Brain Injury Awareness Day at the SC State House

On March 21, 2012, South Carolina had it’s first Brain Injury
Awareness Day at the State House. Our theme this year for Brain Injury
Awareness Month was “A Concussion IS a Brain Injury.” Over 100
supporters came out to help raise awareness. Weeks prior to the awareness
day, BIASC staff and supporters joined together to deliver Awareness Day
postcards and gummy brains to all members of the General Assembly.
The speakers for the day were:
-Joyce Davis, BIASC Executive Director
-Senator Mike Fair, District 6- Greenville County
-Representative Peter McCoy, District 115- Charleston County
-Dr. Craig Burnworth, Medical Director at Moore Sports Medicine
Concussion Center
-Kenneth Edmonds, NFL Representative
-George S. Wham Jr., EdD, ATC/SCAT, Pelion High School, SC Athletic
Trainers Association
-Student athletes Anna Penland and Brennen Barber
Thank you to all those who made the day possible: our speakers, SC SAFE
KIDS, SC Children’s Trust, SC Independent Living Council, Disability
Action Center, SC Injury Free Alliance, SC Athletic Trainers Association,
SC Brain Injury Leadership Council, and BIASC Awareness and
Prevention Committee.

To access the CDR catalog, please click on this link.

Researchers Have Created Glasses That Indicate Obstacles to Patients With Visual Handicaps

ScienceDaily (May 28, 2012) — People with moderate visual impairment, particularly those who have difficulty perceiving the full extent of their surroundings, could use the ingenious device that these UC3M scientists have created. "This device is aimed at people who would bump into everything that they fail to see because of their loss of visual field, caused by glaucoma, retinal pathologies, etc.," states the head of the project Professor Ricardo Vergaz, of UC3M's Electronics Technology Department.The prototype was developed using an HMD device (Head Mounted Display), a virtual reality helmet that includes two cameras to which a small computer has been attached; the computer processes all of the images that it receives. Then, thanks to an algorithm that the researchers have developed, the system determines the distance and outline of the objects and communicates the information to the user in real time using two micro screens, highlighting the silhouette of the elements in the scene and varying the colors according to their distance.

"It detects objects and people who move within the visual field that a person with no visual pathologies would have. Very often the patient does not detect them due to problems of contrast," explains Professor Vergaz. "The information regarding depth is what is most missed by patients who use this type of technical aid," he adds.

To read the entire article, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Future Horizons Autism/Asperger's and Sensory Conference

Future Horizons Autism/Asperger's and Sensory Conference in Charleston, SC on Friday, June 15, at the Montague Terrace featuring two nationally-renowned speakers, including Dr. Jed Baker, director of the acclaimed Social Skills Training Project, and the author of No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing Out-Of-Control Behavior and The Social Skills Picture Book; and Carol Kranowitz, MA, author of bestselling The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder, who offers sensory strategies and activities that are applauded around the world.

Throughout the conference there will be an extensive resources/book table available, as well as excellent networking opportunities with other local parents/caregivers, therapists, counselors, special ed teachers, psychologists, physicians, social workers, etc., within the various ASD and SID related communities.

For more information (including CEU & Graduate Credits), to register, and/or to download a (PDF) conference brochure, please visit Future Horizons' website at:

http://fhautism.com/Conferences/tabid/91/Default.aspx or call 800-489-0727.

To access the CDR Library's catalog, please click on this link.

A milestone for Mark: After a diagnosis of autism, regular classes, friendship and graduation

The State - By CAROLYN CLICK - cclick@thestate.com

"When Mark Jameson walks across the stage May 30 to receive his diploma from Chapin High School, it will be the grand finale of an educational journey that took him from a near-silent toddler and frustrated first grader to a loquacious and personable young man.

The milestone will be cheered by his family, parents Donnie and Theresa Jameson, and brothers, Matthew and Michael, and the dozens of teenage friends Mark has come to know as he learned to master a “regular” school and take control of his autism.

There will be his football team friends, whose birth dates he knows by heart. (He demonstrated that feat at a football camp talent show — “Let’s just say that overloaded my memory,” Mark noted.)"

