Federal Government Not Complying with Web Site Accessibility Requirements, Study Indicates

Baltimore, Maryland (May 19, 2011)- A study that has just been published online in the journal Government Information Quarterly has found that of one-hundred Web sites operated by federal government agencies, over 90 percent do not comply with government accessibility guidelines and likely cannot be used by people who are blind or have other perceptual or motor disabilities. The study, entitled “Accessibility of U.S. federal government home pages: Section 508 compliance and site accessibility statements” and coauthored by Doctoral Student Abiodun Olalere and Professor Jonathan Lazar of Towson University, found that the home pages of over 90 percent of the Web sites they evaluated contained violations of the government’s own guidelines for compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. That law requires that government electronic and information technology be accessible to people with disabilities.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “Blind Americans are outraged that the government is failing to comply with its own guidelines to make government information and services available to citizens with disabilities. Given the clear legal requirements of Section 508 and the fact that use of the Internet is critical to education, employment, access to government benefits and services, and all other aspects of modern life, there is no excuse for failure to follow and rigorously enforce these guidelines. We demand that officials in all branches of government take immediate steps to bring all federal Web sites into compliance with the law, and we pledge to continue to hold the federal government accountable if it continues to treat the blind and others with disabilities as second-class citizens.”

To read more about the study, please click the above title.

Autism May Have Had Advantages in Humans' Hunter-Gatherer Past, Researcher Believes

ScienceDaily (June 3, 2011) — Though people with autism face many challenges because of their condition, they may have been capable hunter-gatherers in prehistoric times, according to a paper published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology in May.

The autism spectrum may represent not disease, but an ancient way of life for a minority of ancestral humans, said Jared Reser, a brain science researcher and doctoral candidate in the USC Psychology Department.

Some of the genes that contribute to autism may have been selected and maintained because they created beneficial behaviors in a solitary environment, amounting to an autism advantage, Reser said.

The "autism advantage," a relatively new perspective, contends that sometimes autism has compensating benefits, including increased abilities for spatial intelligence, concentration and memory. Although individuals with autism have trouble with social cognition, their other cognitive abilities are sometimes largely intact.

The paper looks at how autism's strengths may have played a role in evolution. Individuals on the autism spectrum would have had the mental tools to be self-sufficient foragers in environments marked by diminished social contact, Reser said.

The penchant for obsessive, repetitive activities would have been focused by hunger and thirst towards the learning and refinement of hunting and gathering skills.

Today autistic children are fed by their parents so hunger does not guide their interests and activities. Because they can obtain food free of effort, their interests are redirected toward nonsocial activities, such as stacking blocks, flipping light switches or collecting bottle tops, Reser said.

To read more about Autism's past, please click on the above title.

Summer Camps for Children and Teens with Special Needs

Camp Burnt Gin
Date: Early June to mid August
Where: Wedgefield, SC (Sumter County)
Cost: No charge
Participants: Four six day sessions for children 7 – 15 years old, two six day sessions for teenagers 16 – 20 years old, and a four day session for young adults, 21 – 25 years old.
Description: Camp Burnt Gin is a residential summer camping program. Activities include arts and crafts, nature study, drama, dance, sports, games, swimming and boating. All activities are adapted so that every child can participate. CBG offers children who have special needs the chance to meet new friends, learn recreational skills, improve their self esteem and independence.
Camp Burnt Gin is accredited by the American Camp Association.
Contact:For more information contact the Camp Director, Marie Aimone (803-898-0455 or aimonemi@dhec.sc.gov) or go to the camp's website: www.scdhec.gov/campburntgin

Camp Spearhead
Date: Various 5 day camps running from June - August 2011
Where: Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center, Marietta, SC
Cost: $290/week – Greenville County residents; $350/week – residents of other counties; $540/week – residents of other States
Participants: Ages 8 years old & up; Children & adults with disabilities; Camp Spearhead reserves the right to determine eligibility of potential campers. Eligibility is determined through application forms and, if necessary, through interviews with potential camper and parent, guardian, or caregiver.
Description: Camp Spearhead, founded in 1968 and located in the foothills of upstate SC, is a residential special needs camp for children (8 and up) and adults with special needs. Each summer Spearhead serves nearly 600 campers over the course of the eight week season. During the school-year Spearhead offers continued social and recreational opportunities through the popular Weekend Program.
Website: http://greenvillerec.com/activities-and-programs/camp-spearhead-temp

