An Evening of Hopes and Dreams: Benefit Concert and Silent Auction

An Evening of Hopes and Dreams

Benefit Concert

and Silent Auction

Featuring Edwin McCain

Benefiting Family Connection of SC

April 28, 2013 from 6-9 pm

The Hall at Senate's End

316 Senate Street

Columbia, South Carolina

Heavy Hors d'oeuvres and Fine Spirits


Join us for an evening of food, drink, and a silent auction and guest permanence by Edwin McCain!  The evening brings together a diverse, committed group of community leaders who care about children with liabilities and special healthcare needs in South Carolina and their families.

To purchase tickets, please click here. There is special ticket pricing for parents who have children with special needs. For these tickets or for sponsorship opportunities contact our state office.

Contact Information:
Seana McKee, benefit corrdinator
p: 803-252-0914 ext 117
e: smckee@FamilyConnectionSC.org

The Cause:

    Family Connection of South Carolina is a statewide nonproft organization that links families of children with special healthcare needs or disabilities with resources, support and education.  We provide support to parents with a child or family member with any special healthcare need, such as an upcoming surgery, developmental delays, premature birth, physical limitations and all diagnoses including autism, asthma, ADHD and cerebral palsy.

    Our support for families includes a vast family-to-family network, statewide offices,events and a host of programs that educate, inspire and empower families and their children to live rich, fulfilling lives in spite of many challenges.

To purchase tickets or to read more, please click on the above title.

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

How autism can cost families millions

How autism can cost families millions

As the rate of reported cases rises, the expense of providing care -- sometimes for a lifetime -- is becoming staggering.

Lost amid the recent coverage about the frightening rise in reported cases of autism is any discussion of the costs to families -- which can be staggering.

According to data from the Autism Society, the annual cost to society from the illness is $137 billion, greater than the state budget of California and more that twice the market capitalization of General Motors (GM -0.35%), North America's largest automaker. 

No less overwhelming is the cost to individuals and families caring for a person with autism. The Autism Society cites estimates of $3.2 million for the lifetime costs of such care. Behavioral therapies for children can cost $40,000 to $50,000 per year. Caring for an adult with autism in a supported residential setting can cost $50,000 to $100,000 per year.

"Even if no new instances of autism occurred starting today, the number of adults who would potentially turn to the human services delivery system for services and/or supports by 2030 will be 500% higher than it is today," according a statement the society provided to MSN Money.

The costs can be such a burden that parents have known to move to states where children on the autism spectrum get better benefits for care. Parents must often pay for services out of their own pockets because what schools provide is inadequate. Increased emphasis on early detection is no doubt costing taxpayers more money, but it's not clear exactly how much.

To read more, please click on the above title.

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

Indie Game Developer Creates Autism Sim Game

Indie Game Developer Creates Autism Sim Game

What's it like to be a child with sensory sensitivities on a noisy, busy playground? Find out when you play Auti-Sim.

What is it like to be a child on the autism spectrum on a noisy, busy playground? The typical laughter and squeals of joy can be overstimulating and scary for children with sensory sensitivities. It is difficult for those without sensory issues to understand how a place of joy can be anything but fun for children, but a new indie game, Auti-Sim, attempts to give everyone a brief glimpse into the life of a child with autism.

 

Auti-Sim is playable on the GameJolt.com website, a site dedicated to independent game developers.  

 

“This game was developed during Hacking Health Vancouver 2013 hackathon. The player navigates through a playground as an autistic child with auditory hypersensitivity. Proximity to loud children causes sensory overload for the player, impacting cognitive functions. This impact is represented as visual noise and blur, as well as audio distortion. Participants described the experience as visceral, insightful and compelling.”

What do you think? Is the game degrading to autistics or is it a valid attempt at helping neurotypical individuals understand what it is like to deal with sensory sensitivities? Watch a video of the game below:

To learn more, please click on the above title.

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

Build-A-Bear Workshop Offers a Unique Piece to Support Autism Speaks

Build-A-Bear Workshop Offers a Unique Piece to Support 

Autism Speaks

Build-A-Bear Workshop®, the interactive entertainment retailer of customizable stuffed animals, today announced the launch of a special bear to support Autism Speaks® and its Light It Up Blue campaign during Autism Awareness Month. Throughout the company’s history, Build-A-Bear Workshop has supported causes that are important to its Guests, especially in the area of children’s health and wellness. The company is continuing its relationship with Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, for the ninth consecutive year.