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/21/2284071/a-milestone-for-mark-after-a-diagnosis.html#storylink=cpy

NOTE: To read the entire article click on the title above.

Life With Brain Injury SC Statewide Conference

Assistive Technology Reuse Event

Join the Disability Action Center’s (DAC) Fund Raising Event!
10% of the ticketed sales will be donated to support DAC’s Assistive Technology Equipment Reuse Program.

When: Thursday, May 24th 2012
Time: 5PM-9PM
Where: Salsarita’s, 5135 Sunset Blvd. Suite H, Lexington, SC 29072, 803-957-7482

The Equipment Reuse Program allows DAC to provide assistive technology to individuals with disabilities so that they are able to live, learn, work, and play independently. Proceeds from this event will go to assist with the costs of wheelchair batteries and equipment for demonstration.

For More Information Contact:
Disability Action Center
Voice: (803) 779-5121 Ext. 124
TTY: (803) 779-0949
Toll Free: (800) 681-6805
Email: ktissot@dacsc.org

Webinar: Conservatorship & Guardianship for Your Child With Special Needs

Conservatorship & Guardianship

for Your Child With Special Needs

For: Parents/Others of children with Special Needs

Sponsored By:Parents of South Carolina

PRO*Parents

Presented By

Jeremey Poindexter, Attorney

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 16, 2012

1:00pm-2:30pm

WEBINAR

INTERNET & PHONE LINE REQUIRED TO PARTICPATE

(Please provide Name, phone number & email address

to attend this webinar)

Workshop Content

__________________

How to obtain Conservatorship & Guardianship

for your child with Special Needs

Call 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Please visit our website
http://www.proparents.org/
for information & registration details

PRO-Parents of South Carolina
652 Bush RIver Road Ste 203
Columbia, South Carolina 29210
This email was sent to: rectanya@aol.com
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Columbia Parkinson's Support Group Meeting Announced!

Date: May 20, 2012
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm New Meeting Time!
SPECIAL NOTE: By popular request of our members, our new meeting time will start at 3:00 pm
and end at 4:30 pm. With time available "after" our meetings for socialization among guests and
support group members!
Location: Lexington Medical Park #1 Auditorium - 2720 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia, SC 29169 --- For more
information and maps about our meeting location, please go to this webpage
www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/meeting_info.htm
Meeting Topic: OPEN FORUM - "If you don't care, who will care?"
Because this year is an important political year, it is even more important for all of us in the Parkinson's community to
understand how our voices can be heard in Washington, and how we can make an important difference for the
Parkinson's community.
During this Open Forum Discussion, we will not discuss, express our political opinions, or indicate support of one political
party versus another. This meeting is not about political parties - it is not about red versus blue. We will discuss why we
should become Parkinson advocates; how we can become active advocates; and how we can influence Washington's
support of dollars for research, adequate care options, future better treatments, and finding a cure for Parkinson's
disease.
Adrienne O'Neill, the South Carolina State Director for PAN (Parkinson's Action Network), will help lead our Open Forum
discussion on becoming advocates -and- educating the public in our communities and our government leaders on better
policies for research and an improved quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s. For more information about PAN
visit this link www.parkinsonsaction.org/about-pan
Join us for this very interesting, challenging, and thought provoking Open Forum Discussion.
All of our meetings are free!
Please Feel Free To Bring Guests: Please don't forget, we always welcome any guests to come with you. The more
your family, friends, neighbors, business associates, or anyone who has an interest in Parkinson's disease can learn
about Parkinson's disease, the more support they can provide. We always welcome students from our universities and
colleges!
Our April 15th "Q&A Open Forum Panel" meeting was a very special meeting. We had standing room only! The 5
Parkinson's specialists on the "Q&A Open Forum Panel" were excellent and very informative. We had so many questions
submitted by email prior to the meeting and during the meeting that we ran out of time after 2 1/2 hours of Q&A. After the
meeting, the panel members graciously were available to answer personal one-on-one questions.
Thank you Dr. Tom Faber, Dr. Gonzalo J. Revuelta, Dr. John C. Morgan, Dr. Nathan "Ben" Herz, and Michelle Morton of
Medtronic Inc. for being on our panel! Contact information for all of these panel members may be found at the following
link on our website www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/meet_calendar_2012.htm#Apr_Drs_Panel

