A very real sneak-peek into the life of a child with "Super Powers". Hopefully our unique perspective on Autism will educate others and build positive community. Education leads to compassion and acceptance. Subscribe and Share.
Your Children,” www.jssa.org/jssa-expert-tips-strategies Study Links ADHD in Kids to Pesticide Exposure - TIME www.time.com/time/health/article/0, 8599,989564,00.html THE WEEKEND INTERVIEW with Temple Grandin Life Among the 'Yakkity Yaks' By Bari Weiss online. wsj.com/article/ SB10001424052748 7035257045750611 23564007514. html A Powerful Identity, a Vanishing Diagnosis Switch Adapted Toys Dealing With the Financial Burden of Autism By WALECIA KONRAD Published: January 22, 2010 Overcoming Cerebral Palsy Through Dance www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/cerebral- palsy/overcoming-cerebral-palsy Check out the video of Gregg Rogoff dancing at www.nytimes. com/2009/11/25/arts/dance/25palsy.html? _r=2&ref=health Alternative test may inflate score gains 'Portfolio' exams spread in Va. 'How do you know we are closing the . . . gap?' By Michael Alison Chandler Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, November 19, 2009 Lynbrook Elementary School, which serves one of the poorest communities in Fairfax County, seems to be a model for reform. Three years ago, the Springfield school failed to meet state testing goals in English. Since then, it has charted double- digit gains in passing rates for every one of its closely monitored racial and ethnic groups of students. But the success at Lynbrook and other schools throughout the state is not only due to better teaching. More and more, students who have struggled to pass Virginia's Standards of Learning exams are taking different tests. The trend dates to 2007, when federal officials approved an alternative assessment after the Fairfax School Board threatened to defy a mandate to give multiple-choice reading tests to students who were destined to fail -- students who, like many at Lynbrook, were just beginning to learn English. The Virginia Grade Level Alternative, like the multiple-choice test, assesses students' understanding of the state academic standards. Teachers document learning throughout the year in a binder of class work, including worksheets, quizzes and writing samples. Some special education students and non-native speakers in early stages of learning English are eligible for the portfolio, but final decisions are made by committees of educators and often parents. Educators say the "portfolio" tests are valuable teaching tools and fairer and more meaningful than multiple-choice tests. With more time and flexibility, students have seen their passing rates soar. Since 2007, Lynbrook's reading passing rate for students learning English shot from 52 to 94 percent. Among special education students, the rate went from 34 to 100 percent. At the same time, the number of portfolios increased from a handful to more than 100, including nearly half of the English learners and 78 percent of students with disabilities. All passed. The school had more than 460 students last year. With more students taking the new test, many schools are showing sudden surges in performance. And some parents are concerned the portfolios are muddling scores the public relies on to see how racial and ethnic groups of students are performing and how they compare. "How do you know we are closing the achievement gap, because thousands of our kids are not being tested the same way?" said Maria Allen, a Fairfax parent and longtime advocate for minority students. Success at a cost The remarkable gains at Lynbrook fit into a picture of ever-greater success in the region's largest school system. Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale announced record highs in test scores and impressive progress in narrowing achievement gaps this fall. He attributed the progress to "a powerful shift" toward more personalized instruction systemwide. Dale, who helped lead the fight to provide an alternative test for those beginning to learn English, said portfolios produce more accurate results that are consistent with how non-native speakers perform on multiple-choice tests once they master English. "We are seeing the same great improvement in our kids and our teachers no matter what instrument you look at," Dale said. In an era of high-stakes testing, school leaders walk a tightrope. They must balance a lofty mandate to measure all students according to the same high expectations with a reality of classrooms filled with children who have trouble processing basic information or who recently arrived from another country. Every state makes some allowances for students who cannot meet testing requirements. Maryland officials permit students who fail an exit exam required for graduation to do a project instead. District schools offer a "read aloud" accommodation for students with disabilities during reading tests, but began to dial back the program this spring