“As the prevalence of autism grows, we know how increasingly important this cause is to Build-A-Bear Workshop Guests,” said Maxine Clark, Build-A-Bear Workshop founder and chief executive bear. “With this new Autism Speaks Bear, we hope to raise awareness and make a difference for children and families impacted by autism.”

The Autism Speaks Bear ($18) arrives on March 27 and $1 from the sale of this bear will be donated to Autism Speaks. An Autism Speaks bear-sized Tiny Tees® shirt ($7) will also be available, with 50 cents from every tee sold going directly to the charity. Throughout April, Guests can also donate $1 (or more) to Autism Speaks when they check out at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in the United States or online atbuildabear.com.

“Since 2005, Build-A-Bear Workshop and its Guests have raised more than $545,000 to support Autism Speaks,” said Alec Elbert, chief strategy and development officer at Autism Speaks. “Build-A-Bear Workshop has always been a strong supporter of our organization and families impacted by autism, and we are honored that the company and its customers are raising funds with this adorable bear to support our efforts.”

To read the rest of the article, please click on the above title.

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

South Carolina Respite Coalition

Respite is regular temporary breaks from care giving for a person (of any age) having a disability, special need or chronic illness.  Respite is an essential service that keeps families together by protecting the health and mental health of the caregiver.  Whether you are a parent caring for a child with disabilities or a spouse or adult child caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, respite can help you continue caring for your loved one at home.

The SC Respite Coalition works to help families and caregivers get the breaks they need.  We are currently working to increase awareness of the needs of families within the faith community.  The SC Respite Coalition brings people together from different faiths to assist them in providing respite for those in need of a break within their own faith communities. 

If you are a family caregiver of someone with special care needs,

you may qualify for $500 from the 

South Carolina Respite for the Lifespan Voucher Program.

For more information, please click on the above title.

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

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo Coming This Week!

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo

Coming Next Week!

SC Assistive Technology Expo 2013

20th Anniversary Celebration

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
9 am – 4 pm
Brookland Banquet and Conference Center 
1066 Sunset Boulevard
West Columbia, S.C. 29169
(803) 796-7525

Free and open to the public!

No pre-registration required!

Don’t miss the chance to see and try cutting-edge products for people with all types of disabilities and age-related limitations! The SC Assistive Technology Expo is the only event of its kind in South Carolina, offered only once a year, free of charge.

Over 50 unique exhibits and 12 workshops are available. Workshops address technology that helps students of all ages, tools that help people with communication challenges, electronic information and web page accessibility, planning for emergencies, devices that help people live more independently, and online tools that make meetings, trainings and collaborative work easier for people with disabilities or anyone who uses a computer, iPhone, iPad or similar devices.

For more information about the Expo, call Lydia Durham at the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program: 800-915-4522 or 803-935-5263. Email Lydia.Durham@uscmed.sc.edu.

To read more, please click on the above title.

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

New E-Book Takes Aim at Understanding Autism

New E-Book Takes Aim at Understanding Autism

The term “autism” comes from the Greek word “autos,” meaning self, used to describe conditions of social withdrawal—or the isolated self. Around 1910, a Swiss psychiatrist first used the term to refer to certain symptoms of schizophrenia. Later, in the 1940s, physicians Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger independently used that name to describe what was a newly discovered developmental disorder whose primary symptom was social withdrawal. Today, autism is just one of three diagnoses that the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) includes in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While medical and neuroscience’s understanding of this condition has grown exponentially, research has been fraught with controversy. Autism appears to be on the rise, depending on how you define it; and research findings suggest that its causes are more complex than previously imagined. In Scientific American‘s newest eBook, Understanding Autism: The Search for Answers, we’ve gathered the most current information on autism—how it’s diagnosed, who’s at risk, genetic and environmental causes, treatments and therapies.

