What's New at Autism Hangout!
 I went on the road to Burnsville, MN today to visit an Autism Therapy Center I’ve been hearing a lot about. The company is called Partners in Excellence. It’s dedicated to helping equip our special kids for the world in which they live… and it’s been achieving success. It’s run by a vibrant, positive, dedicated woman named Deb Thomas. In this Autism Hangout Special Report, I let her tell you the story. More info at: www.partnersmn.com
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 Many of our special kids will have the chance to go to college. But as parents will tell you, getting in isn’t the only challenge… or, in some cases, the REAL CHALLENGE. Staying in school requires new skills.
Learning and practicing the right skills and disciplines will assure our students a successful college experience. Today’s autism expert - Dr. Sarita Freedman - has just written the book on this subject. It’s called: "Developing College Skills in Students with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome."
More on Dr. Freedman at: www.collegeonthespectrum.com
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 Meet authors Susan Yellin and Christina Cacioppo Bertsch. These two seasoned professionals have combined their knowledge in a book designed to help those with disabilities prepare-for and succeed-in college and/or their chosen careers. The book is based on real people (case study approach) and is full of helpful resources.
More info at: www.lifeafterhsbook.com
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The Power of Music and Autism (Webinar) - with Donna Williams, Dr. Stephen Shore and Rudy Simone
 Finally! I got my three favorite "poster people" for "how to thrive with autism" together at one time to talk about our favorite subjects: Music and autism.
Each of these incredible people have personal stories describing their use of music to connect to the world. Hear these fascinating experiences and much more as we all talk about the power of music and autism.
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"Loving Lampposts" - A wide angle view of autism - A film by Todd Drezner
 Filmmaker Todd Drezner set out to better understand the world of autism as seen through the eyes of his son, Sam. What he found was a world filled with wonder and beauty.
As with the spectrum it represents, autism is a topic of extremes. The "cure" versus "accept" debate is one example of how people can polarize. Todd Drezner's moving film opens the door to more valid discussions around the acceptance of autism as a gift. More information at: www.lovinglamppostsmovie.com
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 In this installment, Dr. Tony talks about Gluten free Casin free diets (worth the effort?), the loss of the term Asperger's (what that means) and a few of the last questions from the "July 2010 - Ask Dr. Tony" Program.
 Dr. Tony Attwood returns to Autism Hangout to answer YOUR questions about autism.
In this installment, Dr. T. addresses communications issues, meltdowns, best recesses and more. Don't miss the insights. And fun!
More on Dr. T at: www.tonyattwood.com/au
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 Bick Pratt is one of those innovative folks that "finds a way." In this case, he built an iPhone/iTouch app to make it easier for his son to communicate with the world (now he can even order food at Taco Bell). The app is customizable and so easy to use, Bick is inviting parents, caregivers and speech and learning professionals to make programs for their situations.
Hear Bick talk about MyTalkTools and how it faciliates easy, portable communications. More at www.mytalktools.com
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 In the world of Autism, Temple Grandin is a legend. She has singularly contributed more to science's knowledge of autism than any other one individual. There's a reason she's #23 on Time's list of 100 Most Influential People... and that Hollywood is producing movies about her.
After her speaking engagement at a Future Horizon's conference here in Minneapolis today, Temple and I had an intense, 10 minutes conversation. We touched on a number of her favorite subjects including autism as a gift, preparing future autists for successful careers, her movie, key learnings about autism and more.
What a remarkable human being.
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 Meet Thorkil Sonne, the remarkable CEO of Specialisterne, a Copenhagen-based company that hires people on the spectrum for their formidable skills.
Specialisterne (it means "specialist") tests software. The requirements to working there: Must be detail-oriented, must have the ability to focus for extended periods of time, great memory helpful but not necessary. And must be interested in working in a much needed and appreciated capacity. Is it any wonder the Harvard B-school is using Thorkils' business model as a case study?
Meet the inspiring man and hear his plan for creating 1,000,000 jobs for our special people - people on the spectrum.
More info at: www.specialistpeople.com
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 As a young man, about to embark on a career in filmmaking, Brian Dery contracted Guillain Barre syndrome and found himself paralyzed from the neck down. Although medical science gave up on him, he and his family persevered. Today he's a successful filmmaker, fully exploiting his skills although his legs still require braces. But his personal story of "not letting the human body beat the human spirit" became his calling. He started seeking out and documenting other stories of inspiration and motivation.
