Blog Love: December

How's this for a buzzer beater?! In an effort to clear up all the items I've starred on my Google Reader - here is the last roundup of web ideas for this year. Hope you find some that you are excited to try once you're back in the classroom.


The Assistive Technology Blog

• Cheap raised line paper: Easy solution to do-it-yourself!

• How to print on sticky notes: I didn't know I wanted this, but you know what? Don't mind if I do. I've had my share of written post-its erased and rewritten by crafty students. Check out this easy tutorial.
  

Differentiation Daily

• Proofs without words: Algebraic proofs can be hard work for a lot of students, not just those on the spectrum. Check out the proof without words at Wild About Math. Very cool, indeed.

• Twitter Board: Cool and motivating community builder and opportunity for everyone to participate.
  

• Activity sticks: If you only have time to try one of these suggestions, PLEASE TRY THIS ONE. Classroom-wide breaks all outlined for you to use when your kiddos have the "blahs". This idea is from the blog Keep Calm and Teach On.
  

Free Technology for Teachers

• Fake Facebook profiles: You know everyone's doing it. This post comes from Richard's top posts of 2011 run-down, and I think it's worth a look for anyone working with older students or students that may be motivated to use Facebook. A safe and motivating way to get going in the land of social networking.

• Animoto's new app: I downloaded it on my iPhone and you should too (if you can). Great way to make nice looking videos - for kids and adults alike.

• Virtual Smithsonian tour and virtual dinosaur dig: Don't kid yourself, you know you have students who would drool over this. Great teaching tool or incentive!

• Wordia - vocabulary games and videos: Fantastic resource! If you're not sure, check out the video that he has embedded in his post to see all of the great features.
  

• Inspire My Kids - inspiring photos and videos: This site is sold as good "character education", but I think it would be a good link into social narratives (e.g., Power Cards).

• The Year in Google Searches: Google's 2011 zeitgeist site is featured and includes a nice visual representation of what were the most searched terms in 2011. Definitely check out the 2011 year in review video.
  
• 5 virtual museum tours & activities: Great visual and interactive tool to enhance a lesson or unit!

• Nobel Prize website: Gives a run down of the neat interactive games and puzzles featuring the concepts of past prize winners.

• Interactive Pearl Harbor map: National Geographic does it again! Provides great visual context of this historical event. Would be great to add more depth to a lesson or to give an alternative altogether.

• Science websites for high schoolers and beyond: This has an older target audience, but you never know when this might come in handy for a student with a special interest.

• 47 alternatives to You Tube: Best post I've seen of his yet! Gives a complete listing of all the sites he has found and what they might be helpful for in the classroom. Print this off and post it somewhere where it'll catch your eye!

• 15 things to do with Edmodo: What's Edmodo? Good question. Answer: microblogging network. Still don't know how that helps you do your job? Check out this list - it's way more helpful than you could ever imagine!

• Class Pager: Send out reminders to class ... or you could just do it for certain students.
  

• Documentary Tube: Catalog of full-length documentaries on the web. I also like the suggestions given for education application.
  

• Google Search Tips: Great visual to display in class or computer lab for exactly what the title suggests.
  

• Choose Your Own Adventure videos: Awesome! This would be a great activity and motivator for so many students!

• Research Cube - research organization: you can register with a K-12 account, never fear! Great way to keep materials and articles all in one place for easy access for students (e.g., long term research assignments).
  

Jill Kuzma's Social & Emotional Skill Sharing Site

• Teachers Pay Teachers: Jill shares some great holiday themed materials she used prior to winter break, but the part I want you to pay attention to is the site where she found them. Teachers Pay Teachers is an open marketplace full of great materials and ideas - some of which are bargains or even FREE! Why recreate the wheel?

Kid Crave

• Dry erase decision maker: I may have been thinking about this for my personal life, but I think we could easily make use of this with our students. Maybe even make it on the cheap ($79 is pretty steep) - you know I love craft projects!
  

Ohdeedoh

• Modern toddler chore chart: Again, I confess I may have tagged this initially for future use with my 2-year old daughter. But isn't this a great (aesthetically pleasing) visual for the littlest ones in our bunch?

Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs

• Fine motor work boxes: Let the pictures speak for themselves.

In the New Year ...

... I am planning on attending two local conferences that I am sure will be chock-full of great information that I will be dying to share with my fellow staff members! We can call this a New Year's Resolution of sorts. What's your resolution this year?

