Author Archive
Event 5-19-12: Community Day at Valley Forge Educational Services
Community Day: Valley Forge Educational Services Saturday, May 19, 10:00am—2:00pm 1777 North Valley Rd., Malvern, PA Offers sensory-friendly games, interactive theater activities, carnival-style games, musical performances, meet-and-greet with Star War characters, bounce house, snacks, lunch and beverages throughout the day. Fee: FREE More info: 610-296-6725 x302, visit online, or view event flyer.
Welcome New Board Members
At our annual board meeting earlier this month, ASCEND welcomed four new board members. We are pleased to have them join us in serving our region’s Asperger and autism community! Please take the time to read the brief bios for Randi Davis, Michael Fogel, Maleita Olson, and Ryan Wexelblatt on our website. Already, the board is planning exciting events for the upcoming year! We look forward to offering a series of Meet and Greet dinners with Dawn Hoyt, our new president, and other board members. Save the date for a Bucks County dinner on Sunday, 6/3. We’ll also offer a Family Fun Day on Sunday, 9/9. Stay tuned for additional details!
Event 4-29-12: Scoring Goals for Autism
On Sunday, April 29, Autism Science Foundation (ASF) will kick-off its 2nd Annual Scoring Goals for Autism soccer tournament at YSC Sports in Wayne, PA. This event will raise money to fund research to find the causes of autism and develop better treatments for children, teens and adults with autism. ASF currently funds research conducted at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Center for Autism Research, University of Pittsburgh, and at other leading research centers around the country. The tournament will include men’s and women’s adult teams in 7 a-side play with a goalie. The tournament will also include a non-competitive, fun skills and drills clinic for children and teens with special needs including autism. The clinic will take place from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm and be run by TOPSoccer coaches and trained volunteers. For more info please visit Scoring Goals for Autism online
Event 5-9-12: Jed Baker Presents “No More Meltdowns”
The Garnet Valley Autism Support Group in cooperation with the Garnet Valley School District presents No More Meltdowns: Effective Interventions for Social and Behavioral Challenges Speaker: Jed Baker, Ph.D. Date: Wednesday, May 9th, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Location: Garnet Valley Middle School; Glen Mills, PA Fee: Free to district residents and staff, $10 per person non-resident. RSVP: Dawn Hoyt, via email About Jed Baker, Ph.D.: Dr. Baker is the director of the Social Skills Training Project, a private organization serving individuals with autism and social communication problems. He writes, lectures, and provides training internationally on the topic of social skills training and managing challenging behaviors. Dr. Baker’s work has been featured on ABC World News, Nightline, the CBS Early Show, and the Discovery Health Channel. Who should go: Parents, Teachers, Administrators About the topic: It could happen at the grocery store. At a restaurant. At school. At home. Meltdowns are stressful for both child and adult, but Dr. Baker can help! In this presentation, he offers strategies for preventing and managing meltdowns as well as other social and behavioral challenges. His 20+ years ...
ASCEND Event 5-29-12: Paving the Way to a Successful Future
The topic for May, 29th is Future Planning for our Loved Ones with ASDs. The program will start with a short presentation from each panel member listed below, followed by a Q&A. Topic: Paving the Way to a Successful Future for Your Loved One with an Autism Spectrum Disorder Panel and Individual Topics: Carol S. Weinman, Esq. - Assessing What’s Needed, and Confronting the Judicial System Hillary Freeman, Esq. - Accessing Transitional and Adult Services Randy Steen, Esq. - Special Needs Trusts Pat Bergmaier, CFP®, LUTCF - Special Needs Financial Planner Roe DeLuca - PLAN of PA - Creating a Life Care Plan for your Adult Child Theraplay - Physical and Occupational Therapy Services Available for Older Children Date: Tuesday, May 29th, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Location: Theraplay Center, 600 Reed Road, Broomall, PA Fee: FREE for members; $5 for non-members RSVP: Dawn Finley, ASCEND's Administrative Coordinator, via email or 610-449-6776 Learn more about ASCEND Events on our events page.