In Section 1, “Diagnosing Autism,” we take a look at the symptoms, or traits, of ASD, which include three main disabilities: lack of social skills, lack of communication skills, and repetitive behaviors. Symptoms typically don’t show up before two years of age, yet  early recognition might help alleviate some of the developmental problems that can occur later in untreated kids. In “Early Intervention,” Marissa Fessenden writes about toddlers who received speech therapy and continued to benefit years after it had stopped. Section 2, “Autistic Savants,” analyzes the phenomenon of savant syndrome, in which people with disabilities, including autism, possess extraordinary mental abilities.

Subsequent sections examine autism’s complicated genetic and environmental causes, the nature of the condition and current therapies.* Changes to diagnostic criteria for ASD in the DSM-5 have caused understandable concern and are reviewed in two important stories by Ferris Jabr, “Redefining Autism: The New DSM Criteria” and “By the Numbers: Autism Is Not a Math Problem.” Finally, in discussing available therapies, two companion pieces by Nancy Shute, “Desperate for an Autism Cure” and “Alternative Treatments: How Good Is the Evidence,” take readers on a journey through the minds of parents, many of whom are desperate to help their autistic kids lead easier, productive and more fulfilling lives. While science rushes to discover better options, this eBook gives a synopsis of the state of the field—what is known and what remains unknown about this challenging condition.

To learn more, please click on the above title.

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

Have you heard?

Have you heard about the South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo on March 27?

Free Pubic Admission and NO pre-registration required!

March 27, 2013

Brookland Banquet and Conference Center

West Columbia, SC

Look at some of the exciting sessions taking place:

Session 1: 9:30 - 10:30 AM

Emergencies, Disasters and Your Assistive Technology. Attendees will receive a free Disaster Planning Guide with the tools on using it to help ensure you, your family or those you work with are prepared for an emergency and know what to do with your Assistive Technology. Potential emergencies/disasters in your area, how youll get notice of an emergency, home/town evacuation plans, alternate communication plans, tips for practicing your plans, sheltering in place, returning to your home. Specifics about each need as it relates to various disabilities such as hearing, vision and mobility. Catherine Graham, USC SOM, Kimberly Tissot, DAC, Mike Patterson, Salvation Army

Session 2: 11:30 - 12:30

Therapeutic Positioning: Promoting Function and Improved Quality of Life: Identifying the benefits of weight bearing or assisted standing, for body systems (e.g., musculo-skeletal, respiratory, and gastro-intestinal). Selecting and integrating appropriate therapeutic positioning equipment such as activity chairs, gait trainers, the TRAM(lift/assisted gait device), and Versa Form into daily activities. How this approach impacts quality of life for people with several orthopedic impairments. Session is for parents, care givers, and service providers of individuals of all ages who have severe orthopedic impairments. Marian Michael, Kathleen OBrien, Richland School District Two.

Session 3: 2:00 - 3:00 PM

Assistive Technology for Independent Living: Real examples of how assistive technology has helped people live independently in life in all areas including parenting, housing, employment and recreation. Many examples of high and low tech solutions that help with people with a variety of disabilities such as deaf-blindness, mobility, brain injury, memory and communication. Presenters will surprise you at how simple assistive technology can be! Kimberly Tissot, Able South Carolina, David Dawson, USC SOM.

While no pre-registration is required, space is limited.

Seating is limited to 125 per session, plan to arrive early!

To read more, please click on the above title.

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

Youth Leadership Forum Applications Available

South Carolina Youth Leadership Forum

YLF is a leadership development program for high school students with disabilities between the ages of 17 and 21 who want to increase their leadership skills while making new friends and trying new experiences. It features team-building activities, group discussions, guest speakers, a ropes course, and most of all, fun! 

YLF will be held at Newberry College July 16 through 18.  

The deadline for completed applications is May 9, 2013.

Applications for the 2013 Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) are now being accepted! The application packet can be downloaded here.

There is no cost other than transportation to and from the college. Approximately 30 delegates will be selected

To read more, please click on the above title.

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

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo Memories!

The South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo

Is Coming Up Fast!

Don't know what happens at the Expo?

Click on the title to see a slideshow highlighting

the fun and memories made at the 2012 Expo.

Don't miss out on all the fun to be

 had at this years expo!

Free Public Admission

NO Pre-registration required

March 27, 2013

Brookland Banquet and Conference Center

West Columbia, SC

To read more, please click on the above title.

