Tag: Autism
Elgin’s Winfred Cooper honored as inspiration to teens with autism
Daily Herald
Winfred Cooper of Elgin, Ill., was honored over the weekend by the HollyRod Foundation at a Los Angeles red-carpet event where Holly Robinson Peete said he is an inspiration to teens with autism. You may be one of the thousands of people who saw Cooper’s amazing touchdown at a high school football game last fall. He’s now in college in Elgin.
Calling him an inspiration to teens with autism, the HollyRod4kids Foundation honored Elgin’s Winfred Cooper with its Champion Award this past weekend.
The awards were given out at a large, celebrity-filled fundraising gala called DesignCare, held at billionaire businessman Ron Burkle’s estate in Beverly Hills.
After walking the red carpet into the party, Cooper, 19, and his father, Winfried, met several celebrities, including Marcus Allen, Sugar Ray Leonard and Samuel L. Jackson. They also spent time with the foundation’s founders, actress Holly Robinson Peete and NFL star Rodney Peete.
via Daily Herald | Elgin’s Winfred Cooper honored as inspiration to teens with autism.
Posted on July 28, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: athletes, Autism, sports, teenagers with autism
Florida teen swims his way to 2011 Special Olympics in Greece
St. Petersburg Times
The sky is spitting an afternoon shower as Michael Tuason arrives for practice at the New Port Richey Rec Center pool with his mom. The tall, lanky teenager greets his waiting dad with a brief “hi,” then quickly strips to his bathing suit and tucks his black, shoulder-length hair under his navy blue cap.
Before long, the star of the Pasco Piranhas Special Olympics swim team is in the water, ready to go.
“How many?” Michael, 18, asks his coach, Rita Miller.
She barely gets out, “Give me 20,” before he’s off, swimming the freestyle and easily lapping the two other swimmers sharing the lane.
“Just look at him go,” Miller says, “He won’t stop till he’s done all 20 laps and then he’ll ask me again, ‘How many?’
“Now you see why he’s going to the World Games.”
via Autistic Pasco County teen swims his way to 2011 Special Olympics in Greece – St. Petersburg Times.
Posted on July 28, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: athletes, Autism, Special Olympics, sports, swimming, teenagers with autism
Horse therapy found to help children with autism
Cleveland Daily Banner
Through extensive study of research from leading medical schools, SpiritHorse Therapeutic has developed specific methods for treating autism through equine-assisted therapy.
These methods have been utilized in over 30,000 sessions with children with autism during the past five years.
Following a study in 2009 by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center that showed statistically “Significant Improvement” in 24 children with autism through intervention at SpiritHorse, representatives from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, visited SpiritHorse for its spring, 2009 semester to study the results of the SpiritHorse program.
The study of 47 children with autism spectrum disorder, just released, also showed a statistically “Significant Improvement,” including nine children who, after 10 weeks treatment at SpiritHorse, measured nonautistic on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, a single-blinded measurement.
via Cleveland Daily Banner – Study Equine asisted therapy helps children with autism.
Posted on July 27, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: animals, Autism, children with Autism, horses
Summer Autism: Puppy camp lets autistic children learn about dogs
Democrat & Chronicle
Children with autism often make a connection with animals – especially dogs. A camp near Rochester, N.Y., lets children with autism and other developmental disabilities, as well as neurotypical children, learn about brand new puppies. The camp is run by a married couple who breed Labrador retrievers, and the wife in that couple is an autism specialist at a local school district.
SPENCERPORT — Lauren Erlichman and Martin Yesowitch might not have spent their wedding anniversary how they expected this year, but the date was memorable nonetheless.
The Canal Road couple, who tied the knot on July 7, 2007, breeds Labrador retrievers. Their canine companions made sure their anniversary was extra special — and numerically aligned.
“We had our litter this week — seven puppies on 7/7,” Yesowitch says. That was just days after helping their 4-year-old dog, Macie, deliver her pups. “We got married on 7/7/07, and we had seven puppies on the 7th with our first puppy.”
That’s pretty amazing. Then again, so is the work that Erlichman and Yesowitch do.
