PRO-PARENTS 2008 – 2009 CALENDAR OF WORKSHOPS

THESE WORKSHOPS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC,
LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN REGISTERING.
TO SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP IN YOUR AREA
PLEASE CALL: 1-800-759-4776


10/19/2008
3:00 pm
“Is Your Child a Target of Bullying?” Workshop
P.O.P.S. – Parent Support Group
Lancaster County Library
(Meeting Room)
313 S. White Street
Lancaster, SC 29720

Tanya M. Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 2, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


10/20/2008
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
* Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Marlboro County DSS Office
713 S Parsonage Street
Bennettsville, SC 29512

PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Special Kids Project
1-866-863-1512

10/21/2008
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
* Individualized Education Program (IEP) Workshop
Dillon DSS Office
1211 Highway 34 West
Dillon, SC

PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Special Kids Project
1-866-863-1512

10/21/2008
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Hampton County DDSN
294 Hampton Road
Varnville, SC 29944

Gayle Munn, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 1, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

10/22/2008
9:30 am - 10:30 am
PRO-Parents of SC Overview Workshop
Cecil A Tillis Center
2111 Simpkin Lane
Columbia, SC 29204

Tanya M. Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 2, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

10/22/2008
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Marion / Dillon County DDSN
400 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Marion, SC

Gayle Munn, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 1, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

10/23/2008
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Anderson DDSN
214 McGee Road
Anderson, SC 29625

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

10/23/2008
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
* Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Jasper DSS Office
10908 Jacob Smart Blvd
Ridgeland, SC

PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Special Kids Project
1-866-863-1512

10/25/2008
9:00 am - 11:00 am
* Positive Behavioral Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Anderson Mentor
201 South Murray Avenue
Suite 200
Anderson, SC 29624

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

10/25/2008
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
* Linking Families With Special Education Workshop
Marion County DSS
137 Airport Road
Mullins, SC

PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Special Kids Project
1-866-863-1512

10/27/2008
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
* Communication Workshop
Edgefield DSS
120 W. A. Reel Drive
Edgefield, SC 29824

Melinda Hawk, PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Special Kids
Project Coordinator
1-866-863-1512

10/28/2008
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
ADD / ADHD Workshop
Legacy Outreach
2290 Highway 56
Spartanburg, SC 29302

Gayle Munn, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 1, Education Coordinator
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

10/30/2008
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004
Midlands Technical College – Airport Campus
Academic Center
1260 Lexington Drive
West Columbia, SC 29170

Heather Watson-Kelley, PRO-Parents of SC
To register call: 1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688
* Parent / Foster Parent Scholarships Available.

Helping People With Disabilities Make Use Of Public Transport

ScienceDaily — In an ideal world, all buses would be wheelchair friendly and train timetables would be available as audio recordings for the visually impaired. Reality has yet to catch up with that vision, so instead European researchers have developed a personal navigation aid to help disabled people make use of public transport.

By letting disabled people know in advance which bus routes, subway lines or rail links are disabled friendly, people with disabilities can plan journeys that they may otherwise be unable to make unassisted. Once on the move, location-based services accessed via a smart phone or handheld computer can highlight points of interest, warn them of potential obstacles and let them change their itinerary as needs be.

“Until you meet with disabled people and talk to them about their needs it is hard to imagine just how difficult using public transport is,” notes Gary Randall, a researcher at BMT in the United Kingdom. “They are scared of finding themselves isolated, of being abandoned in the world.”

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Project Lifesaver

In keeping with his desire to provide service to every citizen, no matter the need, Sheriff Leon Lott researched and obtained information on a great program that could safeguard our "at risk wanderers" within our communities.

In 2007, Project Lifesaver was introduced to Richland County citizens. Currently there are nine clients registered with the program and personnel from Project H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Precious Elderly) go out each month and change the batteries and wrist bracelets for our clients.