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

Columbia Parkinson's Support Group

The Columbia Parkinson's Support Group is incorporated as a non-profit in the State of South Carolina. The mission of the Columbia Parkinson's Support Group is to provide the Parkinson's Community with a safe environment to obtain SUPPORT, INFORMATION, EDUCATION, create AWARENESS about Parkinson's Disease, and FUND RAISING to further research for the cure of Parkinson's Disease.
Our support group is located in the mid-lands of South Carolina; serving the counties of (but not limited to) Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Orangeburg, Newberry, Richland, Saluda, and Sumter. 

Meetings are open to anyone regardless of race, color, and national or ethnic origin. We welcome anyone afflicted with Parkinson's disease; anyone who has an interest in Parkinson's disease; as well as all visitors, family, friends, and guests to our monthly meetings. There is no cost to attend our meetings

All visitors are welcome. Please feel free to bring your family, friends, and anyone interested in Parkinson's to any of our monthly meetings. 

When - 3rd Sunday of every month (except June) 

Time - 3:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. With time available after our meetings for socialization among guests and support group members

Cost - FREE/ Donations Appreciated

Where - Lexington Medical Park 1 - Auditorium

2720 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia, SC 29169

Please 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 - and professionals from the medical community!

To read more, please click on the above title.

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

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo Coming Next Week!

South Carolina Assistive Technology Expo

Coming Next Week!

SC Assistive Technology Expo 2013
20th Anniversary Celebration

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
9 am – 4 pm
Brookland Banquet and Conference Center 
1066 Sunset Boulevard
West Columbia, S.C. 29169
(803) 796-7525

Free and open to the public!

No pre-registration required!

Don’t miss the chance to see and try cutting-edge products for people with all types of disabilities and age-related limitations! The SC Assistive Technology Expo is the only event of its kind in South Carolina, offered only once a year, free of charge.

Over 50 unique exhibits and 12 workshops are available. Workshops address technology that helps students of all ages, tools that help people with communication challenges, electronic information and web page accessibility, planning for emergencies, devices that help people live more independently, and online tools that make meetings, trainings and collaborative work easier for people with disabilities or anyone who uses a computer, iPhone, iPad or similar devices.

For more information about the Expo, call Lydia Durham at the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program: 800-915-4522 or 803-935-5263. Email Lydia.Durham@uscmed.sc.edu.

To read more, please click on the above title.

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

Difficulty in Recognizing Faces in Autism Linked to Performance in a Group of Neurons

Difficulty in Recognizing Faces in Autism Linked to Performance in a Group of Neurons

Mar. 18, 2013 — Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have discovered a brain anomaly that explains why some people diagnosed with autism cannot easily recognize faces -- a deficit linked to the impairments in social interactions considered to be the hallmark of the disorder.They also say that the novel neuroimaging analysis technique they developed to arrive at this finding is likely to help link behavioral deficits to differences at the neural level in a range of neurological disorders.
Neuroscientists have used traditional fMRI studies in the past to probe the neural bases of behavioral differences in people with autism, but these studies have produced conflicting results... . the scientists say that in the brains of many individuals with autism, neurons in the brain area that processes faces (the fusiform face area, or FFA) are too broadly "tuned" to finely discriminate between facial features of different people. They made this discovery using a form of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that scans output from the blueberry-sized FFA, located behind the right ear...after the study was completed, the researchers successfully attempted to improve facial recognition skills in an autistic participant. They showed the participant pairs of faces that were very dissimilar at first, but became increasingly similar, and found that FFA tuning improved along with behavioral ability to tell the faces apart. "This suggests high-level brain areas may still be somewhat plastic in adulthood," says Riesenhuber.

To read the rest of the article, please click on the above title.

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

Ramps and Rails Program Deadline TODAY!

What: Free installation of ramps and rails in homes

 within the city limits of Columbia

Deadline: 3/19/13 (Extended from 3/15/13)

Contact: Community Development Department at 545-3373

For a limited time, The Ramps and Rails Program will provide assistance to residents who have a physical condition that requires the installation of a ramp and/or rail for safe and easy access to their home.   

