vedic City."

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