after education officials found it was being overused. Most states offer alternative tests for students with serious cognitive disabilities. Alternative test may inflate score gains Virginia's move to expand its use of portfolios to include students who are learning grade-level skills is unusual. It's costly. Fairfax spent more than $500,000 to train teachers and score portfolios last year, not to mention thousands of hours of teacher time compiling them. It's also risky. Experts say blending the results of different tests is very difficult. Closely watched trend lines and the accountability system's credibility are at stake. "Schools or districts that are administering more of these alternative assessments may look better than those who are using fewer, and it may not have anything to do with the quality of the program," said Joan Herman, director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing at UCLA. Virginia education officials say they have worked hard to make the tests comparable in rigor and scoring. A Virginia Commonwealth University study found that both tests are "well aligned" to the same academic standards, and the federal government has scrutinized and approved the alternative test. But rollout has been uneven as the number of portfolios in Virginia has more than doubled to 47,000 in the past three years. Richmond, a district with about 23,000 students, administered nearly 3,800 portfolios last year; Loudoun, a district of 57,000, collected fewer than 1,000. Fairfax, with 169,000 students last year, compiled 9,440 portfolios, up from 700 three years ago. The number represents about 2 percent of the total assessments given in Fairfax last year and about 6 percent of reading and math tests given in elementary and middle school. High school students are not eligible for the portfolio. Students excel The remarkable gains at Lynbrook fit into a picture of ever-greater success in the region's largest school system. Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale announced record highs in test scores and impressive progress in narrowing achievement gaps this fall. He attributed the progress to "a powerful shift" toward more personalized instruction systemwide. Dale, who helped lead the fight to provide an alternative test for those beginning to learn English, said portfolios produce more accurate results that are consistent with how non-native speakers perform on multiple-choice tests once they master English. "We are seeing the same great improvement in our kids and our teachers no matter what instrument you look at," Dale said. In an era of high-stakes testing, school leaders walk a tightrope. They must balance a lofty mandate to measure all students according to the same high expectations with a reality of classrooms filled with children who have trouble processing basic information or who recently arrived from another country. Every state makes some allowances for students who cannot meet testing requirements. Maryland officials permit students who fail an exit exam required for graduation to do a project instead. District schools offer a "read aloud" accommodation for students with disabilities during reading tests, but began to dial back the program this spring after education officials found it was being overused. Most states offer alternative tests for students with serious cognitive disabilities. Last year, students tested with portfolios outperformed classmates who took multiple-choice tests in Fairfax. Students with disabilities surpassed schoolwide pass rates in reading or math tests in more than a dozen schools. Students learning English were far more likely to score in the highest performance tier on the reading test, which measures knowledge of language arts concepts such as metaphor and plot, than their native-speaking peers. Overall, English-learners and students with disabilities charted 20- and 18- point gains respectively in reading pass rates, compared to a six-point gain for the division. At Weyanoke Elementary School near Annandale, a third of students were tested with reading portfolios last year, up from none three years ago. Passing rates jumped from 41 to 100 percent for students with disabilities, from 69 to 97 percent for English learners, and from 66 to 91 percent for black students (more than a quarter of whom were tested with portfolios). Principals at Weyanoke and Lynbrook say that the boost in scores has gone hand in hand with improvements in instruction and that portfolios help teachers focus on students' unique learning styles. Weyanoke teacher Candy Kwiecinski is assembling about 10 portfolios for students in her fourth- grade class this year. One October afternoon, she taught a lesson on dictionary skills and how to use guide words at the top of the page. Some students might see a question on guide words next spring on a multiple-choice test. Others were tested that day. A work sheet asking for examples of guide words could go in the portfolio. Or if it that