Speech Issues and Autism

Quite often children on the Spectrum have issues with speech and language. A recent article posted on the MSN health web site lists 10 questions to ask your child's speech therapist.

IEP Guide

Autism Speaks has created an online guide to understanding the IEP process for parents. Although the guide was created by attorneys at Goodwin Proctor, it is written in layperson's terms.

A Night for Families on the Spectrum at the Discovery Museum

This e-mail was forwarded to me:

Come join in all the fun at The Discovery Museums during a special free evening for families with children on the autism spectrum on Saturday, October 1, 2011 from 5:30-8:30 pm supported by Autism Alliance of MetroWest, funded by the Foundation for MetroWest, the Boston Bruins Foundation, Morgan Stanley and Nypro, with refreshments provided by Not Your Average Joe's.

Please e-mail Autism-Events@discoverymuseums.org or call 978-264-4200 ext. 28 for more information or to register for the event.

Help spread the word by either forwarding this e-mail to your family and friends or posting the attached flyer at a local school or organization that supports families with children on the autism spectrum.

Thank you for your support of The Discovery Museums!

Special Needs Sports League

This fall, Friends of Special Ed Kidz (FOSEK) is offering soccer and t-ball. For more information and to register your child, visit their webpage.

The "IT" Gift?

This blurb is from "Disability Scoop:"

A fuzzy yellow robot initially used for autism therapy is going mainstream this fall, with Toys “R” Us marketing a consumer version that very well could be the next must-have Christmas item.

The robot known as My Keepon is just 10 inches tall and features little more than two big eyes and a black dot for a nose. But, it responds to touch and can turn and even sneeze.

What’s more, the little creature can dance, with its movements changing along with the beat of any music playing nearby. Keepon’s dancing is such a draw that a video posted on YouTube has generated 2.6 million views.

While there’s no conclusive studies on the effectiveness of Keepon among children with autism, initial observations showed that kids made more eye contact when interacting with the robot and expressed better social skills. As a result, researchers at several institutions purchased the device at $30,000 a piece.

Now, a consumer model is on its way — expected to ring up at under $50 — and Toys “R” Us is banking that the masses will respond. They’ve secured the exclusive U.S. rights to sell Keepon and plan to have it on store shelves in late October, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.

Autism and Siblings

The High Risk Baby Siblings Research Consortium recently released the results of a study they conducted that looked at autism and siblings. To their great surprise, the odds of a younger sibling of child on the spectrum developing autism was greater than previous studies determined. Researchers studied 664 infants who had at least one older sibling on the spectrum. They found that 1 in 5 babies with an older sibling on the spectrum will also be affected by autism. That was more than double the original estimates. The study recommends that families with infants that have an older sibling on the spectrum, closely monitor the infants' development. Autism Speaks advises that parents talk to pediatricians about early screening for these infants. The organization also developed a one page infant-toddler checklist that can be used as a screening tool. The checklist can be used on children as young as 12 months old. The screener, which includes the scoring key, can be downloaded for free.

Assistive Technology Workshop

From the MA SPED Child and Teen online newsletter:

Back-to-School Assistive Technology & Academic Tools – Open House: Free. August 30^th, 2011, Boston, MA. 10 a.m. – 12 noon and 2 – 4 p.m. The Easter Seals Assistive Technology Regional Center (ATRC) will offer hands-on opportunities to try out academic tools and assistive technology such as Kurzweill 3000, Livescribe Pulse pen, WordQ, text-to-speech software, ebook readers such as iPad 2, Kindle, talking calculators, digital recorders and more. Staff will be available for questions and assistance. For more information call 617-226-2634 or email atrc@eastersealsma.org.