All About Autism

Wellsville TV: Inspiring Health and Fun!

Posted on January 29, 2013 by all about autism

Saturday was a fabulous day! Dr. Tony Snow, Kathy Iorio and the Wellsville TV crew arrived at the Barber National Institute ready to film a segment on children with special needs. What is Wellsville? It is a multifaceted program created by a team of professionals to combat obesity and empower kids and families to eat healthy, be physically active and make positive healthy lifestyle choices. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged children, fitness, health, nutrition, special needs, wellsville | Leave a comment

DSM-IV Changes

Posted on January 25, 2013 by all about autism

The American Psychiatric Association recently announced some changes in the upcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), to be published in May 2013. The authors originally planned to change the diagnosis of “mental retardation” to “intellectual developmental disorder.” Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged asd, aspergers, autism, disabilities, dsm-iv | Leave a comment

Children with Autism and Optimal Outcomes

Posted on January 23, 2013 by all about autism

Ryan then and now – as a young boy in his school picture and in his ID badge for work

The Wall Street Journal yesterday carried an article, “Who can outgrow or recover from autism?” The Journal was reporting on a study conducted by Deborah Fein, Ph. D., of the University of Connecticut, Storrs. I’m sure that every parent of a child with autism quickly read the article in hopes of learning what treatment is the key to solving this puzzle. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autism, children, parenting, research, university of connecticut | Leave a comment

75 Days – but who’s counting?

Posted on January 17, 2013 by all about autism

The Bicentennial Tower at Dobbin’s Landing in Erie, PA participated in Light it Up Blue in 2012 and will again this year.

One Tuesday, two months and 16 days from today, what color will you be wearing? Odd question, I know. Today is January 17^th, so who’s thinking about what to wear 75 days from today? I am! The sixth annual World Autism Awareness Day is April 2, 2013, and we will Light It Up Blue! The Bicentennial Tower at Dobbin’s Landing in Erie, PA will shine with sapphire streams of light, and brilliant blue shades will color the sky around the world. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged asd, autism awareness, erie, light it up blue | Leave a comment

Therapy on Four Paws

Posted on January 15, 2013 by all about autism

Walking through the halls of the school this morning, I saw Bradley and Don greeting Laure Seiber and her therapy dog Charlie (a Newfiedoodle). Laure and Charlie, members of Therapy Dogs United (TDU), were making their weekly visit to the school. I followed Laure and Charlie to the classroom and caught a glimpse of TDU in action. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autism, communication, learning, therapy dogs | 3 Comments

The Importance of Friendship

Posted on January 10, 2013 by all about autism

In A. A. Milne’s classic creation, “Winnie the Pooh,” where the ‘silly old bear’ says, “It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like ‘What about lunch?“‘ This sums up my feelings about friends. Friendship provides you the comfort zone when things go uphill, downhill, or nowhere. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autism, best buddies, e-buddies, friendship, winnie the pooh | Leave a comment

Fighting Irish Friendship

Posted on January 8, 2013 by all about autism

Notre Dame suffered a defeat to Alabama last night in the Bowl Championship Series. As a fan, I was disappointed, but the players, coaches and student body should be proud of their fabulous season.

Although the media is focused on this loss, I prefer to dwell on the spirit of this team. That spirit was displayed in an ESPN story about Sam Grewe. Sam is a seventh grade football player with bone cancer who lost part of his leg this year. The Fighting Irish adopted Sam, and the Fighting Irish Brotherhood grew by one amazing member. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged BCS, fighting irish, inspiration, notre dame, sam grewe | Leave a comment

The Power of a Dream

Posted on January 3, 2013 by all about autism

Laurie and Luke Cameron. Photo courtesy: http://www.wecschool.org

The Power of a Mom’s Love, recently published by the New York Times, moved and inspired me. It’s the story of one mother’s vision to create a better world for her son and without knowing it; she parallels the dream of another woman: Dr. Gertrude A. Barber. Laurie Cameron is the mother of Luke, a 21 year old with developmental delays.

When Luke was a young student, Laurie searched for schools that would treat him with dignity and respect. She often was called to school when Luke was struggling and the teachers didn’t know what to do to help him. After years of searching, she finally found the Westchester Exceptional Children’s School where Luke found friends and support. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cultivating dreams, disabilities, laurie cameron, moms | Leave a comment

Highlights of 2012

Posted on January 2, 2013 by all about autism

As the curtain closes on the year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the exciting events and achievements of the Barber National Institute (BNI) and the Elizabeth Lee Black School (ELBS) and extend my gratitude to the community, parents and faculty for their support. Here are some of my favorite highlights of 2012.

The vital role technology played

Tap-it, a learning station that enables students of varying abilities to interact with an electric screen, was implemented into two more classrooms, now totaling four. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2012, art show, autism awareness month, children, notre dame, parents, popchilla, robots, social media, special events, technology, young peoples chorus | Leave a comment

Advances in the Field of Autism

Posted on December 27, 2012 by all about autism

It’s been a year of headlines in the field of autism. Autism Speaks Scientific Advisory Board Committee published the top 10 autism research advances of 2012. It’s a quick and understandable resource guide to the latest research findings. I liked it a lot and wanted to share it with you. Three take-aways for me were:

The increased prevalence of autism from 1 in 112 to 1 in 88 and 1 in 54 boys tells us that autism is truly a public health emergency and demands immediate attention. Continue reading →