You are here: Home / Archives for Autism Spectrum

An interview with Christy Evanko from Good Friend Books

By Leave a Comment

I recently wrote an article for ProviderSearch.com and received this message from Christy Evanko:

I have the same issue at school. My son is high functioning and doesn’t “look different” but because of confidentiality, they can’t say what is different about him. So I wrote a book about it and read it to his class each year. Now, rather than the kids not knowing why he acts the way he does, they go out of their way to help him.

Wow – what a wonderful idea!

And, it turns out that she is creating these books for others now so I knew I had to find out more!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Listen here or right click to download.

Christy says, “I wrote this book because several things happened that led me to believe that my son’s classmates did not Christy Evanko - Good Friend Booksknow that he has Autism, and did not understand why he did certain things. I figured since they didn’t know, they probably made up explanations for his behaviors. I wanted to inform his classmates about Autism and encourage them to be his friend rather than being afraid of him. I have read the book to his classes two years in a row and have seen improvements compared to his kindergarten year when I did not have the book.”

Christy Evanko is a parent of three children, one with Autism. She holds a graduate certificate in ABA (applied behavior analysis).

Want to get your own Good Friend Book?

Learn more at Good Friend Books or email Christy at christy@goodfriendbooks.com.

Please let us know your thoughts and any questions you may have. You can just leave a comment or if you want to keep it private, go to out Contact Page and fill out the form.

Enjoy!

Sandra

P.S Click here to find more Interviews.

P.P.S Are you interested in being interviewed or being a guest writer? Contact me here, please.

Related Posts

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

From the Archives – Inspired by Carly’s Voice

By Leave a Comment

Technical Difficulties graphicDue to some scheduling snafu’s and a technical glitch, I don’t have an interview for you this week. I do however, want to share three interviews from the archives.

I’m listening to the audio version of Carly’s Voice, an absolutely stunning book about a young woman with Autism. Technology allowed her to share herself with us and I think we are only beginning to see the changes her words will bring.

Listening to this book reminds me of three interviews I have done that I want share again, in case you missed them.

Provider Search DirectoryOne is with Tyler Burke of Provider Search Directory. Tyler’s service helps families connect with people and services and as Carly’ story demonstrates, finding the right fit is so incredibly important. Listen here.

The second interview is with Dr. Mueller of Stimulus Publications. Dr. Mueller and I talk about what ABA, Applied Behavior Analysis, is and how to work with your child’s IEP Team to help your child. I think ABA had a significant impact on Carly and allowed her the glimpse the possible. Listen here.

MaximumPotentialKids.comThe third interview is with Garrett Butch of Maximum Potential Kids. Garrett and I talked about ABA from a parent’s point of view. Clearly ABA gave Carly’s parent’s hope and let them see the possibilities. Listen here.

Please let us know your thoughts and any questions you may have. You can just leave a comment or if you want to keep it private, go to out Contact Page and fill out the form.

Next week I will post an interview with an author who has a very unique way of helping other’s meet your child. Stay tuned!

Enjoy!

Sandra

P.S Click here to find more Interviews.

P.P.S Are you interested in being interviewed or being a guest writer? Contact me here, please.

Related Posts

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reflections on Autism Awareness Month

By 2 Comments

Yesterday was the last day of Autism Awareness Month. 

Whew. What an emotional roller coaster.

I believe that Awareness is the first step to Acceptance but what we really strive for, what all Families with Special Needs Family Members strive for, is Inclusion.

So I was truly shocked and extremely saddened by some of the the things I read – at the lack of awareness of the uniqueness of each person and their needs, at the lack of acceptance of a different perspective or opinion. And at the lack of Inclusion within our own Special Needs Community.

This past month I learned that Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion must start with us. With the Special Needs Community.

While we may be aware, we certainly don’t accept all and we don’t include all. There are many opinions and ideas, therapies and treatments, groups and organizations in the Autism Community and the larger Special Needs Community. And we don’t all agree with each other.

But we don’t have to.

What we do have to do is be civil and courteous.

