Isaac loves his iPad. It is with him from the moment he wakes until the second he goes to sleep. He has a few games he likes and he really enjoys looking through the photos but his all time love is YouTube. He is pretty typical of many 8 year old boys in that sense. […]
via How My Severely Autistic Son Used YouTube To Speak To Me — faithmummy
Back to school can be stressful for most children. For children with a learning disability, ADHD, dyslexia, or autism, these worries are often more severe. Our latest blog piece offers parents tips to make this transition ritual much less stressful.
Last Friday, we posted a link to our latest blog piece for parents of anxious children (often those with a learning disability, ADHD, or autism).
We add another free resource, from Autism Parenting magazine. It was published last year, but it is still available:
Here is another helpful link for parents of a child with autism. This free resource has been around since last year, but it is still available for free. It contains much helpful material. Of course, we have advocacy services for parents in New Jersey.
New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney was on hand this week to meet with the first adult with autism at the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) day center. That program was launched late 2015.
“The Center for Adult Autism Services is working to accomplish something that I think everyone agrees should be our top priority,” said Senator Sweeney in a statement on his website. “It allows adults with autism to live as fulfilling a life as possible. We want everyone, no matter what challenges they face, to reach their fullest potential. This support can make a real difference in their lives.”
When the first phase of the program is in full operation, the center will offer up to 60 adults with autism (living off campus) fulfilling university jobs. The effort will supported by Rutgers clinical staff and graduate students. The following (second) phase calls for a residential program for 20 adults with autism. These individuals will work on campus and live alongside Rutgers graduate students in an apartment-style residence. These inclusive settings will offer individuals with autism the satisfaction and learning that come from employment. As such, the program will present Rutgers students with important educational opportunities as well.
The University’s Douglass campus is already host to the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center. This on-site program for children and teens on the autism spectrum is accessible to graduate and undergraduate students in education and psychology.
Advancing Opportunities applauds efforts in New Jersey to provide people with intellectual and developmental disabilities settings for full participation in society.
Central to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is “respect for the inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons… and full and effective participation and inclusion in society” (Article 3). This concept is reflected in this year’s theme for World Autism Awareness Day, “Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination.”
In the U.S. and throughout the world, the rate of autism is high, affecting children and adults of all socioeconomic and ethnic groups. According to the U.N., “Appropriate support, accommodation, and acceptance of this neurological condition allow those on the spectrum to enjoy equal opportunity, and full and effective participation in society.”
On March 31, 2017, the U.N. held conference on multiple aspects of autism, Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination, which included the following:
In welcoming everyone, Cristina Gallach, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, said “We come together to renew our commitment to raising awareness of the rights of persons with autism – to equal opportunity and full participation in society, on an equal basis, with other citizens. To achieve this inclusive society that we aspire to, we must… ensure that the fundamental rights enshrined in the CRPD are respected.” This is a right that has been recognized since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was declared in 1948. Continued Ms. Gallach, “When [people with autism] enjoy equal opportunity for self-determination and autonomy, persons with autism will be empowered to make an even stronger positive impact on our shared future.”
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres could not be present, but he prepared a statement: “On this World Autism Awareness Day, let us play a part in changing attitudes toward persons with autism and in recognizing their rights as citizens who, like everyone else, are entitled to claim those rights and make decisions for their lives in accordance with their own will and preferences. Let us also renew our promise engraved in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind, and ensure that all people can contribute as active members to a peaceful and prosperous society.”
The keynote speaker, Simon Baron-Cohen, Director, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, was gave an overview of the autism spectrum.
In regard to the “commitment to leave no one behind,” Jackie Pilgrim, a noted disability advocate spoke about dignity. In her work with NAMI Durham she spoke of her organization’s new 8-hour course for police and first-responders to replace the inadequate 1.5 hour course used previously, one for which they have shown “passion” to learn.
Barry Prizant, author of the landmark book Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, summarized his philosophy:
Added Micheal John Carley. The best way to help is to examine ourselves and change the way we view people with autism.
An autism research and education organization, Autism Speaks, initiated the worldwide Light It Up Blue, campaign in its effort to raise autism awareness. Among many in the autism community, both advocates and self-advocates, Autism Speaks is highly controversial, because that organization is seeking a cure, whereas many people prefer to see autism as simply another way of being, “different, not broken.”
A ribbon made of multicolored puzzle pieces. It has become one the most recognizable symbols of autism in the world. The various colors reflect the many “faces” of autism, a condition often referred to as the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) because no two people with autism are alike. (The cognitive abilities of people with ASD range from “nonverbal” to intellectually brilliant.) The ribbon symbolizes solidarity and hope of a happy, fulfilling life for people with autism. The puzzle pieces remind us that the condition and the people with it are still very much a mystery.
Autism Awareness Month first came to be some 25 years ago, when the Autism Society of America undertook an effort to promote autism awareness. The primary objective was to “promote … inclusion and self-determination for all, and assure that each person with autism is provided the opportunity to achieve the highest quality of life.”
Furthermore, Sesame Street will debut Julia, a character with autism. This event will be covered in a later article.
With a sincere effort of autism awareness, we will be able to treat this population with the dignity they deserve.
