AMC/Autism Society Sensory Friendly Films

We Bring AMC Sensory Friendly Films to Families Affected by Autism on a Monthly Basis to Select Communities.

The program provides a special opportunity for families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment. The auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and audience members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing!

The idea for the program began with a request from a parent with an autistic child for a special screening at AMC Columbia Mall 14 in Columbia, MD. More than 300 children and parents attended the first screening.

We are thrilled to now offer the program at many locations nationwide — please see below for a complete list of participating theatres. As a leading theatrical exhibition company, we are so proud to be making a difference in the estimated 1.5 million Americans living with an autism spectrum disorder by offering families a chance to see a movie together — often for the very first time.

August 31, 2013 - Planes

10:00 A.M.

To learn more, please click on the above title.

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

Family Connection South Carolina Has a New Website!

Family Connection South Carolina Has a New Website!

We are a statewide nonprofit organization that links families of children with special healthcare needs and 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 family-to-family network, statewide offices and a host of programs to educate, inspire and empower families and their children to live rich, fulfilling lives in spite of many challenges. Our programs and services are centered on the concept of parent-to-parent support and the fact that families with shared experiences are uniquely qualified to help each other.

To visit the new website, please click on the above title.

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

Back to School with ADHD

Back to School with ADHD

Presented by:

Chris Zeigler Dendy, M.S.

September 20, 2013

9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Glenforest School, 1041 Harbor Drive, West Columbia, SC

Sponsored by:

652 Bush River Road, Suite 203, Columbia, South Carolina 29210
Telephone: (800) 759-4776 (toll-free) · (803) 772-5688 (local)

Back to School with ADD/ADHD

 Featuring Chris A. Zeigler Dendy, M.S.

Author of

Teenagers with ADD & ADHD

Teaching Teens with ADD, ADHD & Executive 

Function Deficits

A Bird’s-Eye View of Life with ADD and 

ADHD: Advice from Young Survivors

September 20, 2013
9:00 am-3:30 pm
Glenforest School
1041 Harbor Drive
West Columbia, SC 29169
In this workshop participants will:

•  Learn ten key ADHD facts, current research on the brain, and the role of neurotransmitters.
•  Identify common academic challenges and strategies to address them.
•  Discuss executive function deficits that are challenging at both home and school.
• Learn brainstorming tips to identify problem areas for students who are struggling in school. 

To learn more, please click on the above title.

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

Snoezelen Rooms

There are close to 1,200 Snoezelen rooms in North America, according to FlagHouse, the company that provides the equipment. PARC has the only multisensory room with official Snoezelen equipment in the Tampa Bay area.

In the Snoezelen, a child with autism learns what it feels like to calm down and escape from an overstimulating environment, said Linda Messbauer, an occupational therapist who established the first Snoezelen in the United States in 1992. When they re-enter a stressful environment, children can think back to the Snoezelen room, which helps them relax. Then, they are more receptive to other types of therapy and education

Snoezelen — a blend of two Dutch words meaning "explore" and "relax" — was invented in the Netherlands in the 1970s. The rooms use specialized, brand-name equipment that stimulates the senses with sound, light, color, texture and aroma. They're designed to help individuals with developmental disabilities, dementia and some neurological problems to regulate how much sensory stimulation they experience.

The center serves all ages but was designed primarily for children. To fit parents' schedules, it's open daily, including nights and weekends. There are rooms for private therapy and family observation, and staff members work with families, their finances and schools to develop treatment plans.

To learn more, please click on the above title.

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

South Carolina 2014 Statewide Transition Conference Sponsor and Vendor Opportunities

South Carolina 2014 Statewide Transition Conference Sponsor and Vendor Opportunities 

Co-hosted by SC-Division on Career Development and Transition And SC-Council for Administrators in Special Education

 October 24 and 25, 2013

The Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center Columbia, SC

SCHEDULE
Day 1: October 24, 2013
9:00—9:30 Registration & Coffee
9:30—4:00 Colleen Thoma
(Lunch Provided) Practical Strategies for Embedding Evidence Based
Practices in your Transition Program
Collen Thoma is a Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Thoma’s research focuses on Self-determination in transition planning, transition assessment, and universal design for instruction.
Day 2: October 25, 2013
8:30—9:00 Registration & Coffee
9:00-4:00 Melinda Jacobs
(Lunch Provided) Legal Issues in Secondary Transition & Behavior
Melinda Jacobs is well-known attorney in private practice who has worked in the field of special education law since 1985. Since 1996, she has exclusively represented school systems in special education matters pursuant to the IDEA, Section 504, and related laws. Along with sessions on the topics mentioned above, there will be several social activities, such as a Continental Breakfast, Breaks, and Buffet Lunches. We invite you to consider exhibiting at this conference, where you will have an opportunity

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT: DR. CINDI NIXON: cnixon@fmarion.edu

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

AbleNet Webinars

Register For an Upcoming Live Webinar

August 27, 2013 11:00am CST - 60 minutes
Title: Change Your View of AT to Support Employees
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Laura Parks, M.Ed.
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

August 28, 2013 4:00pm CST - 60 minutes
Title: Getting Your Classroom Ready for the New School Year for Your Students With Autism
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Mo Buti, M.Ed-BD, M.Ed-ADMIN
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

September 10, 2013 4:00pm CST - 60 minutes
Title: SoundingBoard app - Bigger and Better!
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Mo Buti, M.Ed-BD, M.Ed-ADMIN
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now
Click here to download the updated SoundingBoard App.