Rocky Bottom Retreat Summer Camp
Date: June 12-18, 2011
Where: Sunset, SC
Cost: Free
Participants: Legally blind children ages 6 through 16.
Description: Children are taught skills to cope with blindness and that it is respectable to be blind. Utilizing blind counselors to act as role models, Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center of the Blind provides all the experiences of any Retreat including swimming, mountain hiking, arts & crafts, cookouts, fishing and field trips. Limited transportation is also available.
Contact: Vicki Black, Children's Camp Director

Camp Hope
Date: Four sessions (three one-week camps, one two-week camp) throughout the summer, each accepting a different age group. The one-week camps begin June 19, June 26, and July 3, and the two-week camp is from July 17-29. See Clemson Outdoor Lab Dates and Rates page for more details.
Where: Clemson Outdoor Lab, 415 Charlie White Trail, Pendleton, SC
Cost: Minumum $370 for SC residentes, $500 for residents of other states. See Clemson Outdoor Lab Dates and Rates page for more details.
Participants: Individuals with developmental disabilities
Description: Jaycee Camp Hope is a statewide residential camp for mentally challenged citizens. Its purposes are to give the camper helpful experiences in an outdoor environment, develop the ability to work and play as a group, and provide new experiences unique to a camp setting. The SC Junior Chamber of Commerce has provided financial support for every camper attending Jaycee Camp Hope since 1969. Individuals participating in Camp Hope are ages 8 and older. Campers are grouped according to age, level of functioning, and previous camp and social experience.
Contact: cuolcamps-L@clemson.edu

Camp Sertoma
Date: One-week camps from June 19 - July 29
Where: Clemson Outdoor Lab, 415 Charlie White Trail, Pendleton, SC
Cost: Free
Participants: Ages 7 – 13 years old who are underprivileged or have speech/hearing impairments
Description: Sponsored by the Sertoma clubs of South Carolina, this program serves children between the ages of 7-13 who are either underprivileged or who have speech/hearing impairments. Children are placed in groups with seven other children according to age and previous camp experience with two counselors. The program offers opportunities for fun, skills development and education in an outdoor environment. Because of the support of Sertoma Clubs across the state, there is no fee to attend.
Application: Children are first selected from various schools by the Sertoma Clubs spread across the state. Applicants to the camp are put on a list. If there are cancellations or openings after this selection, then those on the list are offered the chance to attend.
Website: www.campsertomasc.com

SCSDB William W. All Adventure Camp
Date: June 19-25, 2011
Where: Spartanburg, SC
Cost: Free
Participants: Children between 6 and 14 with either a hearing or vision loss that affects learning (there are separate camps for hearing loss and vision loss). They must also be a Sourth Carolina resistent, toilet-trained, have the physical, mental and behavioral capabilities to benefit from the programs offered during the camp, and not have attended SCSDB during the 2010-2011 school year.
Description: The Adventure Camp is divided into separate camps for hearing loss and vision loss. Each camp has special activities for their respective campers, like Braille lessons for the visually impaired and special cochlear implant activities for those with hearing loss. In addition, both camps offer field trips,confidence-building activities, independent living skills activities, skits/camp songs, swimming, horseback riding, and scuba diving.
Website: SC School for the Deaf and Blind Summer Camps

Camp Puff n' Stuff
Date: June 20-24, 2011
Where: College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
Cost: $50
Participants: Children ages 8 to 11 who are on daily asthma medication and under a doctor's care are eligible to attend.
Description: Camp Puff 'n Stuff provides asthmatic children with an opportunity to experience camp activities they may otherwise be denied due to their condition. It was designed specifically for children with asthma. Through educational activities, campers learn to understand and manage their illness while improving their self esteem.