proves too challenging, Kwiecinski can ask a student to explain what they are or whether they can select examples of guide words from an assortment of flashcards. Her job is to find the right way to teach and to test each student. Last year, 100 percent of the portfolios at Weyanoke received passing scores. That does not mean the students who took them are the school's top performers, Kwiecinski said; it means they all learned the curriculum. The portfolios show that her students "are learning the exact same things in different ways," she said. Special Ed e-News - August 6, 2009 Continuing drop in LD ranks sparks speculation on causes The number of children identified with LDs has been falling for several years. In 2007, for example, 2.56 million students aged 6-21 were in this category, according to the Data Accountability Center, compared with about 2.79 million students in 1998. In some respects, the decline is illusory, because the ranks of children in other disability categories have surged. The number of children with autism, for example, leapt from 53,644 in 1998 to 256,863 in 2007, according to the center. Meanwhile, the number of children with OHIs grew from 220,643 to 625,187, an increase that largely came after the addition of ADD and ADHD to that category in 1999. In fact, the number of children aged 6-21 in the IDEA Part B program grew by 8 percent from 1998 to 2007, compared with a rise of only 3 percent in the number of children in that age group. Nonetheless, it is interesting to speculate whether the decrease in children with LDs can be attributed to better teaching. For example, a state's Part B grant is no longer based strictly on its share of children with disabilities. Rather, it is based on the state's 1999 allocation, with 85 percent of the remaining funds distributed according to the state's share of children with and without disabilities and 15 percent according to its share of children in poverty. The same is true at the LEA level, so there is no longer a financial incentive to identify more children as students with disabilities, said Candace Cortiella, director of the Advocacy Institute. Children at risk of being identified with LD have also benefited from the renewed emphasis on phonics, said John Lloyd, a professor of special ed at the University of Virginia and executive director of the Division for Learning Disabilities. At one time, it was thought children would gain reading skills if teachers put words on the wall and placed tubs of books around the classroom, he said. But children in such environments "don't necessarily learn how to read effectively or how to solve words," he said. Congress responded by passing the Reading Excellence Act and then the Reading First program, both of which supported professional development in helping children master the "pretty critical, smaller elements" of reading, Lloyd said. However, Lloyd cannot draw any conclusions about the effectiveness of Reading First or any other instructional approach from the drop in the number of students with LD, given the way the disability numbers have moved around among categories. Special Ed e-news brings you significant case decisions and important developments in special education. The stories mentioned in this e-news edition are brought to you by Special Ed Connection®, LRP Publications’ one-stop online reference center for all your special education needs. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWSLETTER, Summer 2009 AUTISM AND RELATED DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES "Health and Safety" Child Safety: Our Children Are At Greater Risk! What Can We Do? July 30, 2009 What Is ‘Real’ Autism? By Lisa Belkin http://parenting. blogs.nytimes. com/2009/ 07/30/more- of-the-many- views-of- autism/ This is the original article from which this blog springs from.... July 22, 2009 The Unvarnished Reality of Autism By Lisa Belkin http://parenting. blogs.nytimes. com/2009/ 07/22/the- unvarnished- reality-of- autism/ New National Professional Competencies for Teachers of Autism Thursday, July 30, 2009 By: Robin Gurley July 29, 2009 Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic has a grant from the US Dept. of Education to provide FREE membership access, through 1/25/10, to the entire library of books at RFB&D. This is for the downloadable books only, not the CDs. To join, you must have a qualified disability and a qualified professional to sign the application form. This is an excellent opportunity to try this out for students. RFB&D has both textbooks and regular books. www.rfbd.org/ promotions.htm May 27, 2009 Autism and Vision Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and other developmental disabilities can bring with them a variety of vision problems; yet many of these children have either never had an eye exam, or have been told that their vision is fine. However, some of the behaviors associated with these spectrum disorders actually have a visual component, which, when