If you'd care to join me, the two conferences that I'm planning on attending in 2012 are ...

• Ninth Annual Wisconsin Transition Conference
  February 9-10, 2012 at the Kalahari Resort - Wisconsin Dells

John Elder Robison, author of Look Me in the Eye and Be Different, will be the keynote
speaker on Thursday. Through his writing and presentations, he gives great insight into
life on the autism spectrum.

• “From Stepping Stones to Milestones” Autism Society of Wisconsin 2012 Annual Conference
  May 3rd – 5th, 2012 at the Hotel Sierra - Green Bay

Kari Dunn Buron will be presenting the pre-conference workshop and keynote speakers
will be Larry, Tracy, Pascal, and Harvey from "Wretches and Jabberers" (Friday) and
Nicole Beurkens (Saturday). This conference is always a fantastic opportunity to gain
knowledge in the area of autism spectrum disorders from local and national experts and to
have time to connect with others in the autism community.

Day with the Experts 2012

Mark your calendars!

The 8th annual "A Day with the Experts" has been scheduled for January 28, 2012 from 9:00 a.m.-1:45 p.m. at the Waisman Center. This is an event where anyone and everyone is welcome, so please consider adding it to your to-do list for the new year. Plus, how can you go wrong at the very low price of FREE?

This year, the following presenters are on the agenda:

• Andrew Alexander, PhD - "Investigations of Brain Connectivity in Autism Using MRI"

• LeAnn Smith, PhD - "Transitioning Together: An Intervention for Families of Adolescents with ASD"

• Linda Tuchman-Ginsberg, PhD - "Teaching Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Works?"

Event and pre-registration details can be found here.

If you prefer a PDF format, try this link instead.

Hope to see you there!

Thinking about videogaming from a different perspective...

The other day, some colleagues and I were talking about some student's love of video games.

I remembered hearing about a whole genre of video gaming that was truly focussed on learning; not just basic math facts, but highly intricate concepts that include college and higher level science content with real life importance (e.g. curing cancer).

Here is a piece that was featured on NPR; To The Best of Our Knowledge, which gives a bigger picture view of this type of gaming (along with some other views into gaming culture).

http://ttbook.org/book/gaming

There is a whole world of game creators that have a very specific goal of engaged learning via a video game approach. Below are links to several of these creators.

Most of the sites give further context to the gaming as learning theory, blogs and articles related to the topic, along with an opportunity to try out some of the games (I myself found myself getting into FiLAMENTGAMES "CITIZEN SCIENCE" game..Citizen Science is an adventure game that teaches scientific literacy and limnology.),

Happy Exploring/Gaming/Learning!

http://www.filamentgames.com/node/87

http://www.gameslearningsociety.org/

http://discovery.wisc.edu/home/wisconsin/research/education-research/education-research-home.cmsx

http://epistemicgames.org/eg/

http://www.jamespaulgee.com/node

Food for Thought

Hi, just a quick note to say; I know everyone is super busy, but I just took a minute to start to listen to the iTunes U lecture series on Autism (honestly-I am multitasking and doing other things as well), that Michael talked about:

http://madisonateam.blogspot.com/search/label/iTunes

I am struck by how one small statement (e.g. 'Autism has been found in every country except for Antarctica") can get me wondering...

What have you wondered about lately? I encourage you to take a moment to read, listen, look at something you haven't before.

I'll leave you with this quote from an 40 something year old with Asperger's, who self-diagnosed himself about 5 years ago. He said "I was so relieved to know what was going on with me. I thought either there was something about me that most people didn't like, or just figured that I didn't fit into the world. I'm not saying I do...."

Tips for Navigating the Holiday Season

While many happily anticipate the coming holiday season, families of people on the autism spectrum also understand the special challenges that may occur when schedules are disrupted and routines broken. These tips were developed with input from the Autism Society, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, Easter Seals Crossroads, the Sonya Ansari Center for Autism at Logan and the Indiana Autism Leadership Network. Hopefully these tips will help families lessen the stress of the holiday season and make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Visual Supports and Autism Spectrum Disorder tool kit

Autism Speaks, North America’s largest autism science and advocacy organization today released the Visual Supports and Autism Spectrum Disorder tool kit providing valuable guidance to parents, families and providers about how to utilize pictures, photographs and other visual supports to improve communication for children, adolescents and adults who struggle with understanding or using language.


