Causes of Autism Survey

Causes of Autism Survey
by Autism Coach

We invite you to complete our brief survey on what you believe caused your child or you to be diagnosed within the autism spectrum.
In 2004, I surveyed Autism Coach customers to determine what customers believed was the cause of their child's autism. 
Five years later, in 2009, we now have 1 in 91 children diagnosed between the ages of 3 and 17 diagnosed within the autism spectrum.  We need to know more than ever what is causing this high incidence of autism. 

If you could email back your responses to autismcoach@comcast.net, you can help others by sharing your history and story.
Because everyone these days is strapped for time, I'm keeping it short:
1.  I believe my child's autism diagnosis or my own diagnosis was caused by (if you select more than one, please list in order of priority):
A.  Immunization of child, if yes, please specify which immunization(s)
B.  Genetic condition
C.  Environmental toxins (downwind from a coal fire power plant, living in a heavily polluted area, etc.)
D.  Immunization of parent (during pregnancy or in the military, for example)
E.  Illness (of child or parent during pregnancy)
F.  Other (if other, please specify)

Please feel free to share your story, as this information can help other parents make decisions concerning their children. 
Optional questions for parents, if you have time:
2.  What year was your child diagnosed?  At what age?
3.  When did symptoms first appear?
4.  How old is your child now?
5.  What diagnosis does do they currently have?
6.  How are they doing in school, home, and/or work?
7.  What therapies, supplements, other strategies do you feel were most helpful?
8.  What therapies, supplements do you feel did not make a positive difference or were harmful?
9.  If you are a parent or guardian and had one piece of advice to give a parent or guardian whose child was just diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, what would it be?
Optional questions for adolescents and adults diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder:
2.  What year were you diagnosed?  At what age?
3.  When did symptoms first appear?
4.  How old is you now?
5.  What diagnosis does do you currently have?
6.  How are you doing in school, home, and/or work?
7.  What therapies, supplements, other strategies do you feel were most helpful?
8.  What therapies, supplements do you feel did not make a positive difference or were harmful?
9.  If you had one piece of advice to give to another person on the autism spectrum and one piece of advice to a parent whose child had just been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, what would you pieces of advice be?

To my surprise the 2004 survey ended up being included the Wikipedia Autism entry for several years.  Evidently no-one had bothered to ask parents about their own observations concerning their children.

This is an opportunity for you to have a voice  and share your story.  It is intended to be filled out by parents or guardians of children diagnosed with the autism spectrum.  It may also be filled out by adolescents or adults who are diagnosed within the autism spectrum.

For those of you who choose to respond, thank you for sharing your stories and by doing so helping others in the autism community.  The responses will be made public on the Autism Coach web site.  We will be accepting responses through November 30, 2009. 
If you answered the 2004 survey, feel free to respond again - your contribution made a difference and will do so for 2009 survey! 

Again, to complete it, just email your response to the above question or if you have time the additional questions to autism.coach@comcast.net. 

Thank you again,
Sue Bennett
Autism Coach

Institute on Disability Seeks Artists for its 2010 Calendar

Institute on Disability Seeks Artists for its 2010 Calendar

Are you an artist looking for an opportunity to get your work noticed? Do you know someone who is an artist and might be interested in such an opportunity? Every year since 2000, the Institute on Disability <http://iod.unh.edu/> (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire has produced a calendar that features 13 original works of art. These highly anticipated calendars are distributed each year to thousands of people around the world who are connected to the IOD's mission of strengthening communities and ensuring full access, equal opportunities, and participation for all persons. The IOD is currently inviting artists to submit artwork to be considered for its 2010 Calendar.

