PSU Holds Autism Conference

Posted on July 31, 2012 by all about autism

I was in Penn State yesterday attending the National Autism Conference sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.  I’m going to share with you today a few thoughts from the discussions.

Janet Twyman, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, offered the opening keynote, “Making Evidence Meaningful.”   She stressed that we must measure what we’re teaching and follow the data to tell us what is working.  I am a strong proponent of this philosophy. Unless we measure the effectiveness of our teaching practices, we will not know if our students are learning.  Continue reading →

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ADA Anniversary

Posted on July 25, 2012 by all about autism

Tomorrow marks the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Dr. Gertrude Barber was invited to the signing by then-President George H. W. Bush.  You can tune in at 8 a.m. EST Thursday, July 26th to listen to a live stream discussion of Senior Obama Administration officials as they address technology, education, community living and employment among other topics.  Continue reading →

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Funding and Importance of Early Childhood Education

Posted on July 24, 2012 by all about autism

Students in the Happy Hearts preschool class at Barber National Institute

I’d like to share a few thoughts about quality early childhood education today.  We know that investments in early childhood are vital to the success of our children.  There is a large body of data from economics, biology and psychology that shows that educational equity is more than a social justice issue but is also a building block of a strong economy.   Yet thousands and thousands of children across our nation have limited access to quality early childhood programs.  Continue reading →

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Autism & Immune Irregularities

Posted on July 19, 2012 by all about autism

I’d like to update readers on some of the latest research that I have been reading. 

A new California Institute of Technology study suggests that specific changes in an overactive immune system can indeed contribute to autism-like behaviors in mice and that, in some cases, this activation can be related to what a developing fetus experiences in the womb.  Continue reading →

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iPad or TAP-it? Making the Right Choice for your Child

Posted on July 17, 2012 by all about autism

This past Sunday, 60 Minutes repeated an October 2011 program “Apps for Autism.”  I have since received a number of calls asking my thoughts on the show.  Lesley Stahl interviewed a 27-year-old young man who, prior to the iPad, had pointed to words on a laminated piece of paper to communicate.  Now he is spontaneously using his iPad as his “voice.”  As I discussed in an earlier blog, we have found that the iPad can be an important tool to develop our students’ communication skills.  However, there is no single app that works best for all children.  We initially purchased Proloquo2go only to find that this app did not meet the needs of most of our students.  I would suggest that you work Continue reading →

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Medications and Autism Update

Posted on July 12, 2012 by all about autism

Joseph Barber, M.D., provided an outstanding presentation on medication last night.  If you were unable to attend, a synopsis is provided on his blog.

His next presentation, “Roles of Regulation, Reactivity and Flexibility in Autism Spectrum Disorder,” will take place Wednesday, September 12 from 6-7:15 p.m.  Dr. Barber will discuss the effects of autism spectrum disorder on developmental stages and progression. Learning to understand Continue reading →

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Medications & Autism

Posted on July 10, 2012 by all about autism

Medications.  Should I or shouldn’t I?  Many families struggle with this question.  From my perspective, there is no right or wrong answer.  When the suggestion to consider medication was first made to me, I immediately said, “Let’s give it a try.”

Ryan was working intensely in an ABA program, and I hoped that medication might help with some of his challenging behaviors, such as hyperactivity and sleep problems.  I knew that medicine would not eliminate these behaviors, but I anticipated that Ryan would be more focused and would be able to sleep at night.  With Ryan’s behavioral and sleep data as a baseline, I was able to measure whether there were improvements.  Ryan was definitely more focused and able to stay on task for longer periods of time.  He slept better at night, and so did I.  Continue reading →

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Technology for Autism Update

Posted on July 5, 2012 by all about autism

I look forward to reading about the latest innovations in technology in reports from the “Technologies for Autism:  Tools, Trends and Testimonials,” held July 6-8, 2012 in Valencia, Spain. 

Read about it here.

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Physical Fitness Helps with Autism Challenges

Posted on July 3, 2012 by all about autism

Ryan and I running together at the Mother’s Day Race

Summer. Opportunities for outdoor recreation abound. Snow and ice may have kept us indoors during January and February, but we have no excuse not to be outside now. You don’t have to belong to a gym to engage in physical activity. Nor do you have to engage in long periods of exercise. We have found at BNI that physical activity engages the students, provides outlets for excess energy, decreases self-stimulatory behaviors, reduces anxiety, and promotes self-confidence and well-being. Some suggestions Continue reading →

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ABA Coverage: Changes Still Leave Some Behind

Posted on June 28, 2012 by all about autism

As a longtime advocate for the use of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) both in school and at home, I was very pleased to read that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) publicly endorsed the use of ABA in the treatment of autism last week.  The effectiveness of ABA has been demonstrated through years of research in both the university and home/school settings.  Pennsylvania was Continue reading →

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