Project Lifesaver is the only organization that is allowed to electronically track human beings. It was designed to protect our "at risk wanderers" who suffer from Alzheimer's, children of Autism and those with Down Syndrome and other brain disorders which may lead them to wander. Today, Project Lifesaver has conducted over 1,600 searches with a 100% recovery rate.

Presently in South Carolina, Project Lifesaver agencies are: Richland County Sheriff's Department (the state coordinator agency), Aiken/North Augusta, Horry County/Myrtle Beach and Charleston County Sheriff's Office.

The concept is very easy. A caregiver would call Project Hope, who does our client management, and lets them know they are interested in enrolling their loved one in the program. Project Hope would send out one of their techs and make a home visit. There, the caregiver would receive the paperwork on the program and would be advised of the conditions of the program. If the caregiver/loved one are accepted to the program, they will receive a transmitter for their loved one. If a client wanders off from their caregiver, the caregiver will call a predetermined number from the program and activate Project Lifesaver. Responding officers will use their training, equipment and knowledge of the program to bring that loved one home.

Richland County Sheriff's Department does not charge Richland County residents or their loved ones who are "at risk wanderers" to be on the program. All required paperwork, contracts, doctor exams and follow ups have to be completed before a client is admitted into the program.

Anyone with questions or who may think this program would benefit your family (or if you would like to sponsor a client) to contact either Retired Captain John Edward at 803-576-3183, Corporal Amanda Lee at 803-513-3438, or Senior Deputy Patty Weed at 803-576-3191 for information.

For more information, please click the title above.

Excel with Excel!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Excel with Excel! 8:30am – 12:30pm Fast Forward Community Technology Center 3223 Devine Street, Columbia

Presenter: Elizabeth Bagley, Ed.D., Client Advocate, Learn.com

This workshop will teach participants how to utilize some of the features of Microsoft Excel that often go undiscovered by teachers. Participants will learn the basics of Excel and then discover how to transform the standard spreadsheet into a teaching tool. Excel contains many features and formulas that, when used correctly, are beneficial for many students AND teachers.

Students with learning disabilities need to be careful not to practice incorrect answers. This workshop will show how Excel can offer students independent study opportunities and instant feedback for skill practices across disciplines. Teachers will learn how to make worksheets to assist in the tedious and repetitive number crunching task of averaging grades. Participant’s role will be interactive and hands-on.

(Note: This workshop is being taught in Excel 2003. Similar features in Excel 2007 may be accessed differently.)

Participants will learn the following Excel basics:
* The Excel Window
* Explanation of a Workbook versus a Worksheet
* Rows/Columns/Cells
* Menus (and the “most important” functions in them)
* Shortcut Keys
* Toolbars (how to view them, how to move them)
* Formula bar
* What displays in a cell versus what is really in a cell
* Selecting cells, rows and columns
* Selecting individual cells that aren’t continuous
* Moving cells, rows, and columns
* Formatting cells (number, alignment, font, patterns)
* Borders versus Gridlines
* Protection
* Format Painter
* Introduction to formulas (simple ones)
* Sorting Data

Participants will learn the following formulas needed for different teacher tools:
* Blank cell
* Yes/No results
* Results between two numbers
* Averaging grades (number grades)
* Averaging grades (letter grades)
* Indicator lights

Participants will learn the following teacher projects:
* Create a Gradebook
* Create Interactive Displays
* Skill Reviews
* Quizzes/Tests
* Attendance Sheets
* Forms: (Placement Charts (seating charts), Number Charts/Multiplication Charts, Calendars

Registration and Cost: There is no fee to register for this class, but pre-registration is required. Attendance is limited to 18.

To register for this workshop:
* Option 1: Complete the online registration form
* Option 2: Email Sally Young at Sally.Young@uscmed.sc.edu
* Option 3: Call Sally Young at (803) 935-5263 or 800-915-4522.
* Option 4: Fax your registration information to (803) 935-5342. Please include your name, organization, address, email address, phone.

