Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) shares her thoughts on the new autism diagnosis guidelines scheduled for publication in the DSM-5 (May 2013). Instead of having three separate autism diagnoses, there will now be an overarching autism spectrum diagnosis with levels of severity.

This controversial change may leave some more mildly-affected individuals without an official diagnosis will providing access to services for others that were limited by a PDD-NOS or Asperger’s Syndrome diagnosis.

Learn more about the history of autism diagnostic criteria: History of Autism in the DSM: DSM-I to DSM-IV.

I have added a new school to the Florida Autism Schools page – Beyond The Spectrum, Inc in Sarasota, Florida. The school has two programs, the Mariposa Program is designed for children with autism spectrum disorder in grades kindergarten through 8th grade. The Monarch Program is for children with Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, ADD, ADHD and General Behavior Disorders. The Monarch Program is designed for children in kindergarten through 5th grades.

For more information about the school, call 941-907-3443.

My son has Asperger’s Syndrome and epilepsy so he needs to get regular blood tests to check his medication levels and liver function. Over the years, I’ve dreaded the blood tests almost as much as he has. However, the past month or so, something has changed. Here’s a brief history of how blood tests with my Aspie child have gone.

The first blood test went well – he had no clue what to expect, but this was before his epilepsy days. Until recently, that was the only one that went off without much fanfare.

Once he realized what a blood test entailed, things got dicey. He’d refuse to get into the car then he’d refuse to get out of the car. Once I’d coax him out of the car he’d refuse to walk into the lab. I’d get him into the lab then he’d refuse to get out of the chair once it was his turn. I’d have to physically carry him, literally kicking and screaming, into the room. He’d sit on my lap and I’d wrap my legs around his, wrap my arms around his arms and whisper soothingly into his ear. Once the blood test would start he’d instantly calm down and say something along the lines of “This isn’t so bad.” Repeat this scenario each time we got a blood test. Check out this write-up I did for my mommy blog along with a drawing and journal entry that my son wrote during 1st grade – A Doctor’s Appointment Through the Eyes of a Child.

So finally I got tired of getting bruised up while taking my sweet little (and I mean little, he’s scrawny) guy to get his blood tests. We enlisted the help of my dad, Papa! The staff at the lab is awesome and so they were glad to oblige my request that they not call my son’s name when it was his turn. Instead, they’d open the door and look at me signaling my son’s turn. My dad would then take my son in.

The first time my dad came was comical. My son wrapped his arms and legs around the arms of his chair and wouldn’t let go. My dad picked him up and the chair came up into the air with him. We finally got him untangled from the chair and my dad started to carry him back into the room. As the passed through the doorway, my son’s arms and legs spread out and he had a 4-point grip on the doorframe. We got his fingers and feet pried off and in they went. He was always much more calm with my dad than me.

Well about a month ago it was time to get another blood test to check his levels. I told my 9.5 year-old very matter of factly that we were getting a blood test, he was going to walk in on his own, no one was going to yell or get kicked and he’d sit on my lap and just get it over with. Well, he walked in on his own, he didn’t yell, kick or scream and climbed up into my lap. I still whispered soothingly into his ear and he was so calm during the entire procedure. He even proclaimed at the end, “I didn’t even cry!” Now I’ve never been one to tell him he can’t cry, I just didn’t want the whole spectacle preceding the blood draw.

Well last week we had to go in for another test and it was the first time that the procedure could be completed with only one phlebotomist. Usually it takes two – one to hold his arm open and one to do the procedure. This time it was just one gentleman. My son handled it like a champ!

So now we’ve crossed into the realm of relative calm during blood draws. He can continue to sit on my lap as long as needs to for comfort and of course he can cry if it hurts but it is great to see him take control of his emotions during the situation and just get through it.

Photo: Sarah Ross photography/Flickr

A new school for adolescents and teens with Asperger’s Syndrome will open this fall in Lafayette, Colorado. The new school will be named after Colorado State University professor and vocal autism advocate Temple Grandin. The Temple Grandin School will provide a comprehensive education to students in grades 6-12.

The following quote comes from the Temple Grandin School website:

“The Temple Grandin School is an innovative approach to integrating social communication support and challenging academic opportunities for individual learners. Adolescence brings with it many challenges for all youth. Teens with Asperger’s or other social communication challenges may well feel lost in a sea of unwritten rules, adrift and alone in trying to course the roiling waters of social communication. Indeed, these youth may feel like strangers in their own language with ambiguous expectations that seem so obvious to their peers, but often baffling or inconsequential to them. While many of these same adolescents may have extraordinary abilities in other areas, learning social communication skills is vital to the full expression of their knowledge and skills in clearing the path to reaching their potential. 



The University of Colorado’s Speech, Language, Hearing Center is excited to begin a collaboration with the fine teachers, parents, administrators, and students of the Temple Grandin School in order to help bridge the social communication gap between these students and their advancement into young adulthood in our society. Our community is fortunate to have this much-needed resource developing at this time.”



For more information about the program, call 303-554-7363.

Photo: jurvetson/Flickr

Located in Ely, MN, Camp Buckskin provides a month-long summer camp to children with ADHD, learning disabilities and Asperger’s Syndrome. The camp has released information about its 2011 programs, which include two sessions:

Session I – June 12 to July 11, 2011
Session II – July 16 to August 14, 2011

Tuition for Session I is $4,025 and tuition for Session II is $4,275.

Campers at Camp Buckskin will participate in traditional summer camp activities like canoeing, archery and swimming but the camp programs go beyond the norm. Campers will also work on building friendships, personal organization, and other personal and life skills.