addressed, can make a huge change in the child’s behavior and ability to learn and interact with their world. Most people don’t realize that our eyes are actually part of the brain. Therefore, if someone has a neurological disorder that impacts the brain, their vision would be compromised in some way. Being able to see things clearly from a distance of 20 feet (i.e., “20/20”) is just one of over 15 visual skills required to read, learn and function in life. While 1 out of 4 normal children struggle with reading and learning because of undiagnosed vision problems, research is showing that a significantly higher percentage of children with autism spectrum disorders have vision problems which, when corrected, can make a huge difference in their lives. For more information, please give us a call at 703- 508-2454. Dr. John Dresely April 7, 2009 ASA applauds the recent introduction of two bills to mark World Autism Awareness Day by U.S. Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ). The first bill is a House concurrent resolution observing World Autism Awareness Day and calling for greater federal action to address the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Specifically, this resolution recognizes the importance of autism awareness and expresses the House of Representatives’ commitment to increase funding for research into the causes and treatment of autism and to improve training and support for individuals who care for those with autism. The second bill would fund programs addressing autism in the developing world. This legislation, the Global Autism Assistance Act, would authorize $10 million over three years for service providers and advocacy groups for children with autism specifically in countries with weak healthcare infrastructure and help America regain its leadership position around the world. The Global Autism Assistance Act would fund small grants to raise autism awareness and create new ways to share American expertise and advancements in the diagnoses and treatment of autism with families and medical professionals in countries that have yet to focus on the worldwide increase in the prevalence of autism. The Global Autism Assistance Act would also establish a "teach the teachers" program in which qualified U.S. specialists would train education and health professionals working with children with autism in the developing world. The program would host multiple workshops to enable American education, medical, and psychological specialists to share their expertise with parents and health and education professionals in the program's pilot regions. This is designed to help create a new corps of professionals in the pilot regions who can then fan out and help others further their autism assistance programs on their own. Help support these important bills by writing to your U.S. representative. Use this link to write in support of the World Autism Awareness Day Resolution, and use this link to write in support of the Global Autism Assistance Act. Together, we can improve the quality of live for individuals with autism around the world. Sincerely, Lee Grossman President & CEO Autism Society of America A Genetic Clue to Why Autism Affects Boys More By Alice Park Tuesday, May. 19, 2009 www.time.com/time/health/article/0, 8599,1899756,00.html Support for homeschoolers with autism and PPD's March 25, 2009 A Step Back for Disabled Youths Families Fear Cuts in County Services May Harm Progress of Mentally Challenged By Chris L. Jenkins Washington Post Staff Writer March 12, 2009 The holidays can be a stressful and uncertain time for individuals on the spectrum and their families. Routines are disrupted, family members are pre- occupied with shopping and preparations, and families are often travelling and/or hosting visitors in their home. The “Dear Friends and Family” letter was written for relatives and hosts of holiday gatherings who might need a crash course in what to expect from their guest with autism. The article is reprinted by permission of editor/author, Viki Gayhardt. www.autism-society. org/site/DocServer/Dear_Friends_and_Family. pdf?docID=1141docID Sensory Strategies for Surviving the Holiday Season For more holiday tips or strategies for helping sensory sensitive children, contact Jamie Levine, OTR/L, owner of OT Ventures, LLC at (443) 812- 6396. Or visit: www.ot-ventures.com/ Tips for travel with autistic kids Taking the Kids by Eileen Ogintz - July 21, 2008 Flying can be a rough ride for autistic children, families By Rebecca Kaplan, USA TODAY Fringe autism treatment could get federal study By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Hands On Learning For The Visually Impaired 10 Tips for Ending the School Year by Pat Howey, Advocate Bookshare.org Partners With Don Johnston to Provide Free Text Reader for Print Disabled Students Summer is Here. Good Tips on helping kids stay safe. Written By: Carin Yavorcik, ASA Kid CallCard ensures phone numbers are always nearby. In a large