ADHD Stimulant Treatment May Decrease Risk Of Substance Abuse In Adolescent Girls; Results Mirror Findings In Boys

ScienceDaily (Oct. 8, 2008) — Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have found that treatment with stimulant drugs does not increase and appears to significantly decrease the risk that girls with ADHD will begin smoking cigarettes or using alcohol or drugs.

Their report in the October Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine parallels the findings of several earlier studies in boys, which needed to be confirmed in girls.

"Girls with ADHD actually tend to get into trouble with substance abuse earlier than do boys with the disorder, so confirming those results was not simply academic," says Timothy Wilens, MD, director of the Substance Abuse Program in the MGH Pediatric Psychopharmacology Department, who led the study. "This is also one of the first naturalistic studies showing reduced risk of cigarette smoking in adolescents being treated for ADHD and is consistent with a 2006 prospective trial of ours that found that participants receiving stimulant treatment had less risk of smoking than those not receiving stimulants."

To view this complete article, please click the title above.

October is Disability Awareness Month

October is Disability Awareness Month

October is Disability Awareness Month. The Office of Student Disability
Services will be hosting several informational drop-ins designed for
faculty and staff who have little time to spare, but still would like to
be informed and updated on the disabilities and learning differences of
some of our students. You may also tour the new Assistive Technology Lab
to view the latest in Assistive Technology.

Below is a schedule of dates, topics and times of our informational
drop-ins:

October 14th Blind/Visual/ Deaf/Hard of Hearing Impairments
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

October 16th Psychiatric Disabilities
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

October 21st ADD/ADHD/Learning Disabilities
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

October 23rd Physical Disabilities and other Health Impairments
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The Office of Student Disability Services is located in LeConte College
at the corner of Pickens and Greene Streets. You will find us in Room
112A, first floor.

If the drop-in dates are not convenient for you, please feel free to
contact the office (777-6142 or TDD 777-6744) to schedule a time more
convenient for you. You may also contact our office by e-mail at
sasds@mailbox.sc.edu.

Dr. Karen R. Pettus and staff are looking forward to meeting and working
with you.

Accessibility is Everyone's Responsibility

The Office of Student Disability Services providing students with
documented disabilities equal access to campus-wide services


Submitted by: Dorothy Prioleau

New Tool To Assess Speech Development In Infants, Toddlers With Hearing Impairments

ScienceDaily (Sep. 29, 2008) — The number of hearing impaired infants and toddlers who are successfully aided by technological devices, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, continues to grow, but there are still unknowns about these children's speaking abilities, according to a Purdue University expert.

A new assessment tool, a game-like activity to monitor early auditory-guided speech development in infants and toddlers, is available for speech-language pathologists, said David Ertmer, the tool's co-creator and an associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences.

"We have universal newborn hearing screenings, which are mandatory in more than 40 states, to thank for identifying hearing issues immediately. Some children receive hearing assistance when they turn 1," said Ertmer, who specializes in early speech and language development in children with hearing losses. "Given the growing number of infants identified with hearing loss through newborn hearing screenings, there is a pressing need for a reliable and practical way to estimate how improved hearing affects listening and vocalizing during the first years of life."

To view this complete article, please click the title above.

Researchers Propose Minocycline As A Promising Drug For Patients With Fragile X Syndrome

ScienceDaily (Oct. 4, 2008) — A UC Riverside-led team of biomedical scientists has found that a readily available drug called minocycline, used widely to treat acne and skin infections, can be used to treat Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental impairment and the most common cause of autism.

The study's findings have already impacted future therapies, with the approval of a new clinical trial in Toronto, Canada, that will test minocycline in patients with Fragile X.

Neurons in the brain communicate with each other at specialized contact sites called synapses, with many of these synapses occurring on small mushroom-shaped structures called dendritic spines.

To view this complete article, please click the title above.

