The Autism Education Site

Georgia – Camp Caglewood’s 2010 Schedule

Melissa — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:09:26 +0000

Camp Caglewood is a Georgia-based summer camp program for individuals with special needs. In addition to providing supervised fun for children and adults on the autism spectrum, the camp also helps meet the needs of children with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. Camp Caglewood already has several events planned for 2010.

Okefenokee Swamp – April 9 – 11, 2010
Stone Mountain Park – May 21 – 23, 2010
Unicoi State Park – June 25 – 27, 2010
White Water Rafting – August 6 – 8, 2010
Appalachian Trail at Amicalola State Park – September 25 – 26, 2010
Brass Town Bald – November 5 – 7, 2010

For more information on participating in one of these events, call Caglewood at (678) 405-9000.

Wrightslaw Special Education Law Conferences – 2Q 2010

Melissa — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Although the Wrightslaw conferences aren’t specific to autism spectrum disorders, they are one of the best resources available for parents that want to learn more about special education law. The more you know about IDEA 2004, 504s, IEPs, etc, the better advocate you can be for your child. The following is a list of the Wrightslaw Special Education Law Conferences scheduled in the second quarter of 2010.

April 10, 2010: Davenport, IA
April 15, 2010: Hackensack, NJ
April 22, 2010: Bowie, MD
April 30-May 1, 2010: Portland, ME

Registration is limited at most of these events so early registration is key. For more information, visit the Wrightslaw website.

Be a 15 Minute Advocate – Support the Restraint and Seclusion Bill!

Melissa — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:21:06 +0000

COPAA-News is a service of The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. and may be shared with others.
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Be a 15 Minute Advocate! Tell Congress:

Support Restraint and Seclusion Bill!

Make sure it protects all children, in public and private school.

On FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, WE WILL KICK OFF A WEEK OF ADVOCACY TO ASK CONGRESS TO COSPONSOR AND SUPPORT THE PREVENTING HARMFUL RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION IN SCHOOLS ACT (H.R. 4247 AND S. 2860).

Dial 202-224-3121 (TTY 202-225-1904) and ask for your Representative and then your Senators. See instructions at the end.

The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act (H.R. 4247 and S. 2860) is a bill in Congress to stop schools from restraining children, confining them in seclusion rooms, and using aversive interventions on them. It is important to let Congress know that the bill must continue to protect children in public and private school. It is important to ask members of Congress to cosponsor and support the bill so that it passes.

The House Education and Labor Committee has approved the bill, but it must go to the full floor for a vote. Members of the House of Representatives should be asked to support and cosponsor the bill. Members of the Senate should be asked to co-sponsor the bill.

WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATORS.

(1) PLEASE SUPPORT AND COSPONSOR THE PREVENTING HARMFUL RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION IN SCHOOLS ACT. Please ensure that all children are protected at school.

H.R. 4247 and S. 2860 will do much to protect children with disabilities from abuse. This bill prohibits restraint and locked seclusion of schoolchildren unless there is an imminent risk of physical injury that less restrictive interventions would not stop. Restraint and seclusion could not be used as punishment or behavior modification, or to deal with educational disruption and the like. Schools could not use mechanical and chemical restraints or restraints the impede breathing. Schools must notify parents within 24 hours; no school will be able to hide abuse. The bill bans aversives that affect health and safety.

The bill will create a minimum floor of protection in those 23 states with weak or no laws.

(2) ASK CONGRESS TO ENSURE THE BILL PROTECTS ALL CHILDREN, IN BOTH PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOL. DON’T LET PRIVATE SCHOOLS USE ABUSIVE TECHNIQUES ON CHILDREN.

Private schools want to be exempt from the bill. They claim its one more form of federal intrusion and will stop them from breaking up playground fights.

The bill will not prevent private school staff from stopping a playground scuffle or a coach from separating two hot-tempered players. Both the law and legislative history make clear that escorting a child away from a fight or playground scuffle, holding a child to comfort him, and temporary touch are not restraint. And the law allows all staff to use restraint when any child is in danger of injury. It is very important to share these points in this paragraph with Congress. The private schools have been making inroads with this argument.

The bill should protect all children, in public and private schools. Private schools exist to serve children and parents, not to injure or traumatize children. Asking private schools to notify parents that their child was restrained or secluded is not an unfair burden. Parents must know to watch for trauma or injuries. Many children with disabilities are placed in private schools by school districts and they should not lose vital health and safety protections. Other parents choose to send their children to private school for religious or other reasons; they should not be forced to give up protections from abuse.

The bill only applies to schools that receive federal education aid. This is just like the ADA and Civil Rights Act.