crowd (e.g., a major sporting event, the shopping mall, an amusement park, the beach, etc.), an accidental separation between parents (or chaperones) and children can and often does occur. With The Kid CallCard, the lost child is usually reunited in 5 minutes - as opposed to 35 or 45 minutes, or longer. The Kid CallCard facilitates a very practical, common-sense idea: A child should have the cell phone numbers of chaperones in case an accidental separation occurs. The Kid CallCard is a two-sided waterproof card that holds up to 10 cell phone numbers on one side, and is personalized with your child's first name on the other. It's the size of a credit card, and provides space for two primary cell numbers (usually Mom and Dad), and up to 10 secondary cell numbers for grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends, etc., with whom your child attends outings. Learn more or purchase a card at http: //kidcallcard.com/. Safety When Out Tips For more ASA Tips of the Day, visit www.autism- society.org
Autism Are you traveling this summer with an individual with autism? Check out our travel tips to make the most of your vacation! Music & Movies MP3 players with headphones, loaded with favorite music, can soothe individuals who are disturbed by noises. Personal DVD players can also help make a long trip more enjoyable. Book “Low Season” Vacations Book “low season” on a cruise or at a resort so there will be fewer guests and the staff will have more time to devote to your needs. Travel by Car Whenever possible, travel by car if flying or other public transportation seems too difficult. This will allow your family to relax in a stress- free environment while traveling to your destination. Sensory treatment yields promising results for children with autism Written by Anna Nguyen For the Temple Times Pete and Pam Wright: Founders of Wrightslaw, www.wrightslaw.com At Wrightslaw, our mission is to provide parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys with accurate, up-to-date information about special education law and advocacy so they can be effective catalysts. You will find articles, cases, newsletters, and resources on dozens of topics in the Advocacy Libraries and Law Libraries. You may subscribe to The Special Ed Advocate, the free weekly e- newsletter about special education legal and advocacy topics. Here is a sample of what is on the site. Summary of Stimulus Bill & IDEA Funding Parent Guide to Response to Intervention (RTI) Overcoming Autism A local high school student succeeds with lots of help from parents and teachers. By David Schultz/The Connection Getting help for a child with autism By Elizabeth Cohen CNN Montgomery Parents Help Give Kids a Solid Foundation Nonprofit Group Funds Exercise Therapy for Children By Erin Donaghue Gazette Staff Writer Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills February 21, 2008 by Alix Spiegel www.npr.org Discovery Of New Cause Of Mental Retardation Simplifies Search For Treatments www.sciencedaily.com Autistic Children May Have Abnormal Functioning Of Mirror Neuron System www.sciencedaily.com How kids can get over the 'motivation brick wall' By Tracey Wong Briggs, USA TODAY Bad Behavior Does Not Doom Pupils, Studies Say By BENEDICT CAREY The New York Times Asperger’s Syndrome Gets a Very Public Face By TARA PARKER-POPE The New York Times well@nytimes.com Autistic Children May Have Abnormal Functioning Of Mirror Neuron System www.sciencedaily.com CEC Publishes Position on Response to Intervention Special Ed Advocate Newsletter, Feb. 24, 2009, Waiting to Fail" Instead of Teaching a Child to Read Easter Seals Supports Autism Insurance Coverage Bill Sensory Q-and-A: How to better manage behavioral disabilities By Michelle Diament CEC Smart Brief Science Daily: Measuring Intellectual Disability http://www.sciencedaily. com/releases/2009/06/090624093309.htm Researchers have developed a specific and quantitative means of measuring levels of the fragile X mental retardation 1 protein, which is mutated in fragile X syndrome. Parent Tips from Pathfinders for Autism Halloween- October 2009 By its very nature, Halloween is scary. Everything from the decorations, AMC's listing of the top 100 horror films, the inflated price of candy, etc. But perhaps the scariest part of Halloween is trying to understand it through the eyes of our kids with autism. So how do we make this spooky night less of a nightmare? BOO! Take out the surprise factor Talk about Halloween ahead of time so your child will know what to expect. Show her pictures of kids in costumes, videos of kids trick-or-treating, and make sure you show your child what this will look like when it's dark outside. Social stories can be a great preparation tool. You can even create your own social story using pictures of your kids in previous years. And don't forget to take pictures this year for next year's story. Scope out the neighborhood Take a nighttime stroll through the streets where you plan to trick-or-treat