South Carolina Autism Society September Newsletter

South Carolina Autism Society

Monthly Newsletter 

September, 2015

From The President

One of the most common questions we hear in our office is, "I wish you had that in OUR area!" We are listening!

Many of our families cannot get to Columbia to attend the valuable workshops we offer. So we want to bring them to you! Please complete our Workshop Interest Survey by clicking here. This will help us plan which workshops are of the most interest to which areas.

In October, we are partnering with the LUCAS Network and Project Hope Foundation to present the Upstate Autism Forum. With workshops ranging from Autism 101 to Parent Tools, and state experts to discuss ABA coverage, this will be a great learning opportunity for families, self-advocates, and providers.

We are expanding our annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive to cover all of South Carolina. In 2008, we partnered with the LUCAS Network in the Upstate to help provide holiday assistance to autism families in need. As the need has grown, so has the program.

But we need your support to continue expanding these opportunities to reach all of South Carolina. Please consider participating in The Big Give for Autism on September 17th. Your donations will stay right here in South Carolina.

Finally, for you pizza lovers out there, grab your Domino's Slice the Price cards for just $10 and get great BOGO offers through next summer! Half the purchase price will support the SC Autism society!

To get more information on all these opportunities, click here!

As always, please contact us if you have questions, need assistance, or would like to get further involved. Our main number is 803-750-6988, or visit our website at scautism.org

Sincerely, 

Kim Thomas, President & CEO

South Carolina Autism Society

Autism Spectrum Disorder Webinar Slides

Autism Spectrum Disorder Webinar

On September 3, 2015, the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) held a webinar to keep viewers updated on progress in implementing Autism Spectrum Disorder Services in the State Medicaid Plan.  

If you're interested in the SCDHHS' progress on this matter and would like to see the slides from the webinar, click here! 

Breast-Feeding Tied to Better Emotion Perception In Some Infants

Breast-Feeding Tied to Better Emotion Perception 

In Some Infants

(Health Day News) - Researchers found that among 44 babies with a particular autism "risk" gene, those who were breast-fed longer spent more time looking at images of "happy" eyes and shied away from "angry" eyes.

The findings, published online Sept. 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that breast-feeding might enhance social development in certain at-risk infants.

However, the authors and other experts stressed that the study offers no evidence that breast-feeding ultimately affects a child's odds of developing autism, or that it lessens the severity of autism symptoms.

To continue reading, click here!

Even Children on Tricycles Should Wear Helmets, Researchers Say

Even Children on Tricycles Should Wear Helmets, Researchers Say

(CNN) - For the past decade, we've drilled into children that when they ride a bike, they need to wear a helmet. Now scientists say it may be too late: Tricycle riders should be wearing them, too.

Think this is a case of safety overkill? Authors of a new study published in the journal 'Pediatrics' say the answer is in the numbers.

According to their estimates, there were 9,340 cases of tricycle-related accidents that sent children to emergency rooms in 2012 and 2013. The most common body part injured: a child's head -- and head injuries can cause lasting damage.

To continue reading, click here!

2015 FundAble

You are Invited to the 2015 FundAble

Join us for an unforgettable evening, featuring:

Silent Auction | Live Music | Cocktails | Heavy Hors d'oeuvres 


Tickets Now on Sale! 
Purchase Tickets

Able SC's signature event, FundAble, celebrates
independence for people with disabilities

Friday, November 6, 2015
701 Whaley St.,
Columbia, SC
6:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Tickets are $50 per person

Tickets can be purchased online at:
www.able-sc.org/fundable
or by calling 1-800-681-6805

8th Annual Run for Thought

  

 Register today for our

8th Annual Run for Thought

5k Trail Run and 1 Mile Walk/Roll!

The Brain Injury Association of SC invites you to register, fundraise, and/or sponsor our 

8th Annual Run for Thought 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk/Roll!

Date: 

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Time: 

9:00am

Location: 

Conestee Park

840 Mauldin Road

Greenville, SC 29607

Please support BIASC in this year's event. There are many ways to show your support:

• Register to run or walk! Click here to register. 
• Create a fundraising page! Click here to donate or create a fundraising page. Once on the page, click on the green Fundraise button above the Donate button (you will need to create a Firstgiving account if you do not already have one but there is no charge). 
• Become a sponsor! Click on the link below to view the sponsorship opportunities or give us a call at 803.731.9823 or toll free: 1.877.824.3228

Click here to go to our event website. Please contact our office at one of the numbers above if you have any questions. 

Why Concussion Recovery Takes Longer for Some Kids

Why Concussion Recovery Takes Longer for Some Kids

(HealthDay News) - Some children recover more slowly from concussion and other types of traumatic brain injury because they have extensive damage to the protective coating around brain nerve fibers, a new study says.

Researchers looked at 32 patients, aged 8 to 19, who had suffered a moderate to severe brain injury in the previous five months. The kids underwent tests to assess how fast they could process and recall information.