For the second year, the couple is running the Labs of Love Puppy Camp for children ages 7 to 15. Kids learn about training and feeding dogs, as well as health issues, caring for the animals and running a kennel.
Some children learn even more valuable lessons.
Many kids in the week-long sessions have developmental disabilities such as autism, and Erlichman, an autism specialist with the Spencerport Central School District, said the puppies help those children socialize and become more confident.
“Animals speak a non-verbal language with people,” Erlichman says, paraphrasing Temple Grandin, a noted author and speaker who has autism and whose life story was detailed in an HBO movie named for her.
“There’s no talking back. They’re more in control,” she said.
via It’s pure puppy love at Spencerport summer camp | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle.
Posted on July 26, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: animals, Autism, camp, children with Autism, Summer autism
Horses, donkeys, sheep help with autism
Traverse City Record-Eagle
Dr. Marvin Anderson picked up a spindly legged lamb and draped it over his shoulders.
The doctor moved to Cedar around 2000; he lives on an organic farm with his wife Jill, sheep, goats, rabbits and miniature donkeys. More recently, Anderson launched a solo practice called Abba’s Place on the farm property. He deals with autism, environmental sensitivity and diagnostically challenging cases.
“(For) years, I went around with a stethoscope draped around my neck, and I’ve sort of replaced it with a lamb,” Anderson, an internist, said.
He is among several local health care providers who are incorporating animals into patient visits and treatment. The approaches range from local ranches devoted to therapeutic horseback riding and equine-assisted counseling to a visit with a bunny or donkey that Anderson can hold out “as a plum” for his young patients.
Connecting with animals is just one method Anderson can use when meeting with autistic children.
via Horses, donkeys, sheep help with autism » Life » Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Posted on July 22, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: animals, Autism, physicians
Play deals with challenges of autism
Main Line Media News
“Love and Communication,” a new play about a family dealing with a child’s autism diagnosis will get a staged reading in Philadelphia after winning a national competition. One of playwright James Christy Jr.’s three children is autistic.
This Saturday afternoon, a new play by Main Line native James Christy Jr. will receive a staged reading in Center City.
“Love and Communication” has an ambitious theme: it focuses on the struggles of a husband and wife after their son is diagnosed with autism.
Christy, who now lives in Princeton, is one of the six winners of the annual competition sponsored by PlayPenn, an organization for new play development. Each year, PlayPenn holds a national competition to select the most promising works in progress.
The playwrights are then given the unusual opportunity for two weeks of intensive work on their plays, culminating in a staged reading.
The theme of Christy’s play has deep personal meaning for him. Of his three children, the oldest, Jimmy, who is now 7, was diagnosed with autism at age 3.
via Main Line Media News.
Posted on July 21, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism, Caregiving | Tags: Autism, children with Autism, marriage, parents, Philadelphia, spouse, theatre
Autistic adults, advocates, visit Washington
AXCESS NEWS
The Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism recent Congressional briefing brought together policymakers and advocates, including this young man with autism who described his goals and college dream.
Joey Rosenbloom, 22, uses a “life writer” to communicate. Sharen Rosenbloom assists her son in every task, from tying his shoes to combing his hair. But the reality Joey faces is what will happen when his mother is gone – an issue that 500,000 autistic children growing into adulthood must figure out. Autism spectrum disorder ranges from mild to severe developmental disabilities. ASD affects people in social and behavioral ways. Some are unable to develop life skills because they cannot speak and are unable to interact with people, while others cannot control their actions. Autism is not just a childhood disease – it never goes away. The Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism consortium met in Washington on Thursday to urge policymakers, advocates and others to make numerous changes. Those include training service providers how to interact with autistic people, new funding to meet individual needs and expanding incentives for housing. Joey and five other autistic people, ages 22 to 54, told the audience of 250 people what they face now and what’s ahead.”My goal is to find a university longing to house and educate individuals living with autism,” Joey said, using his device. “I dream of living on a campus and learning from professors and not just special educators.” via Autistic adults face insecure future.