and look at the decorations. Are there any houses you might want to avoid because they look too scary? Talk to your neighbors. Is anyone planning to dress in a costume and scare the kids as they approach a house? You may also want to do an advance visit to any party or Halloween stores where you plan to take your child. I know when you walk into our local party store, you are greeted by a mechanical Jason from Friday the 13th. We all want to avoid months of sleeplessness thanks to nightmares. Teach the rules of trick-or-treating Provide step-by-step instructions for how trick- or-treating works. For instance, how we knock on the door and say "trick-or-treat" but don't go into the house, put the candy in the bag, say thank you, and go to the next house. Practice this routine before the big night. Some kids may need days of practice, some kids may be good with only one dry run. Don't forget to go over what to do if there is a break in the routine, for instance if a neighbor is not home. Here's one tricky rule. We teach our kids all year that they should never take candy from strangers. Since our kids live by rules, they may have a difficult time reconciling this rule infraction. You may think that of course you would never go to a stranger's house, but the stranger issue could come into play if you go trick-or- treating at a community center, mall, etc. Have a dress rehearsal For a child with sensory issues, costumes can pose some problems. The costume can be itchy, too tight, too loose, too hot or not warm enough. Makeup can be sticky, or smell and feel weird. Masks can make it difficult to see or hear, or cause irritation to the head. Have your child try on her costume far enough in advance that you can make adjustments and alterations if necessary. Easy costumes made from clothing articles you already have may be the perfect route. If your child isn't very enthusiastic about wearing a costume, now may be an opportunity to tie in a passion and let him dress as the character he watches 800 times a month. But also let him know it's ok not to wear a costume. Make a candy plan Think pre- and post trick-or-treating. If your child has a restricted diet, you could drop off packages of allowable snacks or small toys to your neighbors for them to give to your child. Or be prepared with acceptable treats you can substitute when your child gets home. If there are some candies on the approved list, ask a sibling if they would be willing to swap. Tell your child ahead of time what he can/can't do with the candy when you get back home. Can he dump it all out and eat the entire bag that night? Will you limit her to a certain number of candies each day? Make sure you don't keep this plan to yourself - share it with your child so expectations are known up front. Go with friends Pair you child up with a neurotypical buddy that can help your child remember the trick-or- treating rules. That buddy can also be another set of eyes on your child amidst the flurry of masquerading candy goers. If your child is an eloper, it might help everyone if your child is wearing sneakers that light up, or has a glow stick or bracelet. And if you have other children, make sure you have a plan in case your child with autism wants to go home before your other children are done. Eliminate the fear factor There's a lot going on during Halloween's evening hours that startles the senses. It's dark and there are lots of people running around in scary costumes. Go before it gets dark if your child would be afraid during the later hours or if you need a less crowded time. If going door-to-door is overwhelming for your child, give her the option to stay home and pass out candy, or invite a small group over for a candy swap. Malls and community centers might offer an alternative location, but inquire about the size of the crowds they are expecting. If your child stays home, consider the commotion. Will constant knocking at your door, or the doorbell ringing upset your child? Or the dog barking each time it rings? Or kids screaming "trick-or-treat"? And perhaps the most important tip: make sure your plan to steal your favorite candy from your child's bag is foolproof. © 2009 Pathfinders for Autism www.merrittproperties.com Merritt Properties is a proud sponsor of the Pathfinders for Autism Resource Center. Learning Difficulties May Be Centred in the Eye, Not the Brain ScienceDaily (June 16, 2010) Special Olympians tie their shoes for good Glen Burnie inventor donates 3,000 pairs of Lock Laces to athletes July 09, 2010|By Mary Gail Hare, The Baltimore Sun Many Special Olympians competing in the national games this month in Lincoln, Neb., will have one less worry while they are running, jumping or playing ball: Their shoelaces will never come untied. A Glen Burnie entrepreneur is donating 3,000 pairs of Lock Laces, a shoe-lacing system that features elastic laces combined with a spring-activated locking device. |
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