There are also several special events planned including Polar Bearing, in which campers and staff wake up before the daily siren and head down to the lake for a brisk swim – brr!

For more information, please visit the Camp Buckskin website or call 763-208-4805 (winter).

Photo: stevejb68/Flickr

I came across a gem of a website when researching 2011 autism summer camps today – Blue Compass Camps. According to the company’s website:

Blue Compass is a summer camp based out of Seattle, Washington for kids and teens ages 7-18 with Asperger’s, High-Functioning Autism, and ADHD who can benefit from outdoor adventures focused on building social and self confidence.

Registration is open for the 2011 Blue Compass summer camps. The following programs are on this year’s schedule:

• NW Expedition – Backpacking, sailing, sea kayaking and whitewater rafting – 15 day camp for children ages 13-18 – $3875 tuition
• Sea Kayaking – Sea kayaking in the San Juan Islands – 7 day camp for children ages 13-18 – $1685 tuition
• 7-Day Backpacking and Whitewater Rafting - 7 day camp for children ages 13-18 – $1685 tuition
• 2-Day Backpacking for children ages 13-18 – $350 tuition
• Treasure Island – 3 day Treasure hunt and camping for children 10-12 – $525 tuition
• Farm Camp – Working & playing on a farm and camping for children ages 13-18 – 5 day camp is $875
• The Lemonade Company – Day Camp Activities including swimming, arts & crafts and playing at the beach – children ages 7-9 – $525 for a 5 day session

There are multiple dates available for most of the camps and scholarships are available. Please visit the Blue Compass Camps website or call 866-683-6262 for more information.

My Aspie is an outdoors lover (as long as there are no bees around!) and I wish he were ready to go to a camp like this. He’s not there yet but maybe in a few years.

Photo: iom_mark/Flickr

We are facing a big question in our house – whether or not we should look at enrolling our 9 year-old fourth-grade Aspie into a social skills group. He was in one around the age of six and he seemed to enjoy it. However, if you ask him about it, he’ll tell you it didn’t work. He’s told me on numerous occasions that he remembers a group he went to that was supposed to teach him how to play with others…”but it didn’t work.”

I think that my son’s awareness of the purpose of the group and that it was a failure is a good start, right? I thought it worked but he seems to think it didn’t. Anyhow, as he is getting older his aloofness in social situations is becoming more apparent. He doesn’t mind it but is open to attending a social skills group if we think it is best for him. Smart kid – “you’re the mom, if you think it is good for me then I’ll do it.” Hey kid, I think EATING is good for you, can you eat more so you can weigh more than 50 pounds? Okay, so I digress but his weight is also a big issue right now, as well. He laughed when I told him about the eating thing, though, so at least he’s got a good sense of humor!

So wise parents, what do you say – should we try a social skills group again?

The 5th Annual “All Ages & Abilities” Autism and Asperger’s Conference, sponsored by the Autism Conferences of America, will be held February 4-5, 2011 in Irvine, California. Details about the conference follow:

Conference Venue: University of California, Student Union Center Bldg. #113 Student Center

Speakers Include: Dennis Debbaudt, Michelle Garcia Winner, M.A., CCC-SLP and more

Conference Topics:

Safety/Teen/Adult Track

• Autism, Bullying & Victimization
• Autism And Driving: Making The Decision
• Self Advocacy-How To Avoid The Abyss Of Transition
• Emotions Of Autism

Speech/Social Track

• Accessing The Potenial Of Limited And Non-Verbal Communicationrs
• Learning Social Skills And Making Friends Through Interactive Play!
• Social Skills Solutions

Education Track

• Jane’s Day, Asperger’s Syndrome From The Inside
• How We Are Different
• Implementing Visual Supports
• Inclusion In School And Community

Medical Track

• Overview:Bio-Medical Diagnostics & Treatments for Autism
• Healing Autism
• Other Advanced Treatments

Teen/Adult Track

• Executive Functioning Interventions For Your Autism/Asperger’s Student
• Social Communication In The Workplace
• Panel Of Teens And Adults With Autism/Asperger’s – Hear From The Real Experts

Contact Phone Number: (562) 804-5516 / (480) 831 – 2047(live)
Email Address: autismconferencesgmailcom

Don’t forget to search for other conferences about autism scheduled throughout the year, including more offered by Autism Conferences of America.

The Vicksburg, Mississippi Future Horizons conference is one of many autism conferences scheduled throughout the United States this year.

Mississippi Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome Conference in Vicksburg

Conference Date: February 11, 2011

Conference Location: Vicksburg, MS

Conference Venue: Vicksburg Convention Center

Speaker List:

• Dr. Temple Grandin – The Way I See It
• Beth Aune OTR/L – Behavior Solutions for the Inclusive Classroom
• Rudy Simone – Asperger’s on the Job – Using the Strengths of AS

Contact Phone: (800) 489-0727

ThinkAsperger’s: An Overview of Asperger’s Disorder, Early Warning Signs and Intervention – 11/11/2010 in Phoenix, Arizona

Asperger’s Disorder (AD) is a life long disorder in which symptoms can progressively worsen over time without early identification and proper treatment. Many individuals with AD have skills that make the disorder difficult to detect by current screening methods for autism. This training offers an overview of Asperger’s Disorder including characteristics and behavioral examples, as well as a review of current intervention strategies and research. Information on local support groups and resources will be shared.

When:
Thursday, November 11, 2010

Time:
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Where:
SARRC Main Campus for Exceptional Children
300 N. 18th Street, Phx, AZ 85006

Cost:
Advance registration (by 11/10/10)$25.00 or $35.00 on day of training.

Contact & Registration:
Pilar Dowling (480) 603.3283
or email trainingautismcenterorg