Visual Supports and Autism Spectrum Disorder was developed by clinicians and families at the Vanderbilt ATN site to provide step-by-step instructions for parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals who may be unfamiliar with visual supports or who would like to use them more effectively.“The goal of the ‘Visual Supports’ tool kit is to empower families with effective strategies to create less stressful and smoother routine communication between a child with autism and their families or practitioners,” said Autism Speaks Vice President of Clinical Programs Clara Lajonchere, Ph.D.

There's an app for that!

This year, many students will be getting iPads and iPod touches for the holidays.  Humor has it that some of our schools in the district also will be purchasing iPads for use with students and staff in their buildings; now that is exciting!.   

There are 1,000s of apps and it can be challenging to sort through and know just what is out there and useful for students. There are a number of online resources available to help you sort through the maze.  Of course you can start with the Apple Store and do a search via the online store.  You can search through their categories (they even have a category for Special Education apps) or do a search for specific types of apps for which you have an interest (e.g. reading, autism, social). Various groups have assembled a list of "special education apps" that they feel are useful for students.  Check out this list or you might find something different here.

There also are a growing number of websites that regularly update their lists and recommendations of apps:

iPad Apps for Autism A Google docs site maintained by Ms. Rosa that grew out of a project she did for the Hollyrod Foundation. The apps she has reviewed and recommended are classified into categories like art, language and music. Jordan Sadler, a professional speech therapist in Chicago, and Corina Becker, an adult with autism, are among the main reviewers.

a4cwsn.com This site, which stands for Apps for Children With Special Needs, features 500 video reviews done by Gary James of Oxford, Conn., who has a son with autism and a daughter with epilepsy. He says he has reviewed some 5,000 apps, but only lists reviews of apps that he believes do what they promise. If an app passes that test and is listed, developers can pay to be on the home page of his site.

·         

iAutism.info This database contains over 400 apps for iPad/iPhone and nearly 70 for Android. The site was started by Francesc Sistach and his wife, Susana Vila, who live in Spain. Iván Soriano, another parent of a child with autism, is also a main reviewer. 

There also are a couple of free apps that you can purchase through the app store; one is called "Autism Apps" and the other is called “Moms with Apps”.  Both provide a catalog of great children’s and family-family apps.  Search by educational categories and age groups to discover new apps and developers.

I hope that you find these resources helpful in making choices and recommendations regarding apps to use with students with whom you support.

Playful Planet: Storyland Yoga

When I was searching for yoga tools on the web, I found this new (award-winning) yoga DVD.

Storyland Yoga, from the Playful Planet, is eco-conscious and the yoga is done through a storytelling format. I've had a couple students that have struggled with just "doing the poses" for self-regulation purposes, so this might be a tool/strategy to use to engage them more in the process. The target audience is students from 3-8.

There are two separate programs, both about twenty minutes a piece. Let me know if you try this DVD! I'd love to hear if it is worth all the hype! (It is available for purchase through Amazon.)

Blog Love: November

I can hardly believe that December is almost here! Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday. I am especially thankful for lots of great ideas being available to us all out on the grand Internet. Here are my favorites from the past month.

The Assistive Technology Blog

• Have any students that are interested in space travel or being an astronaut? This post highlighted a new resource from NASA for teaching all learners about space science.

• This feature shares one of the best sites out there for anyone interested in AAC (alternative and augmentative communication), AAC Intervention. This was a nice reminder to put Caroline Musselwhite's blog, AAC Girls, on my must-read list!
  

Differentiation Daily

• Using comics in the classroom: So many of our learners, not even just those on the spectrum, benefit from visual supports - and I have tons of students who love, love, love comics. Try clicking through to the Graphic Classroom for more general ideas and the one that Paula liked the best, their use in informal assessments.

• Differentiating graphic organizers: Ms. Montalbano at Charmed in Third Grade posted AMAZING graphic organizers for persuasive essays. I am printing these off to use with my older students. Really useful tool!

• Apps in the upper grades: Struggling to figure out the best apps for your secondary level students? Bookmark the OTs with Apps site for great ideas, especially in this area. I printed off this list that they link to for the 100 iPad apps to try with middle schoolers.

• Different days, different trays: Having just painted a section of our basement in chalkboard paint, I can attest to how fantastic it is! These trays from blogger, Miss Kindergarten, would be great for our learners who benefit from structured work systems and have the potential to be incredibly versatile. This is one I might use at home and at school - a definite dollar store delight!

