2008 Family Connection 'Of Hopes and Dreams' Conference

The 2008 Family Connection 'Of Hopes and Dreams' Conference, expanded to two days of workshops, will be held on February 22 and 23 at the Brookland Banquet and Conference Center in West Columbia, South Carolina. The theme of this year's conference is "Pulling Together... It Works Wonders!"

The 'Of Hopes and Dreams' Conference brings parents and professionals together to learn about issues and topics concerning those who raise children with special needs.

This year's conference will also feature a family night social on Friday night at EdVenture Children's Museum. The family night social is a great opportunity for families to meet, greet, and enjoy fun, food, and EdVenture Children's Museum. You do not need to be registered for the conference in order to attend the family night social.

Friday's conference offers three workshop options, and Saturday's conference offers 19 workshops.

This year's keynote speaker is Dr. Mark Posey, associate professor of clinical pediatrics in the department of developmental pediatrics in the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. A licensed and certified school psychologist, Mark has 12 years of experience in the public school system working with all areas of special needs, including parents of children with special needs.

To register for this year's conference, please call (800) 578-8750 or complete the registration form at http://familyconnectionsc.org/programs/annual_conference/ and mail to Family Connection, 2712 Middleburg Drive, Suite 103B, Columbia, SC 29204.

First Steps Towards Spinal Cord Reconstruction Following Injury Using Stem Cells

"ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2007) — A new study has identified what may be a pivotal first step towards the regeneration of nerve cells following spinal cord injury, using the body's own stem cells. This seminal study, published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, identifies key elements in the body's reaction to spinal injury, critical information that could lead to novel therapies for repairing previously irreversible nerve damage in the injured spinal cord."

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Stem Cells Can Improve Memory After Brain Injury

"ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2007) — New UC Irvine research is among the first to demonstrate that neural stem cells may help to restore memory after brain damage. In the study, mice with brain injuries experienced enhanced memory -- similar to the level found in healthy mice -- up to three months after receiving a stem cell treatment. "

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Genes Influence Age-related Hearing Loss

"ScienceDaily (Nov. 16, 2007) — A new Brandeis University study of twins shows that genes play a significant role in the level of hearing loss that often appears in late middle age. The research, in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, examined genetic and environmental factors affecting hearing loss in the frequency range of speech recognition."

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Obesity-related Hormone Is Higher In Children With Down Syndrome

"ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2007) — Children with Down syndrome are more likely than their unaffected siblings to have higher levels of a hormone associated with obesity, according to pediatric researchers. The hormone, leptin, may contribute to the known higher risk of obesity among children and adults with Down syndrome."

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Pro-Parents Calendar of Workshops

11/27/2007
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Lunch & Learn
*Bring your bag lunch*

ADD / ADHD Workshop
Palmetto Education Center
(Parenting Center)
200 Broad Street
Mullins, SC 29574

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

11/27/2007
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

ADD / ADHD Workshop
Palmetto Education Center
(Parenting Center)
200 Broad Street
Mullins, SC 29574

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

11/27/2007
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

ADD / ADHD Workshop
Family Preservation of Columbia
3710 Landmark Drive
Suite 109
Columbia, SC

Melinda Hawk, PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Special Kids
DSS Project Coordinator
To register call: 1-866-863-1512

12/01/2007
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Positive Behavior Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Sponsored by: Anderson Foster Parents Association
224 McGee Road
Anderson, SC 29622

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

12/06/2007
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Lunch & Learn

Individualized Education Program (IEP) Workshop
Sponsored by: Clarendon School District 3 Parenting Program
2358 Walker Gamma Road
New Zion, SC

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

12/06/2007
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Individualized Education Program (IEP) Workshop
Sponsored by: Clarendon School District 3 Parenting Program
2358 Walker Gamma Road
New Zion, SC

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

12/10/2007
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

ADD / ADHD Workshop
Bluffton High School
12 North East McCracklin Circle
Bluffton, SC

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

12/11/2007
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

ADD / ADHD Workshop
Special Service Building
305 Burroughs Avenue
Beaufort, SC

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

12/14/2007
10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Positive Behavior Intervention (PBI) and Related Topics Workshop
Lee County DDSN
(Gibbs Training Center)
307 Chappelle Drive
Bishopville, SC 29010

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

12/18/2007
10:30 am - 2:30 pm

Individualized Education Program (IEP) Workshop
Sponsored by: Marlboro County DDSN
109 Glenn Street
(Conference Room)
Bennettsville, SC 29512

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

New Treatment Holds Promise for Tourette Syndrome

ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2007) — "Research out of the Neurological Institute at University Hospitals Case Medical Center finds that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) helps patients who suffer from Tourette Syndrome (TS). This first-of-its-kind study of five adults with TS determined that DBS can reduce tic frequency and severity in some people who have exhausted other medical treatments.

Tourette syndrome is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by sudden, repetitive muscle movements (motor tics) and vocalizations (vocal tics). It often begins in childhood. By young adulthood the tics have usually diminished in frequency and severity. However, in some adults, like those that participated in this clinical trial, the tics become more disabling even with best medical therapy."

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Epilepsy-induced Brain Cell Damage Prevented in the Laboratory

ScienceDaily (Oct. 30, 2007) — "For some epilepsy patients, the side effects of epilepsy can be as troubling as the seizures. One pressing concern is the cognitive impairment seizures often inflict, which potentially includes memory loss, slowed reactions and reduced attention spans.