All of us at Advancing Opportunities wish you, our consumers, families, and supporters (including those of you who have generously followed this blog!) peace and happiness for the holidays:
And just in time for the holidays, here’s a special treat. Overcoming her autistic social fears, this lovely ten-year-old girl gives a stunning rendition of Hallelujah that would have made Leonard Cohen proud.
Most of us are aware that infants like putting small nonfood objects in their mouth. Some older children and even adults, however, continue the practice. Then, this activity becomes an eating disorder called pica. In fact, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines pica as the “persistent eating of non-nutritive, nonfood substances for a period of at least one month,” particularly when doing so is not appropriate to the developmental level of the individual. These substances can even include one’s own hair or finger nails. Pica is especially dangerous when the individual ingests hazardous or poisonous materials such as paint chips that may contain lead, unsanitary items, or objects rendered sharp when they are broken.
The name Pica comes from the Medieval Latin word for magpie, a bird known to eat many different things. The earliest known use of the term in medical literature was in 1563. Illustration by Eliza Turck, from Walter Swaysland, Familiar Wild Birds, (London: Cassell & Co., 1883). Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pica often occurs in persons who have another mental disorder, such as anorexia, anxiety, or autism. Among the latter, autistic individuals may enjoy the sensory stimulation this activity may provide. It is not an effort to gain attention or the result of an inability to communicate needs. The DSM-5 states that when pica occurs with another condition or disorder, is severe enough to warrant clinical attention.
All people who care for the individual must also be alerted to take the necessary steps to keep him or her safe, including the following:
As with any psychological condition, preventing undesirable behaviors with healthy ones takes a great deal of patience, understanding, and being alert.
While autism receives a great deal of attention, a related disorder, Fragile X syndrome, is less well known. To raise awareness and advocacy for the condition, the National Fragile X Foundation has dedicated July as National Fragile X Awareness Month. In addition, Congress has officially recognized July 22 as Fragile X Awareness Day.
This boy shows some of the physical characteristics of Fragile X syndrome, including an elongated face and large, round protruding ears. Source: Peter Saxxon, Wikimedia Commons.
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic condition, one that involves the X chromosome. FXS is usually associated with a moderate to severe intellectual disability. Noteworthy is that in nearly half of all children, the behavioral characteristics of FXS mirror those of the autism spectrum; they also meet the same criteria for diagnosis. Examples of these tell-tale signs include stereotyped behaviors, such as hand flapping, along with generalized anxiety, social and emotional challenges, sensory challenges, disorganized speech, and ADHD. As with autism, boys are affected more often than girls and, in most cases, with greater severity. Likewise, there is no cure for FXS. Nevertheless, most students can benefit from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and other special education services. Children with more severe incidences of FXS will need to be taught skills daily living, including self-feeding, toileting, and personal hygiene.
In many children with FXS executive functioning (i.e., basic cognitive and metacognitive control) can be impaired, a daily planner can be an essential tool, whether this be in the form of a chart or a smartphone app. The latter is an example of a simple but highly effective form of basic assistive technology.
Most important, these skills can be taught and learned. As with autism, children and adults thrive on routine; any changes can require a great deal of preparation, along with empathy and patience on the part of the caretaker. Taken together, these skills are critical for the success of anyone with FXS to live as independently as possible.
At Advancing Opportunities, we excel in providing residential and respite services to people of with all disabilities, along with advocacy and education services for parents and guardians and assistive technology support. As a leader in the field, we are pleased to share our experience, knowledge, and expertise with the disability community through our social media outlets: Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. In our Disability and Ability Highlights of the Week column, we will select the best of what we found and shared and present them. Please click on the titles with embedded links to find the full article.
Millville, NJ, is the home of the Millville Army Air Field, an important training center for pilots of the P-47 Thunderbolt. Several pilots were lost in training; the others served during World War II. Their service to the country is honored deeply in this south Jersey community. At the airport is a small but deeply thoughtful museum. Photo: Daniel L. Berek
Disability in the news (mostly in New Jersey, the population we serve)
The state of New Jersey settles lawsuit on graduation requirements.
The theater group at Morristown High School was honored with two awards for their advocacy of inclusion of people with disabilities.
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation awards high-impact innovative assistive technology grants.
For parents of a child with a disability (parenting, special needs):
Sensory processing disorder comes in multiple forms among people with autism.
Here are five activities to engage your child with autism.
Special education (including college for students with disability):
A new book offers advice to students with Asperger’s syndrome as they transition to college or work.
An empathetic special education teacher finds a way to connect with an intelligent but nonverbal student with autism.
Civil Rights
Critical findings are revealed in civil rights data for students with exceptionalities.
Inspirational and Informative (or Both!):
A doctor recommended a mom end her pregnancy because her baby would have Down syndrome. She wants him to know he was wrong.
Assistive technology:
Spanish scientists create the world’s first child-exoskeleton for infants with muscular atrophy.
Speech-recognition systems promise the world. However, for more than nine million people with voice ailments, that world is out of reach.
Medical news – research:
Research suggests that autism is a neurological condition beyond the brain.
New molecules have been identified that could help prevent cystic fibrosis.
An informative article examines the prognosis of living with multiple sclerosis.
More good things from my new feed. He couldn’t speak and he couldn’t respond. For the first 15 years of his life, Gordy Baylinson’s parents thought their son didn’t understand what they were saying to him. via ‘This is not a cry for pity’: Non-speaking teen writes profound letter explaining autism — Global News
Celebrating Individual Abilities 