• Apps for learners with autism: This post highlights the 60 Minutes piece that focused on this topic, however I think this blog is worthy of a read on a regular basis.
  

• After looking around, I am adding Free Technology for Teachers to my blog roll.

• Drama, "speed dating books", and 16 more ideas for reaching them all: Great ideas for engaging students around the subjects of science and social studies. This is also a new blog that I am now following after reading Paula's feature.

First Grader ... at Last!

• This teacher always has super fun and crafty ideas for units and how to engage her first graders. In this post, I really loved her use of visuals for the Daily Five. Kids love being the visual models for these kinds of charts!
  

Teaching Learners with Multiple Disabilities

• Who doesn't have a tupperware container or Ziploc bag full of rogue picture symbols? If you're afraid to give up the beautifully laminated and velcroed items you made centuries ago, consider these ideas for putting them back to good use! My favorite was the MadLibs creation idea!

• Mock Facebook! Need I say more?!? This is my favorite idea in A LONG TIME! This is so age appropriate, motivating, and engaging for our older students. Especially for those places where you are blocked from using Facebook or similar sites at school, this is a great way to create a parallel learning experience. Can't wait to use it with a student/team!
  

Camp AweSum 2012

It may only be November, but it's never too soon to plan ahead!

If you're looking for a great camp experience for your children or students with HFA or Asperger's Syndrome (AS), consider signing them up to attend Camp AweSum. I have had several students and families rave about their experiences there over the past few years.

Camp AweSum is a residential summer camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for students with HFA or AS between the ages of 9 and 15.

The Camp AweSum Youth Camp 2012 will run from June 17-June 22.

The Camp AweSum Family Camps are being held June 10-16 and August 12-18.

Registration begins January 1, 2012 for this summer's camp. Mark your calendars! These camps typically fill within 4-5 days after registration.

If you have any questions, inquiries can be made at CampAweSum@yahoo.com.

the brain; from another perspective

You may have seen this, but at a conference recently, it was used as part of a presentation related to brain differences in individuals with ASD. If you have a few minutes to watch it; it is both entertaining and kind of mind-blowing in the way they present the brain.

It is created by: The Symphony of Science, which is a musical project of John D Boswell, designed to deliver scientific knowledge and philosophy in musical form.

The whole site link is here, feel free to check out all of the videos, the "Ode to the Brain!" is the fourth one down of the videos

Here is the Symphony of Science website:

http://symphonyofscience.com/

Working to change people’s attitude toward children with mental health needs and their families

Family stories, great music, connection to a local resource agency, working together to shift society's stigmatization of mental health issues...Read/listen more:

"We believe children with mental health needs are often judged harshly and not given the chance to highlight the unique talents and gifts they possess. We believe families are too often blamed for their children’s mental health issues, when what they really need is understanding and support. That’s what this project is about."

http://isanyonelistening.org/

The Figureheads is an award-winning musical act turned non-profit organization using original positive hip-hop music to engage youth and educators, from pre-kindergarten through high-school, in order to develop critical thinking and collaborative skills that result in a greater desire to learn and relate.

Using Visual Supports in Yoga Groups for Kids & Teens – being inclusive of learning styles

Looking for ways to include kids & teens with different learning styles in your yoga groups? Want to use positive ways to support participation and reduce problematic behaviors? Then you might want to consider using “visual supports”. Here is a great website with many ideas:

http://omazingkidsyoga.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/using-visual-supports-in-yoga-groups-for-kids-teens-being-inclusive-of-learning-styles/

Autism and Music

“Listening to music while writing makes the flow better between my brain and my body….the different parts of my whole body frankly behave like they are separate, and the different parts seem to need to listen to the same beat to be able to move together like other people’s bodies do.”-Jeremy Sicile-Kira

Jeremy is a writer and advocate for the autism community. He is the first non-verbal  person with autism to have his own column in his high school newspaper, and to be a staff writer on his college newspaper.  Passionate about creating more understanding about people who are differently-abled, Jeremy writes articles, gives presentations and has co-authored his first  book, A Full Life With Autism:  From Learning to Relationships to Achieving Independence to be published by Macmillan in April 2012.

To learn more about the importance of music in Jeremy's life, click here.