Email: contact@columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org
Website: www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/
5/10/2012
Based on the positive response from your meeting feedback, we will definitely consider having this type of meeting format
for next year's April Parkinson Awareness Month.
Unfortunately at the end of April 15th meeting, our copy of the "2012 Governor's Parkinson's Awareness
Proclamation for South Carolina" was missing. Perhaps it was accidentally picked up with some of the free books,
literature, and handouts that we had available for everyone. Please look through anything that you picked-up from the
meeting and see if you have a "blue folder with the Governor's seal on the front and the proclamation inside the folder.
This is a very important document to the South Carolina Parkinson's Community, and we would appreciate if it was
returned it to us. You can contact us at phone #803-604-0061 -or- mail it to us at
Columbia Parkinson's Support Group
1254 Holley Ferry Road
Leesville, SC 29070-7248
Our "NEWS FOR YOU" web page on our website at www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/ always has "New - News"
and information that may be of interest to you. It is updated often. If you looking for information about dates of new
events, seminars, symposiums, and of course information about our monthly meetings - visit our "2012 MEETING &
EVENTS CALENDAR" web page.
Donations In Memory or To Honor - A member of our support group shared that they didn't want to send flowers for
special holidays, as a memorial, or to give presents to honor loved ones, family, and friends. They said that they receive
great support and information from our Parkinson's support group, and they wanted give a lasting gift in "memory of" and
"to honor" by helping their local Parkinson's community with their donations. In keeping with this idea, any time is an
excellent time to show your support of your local Parkinson's support group by making a donation.
The Columbia Parkinson's Support Group does not charge any fees or dues. Our support group is operated and run by
your donations; and by volunteers who are Parkinson patients, caregivers / care partners of Parkinson patients, or people
who have an interest in and support Parkinson's disease. Our officers and board members volunteer their time, they do
not receive compensation or salaries. Without your donations our support group would not be able to continue to provide
support, education, and information to the local Parkinson's community.
Please add the Columbia Parkinson's Support Group to your list of donation groups. You can send a donation "In Memory
Of", "To Honor Someone", or just "To Show Support". Your donation will be much appreciated by the Columbia
Parkinson's Support Group. We will send a letter from our support group to the family or individual, acknowledging your
donation; and include any personal message you wish to send to them. You can donate when you attend any of our
meetings, or you can send your donations to the following address. If you need a letter for an IRS tax deduction, please
let us know. Yes, we accept cash and checks - unfortunately, at this time we don't have PayPal or accept credit cards.
Columbia Parkinson's Support Group
c/o Carol Baker, Treasurer
2 Arrow Lake Road
Irmo, SC 29063
If you have any questions about making donations, please don't hesitate to contact either Carol Baker or Dottie Gantt.
Carol Baker, Vice President
Telephone 803-781-6193
Email: caroltbaker@bellsouth.net
Dottie Gantt, President
Telephone: 803-604-0061
Email: contact@columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org
Again, Please Feel To Bring Guests: Please don't forget we always welcome any guests to come with you. The more
your family, friends, neighbors, business associates, or anyone who has an interest in Parkinson's disease can learn
about Parkinson's disease, the more support they can provide. We always welcome students from our universities and
colleges!
Columbia Parkinson's Support Group Page 3 of 3
Email: contact@columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org
Website: www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/
5/10/2012
To Contact Us: Please call us between the hours of 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Zone and leave a
message on our answering machines -or- send us email
Carol Baker, Vice President - Email: caroltbaker@bellsouth.net - Telephone 803-781-6193
Dottie Gantt, President - Email: contact@columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org - Telephone: 803-604-0061
We look forward to seeing you at the May 20, 2012 meeting, or at any of our meetings!
Regards,
Dottie M. Gantt, President Columbia Parkinson's Support Group
Email: contact@columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org - Telephone 803-604-0061
Website: www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org/
“Every PD patient is unique and everything about his or her disease is specific to him or her and ONLY to him or her. PD
has only one time - NOW, the present. The previous hours do not forecast how you are going to feel. The only

Mark Your Calendars! Statewide Brain Injury Conference July 12-13, 2012 Columbia Conference Center

Life with Brain Injury - SC Statewide Conference!