(3) CONGRESS SHOULD PROTECT THE EXISTING PROVISION THAT RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION MAY NOT BE PLANNED INTERVENTIONS IN AN IEP.

Restraint and seclusion are not therapeutic treatments or educational services and may actually deny a student access to education. So, they should not be included in IEPs or BIPs as planned interventions. Instead, IEPs and BIPs should include positive behavioral supports and other services to prevent the use of restraint and seclusion and to provide a student with FAPE. IEPs should also protect children by describing the special needs a student may have because of the nature of their disability or prior trauma. The new law applies to all children, and the IEP should not become a way to avoid the law.

TAKE ACTION! CALL OR EMAIL CONGRESS ON FRIDAY.

FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS:

Call or email Congress and ask them to support and cosponsor H.R.4247 and S.2860. Ask them to ensure the bill continues to protect all children, in public school and private school. Ask them to protect the bill provision that prohibits using restraint and seclusion as a planned intervention. When you call or write, be sure to include the bill’s name, “The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act,” and its number (H.R. 4247 in the House and S.2860 in the Senate).

Even if your Representative has already cosponsored the bill, you should call to share the points above about private schools and IEPs.

Telephone/TTY: Call your Congressional Representative and Senators at 202-224-3121 (TTY 202-225-1904). This is the switchboard, so you will need to know your Representative’s and Senators’ names. When you are connected, ask for the aide who handles education or disability. If you get voicemail, please leave a detailed message. (If you can only make one call, call your Representative. This is the top priority.) See instructions below to find out who your Representative/Senators are.

You can find local numbers, direct dial numbers, and fax numbers on your Representative’s webpage at http://www.house.gov and Senators’ webpages at http://www.senate.gov/ (click on Senators).

Email: A call is best because it is more personal. But if you are unable to call (e.g. due to a disability, work schedule, etc.) and need to use email, go to http://www.house.gov/writerep for the House of Representatives (your local area Congressman or Congresswoman). For the Senate, go to http://www.senate.gov/ and click on Senators and then “Choose a State” and then select the webform.

If you cannot call on Friday, it is okay to call on another day, before or after Friday. We’d like to get as many calls over the next week as possible.

Find Out Who Your Congressional Representative is: If you do not know who your Congressional Representative is, go to http://www.house.gov and put your zip code into the box in the upper left corner. (You usually only need your five digit zip code.) You can find your Senators through http://www.senate.gov/ and clicking on Senators and then “”Choose a State.” You have one Representative and two Senators.

If you have already contacted Congress about this bill, please do it again. Please ask your Congressional Representatives and Senators to support the bill, and ensure it applies to all children, in public and private schools.

For more information on the dangers of restraint and seclusion, see COPAA’s report “Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities” (Jessica Butler, 2009),” which can be found at http://www.copaa.org/pdf/UnsafeCOPAAMay_27_2009.pdf.

See www.govtrack.us for full text of the bills, to track bill progress or to see if your Congressman is a cosponsored.

PLEASE SHARE THIS ALERT BROADLY!

DSM-V Autistic Disorder 299.00 Diagnostic Criteria

Melissa — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:03:06 +0000

The American Psychiatric Association has published the proposed draft revisions for the DSM-V, which is scheduled to be published in 2013. Included in the proposed changes is a new set of diagnostic criteria for Autistic Disorder – 299.00

The term “Autism Spectrum Disorder”, which is commonly used by parents and autism professionals, will also be used as a synonym for Autistic Disorder.

The following is the proposed revision diagnostic criteria for Autistic Disorder in the DSM-V:

Must meet criteria 1, 2, and 3:

1. Clinically significant, persistent deficits in social communication and interactions, as manifest by all of the following:

a. Marked deficits in nonverbal and verbal communication used for social interaction:
b. Lack of social reciprocity;
c. Failure to develop and maintain peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

2. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least TWO of the following:

a. Stereotyped motor or verbal behaviors, or unusual sensory behaviors
b. Excessive adherence to routines and ritualized patterns of behavior
c. Restricted, fixated interests

3. Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities)

The social and communication deficits used to diagnose autism spectrum disorders with the DSM-IV have been merged into a social/communication deficit domain. It is important to note that a statistically significant delay in language will no longer be needed in order for an individual to be diagnosed with autistic disorder using the DSM-V.

To help differentiate between what was once Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS, and autistic disorder, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) will propose severity criteria. These criteria are currently unavailable.

