ASCEND: Asperger Syndrome

We’re asking for your help as we plan our 2010-2011 lineup of seminars. Which topics are most important to you? What do you think about webinars vs. in-person seminars? How far will you travel to an in-person seminar? With your input, we’ll design a roster of seminars that meets the needs of the majority of our members and enews readers. Click here to go to the survey. Thank you!

UPDATE: ASCEND's ANNUAL PICNIC
Note that we moved the date and location based on feedback from members.
When: Saturday, July 17th, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm
Where: Ridley Creek State Park, Picnic Area #12, Delaware County
Details: Fun, food and games! All ages welcome. Bring your own blanket and sun umbrella to picnic (a few tables are available). Bring games of all types (electronic games, Frisbee, whiffle ball, badminton etc.). We'll provide hamburgers and hot dogs. Please bring your own drinks and a dish to pass.
Download a PDF of directions by clicking here

RSVP to Dawn Finley at dfinley@ascendgroup.org

College-Bound Retreat for Students with Autism
July 27-28, 2010
St. Joseph’s University
A two-day program to provide potential college-bound students with a comprehensive overview of college life. Using Saint Joseph’s University resources and facilities as a sample, the program aims to prepare students for the many choices they must make upon entering college.
Contact: 610-660-2170 or kinneyautism@sju.edu
http://www.sju.edu/news/archives/college_autism_071210.html

Tools and Strategies for Including Diverse Learners
July 26-28, 2010
Temple University
This conference brings together educators, principals, school teams and parents/members of school communities. Experts and stakeholders in various fields related to inclusive education will share tools and strategies to promote inclusive environments.
Contact: Julie Kessler, jkessler@temple.edu, 215-204-1977
http://www.disabilities.temple.edu/programs/ds/july26_2010.shtml

Autism Awareness Night at Please Touch Museum
Presented by Variety-The Children's Charity
August 21, 2010, 6-9 PM
4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA
From Variety: “Back by popular demand, children with autism of ALL ages and their families are invited to join us for a night of fun at the Please Touch Museum. A Resource Fair will also take place."
Fee: $25 donation per family (up to 5 immediate family members and TSS)
Contact: Marissa Tabak, 267-261-2113 or marissatabak@varietyphila.org
www.varietyphila.org

Autism Works: A National Conference on Autism & Employment
Save the Date: March 3-4, 2011
Sheraton Westport Hotel, St. Louis, MO
This conference will bring together the disability employment services community (vocational rehabilitation) and autism community to learn from each other and improve employment options for adults with autism.
http://dps.missouri.edu/Autism/Announcement01.html

From the website: “The long hot days of summer can pose challenges for families of special needs children. Parents have to find activities or camps where their child feels safe, welcome, and continues to learn. A new camp at Saint Joseph's University is trying a unique approach. It's especially designed to accommodate children with autism and pairs them with their typical peers. Maiken Scott reports from WHYY's Behavioral Health desk.”

Is Sitting While Autistic a Crime?

Newsweek, July 8, 2010
From the article: “In late May, Clifford Grevemberg had a traumatic encounter with the police. Grevemberg, 18, was standing outside the Rock House Bar and Grill in Tybee Island, Ga., waiting for his brother to pick up some cheeseburgers when he was approached by officers, tasered, and arrested for disorderly conduct.”

Proving You’re a Good Parent
New York Times: Motherlode Blog, July 8, 2010
From the blogpost: “How to measure good parenting? What if a stranger had the power to declare that ours was not good enough? That’s the reality that faced Liane Kupferberg Carter recently, when she found herself explaining to a representative of the court that she was the best possible guardian for her son.”

From the article: “…Peter is not just any other sixth-grader — he's a Boy Scout, baseball player, math whiz, expert on several video game systems, and just so happens to be on the autism spectrum, too. ‘What you see from Peter now is the result of about eight years of very hard work,’ Peter's father Stan said, as the two prepared for a Scout camping trip.”

From the article: “When I became a special education teacher nearly two decades ago, many colleagues told me that my excitement for teaching was because I was new. … I knew way back then that my passion for teaching and learning would never diminish—it would only intensify. And it has.”

From the blog: “It's very easy, in a mainstream world of NT's (neurotypicals) to get caught in a mental trap of deficits. What do I mean by this? Well, as a video on the PBS Kids' show, Arthur, recently explained, being on the autism spectrum is like landing on an alien planet and having no idea of the language or the customs.”

From the article: “The smell of pancakes and bacon traveled through the halls of Bensalem High School. A boy with dark hair flipped a pancake with a little help from special education teacher John Mullin as several other students sat at a table munching on their bacon and enjoying their pancakes. Welcome to Bensalem's life skills program, whose goal is to help special education students live independently while also teaching them academics.”

From the article: “Mothers of children with autism see their careers disproportionally affected as they confront greater demands on their time, inflexible workplaces and increased medical costs, according to a new study by researchers at Washington State University Vancouver.”

From the story: “People with autism often have a hard time finding and keeping jobs, so more schools are creating programs to help students with autism get prepared for the workplace. One of those programs helped change the life of Kevin Sargeant.”

From the article: “A center that would help college-aged students with Asperger’s syndrome, an autism-spectrum disorder, succeed in higher education might be built on land recently acquired by Eastern University. The $10-million deal between Valley Forge Military Academy & College and Eastern bought the school a 19.4-acre parcel of land in North Wayne to add to its 92-acre main campus less than one mile away.”

When Asperger's becomes cool
The Globe and Mail, June 2010

From the article: “In an interview with The New York Times, the musician Moby talked about how he was a purist when it came to tea, preferring it untainted by milk or sugar. ‘It might be a function of Asperger’s,’ he said. ‘You have Asperger’s?’ asked the interviewer. ‘No,’ Moby said. ‘I just like to pretend I do. It makes me sound more interesting.’”

More congregations structure services for children with autism
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 23, 2010
From the article: “Children ran happily up the aisle of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Peters, oblivious to the pastors and teachers who greeted them. The adults weren't offended, though -- they recognized the inability of those on the autism spectrum to recognize social cues.”

“I think autism is doing the same thing as other people, differently. It’s just the way you do it, the processes involved. It’s kind of like the difference between a Mac and a Windows PC,” said Dafydd Mann, a young guitar player with Asperger’s who was featured on the BBC’s Autistic Superstars.
From the article "When Asperger's becomes cool"

Autism Speaks released a new Dental Tool Kit to help parents promote good, life-long oral health care habits for their kids with autism. The free kit, which includes both a video and a downloadable printed guide, features tips for improving oral hygiene at home, as well as information about how parents and dental professionals can make a visit to the dentist's office less stressful and more productive.

Missouri’s Division of Developmental Disabilities and the Thompson Foundation for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders released a 164-page volume delineating best practices for screening, diagnosis and assessment of ASDs. Knowing that children’s outcomes are greatly improved with earlier diagnosis and treatment of ASDs, the group’s goal was to work from the most current research to facilitate these critical first steps.

Essay by Dan Coulter of Coulter Video
From the essay: “Speaking at a volume that’s appropriate to the situation is a basic social skill that most people pick up intuitively. Most people. Who hasn’t stood near strangers who are having a loud conversation and seem oblivious to the fact that they’re annoying others? I recently sat eating in a hotel breakfast area and was treated to high volume details from a nearby table about a messy medical procedure.”

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.