PAALS Doggone Days of Summer Camp
Date: August 1-5 for Beginner Camp; August 8-12 for Advanced Camp (returnees)
Time: Beginner Camp: 8:30am - 12:30pm; Advanced Camp: 8:30am - 3:30pm
Where: Denny Terrace Community Center, Columbia, SC
Cost: $175 for Beginner Camp if paid by May 1, otherwise $200;
$250 for Advanced Camp if paid by May 1, otherwise $275
Participants: Beginner Camp: Ages 11-14 for on target youth and ages 11- 19 for special needs; Advanced Camp: Ages 12-16 for returnees who attended previous camp and/or volunteer with dog programs
Description:
• Beginner Camp: Learn the basics of service dog training, community service ethics, and work side by side with other youth and special needs individuals, all while pairing up totrain a service dog candidate
• Advanced Camp: Building on Beginner’s camp junior trainers will get more advanced service dog behaviors to practice and more responsibility of the dogs.
Contact: Jen Rogers at (803)788-7063 or Angie Helt at (803)754-6720 ext. 209
Website: http://www.paals.org/programs/doggone.html

Pattison’s Academy Summer Day Camp
Date: 5 weeks from June 20 - July 22; Mon - Fri, 9:00am - 3:00pm
Where: 2014 Bees Ferry Road, North Charleston, SC (Rutledge Baptist Church)
Cost: $150 Weekly. Costs include snacks, field trips, crafts and therapy services (as long as therapists are able to bill Medicaid or private insurance.) Pattison’s has never turned a child away because of a family’s inability to pay. Additional funding resources may be available.
Participants: Children ages 1-15 years old who have multiple and\or severe disabilities (Physical impairments, visual, hearing, cognitive impairments). Note: They cannot accept children whose primary diagnosis is autism or behavioral disorders because they will not have the staffing to provided the constant one on one supervision that many of these children deserve.
Description: Pattison's Academy Summer Camp provides therapy, enrichment and FUN for the children and a nice break for the care givers of these children. In 2009, 44 children from around the Lowcountry participated in very active days of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and field trips for 5 weeks.
Contact: http://www.pattisonsacademy.org/Summer_Camp10.html or 843-849-6707

Camp Lion's Den
Date: July 10 - 16, 2011
Where: Clemson Outdoor Lab, 415 Charlie White Trail, Pendleton, SC
Cost: Free
Participants: Children with visual impairments
Description: Serving the visually handicapped children of South Carolina, this program is sponsored by the Mid-Day Lions Club of Anderson, SC and the South Carolina Lions, Inc. Any child with a visual impairment between the ages of 7 and 17 may attend. Because of the dedication and support of SC Lions Clubs, there is no fee for attendance.
Contact: cuolcamps-L@clemson.edu
Website: http://www.sclions.org/programs/camp-lions-den.html

Camp Sunshine
Date: October 14 - 16 and November 18 - 20, 2011
Where: Clemson Outdoor Lab, 415 Charlie White Trail, Pendleton, SC
Cost: $40 application fee
Participants: Children & adults who have severe & profound special needs
Description: This weekend camp programs serves children and adults who have severe and profound special needs. Designed to provide a respite to the caregivers and families, participants also benefit from the program designed to offer fun and fellowship. Camp Sunshine is funded through the Sunshine Lady Foundation and is offered six weekends throughout the fall and spring. Campers enjoy pontoon boat rides, archery, crafts, campfire programs, hayrides and many other special events throughout the weekend. Clemson University students and former summer staff members serve as counselors for the program.
Contact: cuolcamps-L@clemson.edu

Summer Camps outside of South Carolina

Extra Special People (ESP) Summer Camp
NOTE: All camp weeks are full, but you can be put on a waiting list.
Date: Seven week-long camps from June 5 - July 29, 2011
Where: Watkinsville, GA
Cost:
• $65 - One-time registration and summer camp activity fee
• $200 - Each week of day camp ($100 if 100 Parent Involvement Credits are earned by 4/15/11)
• $250 - “No Kids Allowed” for ages 16+ (Week 3)
• $250 - Residential Week at Camp Twin Lakes (Week 6)
Participants: All individuals with a diagnosed developmental disability, starting at age 4.
Description: A seven week program that provides continuous learning as well as social and recreational opportunities for young people with disabilities. Camp runs 9:00am- 3:00pm. Before/after care can be arranged with individual staff for extra charges. Day camp is split into 4 units by age: Youngest, Younger-Middle, Older-Middle, and Oldest units.
Website: Extra Special People summer camp

