Taking Care of the ASD Parent

Taking care of an ASD child takes up much of a parent's time. Often special needs parents neglect their own emotional and physical health to their own and their families' detriment. Read this article about taking care of yourself:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/lshumaker/detail?entry_id=79789#ixzz19Q3K3DWv

Free and Low Cost Disability Events Workshop

Sharon Riddle, the founder of SPED Child & Teen newsletter http://spedchildmass.com/newsletters, will be conducting a workshop at the library about free and low cost disability events available to special needs families. The workshop is on January 24th at 6 PM.
This event is sponsored by the CTI Family Resource Network.

Encouraging Early Literacy for Special Needs Kids

The Center for Early Literacy Learning has an online guide about building early literacy skills for special needs children. This guide includes techniques for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/pgparents.php

New Sensory Friendly Film Site!

The AMC at the Methuen Loop is the newest addition to local theaters offering sensory friendly films. The AMC in Methuen and Tyngsboro will be showing a sensory friendly Yogi Bear on Saturday, January 8, 2011. For more information visit http://www.amctheatres.com/SFF/ or http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sensoryfilms.

Summer Camps 2011

The weather outside might be frightful but it's not too early to think about summer camp. The SPED Child and Teen web page has a list of special needs camps from throughout New England -
http://www.spedchildmass.com/camps_2011

Combating Autism Reauthorization Act 2010

News from the Autism Speaks website:
http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2010/12/20/combating-autism-reauthorization-act-2010-introduced-senators-dodd-and-menendez-are-again-champions-for-nations-autism-community/
The reauthorization of the 2006 act would mean increased federal funding for autism research.

New Autism Spectrum Books

We've added some new ASD books to our Children's Department Parenting Collection:

Bashe, Patricia Romanowski. The Oasis Guide to Asperger Syndrome
Bolduc, Kathleen Deyer. Autism and Alleluias
Bolick, Teresa. Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Helping Preteens and Teens Get Ready for the Real World
Neisworth, John T. The Autism Encyclopedia: 500+ Entries for Parents and Professionals
Powers, Michael D., ed. Children with Autism: a Parents' Guide

What Families on the Spectrum Really Want for Christmas

http://www.masslive.com/metroeastplus/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1292228470214420.xml&coll=1

Free iPad for Families Living on the Spectrum

The Holly Rod Foundation, created by Holly Robinson Peete and her husband Rodney Peete, has a holiday campaign to give away free iPads to families living on the spectrum whose children are limited verbally. Go to the Mass Match site for more information about this program:
http://www.massmatch.org/whatsnew/news.php#Free_iPad

McLean Autism Study

A recent study conducted by researchers at McLean Hospital examined the use of brain scans to diagnose autism. Researchers examined MRI's of a group of neurotypical subjects and subjects with autism. The MRI's showed differences between the two groups in how the tiny fibers between cells were organized. To read this article go to http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2010/12/06/brain_scans_detect_autism_in_preliminary_study_at_mclean/?page=1

Holiday Travel for ASD Families

This article is from the Autism Speaks blog:
http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2010/12/02/a-little-planning-goes-a-long-way-individuals-with-autism-and-their-families-get-ready-for-holiday-travel/

New Link!

I've added a new link to the Autism Resources page. It's for Autism Cares. This agency provides financial assistance to ASD families struggling with cost of living expenses.
http://www.autismcares.org/site/c.mqLOIYOBKlF/b.4745901/k.BD21/Home.htm

Cell Dysfunction and Autism

A recent study at the University of California, Davis, suggests children with autism are more likely to suffer from mitochondria, a defect in cellular structure. To read more about this study go to http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/646694.html.