"Our research suggests that imaging the brain's wiring to evaluate both its structure and function could help predict a patient's prognosis after a traumatic brain injury," first author Emily Dennis, a postdoctoral researcher at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, said in the news release.

To continue reading, click here!

Free Augmentative Communication Training

Free Augmentative Communication Training

Implementation Strategies for AAC:

How to Get Kids Really Talking

Date: October 1, 2015

Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location:

Poplar Building Conference Room

8301 Farrow Road

Columbia, SC

Description:

• This presentation focuses on strategies to teach and promote use of an augmentative communication system to get students to independently initiate spontaneous, novel utterances rather than simply repeating pre-stored sentences when prompted
• The strategies presented will cover a range of communication ages and abilities, including those at the level of emerging language and literacy. The workshop is not limited to people using PRC devices. The teaching strategies presented are appropriate for a wide variety of devices and programs. You do not need to bring an AAC device to the workshop.
• This presentation is appropriate for anyone (teacher, SLP, parent, paraprofessional, etc.) working with a student using communication devices
• This workshop has a maximum of 15 participants

Speaker: 

Holly S. Camplin, MS, CCC-SLP, Assistive Technology Works Inc.

Holly Camplin, MS, CCC-SLP is an ASHA licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with degrees in Communication Disorders and Speech-Language Pathology from North Carolina State University and East Carolina University.  Holly practiced as a school-based speech pathologist for over 14 years in Moore County Schools in North Carolina, specializing over time in AAC implementation in the classroom.  Holly joined Assistive Technology Works in 2013 as the eastern North Carolina and South Carolina Consultant to continue focusing on AAC; traveling throughout eastern NC and SC to help clinicians, educators, and clients find solutions for their AAC needs.

Registration:

Complete the Implementation Strategies for AAC 

online registration form

Cost: Free, but pre-registration is required

For questions about registration call Will McCain at (803) 935-5004 or Lydia Durham at (803) 935-5263 or 800-915-4522

Register for the NEDA Conference Today!

Register Today - Hotel Rates for the 2015 NEDA Conference Increase Soon!

Take advantage of discounted hotel rates when you register for the 2015 NEDA Conference on or before Monday, September 7th! Reservations are available at the special room block rate of $189.00/night, but only if booked before then. So, register for the NEDA Conference today! The Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina has a prime waterfront location on lovely San Diego Bay and the heart of the city is just a short drive or shuttle ride away.

In addition to all of the perks of the NEDA Conference, you'll enjoy stunning ocean views and easy access to San Diego’s most famed attractions!

Click here for more information

Head Injury Tied to Long-Term Attention Issues in Kids

Head Injury Tied to Long-Term Attention Issues in Kids

(Health Day News) - Children who suffer even mild brain injuries may experience momentary lapses in attention long after their accident, new research finds. The study of 6- to 13-year-olds found these attention lapses led to lower behavior and intelligence ratings by their parents and teachers.

"Parents, teachers and doctors should be aware that attention impairment after traumatic brain injury can manifest as very short lapses in focus, causing children to be slower," said study researcher Marsh Konigs, a doctoral candidate at VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

This loss of focus was apparent even when scans showed no obvious brain damage, the researchers said.

To continue reading the original article, click here

'Wireless Independence Now'

'Wireless Independence Now' Presentations

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC) has released presentations from its Wireless Independence Now! workshop series.

These workshops, conducted with the AT&T Corporate Accessibility Technology Office, are offered to people with disabilities, caregivers, and professionals to demonstrate the accessibility features found on smartphones and tablets. Individual sessions focus on features helpful to people with hearing loss, visual disabilities, dexterity or mobility disabilities, and cognitive disabilities, as well as a broader session on disability and accessibility in mobile technology.

If I Need Help

If I Need Help - Cool New Technology!

Are you the caregiver or loved one of someone with autism, Alzheimer’s, Down Syndrome, or other cognitive or physical impairments who tends to wander? Check out If I Need Help, a company founded by two parents of a child with autism that has designed items carrying a personalized ID to be attached to a loved one's clothing or personal items. 

If a loved one with a cognitive or physical impairment is lost, the person who finds them will be alerted to their condition by the patch or necklace on the wanderer and can scan the ID with a smart phone or manually enter the ID into the website to reveal contact information and any important medical issues.  The caregivers can also update the information stored by the ID in real time.

For more information on If I Need Help, click here!

Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive

 

Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive

Since 2008, The South Carolina Autism Society and the LUCAS Network have partnered to provide a Thanksgiving dinner to families affected by autism who are going through financial difficulties. Thanks to the community’s donations, over 650 families in need have been served since 2008. Your donations supported over 100 families in 2014 alone! The need continues to grow.

For 2015, the two organizations will be collecting donations and distributing grocery store gift cards to recipients. To make a donation, click here.  You can pay via PayPal, or send a check upon completion. Your donation is tax deductible.

We will begin accepting nominations for recipients in October. Please stay tuned for additional information.

http://scautism.org/get-involved/fundraisers/annual-thanksgiving-turkey-drive-2015/