Posted on July 21, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: adults with autism, Autism, College, employment, school, teenagers with autism
Therapy dog helps Florida boy with autism
The News-Press
A 6-month-old golden retriever leaps out of the white sedan onto the gravel driveway.
A few yards away, pasted on the front door of the Golden Gate Estates home, is a picture of a dog with a red heart drawn around it. “Welcome Falcon!” it states.
Slowly, Kathy Lowers leads her 3-year-old son Nate toward the dog with the wagging tail.
She puts her son’s hand on Falcon’s back and looks at Nate expectantly.
Nate doesn’t react.
At first he appears the same as his siblings – Abraham, 11; Victoria, 9; Catalina, 7; Isabella, 5; and Maggie, his twin, who all squeal in delight and crowd around the dog.
But when Nate was 2 1/2 he was diagnosed with a severe, regressive form of autism.
Call his name, he does not turn around; toss him a ball, he does not try to catch it; ask him a question and he does not answer.
PAWS for Love Assistance Dogs placed Falcon with Nate and his family July 9. The specially trained golden retriever was bred for five generations for his temperament and training abilities.
via Therapy dog helps Golden Gate child with autism | news-press.com | The News-Press.
Posted on July 20, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: animals, Autism, children with Autism, Florida, service animals
Autism and Summer: Learning social skills
Lawrence Journal
Some kids spend the summer learning archery, the backstroke or tennis. Some children with autism are working this summer on their social skills – an area where autistic people often need help.
The Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville is holding a Social Skills Summer Camp this summer. Campers 7 to 11 years old work on basic social skills; 12- to 14-year-old campers continue to learn social skills and build on them with field trips; campers 15 to 21 years old learn social skills and early on-the-job skills.
In Wisconsin, a group of parents, teachers and others started an 8-week Social Summer Experience for autistic children. And The Autism Project in Rhode Island is offering a variety of social skills classes for children on the autism spectrum this summer.
In Lawrence, Kansas, a high school for autistic students offers a summer course on socialization with field trips to a variety of community settings.
From an outsider’s point of view, the scene looked pretty chaotic as students and staff from Free State High School’s summer autism program took a trip to a restaurant.
Of the dozen students on the outing, several were yelling, one was crying, and others expressed emphatically that they simply didn’t want to eat there.
One by one, staff members worked to calm the students.
The program and the community outings are all part of social skills lessons the program emphasizes during the summer months when the students are away from regularly scheduled classes.
“These kids need to be out in the community as much as anybody else,” said staff member Emily Hughes. “Our biggest goal is to help them learn how to be independent.”
via Free State High School’s summer autism program encourages social interaction / LJWorld.com.
Posted on July 20, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Autism, autism teenager, children with Autism, social skills, socialization, summer, Summer autism
Man with autism starts dog treat business
Rocklin & Roseville Today
I hear dogs love them.
David Shunkey of Albuquerque, New Mexico, makes Peanut Butter Puppy Bites, which are crisp canine treats shaped to resemble dog bones. Like any upstart business owner would, Shunkey has been getting his small business off the ground, looking for markets, and refining his recipe. The only difference is this businessman has autism.
A National Institutes of Health website defines autism as causing “severe and pervasive impairment in thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others.” Its severity ranges over a wide spectrum.
“David is nonverbal,” said Heather Gooch, who is program manager of supportive employment with Community Options in Albuquerque. She spoke for Shunkey with his permission. “He knows sign language and can understand more than he can sign. We also read his facial expressions and body language, and he uses different sounds to communicate. He has a speech language pathologist on his team and they have developed a communication dictionary to document his sound and hand movements. So if there is someone new working with him, they know how to communicate with him.”
Community Options has an on-site job coach helping Shunkey with marketing, baking, and selling. His dog treats are all natural, and include whole wheat flour, unbleached white flour, corn meal, rolled oats, eggs, safflower oil, vanilla, and peanut butter.
via Person with Autism Starts Business – Roseville California News including Rocklin & Placer County.
Posted on July 19, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism, Caregiving | Tags: adults with autism, Autism, Caregiving, employment