CDC: Autism Rates Continue to Rise
Thursday, March 29 -- Autism cases are on the rise again, due in significant measure to wider screening and better diagnosis, federal health officials said today. The rate of U.S. cases rose to about 1 in 88 children. The previous estimate was 1 in 110. The new figure is from the latest of studies that have steadily increased the government's autism estimate. This new number means autism is nearly twice as common as officials said it was only five years ago. While officials attribute the increase largely to better recognition of cases, through wide screening and better diagnosis, they acknowledge that other factors may be helping to drive up the numbers. "We're not quite sure the reasons for the increase." - Dr. Coleen Boyle of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC study released Thursday is considered the most comprehensive U.S. investigation of autism prevalence to date. Researcher gathered data from 14 states — Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin. Read the entire CDC report at its site here. Download the CDC's PDF of the report.
New Autism Research Reveals Brain Differences at 6 Months in Infants Who Develop Autism
Science Daily, February 17, 2012 Read the entire article at ScienceDaily From the article: "A new study from the Infant Brain Imaging Network, which includes researchers at the Center for Autism Research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), found significant differences in brain development starting at age 6 months in high-risk infants who later develop autism, compared to high-risk infants who did not develop autism..." It's a tremendously exciting finding," said Sarah Paterson, PhD, director of the Infant Neuroimaging Lab at CHOP's Center for Autism Research. "We found that the brains of the children who developed autism were markedly different even prior to the onset of behavioral symptoms of autism. Thus, our findings, while requiring replication, are a very important first step towards identifying a biomarker for autism risk. This would enable specialists to diagnose autism much earlier than what is currently possible through behavioral observations. The authors note the study also suggests that autism does not appear suddenly in young children but instead develops over time during infancy and raise the suggestion that it may be possible to intervene earlier, even before a child is 6 months old, and possibly to prevent the development of some autism symptoms.
Bone-marrow Transplant Reverses Rett Syndrome in Mice
Nature, March 18, 2012 Click here to read the article in Nature From the article: "A bone-marrow transplant can treat a mouse version of Rett syndrome, a severe autism spectrum disorder that affects roughly 1 in 10,000–20,000 girls born worldwide (boys with the disease typically die within a few weeks of birth). The findings …suggest that brain-dwelling immune cells called microglia are defective in Rett syndrome. The authors say their findings also raise the possibility that bone-marrow transplants or other means of boosting the brain’s immune cells could help to treat the disease." If we show the immune system is playing a very important role in Rett patients and we could replace it in a safe way, we may develop some feasible therapies in the future - Jonathan Kipnis, University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, leader of the study.
Welcome ASCEND’s New President
Dear Friends: As Deirdre Wright, ASCEND’s founder and current president, mentioned in our February e-news, I will be stepping into the role of president beginning April 1st. I have met many of you at our resource fairs and speaker events, but wanted to introduce myself to those of you who are "meeting" me for the first time. I have served on the ASCEND board for almost two years and am also the acting president of the Garnet Valley Autism Support Group (GVASG). More importantly, I am the mother of two wonderful children. My oldest son, diagnosed with ASD just five years ago, is now a happy 8-year old in a mainstream school setting. My husband and I are truly amazed with how far he has come and we are hopeful that he will continue to progress toward reaching his full potential. When my son was first diagnosed, I made it my mission to learn as much as I could about autism. Eventually, I decided that I wanted to see how I could use some of what I had learned to ...
Autism Awareness & Family Fun
The following events are planned as part of Autism Awareness Month in April. Family Fun Day Devereux Community Services & Autism Speaks Greater Delaware Valley Chapter Saturday, March 31, 11:00am - 2:00pm Mendelson Center, Devereux Adult Services Campus, 122 Leopard Rd, Berwyn, PA. Offering fun games, face-painting, food and indoor swimming in Devereux's all-abilities state of the art pool. Fee: FREE More info or to RSVP: Amy Kelly, 610-710-4041, or via email. Exclusive Opportunities for Children with ASDs to Explore at Area Attractions Host: Variety Philadelphia Autism Awareness at Adventure Aquarium Sunday, April 1st, 6pm - 9pm Autism Awareness at Please Touch Museum Saturday, April 7th, 6pm - 9pm 6th Annual Autism Walk for Awareness, Plymnouth Meeting Mall Sunday, April 15, registration at 8am; walk at 9:00am Sesame Place Day for Children with Autism Saturday, April 21st, 10am - 4pm More info and to register: visit online. Sensory Friendly Film at AMC Theaters “Mirror Mirror” Saturday, April 7, 10am The lights are brought up and the sound turned down. Families can bring in their own gluten-free, casein-free snacks, and no previews or advertisements will be shown before the movie. Additionally, audience members are welcome to get up and dance, ...
