Guardian Guide for free

This will walk you through making a "how to" guide for someone who may have to become the guardian for your child. Not a pleasant thought but important to do.  Our children have specialized needs and require more in depth care than many people know. This is a good way to share those needs. 

GuardianPack is currently offering our GuardianGuide for free. The GuardianGuide is a 25-page guide to create an “instruction manual” for future guardians, providing them the information they would need to care for a child. You can download the GuardianGuide by clicking here.

Free seminar on "Addressing Challenging Behaviors"

	Addressing Challenging BehaviorsOne characteristic of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is the presence of aberrant or stereotypical behaviors. These behaviors, often referred to as “challenging behaviors” (e.g., aggression, self-injurious behaviors, disruption, and hand flapping) cause increased stress for parents/caregivers and teachers and may lead to social isolation for the child. This session will focus on understanding why these challenging behaviors occur as well as how to assess why the behaviors are occurring. Finally, participants will learn how to use positive behavior intervention and supports to address the behaviors and improve the lives of children with ASD and their families. Date: April  10, 2014                                   Time: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT Presenter: Melissa Olive, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Applied Behavioral Strategies Phone: 1.719.325.2141 Or US/CAN Toll Free: 1.800.245.1683 Passcode: 570084 If you can't make it, that doesn't mean you have to miss out. To hear a free replay of the entire seminar after the originally scheduled time, go to cigna.com/autism. These are general information seminars. The information provided is not intended to replace the care or advice of your doctor. You should always consult with your doctor for appropriate care or treatment recommendations and advice. If you are a Cigna customer and have specific questions about your medical or behavioral benefits, please call1.800.274.7603 to speak with a Cigna Customer Service Associate or Health Advocate.

CDC is having a Public Health Grand Rounds entitled "ASD: From Numbers to Know-How"

We are pleased to announce CDC’s first ever Public Health Grand Rounds on autism spectrum disorder. Please mark your calendars for April 22, 2014, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., EST for CDC’s Public Health Grand Rounds “Autism Spectrum Disorder: From Numbers to Know-How.” This event features presentations on autism etiology, surveillance, early identification and screening, and evidence-based intervention.  Please share this information widely.

You can receive free training and continuing education opportunities/contact hours for watching Grand Rounds. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/index.htmto register.

There are two ways to attend

1.      A live webcastwill be available. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/ to watch the event.

2.      Attend in person at CDC’s Tom Harkin Global Communication Center, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333. Due to security measures at CDC’s campus, non-CDC staff who wish to attend the session in person must have prior clearance and a U.S. state-issued photo ID (e.g., driver’s license or U.S. passport).  Please send your request to attend in person to the CDC Grand Rounds Team.(International visitors are required to submit a copy of passport and U.S. state-issued photo ID 10 days prior to the session for clearance.)

Save the Date: April’s Public Health Grand Rounds Save the Date CDC’s Public Health Grand Rounds Presents: “Autism Spectrum Disorder: From Numbers to Know-How” Tuesday, April 22, 2014 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., EST Global Communications Center (Building 19) Alexander D. Langmuir Auditorium Roybal Campus Presented By: Julie Daniels, MPH, PhD Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “Autism Etiology – What We Know and How to Learn More” Jon Baio, EdS Behavioral Psychologist, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC  “Surveillance for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Key Findings and Trends” Susan L. Hyman, MD Division Chief, Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Professor of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center “Early Identification and Screening” Samuel L. Odom, PhD Director, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “Evidence-based Intervention for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder” Facilitated By: John Iskander, MD, MPH, Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds Phoebe Thorpe, MD, MPH,Deputy Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds  Susan Laird, MSN, RN, Communications Manager, Public Health Grand Rounds    For questions about this Grand Rounds topic:  Feel free to e-mail your questions before or during the session. Announcement Point of Contact: grandrounds@cdc.gov

Take a minute for this, please. Great read

This is a great list! 68 things to know about children with Autism. Take a moment to read how parents describe their children. Heartwarming and so full of truth. 

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5051597?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

CARD Releases a free app for iPad and Android

I have played around with this app for a while and I like it.  I think the educational piece is solid and kids will most likely find it fun. I am going to try it with a few of my kids this week.  I would love feedback if anyone has tried it out yet

As you may have heard, CARD has released the app, Camp Discovery, available at no cost for iPad and Android devices. Camp Discovery is a suite of learning games developed by experts in the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA). All of the learning games incorporate evidence-based teaching principles and are designed for children with autism spectrum disorder. Camp Discovery offers a number of unique features, including preference assessments to individualize rewards, fun mini games to motivate learning, easy-to-read graphs to track progress, and control settings to individualize the player’s learning experience!            Camp Discovery currently includes three learning games, the original Objects game and two new games, Colors and Community Helpers! The new learning games are available now on the app store and are coming soon to Google Play. These games are just the beginning of the large suite of learning games Camp Discovery is developing based on CARD’s comprehensive curriculum. Camp Discovery will release one new learning game each week and has more than 50 games currently in development. Upcoming games include Letters, Numbers, Locations, Body Parts, Emotions, and much more, so stay tuned!

Check out our video! Check out our short video on the features and gameplay of Camp Discovery. See the video on Youtube.

Two upcoming events, one for families, another for parents