Camp Chatterbox
Date: August 21 to 27, 2011
Where: Outdoor Center at Happiness is Camping, 62 Sunset Lake Road, Hardwick, NJ
Cost: The cost of attending Camp Chatterbox is $900 for a child and parent. This includes a $550 Therapy fee and a $400 Camp fee. (A significant portion of the actual camp cost for each family is subsidized by grant funding or other forms of charitable contributions.) Additional family members may attend Camp for an added fee.
Participants: Children ages 5-15 who are nonspeaking or severely speech impaired and functionally use synthesized Augmentative & Alternative Communication devices
Description: Camp Chatterbox, founded by Joan Bruno in 1992, is an intensive therapy camp for children, ages 5 -15, who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and a training program for their parents. It is sponsored by the Children's Specialized Hospital in Mountainside, NJ.
Contact: www.campchatterbox.org

Victory Junction
Date: Various themed weeks from June 12 - August 12 for the Summer with separately scheduled weekends. See the full Victory Junction schedule for more details.
Where: Randleman, NC
Cost: Free
Participants: Children between 6 and 16 with a diagnosis in accordance with one of the many accepted conditions. The camp also has a page with eligibility requirements.
Description: Victory Junction enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun, and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. Located in Randleman, NC, Victory Junction is built upon 84 beautiful acres donated by Richard and Lynda Petty. Themed around NASCAR racing, the camp is echoes the sights, sounds, and feel of a real racetrack.
Contact: The camp's Contact page has a number of different e-mail addresses parents can use, each addressing a different concern. There is also a toll-free number: 877-VJG-CAMP

Camp Communicate
Date: Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28, 2011
Where: Pine Tree Camp, Rome, ME
Cost: $375. This fee includes the programming, meals and accommodations for one camper and one parent/caregiver. For information on additional caregiver costs – please see the website.
Participants: Ages 8-20; use a high tech communication device; be accompanied by a caregiver. There are two programs, one for ages 8-14 and another for ages 15-20. Each program has a limit of 10 participants.
Description: Camp Communicate is an innovative weekend designed specifically for non-verbal children who use computerized devices, known as augmentative communication, to communicate. Each camper attends Camp Communicate along with a parent/caregiver. Parents will have the opportunity to attend workshops and share information and strategies in a supportive environment. Learning opportunities for parents will support more effective augmentative communication device use at home and will foster more proficient use in school.
Contact: http://www.pinetreesociety.org/camp_communicate.asp

Camp To Be Independent
Date: July 17 - 22, 2011
Where: Camp Twin Lakes, Rutledge, GA
Cost: Free
Participants: Children and adults ages 8 – 21 with traumatic brain injury. The camp usually hosts between 35 and 40 kids.
Description: Camp TBI offers parents/caregivers a respite while their children enjoy the fully accessible facilities at Camp Twin Lakes. Children will enjoy fishing, archery, arts and crafts, a zip line, bicycling, swimming, dancing, karaoke and talent nights in the care of counselors provided by the Medical College of Georgia Occupational Therapy School.
Contact: Call 706-826-5809 or email alsalley@wrh.org for registration information.
Scroll to the bottom of Outreach Programs webpage for more info and application details: http://www.wrh.org/community_outreach_programs.cfm