Autism Brain Biology

According to Dr. Eric Couchesne's (UCSD) newest publication in JAMA, male children with autism had larger brain weights and 67% more prefrontal brain neurons than children without autism.  Interested in learning more?  Watch the Autism Science Foundation interview with Dr. Courschesne on the brain biology of autism.

Accommodations in Action

This is a great example of how to provide supports and accommodations.  An autistic man was singing the National Anthem at a baseball game, ran into some trouble; click here and see what happens! 

Nobody Nowhere - Donna Williams

The Autism Book Group will be reading and discussing Donna Williams's first autobiography "Nobody Nowhere" next semester. Donna is an amazing woman with autism who has written many books about her experiences. Check out this video of Donna reading excerpts from "Nobody Nowhere". It's one of a 10 part video series you can find on You Tube. Donna also has other You Tube videos where she shares information about her unique insights.

Watch one or more of Donna's videos, peak your interest, and then join Dana and Tamar next semester in the Autism Book Group. 

The Autism Enigma

Autism spectrum disorder has attracted intense interest from the public and scientists over recent years. "Nature" sorts fact from fiction in this hot, but sometimes contentious, field: from the debate about soaring diagnoses, to the idea that scientists and engineers are at high risk of having a child with autism. This special issue includes news and comment from Nature, and articles from Nature Medicine, Nature Neuroscience and Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

Data is your friend

This week I found myself in a very emotionally-charged meeting. Several team members were advocating what I perceived to be drastic changes in a student's program based on concerns they had. A closer look at the data indicated that overall, things were looking pretty good for the student. The concerns that team members had were based on a couple difficult situations but did not represent a consistent pattern of behavior.

When students are having difficult moments, it's important to remain calm and focused and intervene as necessary to keep everyone involved safe. Programming decisions should be made based on patterns of behavior and not isolated incidences. To this end, teams need to take data and utilize this objective information, not emotionally-charged reflections, to guide programming decisions.

Need a good review of data collection methods, including some handy printable data sheets? Check out this useful and informative website on the topic.

Rethinking Autism

Anne Donnellan, David Hill, and Martha Leary have lead the field in our thinking and understanding of autism as a movement disorder.  This article is an interesting and valuable summary of their work and will be the basis of our December workshop, "Autism - Movement Difference and Diversity" [December 8th 4:00 - 6:30 at LaFollette High School].  School staff can register for the workshop here, parents and other community members can register for the workshop here.

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.

Conversation Basics

Effective conversations enable people to get their needs met and ideas heard, as well as making others around them feel comfortable (Mataya, 2010).  Not so easily done for individuals who have Asperger Syndrome.  In Volume 60(3) of the Autism Advocate (see description and link below), Kerry Mehaffey Mataya provides a great article about simplifying how we teach conversation skills. Using the Conversation Basics Rating Sheet (see image below), she offers these 11 steps:

1). Observe student with peers over at least three days.
2). Use rating sheet to determine weaknesses.
3). Determine one area on which to focus.
4). Pre-teach vocabulary of Conversation Basics.
5). Talk with student about their perceptions of their Conversation Basics skills.
6). Integrate Conversation Basics into a one-minute conversation in a 1:1 setting (initially you will likely do a lot of verbal and/or visual prompting).
7). Advance length of conversation and decrease number of prompts.
8). As progress is made, provide opportunities to practice with a small group of peers. You can use visuals (note cards, Conversation Basics, non-verbal cues, gestures) and the conversation does not have to be mastered prior to this step).
9). Continue to extend the conversation and decrease prompts.
10). The end goal is for student to initiate a variety of contributions to a conversation with peers without prompts.
11).  Once Conversation Basics are mastered, develop new goals for secondary conversation skills (e.g., eye contact, body position) as needed.

The Autism Society’s flagship publication, the Autism Advocate, is published four times each year, reaching approximately 30,000 Autism Society members, supporters and professionals. The quarterly magazine offers a diverse collection of the latest issues in autism (e.g., education, environmental health, therapies/interventions, adult issues, caregiving, etc.), Autism Society news, personal perspectives of families and individuals living with autism, and tips from parents and professionals. You must be an Autism Society member to receive the Autism Advocate. To join, click here.

Are you talking too much?