Each person with Special Needs and each Family is different. Each has different needs, wants, dreams and goals. Just like everyone else. And each Special Needs Family has the right to choose what is best for them.

We must treat each other the way we ask the rest of the world to treat us – with dignity and respect. Otherwise, how can we possibly ask that of others?

Mother Teresa was once invited to attend an anti-war rally. She declined. Shocked, the organizers asked her why. She told them that when they have a Peace Rally to invite her, she’d be there.

Welcome to the Special Needs Peace Rally.

Here and on Our Special Families Village Facebook Page, you will find information on a variety of Special Needs related topics.

And they might not all agree with each other.

One post might have information on why you should vaccinate your child and another might share the case against it. I will present the information and you can decide what is right for you and your Family.

One interview might share ideas for helping your Child make the most of an Inclusion setting at school and another might explain the benefits of a Special Day Class setting. Again, I will present the information and you decide if it is right for you.

My goal is to find the best information available and share it with you. Not to find only the stuff you will agree with.

But what will not be tolerated here is the kind of negative, polarizing and hurtful judgement I witnessed from some in the Autism Community last month.

We need to be the change we wish to see in the world.

-Attributed to Mahatma Ghandi

Related Posts

Filed Under: Village Views Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Autism/PDD – The News You Need This Week (4/16/12)

By Leave a Comment

For Previous Articles, Please Click Here.

Mother’s Day is coming! Help us help you – Support our efforts when you shop your favorite online retailers through iBakeSale.com. Thank you.

It’s Autism Awareness Month, in case you didn’t know. :) Much is being said about it and about the new numbers from the CDC.  I’ve gone through everything I can find and here are links to some views and interpretations that I think best showcase the conversation…

What constitutes an emergency?

What I would like to suggest is that if you love someone with autism or care about the enormous increase let’s ask IACC to count the true number. Once we know the actual number of those living with autism, the true number in a timely fashion, we can then ask for answers to questions such as Why? And what are we going to do about it? Hundreds of thousands of families need answers.

The Autism Wars

According to the C.D.C., what critics condemn as over-diagnosis is most likely the opposite. Twenty percent of the 8-year-olds the agency’s reviewers identified as having the traits of autism by reviewing their school and medical records had not received an actual diagnosis. The sharpest increases appeared among Hispanic and black children, who historically have been less likely to receive an autism diagnosis. In South Korea, a recent study found a prevalence rate of one in 38 children, and a study in England found autism at roughly the same rate — 1 percent — in adults as in children, implying that the condition had gone unidentified previously, rather than an actual increase in its incidence.

Autism Prevalence: More Affected or More Detected?

Science can resolve this dilemma, but the methods to examine this question as well as the answers will be complex. While it is never possible to go back in time, longitudinal population based studies and even careful retrospective studies can determine if more children are affected and if the nature of the disorder is changing over time. The changes in prevalence of other developmental disorders, measured with biomarkers (Type 1 diabetes) or emergency room visits (food allergies), appear to be true increases in the number of children affected. As diagnostic changes and ascertainment fail to explain the majority of the increase in autism prevalence, it seems prudent to assume that there are indeed more children affected and continue an aggressive search for causes while striving to improve detection, treatments, and services. Our working assumption is that there are both more children affected and more detected.

Autism Spectrum Disorders on the Rise: Inside the CDC Report

The CDC report concludes that although multiple factors influence the identification of children with ASD and differences in prevalence estimates across sites, the data provided in this report indicate the need for further exploration of possible associations between overall ASD prevalence and improved identification among children without intellectual disability, children in all racial/ethnic populations, and both males and females, including potential interactions between these factors.

Thoughts on World Autism Day

So I say “thank you” for autism day! Thank you for a day that brings awareness to so many people across the globe. Thank you for a day I don’t have to break my own back to give out that awareness. Thank you for a day that may mean less stigma and more understanding for a growing issue. Thank you for showing me how much you are trying to understand.

And then there’s reality…

The Meaning of Time.