His latest film - "Walking in the Dark: Finding the Light in Autism" - is one such film about successfully dealing with the challenges of autism.
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"Artists and Autism" - A Facebook Group. Meet founder Jeffery Kellen
 Aspiring writer Jeffery Kellen went looking for a safe place for people on the autism spectrum to post and display their creative work. He found none. So he created one on Facebook.
"Artists and Autism is solely dedicated to promoting autism awareness through the arts. Submissions may come from anyone on the spectrum or from their neurotypical family members and friends. The purpose of the site is also to uplift, encourage and inspire all of those around us by our God-given talents and to nurture those abilities to their fullest extent." The Artists and Autism Mission statement.
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 Meet DAN doctor Dr. Nelson Mane. He's also a chiropractic specialist in orthopedics and neurology. In this report, Dr. Mane describes the use of Hemispheric Integration Therapy... and the successes he's seen with autism and associated conditions.
Read more here: www.manecenter.com
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"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world."
Margaret Mead
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Teachers, aids, caregivers and parents, if you've a great Social Story, here's a chance to put it to music and share it with others.
It's been proven time and again that music helps open up our kids. So why not put together "the best of" our community-prepared Social Stories with music so that all our special kids can benefit? Read more here.
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Autism Hangout Webinar Schedule
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Series: Thriving with Autism!
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Clearly, this is MY favorite category!
I'm working on another positive conversation with some VERY positive people. Stay tuned for details.
Craig
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DAILY HIGHS
3/2/10 4/16/10
| Visitors |
Page Views |
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6,690 |
Most Popular Reports:
Webinar: "Dr. Stephen Shore & Donna Williams: Autism as Strengths." 31,000 views (as of 6/8/10)
Feature Program: "A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Schools." 31,700 views (as of 6/8/10)
Special Report: "Aspergers On the Job" - A Conversation with Author Rudy Simone. 16,700 views as of 6/8/10)
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New in the Autism Hangout Educational Library!
 Lauren S. Henry, color expert and designer of environments for special needs and autistic children, presents the first in a series of on-line seminars. "The Effective Use of Color" addresses the importance of color in one's environment, the typical emotional impacts of a variety of colors, and how to determine which color will have the most beneficial effect in your child's environment.
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It’s been a dream of mine... to develop a VISUAL format where researchers, teachers, authors, autism professionals, even parents and caregivers can immediately post videos of their presentations, complete with Powerpoint slides. Well that dream has come true!
This ground-breaking technology now resides in the Autism Hangout Education Section. Watch what this means to all of us about immediately getting helpful, practical information on thriving with autism. And see how easy it is to prepare an Online Program for the Autism Hangout Education Section!!
Author, singer/songwriter, screenwriter and sculptor Donna Williams returns to talk about her contributions to the Autism Hangout Education Library. She also offers an invitation for others on the spectrum to use this tool to describe their learnings about autism (and possibly profit from it).
In this interview, Donna describes her last 3 contributions to the Educational Library: Meaning Deafness, Meaning Blindness, Body Disconnectedness; Agnosias in the Context of Autism, Navigating Involuntary and Managing Voluntary Behaviours on the Autism Spectrum and Battling With Books.
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 Autism Hangout founder Craig Evans talks about his recently released "Frailin' with Friends" CD. "This CD of happy music was assembled as a day-brightener for those living with the daily challenges of autism. I'm also using all the proceeds from sales to fund Autism Hangout."
Sample cuts from "Frailin' with Friends" can be heard at: www.autismhangout.com/directory/store.asp. Orders can be placed at the same URL.
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"If you like the happy banjo music you hear at the beginning of any Autism Hangout Podcast, you'll love this CD!"
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* Autism Hangout is looking for writers and video producers of positive, helpful messages about autism. Contact Craig Evans.
Click here for a welcome message from Autism Hangout founder, Craig Evans.
ATTEN: Autism thought-leaders!
Post your work here for the autism community to see! Please feel free to use the Discussion Forum or create your own Home Page (complete with pics, blogs and videos). Welcome!
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