Have you found yourself verbalizing to a student, step by step, what they need to do to complete a task (i.e, open your locker, take off your coat, hang it up, take off your gloves ....)?  I see this chain of behaviors all too frequently when I'm out in schools and in the community with students and staff. Unfortunately, for many students with autism, they become overly dependently on your verbal prompts.  Furthermore, when you think you are fading them, what you actually are doing is going from a direct verbal prompt ("Take off your coat.") to an indirect verbal prompt ("Go ahead.", "What's next?").  The end result is that the student is waiting on you to say something prior to responding.  Rather than increasing their independence, you are making them more dependent.

What should you do instead?  My rule of thumb is that if the task you are teaching does not require the student to verbalize, DO NOT use verbal prompts to teach the task or skill. Verbal prompts are difficult (if not impossible) to fade and some students become overly dependent on them.  Instead of telling them what to do, show them what to do using visual (picture sequences, written lists of steps) and/or physical prompts (hand over hand, partial physical assistance, gestures, proximity).  These types of prompts are more efficient in that they can be easily faded.  In some cases, you may find that you are unable to fade the visual prompts, and that's OK.  How many of us are dependent on our own visual supports (calendar, Blackberry, or iPhone)?  In an earlier post, Jennifer provided a link to an excellent article on visual strategies; for more information on the topic, check out Linda Hodgdon's website.

A-Maze-ing Days!

It's that time of year again!

This weekend, the Autism Society of Greater Madison (ASGM) is hosting their annual A-maze-ing Days fundraiser at Treinen Farm in Lodi!

The event runs both Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 1 and Oct. 2) from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The event will include:

• FREE General Admission
• Children’s Corn Maze
• Adult Corn Maze
• Art Activity Tent
• Tower of Tires
• Barnyard Playground
• Ice Cream and Lemonade
• Raffle
• Pumpkin Patch and Slingshot

Proceeds go towards ASGM’s continued educational workshops and programs. Come and support local families!

Blog Love: Differentiation Daily

Blogs are such a great way to share ideas and see what other educators are using successfully in their classrooms. I was beyond excited when Paula Kluth started her own blog, Differentiation Daily, last year. It is fantastic and has amazing tips from around the web for all disciplines! I especially appreciate her theme days, Todd's Tech Tuesdays (courtesy of her engineer husband) and Fun Fridays.

Here are my recent favorites:

• Classroom community builder links (at multiple levels)
• Fun visual AND a fantastic natural support for the classroom
• Possible lesson for kids about differentiation
• Multiple choice fans
  

I know you'll love Paula's blog and website, so while you're at it ... check out her Facebook page (she has a personal Facebook account and one for her book, From Tutor Scripts to Talking Sticks). Paula is the quintessential resource!

The Social Brain and Autism Spectrum Disorders/Research Study

Here is an article describing distinct differences in the brains of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and their siblings in recognizing human-like images and non-human images documented with MRI readings. The article includes video of the MRI process and a demo of the images shown during the MRIs.

http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/simons_simplex_community/the_social_brain_and_asd

Assessment and diagnosis of children with autism and other developmental disabilities who are from Spanish Speaking families

Although this study is not endorsed by or associated with the school district, it seemed like a good idea to pass on the information in case you or someone you know has a Spanish Speaking student with Autism (between the ages of 4 and 16) that might consider being a part of the study. Here are the details, as passed on to me: please pass them on to others this may apply to. Thanks!

Hello,

My name is Arellys Aguinaga and I am the lead Program Assistant on Sandy Magana's research study titled, Developmental Assessment of Children from Spanish Speaking Families.

Our objective is to learn about the process of assessment and diagnosis of children with autism and other developmental disabilities who are from Spanish Speaking families. Our hope is that the information we are gathering will ultimately lead to a more responsive and progressive service system for all families. Eligible participants are any parents in the Madison, WI area who are native Spanish speakers and who have a child with autism or other developmental disability that is between the ages of 4 and 16.

If you have any contact with families that have a child with a development disability or that are on the autism spectrum and are interested in helping us recruit participants, I would be interested in meeting with you to talk more about the study and to answer any questions you may have.