I was scared and frustrated. I knew he was trying. And I looked at him, looking at me. And despite it all, we laughed. In that moment, there was no fear, or judgment, no frustration, or anger. Just laughter. I saw the glint in my son’s eyes, relaxation, and a desire to please me. And love. And I just loved back.

Please let us know your thoughts or questions on these articles in the Comments Section or privately via the Contact Page.

Related Posts

Filed Under: Autism/PDD, Information and Resources Tagged With: , , ,

Autism/PDD – The News You Need This Week (3/26/12)

By Leave a Comment

For Previous Articles, Please Click Here.

Help us hep you – Support our efforts when you shop your favorite online retailers through iBakeSale.com. Thank you.

 

Auditory Processing and Autism

We long suspected that Matthew had auditory processing issues in addition to his Autism. We couldn’t really put our finger on exactly what was happening for a long time. We kept telling his IEP team that we thought he had hearing problems, but we knew that he could hear and he passed hearing tests with flying colors. Then at an IEP meeting when Matthew was in High School, someone was finally able to connect the dots. I don’t remember who said it but it was a blinding flash of the obvious: it’s not that he can’t hear it’s that he’s not processing what he hears correctly.

And suddenly it all made so much sense.

Now I understood why, after hearing the SpongeBob song a gazillion times a day, he still had the words wrong. We had him tested and it was clear that he had auditory processing problems. What we couldn’t discern was, were these problems stemming from his Autism or were his autistic behaviors coming from the auditory processing challenges. We still don’t know the answer but we do know that the services he is receiving and how we all work with him really doesn’t change.

I tend to believe that he has problems shutting out distractions. I think part of his Autism is not being able to discern where his focus should be. So even though he’s trying to learn the SpongeBob song he is still listening to all the other noises he’s hearing and watching everything around him. But we can help them with that to some degree. The challenge for me as his mother is to recognize when I’ve given him all the help he wants, which means he truly has all the help he can effectively use. I have to recognize that eventually the Law of Diminishing Returns sets in. Usually this is the point where he starts to get frustrated.

Some children may not only be diagnosed with Autism but also have other issues and diagnoses as well. A common secondary diagnosis for some children with Autism is Auditory Processing disorder or Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD.) CAPD or auditory processing issues does not mean a child cannot hear. In brief, the child most likely has hearing issues. Hearing issues in CAPD or auditory processing issues could be some of the following:

They may not hearing all pitches of sounds (e.g., high sounds or low sounds.)

They may have significant issues with background noise

They may have auditory processing issues (for example: confusing the questions “How are you?” and “How old are you?”

Autism Online - Connecting Community and Resources

I discovered this great resource on Facebook and thought you might find it helpful. I am also posting it to the resources page.

Since 2002, Danya has developed and evaluated a number of educational products for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and the caregivers, professionals, and advocates who work with them. As we prepared to take these programs to market, we realized that, while there are many Web sites with products and information about autism, there is no one online resource for individuals to go to find research-based, high-quality products that meet the needs of individuals with ASD.

AutismOnline is the only Web site of its kind devoted to providing research-based, effective, high-quality resources, products, and information on ASD across the lifespan. Products are geared toward individuals with autism, as well as their caregivers, teachers, professionals, paraprofessional, and advocates.

Our mission to provide products for all individual affected by ASD—including individuals with ASD themselves, caregivers, advocates, teachers, and professionals—makes AutismOnline a unique and extensive resource for the autism community.

Discovery of Abnormal Gene Pathways Suggests Targets for Future Medicines

Now this is exciting…

These findings are exciting because they point to genetic pathways involved in brain development and reorganization that could lead to the discovery of targeted pharmaceutical interventions,” says lead researcher Eric Courchesne, Ph.D., of the University of California-San Diego Autism Center of Excellence. For example, future medicines might be designed to alter gene activity in ways that promote repair or otherwise normalize brain development.”

Please let us know your thoughts or questions on these articles in the Comments Section or privately via the Contact Page.

Related Posts

Filed Under: Autism/PDD, Information and Resources Tagged With: , ,
«Older Posts