The APA has listed two rationale for the proposed changes:

Differentiation of autism spectrum disorder from typical development and other “nonspectrum” disorders is done reliably and with validity; while distinctions among disorders have been found to be inconsistent over time, variable across sites and often associated with severity, language level or intelligence rather than features of the disorder.
Because autism is defined by a common set of behaviors, it is best represented as a single diagnostic category that is adapted to the individual’s clinical presentation by inclusion of clinical specifiers (e.g., severity, verbal abilities and others) and associated features (e.g., known genetic disorders, epilepsy, intellectual disability and others.) A single spectrum disorder is a better reflection of the state of knowledge about pathology and clinical presentation; previously, the criteria were equivalent to trying to “cleave meatloaf at the joints”.

I’m curious what your thoughts are about the changes. Will these new changes affect the services that your child receives through the state or health insurance?

Rethink Autism – ABA Therapy at Home

Melissa — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:56:15 +0000

I don’t usually copy and paste press releases in their entirety but I thought this may be of interested to The Autism Education Site readers that use ABA therapy in their child’s treatment regime.

Parents of Children With Autism Worldwide Can Now Help Their Children Learn at Home

In the past, parents of children with autism worldwide had little hope of finding effective and affordable treatment services for their child. Today, parents are discovering that they can now easily apply the latest research to help their child learn at home. Evidence-based research suggests that a key to effective learning is the use of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to teach children with autism. A company making ABA best-practice treatment tools accessible to parents around the world through the Internet is Rethink Autism (http://www.rethinkautism.com/).

“Since beginning the Rethink Autism lessons, we have discovered a new child. He is smart, he has great potential, and he learns so fast,” said Latifa Hajoui in Hesse, Germany, who began using the Rethink Autism platform in November 2009. “Rethink Autism gives me the tools that I need to work with my son directly when he doesn’t have access to his ABA therapist.”

Ms. Hajoui’s son receives ABA therapy six hours a month, far less than the clinically recommended 25+ hours per week. She tried to learn from the therapist how to work with her son for the remainder of the time. However, her son was making little progress so Ms. Hajoui subscribed to Rethink Autism’s platform and followed the individualized curriculum. “The therapist visited us recently, and she couldn’t believe that [my son] had learned so much in such a short time,” said Ms. Hajoui. “He can match shapes, letters, numbers, and words. He can imitate a peer, and he can imitate actions with object, sequencing actions, build model. He can also imitate words.”

When using Rethink Autism, a parent assesses the child by filling out a skills checklist, and the program then formulates an individualized ABA-based learning plan for the child. “Our goal is to make ABA accessible to families without clinical jargon or a diagnostic maze. Each lesson plan includes several step-by-step videos that show ABA therapists working with a child with autism, so that parents know how to work with their children through very specific needs anytime and anywhere,” said Jamie Pagliaro, executive vice president of Rethink Autism.

Rethink Autism offers 1200+ video lesson steps that are consistent with ABA methodology. Endorsed by the US Surgeon General and the American Academy of Pediatrics, ABA is the only treatment for autism that has been consistently validated by independent scientific research.

Even in the U.S. where there is a high level of awareness about autism, parents can still struggle to know where to find the ABA tools they need or professionals that can help. “Every parent should know that there is help out there. With Rethink Autism, my child has made incredible progress,” says Evelyn O’Neil Brown, mother of a 5-year old son with autism in New York.

“Before joining school for the second time, my son was unable to sit down with a group or even imitate steps to a song,” said Khadeeja Abdullah, from Bangkok, Thailand. “However, after starting the Rethink Autism ABA curriculum, he was able to sit with others for the first time. Even if he didn’t sit with them for too long, he was paying attention to activities and doing work while sitting. I simply cannot credit this program enough for its help in guiding how I work with my son. It has helped me build a solid foundation for his education.”

Childhood Bullying, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and Perception

Melissa — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:07:58 +0000

I recently read through a study that looked at not only the prevalence of childhood bullying of adolescents on the autism spectrum but also the perception of bullying acts by the child on the spectrum. Yes, children on the autism spectrum, including those with Asperger’s Syndrome, do experience a higher rate of childhood bullying. However, there are also perception problems.

Children on the autism spectrum often have difficulty with Theory of Mind. This difficulty causes some children to misinterpret bullying acts as non-bullying in nature.

I recently wrote an article on the topic for Suite 101, here is an excerpt:

Although the study showed an increase in childhood bullying among those on the autism spectrum, the teachers reported a higher rate of bullying than the students did themselves. Children and adolescents on the autism spectrum as well as their typically developing peers are reporting a lower rate of bullying than their teachers.

Read the entire article: Children with Autism Face More Bullying.

New Study Examines Early Functional Play and Autism

Melissa — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:00:47 +0000

A new research study has been published as an online preview in The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. In the new study, researchers conducted a 4-minute observation of 18 month old siblings of children with autism and a typically-developing control group. Differences in early functional play were noted among the siblings that eventually received an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.