Very little research has considered the experiences, needs, and concerns of Latino families who have a child with autism or other developmental disabilities and it is our hope that this study will help address this disparity in treatment. Thank you for time and I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,
--
Arellys Aguinaga, B.A.
Masters Student, Counseling Psychology
Program Assistant, Cultural Equivalence of Autism Assessment for Latino Children
Project Website: http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/CulturalContext/
Waisman Center - Room 527
University of Wisconsin-Madison
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
Phone: 608.265.6144

Transtion/New York Times Article

A parent of a student passed this article on to me. They found it to really resonate as their child enters the world of transitioning to adulthood. Its a longer article, but has many anecdotes about Justin: whose journey to adulthood is followed, that give insight into what its like to 'walk' in his Autism. Food for thought:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/us/autistic-and-seeking-a-place-in-an-adult-world.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Helping peers understand autism

About this time each year we look for ways to help peers better understand autism. Peers may be thinking about a kid in their class and trying to make sense about things that s/he sees them do. There's a great book that you can borrow from your autism PST that has great suggestions for how to do peer sensitivity training about autism.

"Walk awhile in my autism" - written by local autism consultants Nan Negri and Kate McGinnity - is a book you should check out. Written by experienced teachers and trainers, this unique and important guide contains 18 experiential activities that can be used to teach neurotypical students how individuals with autism perceive the world around them.

Each activity is presented with a complete description, set up guidelines, materials and space requirements, and related key points. The exercises address issues such as: celebrating diversity; cognitive styles; feeling stuck; sensory differences; being excluded; social barriers; and giving and receiving help. Personal stories and quotes from persons with autism are provided throughout the book, and tips on how to modify activity content and presentation are also included.

Talk with your autism PST about this book and how you can help students better understand, help, and support students with autism.

Is there an autism epidemic?

According to some lay groups, the nation is experiencing an autism epidemic—a rapid escalation in the prevalence of autism for unknown reasons. However, no sound scientific evidence indicates that the increasing number of diagnosed cases of autism arises from anything other than purposely broadened diagnostic criteria, coupled with deliberately greater public awareness and intentionally improved case finding. Why is the public perception so disconnected from the scientific evidence? In this article, the authors review three primary sources of misunderstanding: lack of awareness about the changing diagnostic criteria, uncritical acceptance of a conclusion illogically drawn in a California-based study, and inattention to a crucial feature of the ‘‘child count’’ data reported annually by the U.S. Department of Education.

On-line training opportunities

Looking for a way to enhance your knowledge and understanding of strategies to support students with autism, all from the comfort of your home? The Autism Internet Modules is a free website that currently has online workshops on 34 different evidence-based practices! They have plans to almost double the number of online workshops that are available on the site in the coming months. These online workshops have been developed by noted professionals in the field and will provide you with current and up-to-date knowledge and information that you can implement in the your home or classroom tomorrow.



You will need to register at the site by creating a login and password. Once that simple process is completed, you are just a few clicks away from enhancing your knowledge and skills about proven strategies that support students with autism. Each module is set up in mini-lessons that you can either complete in order or, if you have limited time, skip to specific components or steps of the strategy that interest you most. Pre- and post-assessments are provided to provide you with important feedback regarding your understanding of the strategy.

Workshop Titles, Dates & Times, Locations

These are the classes that we are providing this year:

Using Video Modeling to Support Students with Autism
9/13/11, 4:00 - 6:30, Hawthorne Public Library - Community Room
1/19/12, 4:00 - 6:30, Thoreau Elementary School - LMC

Autism 101 - An Introduction to Understanding and Supporting Students with Autism
9/22/11, 4:00 - 6:30, Sequoyah Public Library -Meeting Room A
2/16/12, 4:00 - 6:30, LaFollette High School - LMC

Autism Book Group - "Look Me in the Eye" (John Elder Robison)
10/5/11, 10/19/11, 12/14/11, and 1/18/12 (for book group meeting locations: MMSD district staff click here; parents and community members click here)

Autism Book Group - "Nobody, Nowhere" (Donna Williams)
2/8/12, 3/7/12. and 5/9/12 (for book group meeting locations: MMSD district staff click here; parents and community members click here)

Using Social Thinking Strategies to Support Students with Autism
10/11/11, 4:00 - 6:30. Thoreau Elementary School - LMC
1/24/12, 4:00 - 6:30, East High School - LMC

Using Improvisation Skills to Shape Student Behavior
11/1/11, 4:00 - 6:30, Hawthorne Public Library - Community Room
3/15/12, 4:00 - 6:30, Thoreau Elementary School - LMC

Movement Differences and Diversity in Autism
12/8/11, 4:00 - 6:30, LaFollette High School - LMC
2/28/12, 4:00 - 6:30, Hamilton Middle School - LMC