Courage Camps
Date: Various from June 19 until August 6
Where: Maple Lake, MN
Cost: Varies. Camp offers scholarships for campers who need financial assistance. Qualified applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Participants: Varies depending on camp; See website for more information
Description: There are a very large variety of camps for people with disabilities organized by the Courage Camps. Below are only a couple of them. Please visit the website for a wealth of camps provided. Since 1955, Courage Camps offer safe, accessible, natural environments where children and adults with physical disabilities, sensory and language impairments, and other disabilities or illnesses discover abilities they never knew they had or they thought they had lost. Campers make new friends, and are often introduced to sports or hobbies they develop further at home or at school.
Contact: http://couragecamps.org/
Some of the camps offered:
• Literacy Session
June 19-24, 2011 - Ages 12 to 18
This unique session is for campers who are struggling readers. Campers' reading skills range from beginning readers to reading several years behind grade level. In addition to enjoying the many fun recreational activities offered, campers work daily with educational specialists on literacy-related activities. The session is under the direction of national literacy experts Drs. David Koppenhaver and Karen Erickson. Informal descriptive reports of literacy assessments and interventions are provided to families and campers to take back to their home schools. Campers attending this session should be independent in their personal care needs and have a means of communication, which may include an AAC(augmentative communication) system.
Full Cost: $800
• Youth Session
July 18-23, 2011 - Ages 7 to 12
Designed for campers with a physical disability or visual impairment, this session provides opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities ranging from swimming and horseback riding to sailing and crafts. As part of this experience, youth increase self-confidence, learn responsibility and develop essential leadership skills.
Full Cost: $800
• Teen Session
July 18-23, 2011 - Ages 13 to 17
This session is designed for teens with a physical disability or visual impairment. Enjoy a fun-filled week of traditional camp activities such as sailing, fishing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, digital photography, nature and environmental studies, arts and crafts, and overnight camping. In addition to having fun, campers learn social and leadership skills and gain independence in a safe environment. Campers select activities based on their individual interests.
Full Cost: $800
• Communication Disorders
July 31-Aug. 6, 2011 - Ages 7 to 14
Help your child maintain valuable speech skills over the long summer break. Geared for youngsters who have a primary diagnosis of a speech, language or hearing disorder. Counselors and program staff reinforce camper language and communication skills throughout the day in activities ranging from swimming and boating to horseback riding and crafts.
Full Cost: $800
• 5th annual National Power Soccer Family Camp
Aug. 8-13, 2011
Join us for six days of power soccer training and camp fun. Top power soccer coaches and players from across the United States teach you the latest drills and training methods to make you the best power soccer player ever! If you are a first timer or a current player, come and learn the latest techniques and drills from the experts! Families are welcome to participate.
Full Cost: $600-Athletes
$500-Family Members
• Summer Sampler for Youth
July 20-23, 2011
The Summer Sampler is a special session for youth with a physical disability or visual impairment. The session offers campers an opportunity to try out overnight camp for the first time! During this three-day experience, campers will enjoy cabin life, make new friends and participate in many traditional camp activities. This is a wonderful introduction to the unique experience that overnight camp provides.
Full Cost: $400
• Teen Leadership Session
July 31 - Aug. 6, 2011 - Ages 13-17
Designed for teens with a physical disability or sensory impairment. The Teen Leadership Session offers eight days of intensive leadership and life skills. Training while engaged in a variety of traditional outdoor camp activities. Each camper has the opportunity to develop a personal leadership style, as well as learn about communication styles and conflict resolution. Campers develop self-confidence, foster independence and improve community identity.
Full Cost: $800
• amp Discovery 1 & 2
Co-sponsored with the Autism Society of Minnesota at Camp Courage
Session 1 June 26-July 1, 2011
Session 2 July 3-8, 2011
Two, five day sessions for children with Asperger’s Syndrome. For more information and an application, call the Autism Society of Minnesota at 651.647.1083.
• Hemophilia Session
Co-sponsored by the Hemophilia Foundation of Minnesota and Dakotas
July 10-16, 2011
Geared for children who have hemophilia and other related bleeding disorders. Campers take advantage of the safe facilities and great outdoor settings to explore their interests. Applications can be requested from the Courage Center Camps office at 763.520.0504 or camping@couragecenter.org
• Oncology/Blood Disorder Session
Co-sponsored by Children’s Hospitals and Clinics - Minneapolis and The Miracles of Mitch Foundation
July 25-29, 2011
Campers, ages 7 to 17, who have or had leukemia or other blood disorders, brain tumors and other forms of cancer, or get to know their peers in a safe, healthy, recreational setting. Siblings can participate in a special program that focuses on living with a brother or sister with cancer. Activities range from crafts and nature study to photography, swimming, horseback riding and more. Link to Oncology/Blood Disorders/Siblings Camp Application.