The City of Columbia Community Development Department will provide improved access to the homes of people who are elderly or disabled within the city limits of Columbia. The installations of ramps or rails will provide safer home access. The material for this service will be funded by the City of Columbia and all work will be completed by volunteers.

Medical documentation from the applicant’s primary care physician or other qualified medical practitioner is required to be submitted with the Ramps and Rails application. The medical statement must identify the medical necessity that warrants the installation of a ramp and/or adaptive rail.

To read more about the Ramps and Rails Program and to see the Eligibility Requirements, please click on the above title.

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

Where Should Special Needs Kids Be Special?

Where Should Special Needs Kids Be Special?

Tricky questions about how to share public spaces.

By Amy S.F. Lutz

Earlier this year, I was out to dinner with a friend and our combined eight kids. My 14-year-old son, Jonah, who has autism, was very excited about the imminent arrival of his hamburger and french fries, so he was acting as he does when he’s happy: bouncing in his seat, clapping his hands, and vocalizing a mishmash of squawks and catchphrases from his favorite Sesame Street videos. He wasn’t exceedingly loud, but the oddness of his behavior had clearly caught the attention of an older gentleman at the one other table occupied at that early hour.

“Shhhhhhh,” he hissed from across the room.

Everyone at the table instantly froze—except, of course, for Jonah. “I’m sorry,” I explained, rising from my seat and taking a few steps toward him so I wouldn’t have to holler. “My son is autistic … ”

“Oh, sorry,” he said.

“He’s not trying to disturb you intentionally … ”

“I heard you the first time,” he snapped.

My face burned as I returned to my seat, his gratuitous nastiness instantly draining the joy from my evening. I spent the rest of the dinner constantly shushing Jonah, even though we had specifically decided to eat out at 6 on a Thursday night in a casual eatery so we wouldn’t have to hold any of the kids to impossible standards of behavior.

It turns out my friend and I weren’t the only ones who have been discussing the rights of disabled individuals in the community, the responsibilities of their families, and the expectations of the public, as we did that evening. Two recent high-profile incidents focused the nation’s attention on this very issue.

To read the rest of the article, please click on the above title.

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

Communication Strategies Trainings

Communication Strategies

Date: March 27, 2013
Time: 4:30 – 6:30
Location: 520 Francis Marion Road, Florence, SC  29506
Presenter: Val Gioia
Description: Various strategies used to facilitate communication for children with ASD.

SCATP is funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Rehabilitation Services Administration and mandated by the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-394). The Governor of South Carolina has designated the University of South Carolina University Affiliated Program as the lead agency for our program. We are located at Midlands Center, 8301 Farrow Road, Columbia SC, with the Center for Disability Resources in the School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. 

To read more, please click on the above title.

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

Thousands Offered For Disability Innovations

Thousands Offered For Disability Innovations

In 2012, UCP, our affiliates and global partners joined together to establish the first annual World Cerebral Palsy Day, an international day of awareness about cerebral palsy. As part of the day, we introduced the “Change my World in 1 Minute” contest. We asked people with disabilities from around the world to create a one-minute video telling us what could be created, developed or modified, that would change their world and how. We received a staggering 500 submissions, and from this incredibly diverse pool, a specially appointed committee selected three ideas as finalists: a solar-powered wheelchair, a fold-up motorized wheelchair, and a documentary about people living with cerebral palsy in the 21st century.
 

The next phase of the “Change my World in 1 Minute” contest is the most exciting; we are challenging, the world’s inventors, craftsmen, makers and hackers, tinkerers and anyone who thinks they can bring one of these ideas to life, to compete for a share of a $25,000 prize. So if you or someone you know could build or create one of these ideas, let us know! We are so excited about this contest—not only will we get to see the world’s creativity at work, but the final products will make a significant difference in the lives of people living with disabilities.

For the estimated 57 million Americans and 650 million people around the world living with

 disabilities, World CP Day and the “Change my World in 1 Minute” contest is more than just

 a single day or awareness or a cash prize. It is a daily recognition of their lives—and the need

 to increase accessibility and independence for everyone.  It’s an innovative approach for a 

nonprofit: Asking for ideas instead of dollars. Then  rewarding the people who can make 

those ideas a reality. 

To read more, please click on the above title.

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