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Monday, February 20, 2012

Webinar - Group Instruction for Kids Who Hate Group Instruction






Join us, as we continue our FREE webinar series. This month we will focus on Group Instruction for Kids Who Hate Group Instruction presented by Anne Lau M.Ed., NCC, B.C.B.A. on February 28, 2012 from 4pm-5pm PST and again on February 29, 2012 from 12pm-1pm PST.

This webinar will provide information on the deficits that many children with autism have and why these deficits prevent learning in group situations. It will describe some beginning goals and the procedures used to meet those goals in providing effective group instruction to early learners.

This beginner level webinar will teach you to:




  • Describe why some learners may not be benefiting from group instruction


  • Identify when a transition to group instruction would be appropriate


  • Define the first goals/IEP objectives in providing effective group instruction


  • List multiple group activities and teaching procedures that can be used to target those group instruction goals



Who would benefit from this webinar:



  • Autism service provider organizations


  • Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)


  • Teachers


  • Paraprofessionals



African-American children tend to be diagnosed later for autism

The rate of diagnosis for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is the same among all racial groups — one in 110, according to current estimates. However, a study by a Florida State University researcher has found that African-American children tend to be diagnosed later than white children, which results in a longer and more intensive intervention.The reasons for later diagnoses include a lack of access to quality, affordable, culturally competent health care, according to Martell Teasley, an associate professor in Florida State's College of Social Work who has conducted a comprehensive review of researchliterature on autism and African-American children. In addition, the stigmaattached to mental health conditions within the black community contribute to misdiagnoses of autism, and underuse of available treatment services.

 Click here to read more. 

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The Latest TV Trend: Autism

It’s great that the growing diversity of characters is extending to the neurological, and I’m sure it contributes to greater understanding of some of the issues these individuals face; consider whether Charlie Babbitt’s cruel, ignorant treatment of his brother Raymond in the first half of 1988′s Rain Man would be considered redeemable by today’s audiences. The danger is that it may also lead to a more widespread perception of those on the spectrum as inherently miraculous. Spike Lee rightly derides the storytelling trope of “magical negro,” in which a beatific black person helps a privileged but struggling white person discover the true meaning of whatever, as in The Legend of Bagger Vance or as TourĂ© recently pointed out, The Help. Applied to those on the autism spectrum, it’s easy to see how a continuation of this trend may result in their further marginalization. “What’s wrong with him?” is a hurtful question, but “What can he do?” isn’t much better. Perhaps a more realistic portrayal of a character with Aspergers is that of Max Braverman on NBC’s Parenthood, an often challenging boy who doesn’t exist to solve problems for his neurotypical counterparts and doesn’t have superpowers to do so in any case

.Read more: 

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Friday, February 17, 2012

Motor Impairments Appear to Be a Characteristic of Autism

Autism itself seems to be responsible for the problems children with the disorder have in developing motor skills such as running, throwing a ball and learning to write, according to a new study. Previously, it wasn't clear whether these motor skill difficulties ran in families or were linked to autism, said the researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

 Click here to read more.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

'Best Practices': Learning To Live With Asperger's

A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband When he was 30 years old, David Finch's wife, Kristen, sat him down and asked him a series of odd questions: "Do you notice patterns in things all the time?" "Do people comment on your unusual mannerisms and habits? "Do you feel tortured by clothes tags, clothes that are too tight or made in the 'wrong material'?" "Do you sometimes have an urge to jump over things?" David's answers to all of these questions — and more than 100 others — was an emphatic yes. Kristen Finch had just given her unsuspecting husband a self-quiz to evaluate for Asperger's syndrome, a condition on the autism spectrum. Her own score was 8 out of a possible 200. David's was 155. "It was very cathartic. It was this unbelievable moment of self-recognition," David Finch tells NPR's Melissa Block. "It gave me such insight into who I am, how my mind works and why certain things have been such a challenge." In his new book, The Journal of Best Practices, David Finch describes how he and Kristen worked to overcome his compulsions and sometimes anti-social behavior.

 Click here to listen to the interview on NPR. 

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A new movie about Aspergers and Baseball

A Mile In His Shoes is the story of Mickey Tussler, a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome and a golden arm. The manager for a local baseball team convinces Mickey to join the team. For the first time in his life Mickey is forced to interact with others as well as try and make friends with his teammates. The movie is based on a novel by author Frank Nappi entitled The Legend of Mickey Tussler, We caught up with Frank and interviewed him about The Legend of Mickey Tussler and his opinion of the movie. Check out the trailer above and the interview with Frank below.

Click here to watch the trailer and read more. 

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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

'Best Practices': Learning To Live With Asperger's

When he was 30 years old, David Finch's wife, Kristen, sat him down and asked him a series of odd questions: "Do you notice patterns in things all the time?" "Do people comment on your unusual mannerisms and habits? "Do you feel tortured by clothes tags, clothes that are too tight or made in the 'wrong material'?" "Do you sometimes have an urge to jump over things?" David's answers to all of these questions — and more than 100 others — was an emphatic yes. Kristen Finch had just given her unsuspecting husband a self-quiz to evaluate for Asperger's syndrome, a condition on the autism spectrum. Her own score was 8 out of a possible 200. David's was 155. "It was very cathartic. It was this unbelievable moment of self-recognition," David Finch tells NPR's Melissa Block. "It gave me such insight into who I am, how my mind works and why certain things have been such a challenge." In his new book, The Journal of Best Practices, David Finch describes how he and Kristen worked to overcome his compulsions and sometimes anti-social behavior.

 Click here to listen to the story on NPR. 

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Got Autism? Learn About the Link Between Dairy Products and the Disease

Click here to read more. 

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