If you know of other summer camps for children and teens with special needs other than those listed on the SCATP camp website, be sure to let them know. Thanks!

2 Studies Examine Syndrome of Fatigue

New York Times (June 1, 2011)- In a blow to patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, two new studies published on Tuesday raised serious doubts about earlier reports that the disabling disease is linked to infection with XMRV, a poorly understood retrovirus.

The new papers were posted online in the journal Science, which in October 2009 published the initial research linking XMRV to chronic fatigue syndrome. In an “editorial expression of concern” accompanying the two new studies, Bruce Alberts, editor in chief of the journal, declared that the earlier finding “is now seriously in question” and was most likely due to laboratory contamination.

Based on those earlier findings, some people with chronic fatigue syndrome tried to obtain access to antiretroviral drugs used to treat H.I.V., which had been shown in laboratory studies to inhibit the replication of XMRV.

But in one of the two new studies, researchers found no trace of XMRV or related viruses in the blood of 43 patients who had previously tested positive for XMRV. In the second study, scientists reported evidence that XMRV was likely a recombination of two mouse leukemia viruses created accidentally in laboratory experiments.

The new studies are the latest in a series of disappointments for people struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome. Other researchers have been unable to duplicate the original findings implicating XMRV, although none of their studies fully replicated the methods of the original research from the Cleveland Clinic, the National Cancer Institute and the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease in Reno, Nev.

To read more about chronic fatigue sydrome, click the above title.

Successful First Test Drive of 'Sighted' Wheelchair

ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — Research on an electric wheelchair that can sense it´s environment and transmit information to a person who is visually impaired, has been tested at Luleå University of Technology. Daniel Innala Ahlmark, a prospective graduate student in the research project, and himself visually impaired, dared to make the first public test.

The wheelchair has a joystick for steering and a haptic robot that acts as a virtual white cane. With the help of a laser scanner a simplified 3D map is created of the wheelchair surroundings. The laser scanner uses Time-of-flight technique. The 3D map is transferred to the haptic robot so that a visually impaired wheelchair driver can "feel or see" obstacles such as open doors or oncoming people, and navigate past them.

The "sighted" wheelchair has been developed by Kalevi Hyyppä, a professor at Luleå University of Technology and his research team at the LTU division EISLAB. The other members of the research team are prospective Ph.D. student Daniel Innala Ahlmark, assistant professor Håkan Fredriksson and Ph.D. student Fredrik Broström.

"This may be important aids for the visually impaired who are wheelchair users. Many have already been in touch with me and asked if they can come for a test drive," says Kalevi Hyyppä.

The first test of the "sighted" wheelchair for an audience was carried out in one of the corridors of the Department of Computer Science, Electrical- and Space Engineering at Luleå University of Technology.

There are several classrooms in the corridor, which means that students often pass there. For those who are visually impaired or blind, it is quite a changing environment to move in. Daniel Innala Ahlmark, who is visually impaired, dared to test the wheelchair while explaining how he experienced it -- and he did so before the entire local and even national media in Sweden.

Click on the above title to read the entire article,

SleepMed Inc.

SleepMed, the nation's leader in Sleep and EEG diagnostic services and a major provider of therapy devices to sleep patients all over the United States.

In the field of sleep medicine, we operate over 160 sleep centers in hospitals, medical practices and at freestanding facilities. Recognized for our customer service leadership, we provide comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services at our sleep centers for the patients of thousands of primary care physicians and hundreds of sleep specialists that comprise our network.

Additionally, we operate over 20 DigiTrace Ambulatory EEG service centers and partner with dozens of comprehensive epilepsy centers across the nation to provide in-home EEG testing for those patients who have experienced seizures, spells or unexplained neurologic episodes. Our proprietary DigiTrace system is considered to be the gold-standard for ambulatory diagnosis of seizures and has been validated in many clinical publications.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SleepMed/214432068584044

http://www.facebook.com/pages/DigiTrace-EEG/204759702891439?sk=wall

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

Bipolar Disorder and Postural Control: Mind-Body Connection Suggests New Directions for Treatment, Research

