That’s exactly why Dr. Maxim, medical director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at the Knights of Columbus Developmental Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, wrote a prescription for Special Olympics Missouri for eight-year-old Morgan Davidson.

“We appreciate Special Olympics because, instead of addressing problems with medications, we can use natural ways of improving someone’s life,” Dr. Maxim explains.

via Special Olympics Missouri – Read Inspiring Stories.

The La Quinta High School Theatre was filled with dancing and singing monkeys, elephants, tigers and other wild animals last weekend.

The Coachella Valley Autism Society, the local chapter of the Autism Society of America, performed Disney’s “The Jungle Book” Saturday and Sunday.

The musical theater class was formed in February as part of the society’s social recreation program, said Carolyn Russom, resource coordinator,

via Autistic kids sing, roar in ‘Jungle Book’ musical | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun.

Children with ASD sometimes have a great deal of difficulty understanding social behaviors and interactions, and these skills are usually not taught directly in school. On the playground and other places at school, there are large amounts of unstructured time that leave them to sink or swim in a complex social environment.

They often have trouble:

• opening and closing a conversation.
• initiating peer interaction and joining play decoding facial expressions and body language.
• observing and imitating appropriate social behavior in specific situations.
• predicting and understanding the emotions and reactions of others.

via The ABCs of Social Skill Development, Encouraging children with autism spectrum disorder to socialize. :: PARENTGUIDE News.

Nothing’s more frightening than the thought of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, autism or other condition wandering away, according to local nurse Connie Hinds, a member of both the networking and Rotary clubs.

The groups plan to flock a few select locations to help increase public awareness of the new LoJack SafetyNet tracking program soon to be offered locally. Hinds said both groups share an interest in protecting local seniors. They suspect that bright pink flamingos on laws will help bring attention to the search and rescue program.

“We want to increase public awareness of the program and have fun, too,” she said. “Flamingos can’t help but get a lot of attention.”

Through its SafetyNet program, LoJack outfits seniors with a personal locator unit worn on the wrist or ankle. If a loved one goes missing, Hinds said, local law enforcement and public safety agencies trained and certified on search and rescue procedures will use LoJack search and rescue receivers to track the radio frequency from the locator.

via Flamingos for fun and funds – Plymouth, MA – Wicked Local Plymouth.

Creating art began as a hobby for Ari and his mother Cheryl Colton, but it’s become not only a means of self-expression for the autistic boy, but now also has the makings of a non-profit organization.

By offering workshops for teenagers and young adults diagnosed with autism, Ari-Art has become a place where artists with autism work on directed and independent projects in a variety of disciplines from jewellery making, to photography, to creating decorative bowls and spoons.

via CTV Montreal – Power of One: Art offers confidence to young people with autism – CTV News.

But that can sometimes be too much for children with autism, who can have difficulty communicating, reading social cues and tolerating sensory stimulation others take for granted — everything from attending a birthday party to going to the movies.

Renee Hill says the huge screen, darkened room and loud soundtrack often overwhelm her 4-year-old son, Weston, who otherwise loves watching videos.

“You’ll constantly notice him look uncomfortable and cover his ears, but if he really gets overwhelmed, then he’ll just shut down and have a meltdown and start to cry,” Hill explains.

As the national rate of autism diagnoses climbs, parents and advocates have persuaded some theaters to tone it down.

A number of theaters across the country now hold sensory-friendly movie showings to accommodate those with autism: The house lights stay on, the sound remains low, and there are no ads or previews before films. The screenings are beginning to catch on.

The sensory-friendly trend started two years ago, after a Maryland mother got kicked out of a movie theater when her autistic daughter became overwhelmed and disruptive during a showing of Hairspray. The mom got in touch with the Autism Society, a national advocacy group, which in turn contacted the AMC theaters chain about offering a low-key movie option once a month.

via IMAX’d Out: Kids With Autism Get Big-Screen Break : NPR.

Marlene Rodenbaugh has an autistic child.She, along with the help of her friends and supporters started a group called, “Shining the Light on Autism.”And they’ve come up with a plan that’s fitting to their namesake.

These 244 steps soon will be climbed in honor of children with special needs. A group called “Shining the Light on Autism” is planning a lighthouse challenge to raise money for an all-inclusive playground at Huckleberry Park. You’ll have a chance to climb the steps up to the lighthouse on Cardiff Hill, not to mention other activities for the whole family.

via Shining the light on autism lighthouse challenge : News : ConnectTriStates.com.

This year, actress, author, philanthropist and mother of a son with autism, Holly Robinson Peete appears on the cover, along with Tommy Austing, a 6-year-old boy from Los Angeles. Released annually, the guide is available in Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us stores nationwide and online, in English and Spanish, at Toysrus.com/DifferentlyAbled. The largest edition ever, this year’s guide has increased to 60 pages and features an expanded assortment of online offerings that are available through the company’s website.

For nearly 20 years the guide has assisted parents, family, friends and caregivers by providing qualified toy recommendations to help aid in the skill development of children who have physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities. To help parents select the perfect playthings for their children, all toys featured in the guide are associated with icons that show parents which skills can be developed during playtime.

via TRU launches 2010 edition of Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids – 2010-08-25 13:40:57 | Playthings.

If you’re a fan of Clay Marzo or surfing, check out ClayMarzo.com for some fabulous photos and videos.

From AspieWeb:

So I finally was able to watch a video about world famous surfer with Autism Clay Marzo. The movie titled ‘Just Add Water’ is a great video and I highly recommend it! The video does a good job showing how successful and great people with Autism can be. This is a great video for the person with Autism who is feeling down and like they will not be successful. There are also interview with Dr. Tony Attwod the world expert on Aspergers.

via Clay Marzo: Just Add Water – Autistic Surfer.

All that’s missing are the 24 teens and young adults expected to occupy it — not as tenants, but as students.The apartment is one of several real-life teaching rooms at the Foundation for Successful Living, a new center that aims to give autistic and developmentally disabled people ages 14 to 21 the social and vocational tools they’ll need to transition from classrooms into their communities.

At the apartment, the students will learn to do laundry, make a bed, clean, plan meals, cook and keep a budget. In the room with the ersatz bank and post office, they’ll get lessons in handling money, keeping a checkbook and sending mail. The grocery store is where they’ll shop for canned goods and other ingredients for the meals they’ll prepare in the apartment, and the bakery is the place where they’ll practice ordering from a menu, paying for their food, counting change and beefing up their social skills.

via Center to teach life skills to autistic, developmentally disabled people | microwave, constitution, apartment – Local – Colorado Springs Gazette, CO.