ASCEND News: PAN & ASCEND partner for 4/23 conference, ASD in the media, events, and more!

ASCEND is pleased to announce that we will co-present Penn Autism Network’s 5th Annual Conference. Don’t miss this region’s premier event focused on adults with autism, as well astransition to adulthood.

This year’s keynote speaker is John Elder Robison, author of the bestselling book Look Me In the Eye, My Life with Asperger’s. In addition, the conference features 18 workshopsand a resource fair. Topics to be covered in the workshops include: employment, housing, women’s issues,self-advocacy, medication management, and much more!

UPCOMING SUPPORT MEETINGS
All parents and other adult family members or caregivers of children/ adolescents/adults with Asperger Syndrome and similar diagnoses are welcome to attend any of our support meetings.

2/6, 10am—Families of Adults Chapter, Norristown

2/10, 7pm—Chester County, West Grove

Click here for additional details. Any changes to this schedule will be posted on the ASCEND website.

The Social Learning Disorders Program of UPenn offers an innovative 10-week social skills seminar designed for young adults to improve social skills. The program was developed under the direction of Mary Riggs Cohen, Ph.D., and has been running for more than five years. This seminar is designed for young adults with Asperger Syndrome, High-Functioning Autism or Social Phobia who would like to improve their social awareness and sense of social competency. Spring classes run weekly, 5-8pm beginning February 25, at 3535 Market Street in Philadelphia. The Instructor is Carol Moog, PhD. Call 215-746-7233 or click here for more info >

Vincent Varrassi specializes in working with the secondary and post-secondary school students. His practice is devoted to building a bridge to college and career for students with a history of underachievement due to: Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, and/or poor study, time management and organizational skills. Vincent offers many great resources on his site, including the new “Transition to College for Students with Disabilities” DVD. click here for more info >

Clinical Psychologist, Mt. Airy Counseling Center
6833 Wayne Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
215-971-1537 or adamberm@comcast.net
From Dr. Berman’s brochure: “Many parents are concerned about the lack of socializing opportunities for their children after school. Parents have become frustrated with the lengthy amounts of time their child will continually play video games, spend time on the computer, or watch television. Many children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders would like to have opportunities to socialize, but they need to build their social skills or be in a more supportive environment in which they feel comfortable enough to communicate with peers. Dr. Berman offers a social skills group after school hours so that students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders have more interpersonal opportunities through relating to their peers.”

Charlie Rose Brain Series: The Social Brain
Webcast, January 19, 2010
From the website: Acclaimed interviewer and broadcast journalist Charlie Rose engages America's best thinkers, writers, politicians, athletes, entertainers, business leaders, scientists and other newsmakers in one-on-one interviews and roundtable discussions. The Social Brain features panelists Cornelia Bargmann of Rockefeller University; Giacomo Rizzolatti of the University of Parma (Italy), Gerald Fischbach of the Simons Foundation, Kevin Pelphrey of Yale University and co-host Eric Kandel of Columbia University. click here to watch >

I think my child may have an ASD. What do I do?
Psychology Today, January 21, 2010
From the Chantal Sicile-Kira’s blogpost: “Getting a diagnosis—if indeed a child has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—as early as possible is important because research shows that early intervention is the best intervention. Yet, not all pediatricians recognize the early signs of a possible ASD.” read more >

Funding for research and support has boomed in recent years
Philadelphia Business Journal, January 15, 2010
From the article: “On the eighth floor of an office building about a half dozen blocks from the front door of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a team of 51 CHOP researchers are busy trying to learn more about autism. ‘We didn’t exist two years ago,’ said Dr. Robert Schultz, who was recruited from Yale University to lead CHOP’s Center for Autism Research — one of eight such centers across the country.” read more >

Flyers' Syvret can count on friendly face in home crowd
Philadelphia Daily News, January 13, 2010
From the article: “Flyers defenseman Danny Syvret has a unique pregame ritual. Most players enjoy a specific meal on game days or superstitiously put on their equipment in the same order. Syvret's routine before home games is to trade funny faces with Georgie Arbocus, a 12-year-old with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.” read more >

For Severely Ill Children, a Dearth of Doctors
Wall Street Journal, January 12, 2010
From the article: “A growing shortage of pediatricians trained in specialties such as neurology, gastroenterology, and developmental and behavioral medicine is threatening timely access to care for children, according to pediatric medical groups. … Of particular concern, given the rise in autism-related disorders, is a shortage of development-behavioral experts; half of hospitals in the survey reported that it takes more than three months to see a developmental pediatrics specialist, one of the longest wait times.” read more >

Teamwork Wins LEGO ® Club is based on the LEGO® Therapy model developed by Dr. Dan LeGoff. Our club is a peer-directed, play-therapy model designed for children with high functioning autism, Asperger's, and other socially related difficulties to learn and apply social and communication skills. Classes are available for ages 5-7 and 8-15 and start February 22. The 10-week program is $940, or $125 per session. click here for more info >

This free workshop will inform parents about the current IDEA regulation that mandate transitional services to be considered for all special education students. Parents will be provided information about community resources that are available to support their student’s needs once they graduate from high school to ensure that the child leads a meaningful and productive adult life. For more info, call 610-938-9000 ext 2263 or click here for a .pdf flyer >

This workshop is designed to assuage the anxiety of parents faced with explaining human sexuality to their son or daughter with ASD, and will identify strategies for parents and other educational professionals to discuss sexuality issues with an adolescent or adult with autism or Asperger Syndrome. click here to register >

Winner is the creator of groundbreaking approaches to teaching social thinking. A California-based speech and language pathologist, Winner doesn't believe in teaching a set of rigid rules. Instead, she teaches kids how different behaviors can cause different outcomes, connecting the "what" of social skills with the "why" of social relationships. click here to register >

To have your event listed in ASCEND’s enewsletter, please visit our website and fill out the online event form.

HBO presents Temple Grandin starring Claire Danes. Trailers are available on the official site. Chantal Sicile-Kira interviews Temple for the Huffington Post and writes, “Temple Grandin, a world-renowned designer of livestock handling facilities and a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, is arguably the world's most famous person with autism. Temple has written many books about autism, others about animals, and even more about both.”
click here to visit the official movie site >
click here to visit her publisher’s site >
click here to read the HP interview >

The VSA arts Collaborative Art Project is asking people from around the world to send in a postcard documenting their interpretation of disability by creating a visual representation of individual experiences, impressions and perceptions about the word disability. Deadline: 2/5/10. click here for more info >

The Phoenix Sister Cities Disabilities Awareness Committee announces its first annual International Competition for Writers with Disabilities (ICWD). This contest provides an opportunity for persons with disabilities to showcase their writing capabilities through poetry. Deadline: 4/1/10. click here for more info >

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ASCEND Group Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We do not endorse any specific professional or therapeutic treatment. We are not meant to be a replacement for medical or legal advice. Our mission is to raise public awareness about Asperger Syndrome and related disorders, to advocate for improved education and services, and to provide support and information to the Asperger and autism community.

This newsletter is for informational purposes only. Any link or mention in our newsletter should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation.

The official registration and financial information of ASCEND Group Inc. may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.