The theme for the 2010 calendar is reflective of the quote:

“Disability is not a 'brave struggle' or 'courage in the face of adversity'... disability is an art. It's an ingenious way to live.” - Neil Marcus

If you would like to submit, here are some simple guidelines to follow:

All artwork must be 2-dimensional (i.e. drawings, paintings). Unfortunately, we are unable to accept photography and sculpture.
Artwork for submission may be created for the purpose of this calendar or may be selected from an existing portfolio of work.
Artwork should reflect the artist's interpretation of the quote above.
Artists are encouraged to submit artwork with vibrant colors (see links to past calendars below).
Artists are welcome to submit a maximum of three (3) works of art for consideration.
Submissions must include the artist's name, phone number, email address and title(s) of artwork.
If chosen, the original work submitted will be requested and will need to be sent to the IOD. All originals will be returned to the artists.

Here are links if you would like to see a PDF copy of the 2008 and 2009 calendars.

Digital copies (scanned or photographed artwork) for consideration should be sent as a JPG or PDF file to contact.iod@unh.edu with “2010 IOD Calendar Art” in the subject line. Please do not send original artwork at this time. If you would like to submit a printed copy of your artwork via snail mail, please mail it to:

INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY / UCED
Attn. Matthew Gianino
10 West Edge Drive, Suite 101
Durham , NH 03824

During the final selection process, the IOD may request the original artwork for further consideration in some cases. The 13 finalists will be asked to complete an Artwork Release Form <http://iod.unh.edu/pdf/Art_Release_2010.pdf> . Please be sure you are able to comply with the terms of the release form prior to submitting. The deadline for submissions is Friday, August 7, 2009. All artists whose work is chosen for the 2010 Calendar will be contacted by August 21st .

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the IOD.

Good luck and we look forward to your submission!

The IOD Staff

CVS Caremark Community Grants Program Accepting Grant Applications for Programs Serving Children With Disabilities

Deadline: October 31, 2009

CVS Caremark Community Grants Program Accepting Grant Applications for Programs Serving Children With Disabilities and the Uninsured

The CVS Caremark Community Grants program provides support to community organizations and public schools in states where CVS stores are located.

The 2009 Community Grants program is focused on a few key areas. The program will award funds to nonprofit organizations working to provide disabled children and youth (under age 21) with health and rehabilitation services and/or programs that enable and encourage physical movement and play. The program will also award grants to public schools that promote a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs for children with disabilities. Proposed programs must be fully inclusive where children with disabilities are full participants in an early childhood, adolescent, or teenage programs alongside their typically developing peers.

Additionally, contributions will be made to organizations that provide uninsured individuals with needed care, in particular programs where the care received is of higher quality and delivered by providers who participate in accountable community healthcare programs. There is no age limit on proposed programs that create greater access to health care services.

Qualifying organizations are eligible for grants of up to $5,000 each.

The online grant application process requires that all applicants answer a number of eligibility questions before gaining access to the application. Visit the CVS Caremark Web site for complete program information and application materials:

http://info.cvscaremark.com/community/our-impact/community-grants

Yummy Coffee at the South Street Seaport this summer

hello all,

we will be selling fresh roasted coffee for autism once again,
although this time on a more regular basis. we will be taking a small
space where we can sell coffee whole bean and pour samples to
customers that visit the south street seaport market in nyc.

if anyone out there has a spare moment and would like to
sell some delicious coffee for a cause we're accepting volunteer
applications ;).

check out our web site, www.yummycoffee.org, or ny mag's 'grub street'
blog for more details:

http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/05/fulton_stall_market_announces.html

thanks for your support.

all our best from nyc,
john, jacquie, and max

Dr Seuss Game - I Gan Do That

We absolutely love the Dr Seuss Series game called, I can do that! This game is great for kids on the autism spectrum. Simple sequenced cards, (1,2,3) have actions with objects (from the story) and directions centered around a trick a ma stick that is so flimsy that it makes the game even more silly. The theme is centered around the Dr Seuess story 'The Cat in The Hat'. So for example you have to take four giant steps with put fish on your head. The game involves great visuals, sequencing and is really a challenge in motor planning several actions in a row. And then you yell out, "I Can Do That!" It has really been great fun as well as challenging. Enjoy!