Overall, the survey showed that infant siblings of children on the autism spectrum that eventually went on to receive an ASD diagnosis themselves (ASD sibling group) had more repeated play behaviors and fewer functional play behaviors than the typically-developing control group. However, both groups scored similarly in the symbolic play area, which is likely due to their age.

Read my complete summary: Early Functional Play’s Relationship to Autism

Support the Arizona Autism Spectrum Disorder Task Force – SB1181

Melissa — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:58:25 +0000

Tomorrow, the Arizona State Senate Health Committee will hear SB1181 – the Arizona Autism Spectrum Disorder Task Force – for the first time. The hearing is scheduled for 9:00 am. If you live in Arizona, contact your State Senator to show your support for this task force. Details about the purpose of the task force follow.

REFERENCE TITLE: autism spectrum disorder task force

State of Arizona
Senate
Forty-ninth Legislature
Second Regular Session
2010

SB 1181

Introduced by Senators Aguirre, Leff: Aboud, Allen C, Burton Cahill, Lopez; Representatives Goodale, Jones, Pancrazi

AN ACT

Establishing the autism spectrum disorder task force.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Autism spectrum disorder task force; membership; duties; reports; delayed repeal

A. The autism spectrum disorder task force is established consisting of the following members:

1. Two members of the senate who are appointed by the president of the senate and who represent different political parties.

2. Two members of the house of representative who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and who represent different political parties.

3. The director of the department of economic security or the director’s designee.

4. The director of the department of health services or the director’s designee.

5. The director of the Arizona health care cost containment system administration or the director’s designee.

6. The superintendant of public instruction or the superintendant’s designee.

7. One employee of a school district in this state who oversees special education services. The president of the senate shall appoint this member.

8. One representative of an organization in this state that advocates for persons with autism spectrum disorder. The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint this member.

9. One representative of an organization in this state that provides services to persons with autism spectrum disorder. The president of the senate shall appoint this member.

10. One parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder. The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint this member.

11. An adult who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The president of the senate shall appoint this member.

12. A developmental pediatrician who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or 17, Arizona Revised Statutes, and who has expertise in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder. The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint this member.

13. A behavior analyst who has expertise in autism spectrum disorder. The president of the senate shall appoint this member.

14. A faculty member of a university under the jurisdiction of the board of regents. The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint this member.

15. A member of the business community. The president of the senate shall appoint this member.

B. The task force shall:

1. Review the coordination of services provided by state agencies, schools and organizations relating to the treatment of persons with autism spectrum disorder, including resources available to the families and other caregivers of persons with autism spectrum disorder.

2. Identify problems and recommend solutions regarding the availability of services to persons with autism spectrum disorder and their families and caregivers and the efficient delivery and coordination of those services.

3. Identify current funding sources for services provided to persons with autism spectrum disorder and determine if there are additional available federal or other funding sources that are not being used.

4. Identify and recommend opportunities for the sharing of resources of services to persons with autism spectrum disorder, including partnerships between the public and private sectors.

5. Identify evidence-based treatments and best practices for autism spectrum disorder.

6. Identify state models and service systems for persons with autism spectrum disorder.

7. Submit to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives an interim report of its findings and recommendations on or before June 30, 2011 and a final report of its findings and recommendations on or before December 15, 2011. The task force shall provide a copy of its interim and final reports to the secretary of state.

C. Task force members are not eligible to receive compensation, but members appointed pursuant to subsection A, paragraphs 8, 9 and 10 are eligible for reimbursement of expenses under title 38, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes.

D. This section is repealed from and after September 30, 2012.

Registration Opens for 2010 ARI/DAN! Spring Conference in Baltimore

Melissa — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:00:38 +0000

If you’re planning to attend the 2010 Autism Research Institute/Defeat Autism Now! Spring Conference in Baltimore, you can now register and take advantage of the early bird discount available.

The Autism Research Institute and Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) will host its 2010 Spring Conference on April 8-11, 2010 at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. The conference will feature level one and level two clinician seminars, a nutrition seminar, and both science and parent workshop tracks.

This conference is geared towards that support the use of biomedical interventions to treat autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Kenneth Bock (author of Healing the New Childhood Epidemics) and Doreen Granpeesheh of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) will be speaking at the event along with many other well known supporters of the biomedical approach to autism.

Details on Walk Now for Autism Speaks Events in California and Florida

Melissa — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:19:13 +0000

Walk Now for Autism, a series of fundraising events that are part of the Autism Speaks organization, has raised more than $27 million in donations for its 2009-2010 events. The events not only raise funds for autism research but they also help to raise autism awareness.

The following Walk Now for Autism events are scheduled for California and Florida in 2010.