Brain Injury Association of South Carolina and South Carolina Brain Injury Leadership Council

July 12 and 13, 2012

Columbia Conference Center,
169 Laurelhurst Avenue,
Columbia, SC 29210

Click here to download the flyer (pdf)

Upcoming Health Fair in Chester

Please help us get the word out about the upcoming HEALTH FAIR in CHESTER to be held on Saturday June 9th from 9am until 1pm at Chester County Branch YMCA , located at 157 Columbia Street , Chester S.C. 29706.
This is a FREE event and it costs your company ZERO to participate and a table and two chairs will be provided for your use.
All you need to bring is a table covering to cover your table and your company can also donate a door prize for the event. This year’s event is sponsored by CHESTER HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION, ACTIVE DAY of CHESTER, CHESTER BRANCH YMCA. The attached flyer announces the event and please feel free to print and distribute. All the attached HEALTH FAIR docx. Is for you to use to sign up to set up a table at the event to represent your business. This HEALTH FAIR is geared toward ALL ages.
If your company would like to participate please feel free to complete the attached form and fax it back to me at 803-581-4640 or you can mail it back to me, either way I would like to have your response no later than May 15th.
Sincerely ,
Marie Williford RNActive Day of Chester609 Columbia RoadChester S.C. 29706 Phone :803-581-2630Fax:803-581-4640
mailto:803-581-4640mmwilliford@activeday.com
http://www.activeday.com/

PRO-Parents of SC WEBINAR: Special Needs Trusts & Estate Planning

Special Needs Trusts & Estate Planning

For: Parents/Others of children with Special Needs
Sponsored By:Parents of South Carolina
PRO*Parents

Presented By
Jeremey Poindexter, Attorney

May 9, 2012
1:00pm-2:30pm
WEBINAR
INTERNET & PHONE LINE REQUIRED TO PARTICPATE
(Please provide Name, phone number & email address
to attend this webinar)

Workshop Content
__________________
Special Needs Trusts
Estate Planning for your child with Special Needs

Call 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688
FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Please visit our website
http://www.proparents.org/
for information & registration details

PRO-Parents of South Carolina
652 Bush RIver Road Ste 203
Columbia, South Carolina 29210

Kelly's Special Olympics Weekend

Special Olympics and What I did on April 20

This was the first competition of Special Olympics before I go to Fort Jackson. I did the 50 meter walk and the softball throw. I got second place in the 50 meter walk. It looked like I got first place because I was at the finish line first. But they said I got second place. Well hopefully I will get first place in the 50 meter walk when I go to Fort Jackson May 4-6. I got third place again this year in the softball throw. I’m getting tired of getting third place in the softball throw every year. They always put me in with the guys. That’s not fair because I can’t throw farther than the guys. But I had a lot of fun at the Owens Field. That’s where we went on April 20. That is what I did for Special Olympics. But I was supposed to go to the Joy prom that night. But I couldn’t go. I didn’t have a ride. After Special Olympics was over I got McDonald’s food then I went home. I had a great time on April 20. It was fun. On May 4-6 I’m going to Fort Jackson for Special Olympics. I’m going to do track and field. I will be in the 50 meter walk and the softball throw. I will be writing another article about Fort Jackson. Which I look forward to every year. I love Special Olympics. Special Olympics is my life.

Future Horizons Autism/Asperger's and Sensory Conference

Future Horizons Autism/Asperger's and Sensory Conference

Charleston, SC on Friday, June 15, at the Montague Terrace featuring two nationally-renowned, expert speakers, including Dr. Jed Baker, director of the acclaimed Social Skills Training Project, and the author of No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing Out-Of-Control Behavior and The Social Skills Picture Book; and Carol Kranowitz, MA, author of bestselling The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder, who offers sensory strategies and activities that are applauded around the world.