ScienceDaily (May 24, 2011) — "A new study by motor control and psychology researchers at Indiana University suggests that postural control problems may be a core feature of bipolar disorder, not just a random symptom, and can provide insights both into areas of the brain affected by the psychiatric disorder and new potential targets for treatment.Problems with balance, postural control and other motor control issues are frequently experienced by people with mood and psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and neurological disorders such as Huntington's and Parkinson's disease, but research into the connections is scant.
If problems with postural control -- maintaining balance while holding oneself upright -- are a core component of bipolar disorder, as the study indicates, the researchers say it is possible that the motor abnormalities could appear before other symptoms, signaling an increased risk for the disorder.
It raises the question of whether therapies that improve motor symptoms may also help mood disorders, said Amanda R. Bolbecker, lead author of the study "Postural control in bipolar disorder: Increased sway area and decreased dynamical complexity," published last week in the Public Library of Science ONE."
NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

Public Library Summer Reading Program

The South Carolina State Library is proud to announce the statewide kickoff for the state’s public library summer reading programs to be held in Columbia on June 4, 2011. StoryFest SC is a new literacy event which introduces South Carolina’s children to literature and story in a family fun setting. The event celebrates the 2011 Collaborative Summer Library Theme One World, Many Stories by bringing together two well-known award-winning authors, Chris Raschka and Alan Katz, along with South Carolina’s own Brian McCreight, in a free event for families to be held at the State Museum in Columbia.

StoryFest SC exposes families to children’s authors and the art of story and fosters an excitement for reading, especially throughout the summer. All of South Carolina’s public libraries participate in the State Library coordinated summer reading program.

Events will be held at the South Carolina State Museum at 301 Gervais Street from 10am to 6pm and is free to the public. There will be two presentations by each author, a craft area, storytelling sessions, bag lunches in the Congaree Room, bounce houses, visits from characters such as SCETV’s SmartCat and University of South Carolina mascot Cocky, and a Reader’s Theater presentation.

Families are encouraged to come together and each child will receive a literacy bag with two signed books by the authors and the State Library’s South Carolina Day by Day Family Literacy Activity Calendar. The day’s events will bring families from across the state to participate in fun, learning activities in a safe, family friendly setting.

NOTE: For more information, click on the title above.

New listings on SC Assistive Technology Exchange

Items For Free
557 PediaSure Wagener, SC

Items for Sale
559 Stroller Cruiser transport stroller Lexington SC
562 Power Wheelchair Marietta, GA
564 Bathchair Simpsonville, SC
566 Wheelchair Ramp Simpsonville, SC
568 Handcycle Simpsonville, SC
569 lofstrand crutches Simpsonville, SC
570 Handcontrol Simpsonville, SC
571 Workout bench & weights Simpsonville, SC
572 Wheelchair Simpsonville, SC
573 2 wheelchairs (parts chairs) Simpsonville, SC

Items Needed
558 adult stander Leslie Vietz
561 Hospital Bed for 10 year old (Columbia or Greenville)
579 ultra lightweight wheelchair (Fountain Inn)

If you have questions, contact BOTH Janet.Jendron@uscmed.sc.edu AND Catherine.Graham@usc.med.sc.edu

Note that we can try to help facilitate transportation of equipment, if that's needed. We can't promise anything, but it's always amazing who can step in to help! If you know you need and item and need help with transportation, email Janet Jendron at Janet.Jendron@uscmed.sc. edu
NOTE: To learn more about SC AT Exchange, and to view all their listings, click on the title above.

Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative (GARI)

Almost one in five of the world's population lives with some kind of recognized disability. Sooner or later, everyone will develop at least some limitations in vision, hearing, dexterity or learning. To improve usability for those of us with sensory or physical limitations, phones have features for accessibility, which are continually improving and becoming more prevalent as technologies advance.

The Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative (GARI) is a project designed to help consumers learn more about the various accessibility features of mobile phones and to help them identify phones with the features that may assist them with their particular needs.
NOTE: To learn more about GARI, click on the title above.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing Launches EyeNote™ App to Help the Blind and Visually Impaired Denominate US Currency

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has developed a free
downloadable application (app) to assist people who are visually impaired identify the denomination of US currency. The app is called EyeNote™, a mobile device app designed for Apple iPhone (3G, 3Gs, 4), and the 4th Generation iPod Touch and iPad2 platforms, and is available through the Apple iTunes App Store.