Now scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have directly observed seizure-induced structural changes in brain cells in laboratory animals. They report in The Journal of Neuroscience that the insights they gained allowed them to use a drug to block those changes in the brain.

'Assuming that these structural changes are linked to cognitive impairment -- and there's a lot of data to suggest that's true -- then this could provide us with a path to therapies that reduce cognitive problems in epilepsy,' says senior author Michael Wong, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology, of anatomy and neurobiology, and of pediatrics."

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Slower Brain Maturity Seen in ADHD Kids

WASHINGTON - "Crucial parts of brains of children with attention deficit disorder develop more slowly than other youngsters' brains, a phenomenon that earlier brain-imaging research missed, a new study says.

Developing more slowly in ADHD youngsters — the lag can be as much as three years — are brain regions that suppress inappropriate actions and thoughts, focus attention, remember things from moment to moment, work for reward and control movement. That was the finding of researchers, led by Dr. Philip Shaw of the National Institute of Mental Health, who reported the most detailed study yet on this problem in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

'Finding a normal pattern of cortex maturation, albeit delayed, in children with ADHD should be reassuring to families and could help to explain why many youth eventually seem to grow out of the disorder,' Shaw said in a statement."

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Major U.S. Autism Study Gets Under Way

FRIDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- "A large, five-year study looking at the genetic and environmental factors that may cause autism, as well as other developmental delays, has started enrolling 2,700 children and their families from six areas in the United States.

The Study to Explore Early Development -- which researchers called the largest of its kind -- will include children with autism and other developmental delays, as well as children with normal development.

Family medical history, genetics, and sociodemographic, lifestyle and environmental factors will be among the areas of focus in the study. Information will be gathered through interviews, physical examinations, medical records and cheek swab, blood and hair samples."

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Grants for Kids

The United Healthcare Children's Foundation is offering support to meet
the needs of children nationwide with assistance grants for medical
services not fully covered by health insurance.

Parents and caretakers across the country will be eligible to apply for
grants of up to $5,000.00 for health-care services that will help
improve their children's health and quality of life. Examples of the
types of medical services covered by the foundation grants include
speech therapy; physical therapy and psychotherapy sessions; medical
equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids and eye-glasses, and
orthodontic and dental treatments.

"The United Healthcare Children's Foundation has already helped more
than 375 families and provided nearly $1 million in financial
assistance", said Foundation President Matt Peterson. "We are excited
about the expansion of the program and look forward to the opportunity
to help many more children have access to healthcare services that will
enhance their health and quality of life."

To be eligible for the grants, children must be 16 years old or
younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, live in the U.S. and
be covered by a commercial health insurance plan. For more information,
visit: www.uhccf.org

Treadmill Training Helps Down Syndrome Babies Walk Months Earlier

"ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2007) — Starting Down syndrome infants on treadmill training for just minutes a day can help them walk up to four or five months earlier than with only traditional physical therapy, a new study from the University of Michigan says."

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Data Show Geron's Cell-Based Therapeutic for Spinal Cord Injury Survives and Exhibits Remyelination for at Least Nine Months Following Injection

"MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN - News) today announced that data show GRNOPC1, the company’s human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based therapeutic for spinal cord injury, survives and exhibits durable and robust human remyelination in spinal cord-injured rats for at least nine months following a single injection.

Presented by Geron’s Arjun Natesan, Ph.D., at the Society for Neurosciences Annual Meeting in San Diego, the data also demonstrate that GRNOPC1 does not amplify neuropathic pain or the reaction to painful stimuli. This finding is in contrast to research that shows many other cell types, when injected into the spinal cord, amplify neuropathic pain, a common long-term complication of spinal cord injury in man."

Note: Remyelination is the regeneration of the protective part of the nerve called the myelin sheath.

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WITNESS: Still Paralyzed, But Back Reporting Overseas

"Peter Apps is a Reuters correspondent who was badly injured in a car crash on Sept 5, 2006 while on assignment in Sri Lanka. He lost the use of his limbs and is now confined to a wheelchair. He has written previously on his slow recovery and return to work. In the following story he describes going on his first foreign reporting trip since his accident."

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Simple Blood Test Could Predict Alzheimer's Risk

"CHICAGO (Reuters) - Researchers have developed a simple blood test that may be able to predict whether mild lapses of memory could be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease.

In a study published on Sunday in the journal Nature Medicine, an international team of researchers describe 18 cell-signaling, or communication, proteins found in blood that predicted with 90 percent accuracy whether a person would develop Alzheimer's disease."

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Scientists Envision Growing Human Eyeballs

"A genetic switch that gives tadpoles three eyes could allow stem-cell scientists to eventually grow human eyeballs or at least create replacement parts needed for repair jobs.

If scientists could grow eyeballs from stem cells in the lab, the process would be a boon to individuals with damage to cells within the eye, including retinal disorders.

"If you knew all the genes, and how to turn them on, that you needed to make an eye, you could start with very early embryonic cells and turn on all the right genes and grow an eye in a dish," said co-leader of the study Nicholas Dale, a neuroscientist at the University of Warwick in England."

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