Online Autism Course

Are you familiar with iTunes U?  If you have iTunes then you have free access to some of the world's best thinking—lectures from Yale, MIT, Oxford; labs from UC Berkely, Stanford; films from the MOMA, to name a few.  More than 800 universities have active iTunes U sites. About half of these institutions distribute their content publicly on the iTunes Store.

Currently, there are 200 autism related postings on the iTunes U site (just open up iTunes, go to iTunes U and type "autism" in the search box). The Yale Seminar on Autism and Related Disorders is the first undergraduate course of its kind in the US and it's available at iTunes U, click here to subscribe to the course.  This collection contains the full video of each weekly seminar on diagnosis, assessment, etiology, and treatment of autism and related disorders.

Check out this resource, it's another way to enhance your understanding of autism, all from the comfort of your home!

60 Minutes: Apps for Autism

I just caught up on my DVR and wanted to share this week's feature on 60 Minutes regarding the hot topic of iPads and iTouches in the world of autism. I had mixed reactions throughout the piece, but I think it's worth a view if you have time.

My favorites were definitely the University of Pittsburgh's brain scan work (with a Temple Grandin appearance!) and the discovery of a new passion (opera! can you believe that?) for Nuno, a 10-year old with autism that was featured during the piece.

Click here to watch the general feature that appeared this past Sunday.

Click below to watch the web extras:

• Temple Grandin - Understanding Autism
• Studying autism and iPads
• Are autism apps overblown?
• Temple Grandin's unique brain
• Autistic and passionate about Pavarotti

Time Magazine

An occupational therapist in our district shared an interesting TIME article with me this week.

In the article, Simon Baron-Cohen's mating theory is featured regarding how the marriage patterns in our society may increase the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders, especially Asperger's Syndrome.

Here is a summary of the article. If you would like a full copy of the article, check out the August 29, 2011 magazine from your local library.

Hope you enjoy!

Website to Check Out: Autism and Empathy

An interesting new site is out there for y'all to check out: Autism and Empathy.

As the editor and publisher (Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg) writes,

This site exists to undo the myths about autism and empathy that have stigmatized autistic people for so long.

It features writing by autistic individuals, by autism parents and family members, by autism professionals, and by others who understand that autistic people, all along the spectrum, can experience the world in highly empathetic and sensitive ways. Telling our stories, describing our experiences, and speaking the truth in our own voices, we can break dehumanizing stereotypes and increase understanding.

What I have read so far is very thought provoking - a truly great compilation of writing.

Blog Love: October

Here's another round of blog posts I loved this month! Hope you enjoy these ideas!

Differentiation Daily (Paula Kluth)

• A new website devoted to visual recipes: Recipics! I appreciate that this site has more complex recipes versus the perennial favorites - Gorp, Chex Mix, and Mud Pies. Something that would be great for those cooking groups that we might have in our schools, some differentiated instruction for FCE classes, and/or some daily living skills instruction that might need to take place.

• Fun idea for getting all learners involved with vocabulary learning - whether it be synonyms, antonyms, idioms, figurative language ....
  

• A visual rubric for the entire classroom! Love it.

• Notebooking for social studies - can be used by the student as a learning support AND by the team as a running record of the student's progress and work.

• Multiplication punch card: as a person who may hoard cute paper items, I had to say "aww" about this. It also might be a good motivator for some of our students!

• Blackout poetry: great idea for literacy instruction. I am excited to try this with many of my more poetic-leaning students and teams.

• Reader of the Week: what a memorable experience for students! I can only imagine how special they must feel! And how yummy is it that it's around literacy experiences?

• Entrance slip math problems: what a great informal assessment for all learners in a classroom!

• The Educator's PLN - cool website where educators give tips to one another, including tips for DI.

• Online teleprompter at CuePrompter.com: great visual support for learners who benefit from them for presentations and beyond!

• Have any Legos or Duplos hanging around your house or classroom? Here's a fun repurposing of them with literacy in mind! Great idea for those who find writing to be burdensome (or those who have a passion for everything Legos!).

Assistive Technology Blog (Virginia Department of Education)

• Free printable art booklet from Crayola: "Creative Art Experiences for Children with Special Needs". Cool new resource to check out for art ideas for those who may need a little tweaking or even for those who need a replacement activity.

• Coordinate grid stamper: how did I not think of this? I just bought a name stamp for a student the other day! What a time saver.

• You know I love an opportunity to use a highlighter. Try it in math!

• Coinulator. Wow!

• If you're trying desperately to keep up with all the new AAC (alternative and augmentative communication) apps that are available for Apple products, use this site to lessen the weight of your load!

LetterSoup

• Stickman stories: a cool potential twist on social narratives or even a way to engage kids in literacy instruction/activities.

Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs

• The ultimate list of communication symbol sets, sites, and so on! Bookmark this one.

• Getting tired of velcro and manipulatives as pencil and paper alternatives? Magnetic math tiles: 'nuff said.

• Masking devices: I've been using this one at a bunch of my schools this year. A great support solution for focusing attention.

• I have used an adaptation toolbox for many years, thanks to the teachings of one of my graduate school professors. Here is a helpful listing of items you might want to include. I am definitely planning some of these to my kit!

• Need ideas for adaptations to science experiments and curricula? Follow these two sites for ideas that people across the country are sharing!

Local event: Finding or Creating Jobs We Love

This event is being offered by LOV Dane.

A little information about LOV Dane:

http://cow.waisman.wisc.edu/LOV-Dane.html

Living Our Visions (LOV-Dane) is a grassroots organization of individuals with disabilities, families and community members building fulfilling, community centered lives for all citizens. To achieve this goal, LOV is:

• Engaging in collective action
• Mobilizing individual and community assets
• Increasing civic engagement
• Building reciprocal relationships of caring and mutual support
• Developing inclusive and sustainable employment, recreation and living opportunities

The event:

Finding or Creating Jobs We Love November 2, 2011 After a fantastic learning opportunity in September, we wanted to follow up with another one! If you couldn't be with us in September, you should still plan to attend this one if you're interested in thinking about employment. If you were with us in September, this will work well as a way to continue the learning and conversation, it won't be a repeat of things you heard in September. Here are the details: When: Wednesday, November 2, 2011, 6pm-8:30pm Where: Arboretum Cohousing, Common Room, 1137 Erin St. Madison Who: Parents, individuals with disabilities, and other community members who are interested in talking about employment Food: We'll be ordering sandwiches. If you would like a sandwich, let us know if you want ham, turkey or veggie, and bring $5. You are welcome to bring your own food as well. RSVP: Please let us know if you plan to attend by October 26 by emailingprimm@waisman.wisc.edu What: We've invited Doug Hunt, from Dane County Human Services, again to lead a discussion about employment issues in Dane County and what we might do together to work on them. Doug works with all of the vocational providers in Dane County and is familiar with the challenges of job development and finding competitve employment. His discussion will focus on two questions: 1. What's getting in the way of good job development? Of finding jobs we love? 2. What could a group of families do together to overcome these challenges? Margaret Bau, a Cooperative Development expert, will be there to talk to us about cooperatives and enterprises. Margaret works for USDA Rural Development as a Cooperative Specialist. She has worked all over Wisconsin helping all different kinds of cooperatives, including a support worker co-op in Wautoma WI. Margaret will lead a discussion that will help us think about how cooperatives might be used by individuals with disabilities to create jobs they love.

Girls and Asperger's

Here is a video of Dr. Tony Attwood highlighting attributes of girls and Asperger's syndrome in a question/answer format:

http://www.autismhangout.com/news-reports/feature-programs.asp?id2=123

"Autism Hangout" Resource Site

Here is a website rich with a variety of perspectives.

If you haven't already, Please meet:

The Autism Hangout Site: http://www.autismhangout.com/

AUTISM HANGOUT is an online discussion forum that reports news, complies facts and community-submitted personal experiences andinvites ongoing discussion to discover insights on how best to deal with the daily challenges of autism.

AUTISM HANGOUT is a dedicated resource serving the autism community, defined as:
a. Parents of children with autism
b. Children and adults with autism
c. Caregivers to the individual with autism such as siblings, grandparents, other relatives, teachers, classmates, doctors, clergy, care providers, community service professionals (i.e. policemen and firemen), neighbors and product and services providers wanting to service this community
d. The media at large

AUTISM HANGOUT is a compendium of community-reported reviews of products and services. Reviews serve as both recommendations and warnings. Product and service businesses are invited to join in discussions to learn how their offerings can best serve the autism community.

AUTISM HANGOUT is also a social networking opportunity – similar to myspace – that invites autism community members (i.e. caregivers as well as those with autism) to get to know and learn from each other. Groups of those sharing similar interests can also be formed.

Social Thinking at School

"How can we help children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) or related diagnoses develop the skills they need to communicate effectively and express them selves creatively? The answer appears to be in teaching them more about the "why" behind the social behaviors we are trying to coach. When individuals with AS are taught the reason for the behaviors we seek to promote, they are more likely to generalize those behaviors across a variety of settings."

Based on Michelle Garcia Winner's Social Thinking-Social Learning Tree we need to focus more on global social communication issues rather than on specific, individual skills. We need to work on "root" and "trunk" skills instead of focusing on the "leaves." For a deeper understanding of social thinking and to explore social communication skills by "starting at the roots" check out the Social Thinking website!