September 18, 2013 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QIAT Session 1: Overview of QIAT
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Diana Carl & Joy Zabala of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

October 16, 2013 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QIAT Session 2: Consideration of AT Needs
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Kathy Lalk & Penny Reed of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

November 20, 2013 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QUIAT Session 3: Assessment of AT Needs
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Joan Breslin-Larson & Penny Reed of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

December 11, 2013 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QIAT Session 4: Including Assistive Technology in the IEP
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Sue McCloskey & Terry Foss of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

January 15, 2014 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QIAT Session 5: AT Implementation
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Gayl Bowser & Jane Korsten of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

February 12, 2014 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QIAT Session 6: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of AT
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Jane Korsten & Terry Foss of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

March 19, 2014 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QIAT Session 7: AT Transition
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Gayl Bowser & Diana Carl of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

April 16, 2014 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QIAT Session 8: Professional Development and Training in AT
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Kathy Lalk & Scott Marfilius of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

May 14, 2014 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QIAT Session 9: Administrative Support of AT Services
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Joan Breslin-Larson & Penny Reed of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

June 4, 2014 11:30am CST - 60 minutes
Title: QIAT Session 10: Using QIAT Resources
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Joy Zabala & Scott Marfilius of QIAT.org
Cost: FREE
Learn More or Register Now

Choose the AbleNet Training Solutions to Meet Your Staff Needs

Choose one or more solutions to ensure effective implementation for your students and educators:

Onsite
An onsite trainer travels to you and directly targets your specific staff/student population needs. Your expert trainer will provide hands-on instruction, explanations, and demonstrations for any AbleNet technology, software, and/or curriculum you choose. Onsite training provides a high degree of interaction and hands-on product experience, along with essential information on your curriculum/technology.

Webinar
Live or recorded custom Webinars provide staff with all the essential information on the curricular program, software, or technology purchased, as well as an opportunity for staff to ask questions or discuss specific needs.  This interactive format can be viewed as frequently as your staff needs, is Mac or PC compatible, and may be purchased in 1-hour increments.

Website
A secure Members Only website with 24/7 access to training and ongoing professional development resources online, such as customized downloadable materials, live and recorded webinars, members forum, and more. Experts in the field provide the most up-to-date strategies for students with disabilities.

To learn more, please click on the above title.

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

Gluten allergy may play role in gastro woes in kids with autism

Gluten allergy may play role in gastro
woes in kids with autism

(HealthDay News) - In some children with autism, levels of immune system antibodies to gluten proteins are elevated, a new study shows.

The finding may have implications for the cause and treatment of gastrointestinal troubles that often accompany autism spectrum disorders. Diets excluding gluten have become popular in the autism community, but the effectiveness of such diets has not been confirmed.

However, according to the new study, "there appears to be an increased immune reactivity to gluten in children with autism, which is associated with gastrointestinal symptoms," said lead researcher Armin Alaedini, an assistant professor of medical sciences at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

The study did not find any link between autism and celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that is triggered by gluten.

Gluten is found in many wheat and related grain products.

In the study, Alaedini's team reviewed the medical records and blood samples of 140 children, 37 of whom had autism. Researchers tested the blood samples for antibodies to a marker of celiac disease and antibodies to gliadin, a marker of gluten. In addition, patients also were tested for genes associated with celiac disease.

Alaedini stressed that the study is preliminary and "the increased antibody response to gluten [found among patients] does not necessarily indicate sensitivity to gluten or any disease-causing role for the antibodies in the context of autism."

Instead, the higher levels of antibodies to gluten could point to immune and/or intestinal abnormalities in the affected children, he said.

More research into the immune response of people with autism to gluten might bring clues to the condition or highlight "a subset of patients that would respond to certain treatment strategies," Alaedini said.

Importantly, the findings do not suggest that putting a child with autism on a gluten-free diet has any benefit, he added.

"Such a conclusion cannot be drawn from this particular study," Alaedini said. "By itself, the increased antibody response to gluten does not necessarily indicate sensitivity to gluten or any pathogenic [disease-causing] role for the antibodies."

The report was published in the June online issue of PLoS One.

Another expert agreed that the study findings are preliminary.

"By themselves, anti-gluten antibodies do not mean disease," explained Dr. Daniel Coury, medical director of Autism Speaks' Autism Treatment Network and chief of developmental & behavioral pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

"They are part of the whole puzzle. When they occur with other abnormalities and with symptoms, we begin to get a clearer picture. It may be that this will help identify a subgroup of individuals with autism who may benefit from a specific treatment someday when we have a better understanding of just what is going on here," Coury said.

Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental & behavioral pediatrics at the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York in New Hyde Park, added that "this study could appear like some vindication to the many people who think that gluten is somehow involved in autism and dietary changes might be helpful. But that is not an accurate take-home message," Adesman said.

"Although increased gluten antibodies are present in children with autism and it appears they are involved in gastrointestinal problems, at this point it's hard to know what role, if any, these antibodies have in autism," he said.

Adesman noted that research into gluten-free diets for children with autism hasn't shown any benefit. "And this study doesn't reinforce any basis for dietary intervention for autistic children," he stressed.

To learn more, please click on the above title.

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