Autism Efforts Go Global at U.N. Forum

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Seeking to make the world of autism a little smaller, members of the international diplomatic community gathered Friday at the United Nations World Focus on Autism.

"Not too long ago, those affected by autism-related disorders were set aside, placed in institutions, or dismissed as untreatable lost cases," explains Ban Soon-taek, chair of the Forum and wife of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. "Today, sadly this reality is still prevalent in some parts of the world."

Ban called for the professional community and society as a whole to become more involved, compassionate and accepting of this complex condition and stressed the importance of early intervention for every child in the world who lives with autism.

To view this complete article, please click the title above.

Cochlear Implants In Children A Safe Procedure, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily— In the six decades since French and American surgeons implanted the first cochlear hearing devices, the procedure in children has become reliable, safe, and relatively free of severe complications, according to research presented during the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.*

The study, conducted by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, determined that out of 155 cases of pediatric implantation between 2001 and 2006, the rate of the most common complications in patients was below 3 percent, with only 25 total complications observed during that period. The most common complication was related to local surgical wounds in the ear flap. Furthermore, the rate of device failure, which was cited as the most common complication in previous studies, was very low in this study.

The researchers stress that it is critical that patients undergo a lifetime of continuous follow-up.

To view this entire article, please click the title above.

Olfactory Bulb Glial Cell Transplant Preserves Muscles In Paraplegic Rats

ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2008) — Researchers from the “Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Córdoba University and the “Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia” (CSIC) have analysed the degree of preservation in the skeletal muscles of paraplegic rats treated with a transplant of Olfactory bulb glial cells (OBG).

Spinal chord injuries represent a serious and irreversible handicap that is sadly frequent in our society. Because of the permanent break in the nervous connections between the brain and the organs and muscles, such injuries impair their movement inducing atrophy and deterioration while they disturb organic functions.

The pioneering studies carried out by Santiago Ramón y Cajal established that while nerve cells from the peripheral nervous system (PNS) have the capacity to repair themselves, the same does not apply to adult brain cells and spinal cord cells from the central nervous system (CNS). The difference is not in the nerve cells themselves but in the cellular enviroment that gives them support - the glial cells.

To view this entire article, please click the title above.

Nanoparticles Used To Deliver Treatment For Brain, Spinal Cord Injuries

ScienceDaily (Oct. 2, 2008) — Purdue University researchers have developed a method of using nanoparticles to deliver treatments to injured brain and spinal cord cells.

A team led by Richard Borgens of the School of Veterinary Medicine's Center for Paralysis Research and Welden School of Biomedical Engineering coated silica nanoparticles with a polymer to target and repair injured guinea pig spinal cords. That research is being published in the October edition of the journal Small.

The team then used the coated nanoparticles to deliver both the polymer and hydralazine to cells with secondary damage from a naturally produced toxin. That research was published in August by the journal Nanomedicine.

To view this entire article, please click the title above.

Prom King with Down Syndrome Goes to College

(CNN) -- Marget Wincent has never met Sarah Palin, but she hopes the Republican vice presidential candidate will respond to her recent e-mail. Wincent said she encouraged Palin, whose son Trig has Down syndrome, to "get that little guy on skates when he's a couple years old, and enjoy those snowmobile rides."

"Sometimes you're scared as a parent, and you wonder if your child is going to be able to do this and this and this," Wincent said recently. "And you know what? You just go out and try it, and you live each day at a time, and you celebrate all the great things that happen."

Wincent's own son Zach, now 19, also has Down syndrome. But the genetic disorder, which causes intellectual disabilities and other difficulties, has not prevented "Zach Attack" from enrolling in community college, climbing the Great Wall of China, coaching hockey games or becoming Prom king in high school.

As many as 6,000 babies are born with Down syndrome every year in the United States, according to MayoClinic.com. People with Down syndrome have extra genetic material from the 21st chromosome, the result of abnormal cell division during development.

To view this complete article, please click the title above.