Throughout the conference there will be an extensive resources/book table available, as well as excellent networking opportunities with other local parents/caregivers, therapists, counselors, special ed teachers, psychologists, physicians, social workers, etc., within the various ASD and SID related communities. (Outside exhibitor tables will be available via advance reservation for those interested.)

If you would like a free supply of the printed conference brochures to share with your clients, colleagues, family, friends, etc., please let me know.
For more information (including CEU & Graduate Credits), to register, and/or to download a (PDF) conference brochure, please visit Future Horizons' website at:

http://fhautism.com/Conferences/tabid/91/Default.aspx or call 800-489-0727.

To read more about autism, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Free Webinar On Distance Ed and Learning Environments Accessibility

Accessibility in Distance Education Training
PRESENTERS: Kara Zirkle and Marci Kinas-Jerome, George Mason University
DATE: Thursday, May 10, 2012
TIME: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Register for this webinar
How to access this webinar

Webinar Description:

This session will provide an overview of accessibility issues related to distance education training and learning environments. Distance Education, through both synchronous and asynchronous delivery, provide expanded opportunities to access training content as well as to interact with others within a convenient environment. Yet, accessibility of Distance Education tools, such as Blackboard and Adobe Connect, can frequently pose significant barriers to individuals with disabilities because they do not work well, if at all, with assistive technology tools designed to support those individuals. During this session we will feature commonly used Distance Education tools to highlight accessibility issues as well as to provide a framework for matching tools based on user needs and preferences.

Presenter Bios:

Marci Kinas Jerome is an assistant professor in special education and assistive technology at George Mason University. She serves and the academic program coordinator of the low incidence special education program at GMU as well as the project coordinator of a multi-university low incidence distance education training grant. Dr. Kinas Jerome also serves as professor in charge of the assistive technology certificate and masters program at GMU.

Kara Zirkle has worked at George Mason University as the IT Accessibility Coordinator for 4+ years. She works to ensure that the electronic and information technology (E&IT) is accessible to faculty, staff, students and public both with and without disabilities. She specifically looks at Section 508 compliance for the University as a whole which includes but not limited to: web and document accessibility, captioning of videos, transcript for audio and purchasing and procurement of applications.

Register for this webinar
How to access this webinar

To read more about autism, please click on the above title.
To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.

Obesity In Moms Ups Autism Odds

Disability Scoop (April 4, 2012)-The number of children born with autism is on the rise and so is obesity. Now researchers say the two may be linked.

In a study of more than 1,000 children, researchers found that mothers who were obese during pregnancy had a 67 percent greater chance of having a child with autism and were more than twice as likely to have a child with another developmental disorder. What’s more, moms with diabetes — which often occurs in those who are overweight — were 2.3 times more likely to have a child with developmental delay.

The findings published Monday in the journal Pediatrics are among the first to tie autism and developmental delay to the presence of metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes in pregnant women. Researchers say their discoveries carry significant public health concerns, citing statistics showing that nearly 60 percent of American women of child-bearing age are overweight.

“It really was eye opening,” said Paula Krakowiak of the University of California at Davis who led the study. “This would add to reasons to do whatever you can to maintain your health.”

For the study, Krakowiak and her colleagues looked at over 500 children with autism, nearly 200 with other developmental delays and about 300 typically developing kids in California.

Through interviews with the children’s mothers and reviews of medical records, they found that obesity, diabetes and hypertension during pregnancy were significantly more common among mothers who gave birth to kids with developmental problems.

It’s unclear why metabolic issues like obesity would increase the odds of autism and other developmental problems, but Krakowiak said that the body’s reaction to such conditions could negatively affect a baby’s brain development.

“There are already benefits of modifying lifestyle — eating healthy and being active — but not only is it going to increase your own well-being, but it also might reduce the odds of adverse effects in your child,” Krakowiak said.

To read more about autism, please click on the above title.

To access the CDR Library catalog, please click on this link.