EyeNote™ uses image recognition technology to determine a note's
denomination. Using the mobile device's camera, EyeNote™ can provide
an audible or vibrating response which identifies the denomination of
all Federal Reserve notes issued since 1996. Free downloads will be
available whenever new US currency designs are introduced.

NOTE: To learn more about EyeNote, click on the title above.

Family Genomics Links DNA to Disease

Discover Magazine (April 28, 2011)- A decade ago, sequencing the dna in a person’s entire genome cost up to $1 billion, a price so prohibitive that only a few genetics pioneers had the honor of having it done. In 2010 the cost per genome tumbled to less than $10,000, making it possible to study dna variations within a single family. Almost immediately such familial genome sequencing proved its value, uncovering mutations responsible for diseases caused by defects in a single gene. “There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of diseases falling into this category. This approach will allow us to very quickly find the genetic culprit,” says Leroy Hood, a geneticist at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle.

Earlier efforts to hunt 
down disease-causing genes—so-called genomewide association studies—frequently came up empty-handed because medical researchers had to take cost-saving shortcuts. Instead of trolling an individual’s entire genome, they limited their search to dna regions where variations are most often seen across large populations. “It was assumed that common variants might be responsible for common diseases, but many diseases turn out to have many different rare variants at their root,” says James Lupski, a medical geneticist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “That’s why the power of whole-genome sequencing blows us away. It’s the only way we can get at these rare variants.”

Lupski himself suffers from Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy, a rare hereditary disorder that reduces sensation in the limbs. Although neither of his parents had the condition, three of his seven siblings are also affected by it. “For 20 years we’ve been looking for the gene and mutation behind my family’s neuropathy, but we never found the variant,” he says. Then, in 2010, collaborating with his colleague Richard Gibbs and other Baylor geneticists, Lupski sequenced his own genome —and “Boom! We found it,” he says. (Each of his parents, it turns out, carried a different recessive mutation of the same gene. Consequently, only their children who inherited one from each parent developed the disorder.)

Other groups are finding similar success with whole-genome sequencing. A 2010 study led by Hood in collaboration with the University of Washington and the University of Utah sequenced the entire genomes of four family members. The mother and father were healthy, but their son and daughter both suffered from a rare hereditary disorder called Miller syndrome, which causes craniofacial deformation. The gene responsible was unknown until Hood’s team identified a recessive gene inherited from both parents. If you could diagnose the disease in utero, you might be able to provide preventive drugs before symptoms appeared, Hood says.

Still unclear is whether whole-genome sequencing will work as well at identifying the culprits for cancer, heart disease, and other disorders believed to involve multiple genes rather than a single mutation. Progress may be slower on that front, Duke University geneticist David Goldstein says. But even when the genetic mechanism is more complex, he adds, the new approach might yield insights into underlying disease processes that could pave the way for more finely targeted treatments.

Most Common Form of Inherited Intellectual Disability May Be Treatable, Review Suggests

ScienceDaily (May 17, 2011) — "Advancements over the last 10 years in understanding intellectual disability (ID) have led to the once-unimaginable possibility that ID may be treatable, a review of more than 100 studies on the topic has concluded.
It appears in ACS Chemical Neuroscience.
Aileen Healy and colleagues explain that people long have viewed intellectual disability as permanent and untreatable, with medical care focusing on relieving some of the symptoms rather than correcting the underlying causes. That includes Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common inherited form of intellectual disability. FXS occurs in an array of forms, ranging from mild learning disabilities to more severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is the most common known cause of autism or autistic-like behaviors.
Scientists are now beginning to get a handle on the changes that happen to cells and molecules in the body because of a mutation in the Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 gene. That gene contains instructions for making a key protein vital for nerve function in the brain, and does not work properly in FXS. With a better understanding of the biological effects of the mutation, the scientists say that treatments for FXS and similar disorders now seem possible. In addition, several drugs tested in humans seem promising."
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