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News- Page 38
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Various Articles : Autism support group set
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Posted by sylvia on Thursday, January 29, 2004 (10:37:32)
Pacific Daily News 29/01/2004
By Oyaol Ngirairikl
Standing recently outside the entrance to Shirley's Coffee Shop in Hagåtña, 5-year-old Cain Coffman decided he did not want to go into the restaurant. He cried when his parents tried to make him.
So Travis Coffman, Cain's dad, brought him back to the car. Father and son sat for several minutes listening to the car radio.
"Outside of the restaurant he just came unglued for whatever reason, but we went back to the 'magic' car and came out, then every thing was OK," said an exasperated Travis Coffman, a radio talk-show host with Newstalk K-57. Anyone with children can relate to the quirky behaviors children sometimes show, but Cain Coffman is special.
Cain Coffman has autism. His father is helping to start a support group for parents of children with autism.
Autism is a brain disorder that typically affects a person's ability to communicate, form relationships with others and respond appropriately to the environment, states the National Institute for Mental Health Web site.
Cain Coffman's reaction may have stemmed from the break to the daily routine, said Jennifer Cruz Reyes, a consulting research teacher technical assistant at the autism program with the Department of Education's Special Education Division.
"One of the symptoms of autism is a need for routine. Any break from that may trigger a reaction," Reyes said.
"Having worked with Cain, I think he may have needed a transition to help him adjust to the difference in the routine - he was probably wondering about why they were eating dinner at the restaurant when they usually eat at home," Reyes said.
"A transition needed to occur, so taking him back into the car - and knowing Travis, he probably talked with Cain and let him know they're going to the restaurant - helped make that transition," Reyes said.
Travis Coffman, in hopes of finding ways to deal with experiences similar to that at the restaurant, has teamed up with Reyes and Rindraty Celes Limtiaco to start the support group.
Limtiaco, like Travis Coffman, has a child who has been diagnosed with autism.
"I want the group to be something where we can create a database of names ... and of information like finding a good dentist or a baby-sitter who knows about autism," Travis Coffman said. And finding a dentist who was able to deal with his son's condition was a challenge, he said.
"Not many people know about autism, even (medical professionals)," he said.
The group will meet at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at C.L. Taitano Elementary School cafeteria in Sinajana.
Reyes said situations that parents with autistic children go through magnify the already challenging job of parenting.
Reyes said medical researchers are learning more every day about autism, a disorder that has been misunderstood and still remains somewhat a mystery. She said as an educator, she learns more every day about helping parents help their children.
"Educators can talk until we're blue in the face about the causes and the symptoms of autism and the latest findings, but we're not parents with children with autism so we don't have those same experiences," Reyes said, and added that her role in the group is to offer training and other requested assistance.
"So now parents are starting their own group. It's like a support group, for parents to meet and say, 'I have this problem, have you been through it? What did you do?' That's the kind of help I can't provide. And that's why this support group is so important."
The group for parents with autistic children will meet at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the C.L. Taitano Elementary School cafeteria in Sinajana. There will be supervised activities for children. For more information about the group, call Jennifer Cruz Reyes at 475-0578/5
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Various Articles : Mind Graph Ebook: A New Graphic Language to Solve Problems
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 26, 2004 (14:49:08)
Angel Serrano, computer science's student has created a graphic language to solve problems. This graphic language has been developed during several years and it promises to be an effective solution to the academic problems.
Angel Serrano said "I am very happy that it can be published to the whole world and I hope they find it useful"
Angel Serrano use this method to resolve his own problems and he has created an ebook that explains in depth the characteristic and possibilities of this graphic language(a powerful technique for note taking, brainstorming, memorization and problem solving).
Angel Serrano explains a little bit about his creation:
First of all, Mind Graph is a graphic language to solve problems (math problems, programming problems and study problems).
It takes the best things of two worlds: mind maps (visual clarity) and concept maps (semantic).
Mind Graph has foundations of different branches of the knowledge among which we can find biological, psychological, linguistic, mathematical, computer science, economic and own foundations.
The objetive of Mind Graph is to represent the information and to make inferences on that such as learning, memorization, generation of ideas and resolution of problems.
Angel Serrano said that he will help people that ask about this graphic language and people who are interested in it will can get more information in Mind Graph web site.
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Various Articles : Help for parents
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Posted by sylvia on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 (20:16:05)
Ohio.com 20/01/2004
Parents of children who have been diagnosed with behavioral or emotional difficulties -- such as attention deficit disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, autism or anxiety disorder, among others -- face stress and obstacles unlike other parents.
A free six-week, support program - the Hand-to-Hand Family Education Program - is here to help, tackling the unique school, medical and advocacy issues these parents face.
The classes begin Thursday, at Unity, 503 Northwest Ave., Tallmadge, from 6:15 to 8 p.m. To sign up, call the Mental Health Association of Summit County at 330-923-0688.
Therapeutic child care (including art, music and play therapy) will be available at a cost of $10 for the first child, and $5 for each additional child.
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Various Articles : 46 jobs are cut at Wellness Center
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Posted by Sylvia on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 (09:46:56)
The Reporter 13/01/2004
By Patty Brandl
A Fond du Lac-headquartered counseling firm that provides therapy for autistic children has cut 46 full-time positions and an unspecified number of part-time employees, according to information provided by a state workforce development Web site.
The Counseling and Wellness Center, 349 Winnebago Drive, filed the layoff information with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) on the Plant Closing and Mass Layoffs Web site as required by state law.
The business was listed in a 2002 Fond du Lac County labor market report as employing between 250 and 499 workers, making it the 15th largest employer in the county, ahead of other area employers like Action Advertising Inc., Marian College and Wal-Mart.
A Dec. 29 Sheboygan Press article said the clinic employs 500 and serves 350 clients throughout Wisconsin. Also doing business as Autism and Behavioral Consultants, the business has been forced to eliminate in-home therapy services for autistic patients as of Jan. 1 due to recent Medicaid changes that shifted responsibility for in-home services funding to individual counties.
The Fond du Lac manager of the Counseling and Wellness Center told The Reporter that clinic owner and director Dr. David Small declined to comment about the layoffs.
The DWD law states “businesses employing 50 or more persons in the State of Wisconsin must provide written notice 60 days before implementing a ‘business closing (plant closing)’ or ‘mass layoff’ in the state.â€
The layoffs come just one week after local manufacturer Bestt Liebco Corp. announced that it will close its Fond du Lac plant, impacting an estimated 92 union and non-union employees.
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Various Articles : Soccer team important part of autistic boy's life
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Posted by Sylvia on Friday, January 09, 2004 (10:56:46)
My Web Pal.com Columbia 08/01/2004
By Ron Cassie
Seven-year old Alec Chase loves playing soccer and loves his team, the under-8 Soccer Association of Columbia Black Dragons.
Like a lot kids on gameday, he will have his jersey on and be ready to go hours before it is time to leave for the field.
"If I tell him on a Saturday morning he's got a game - even if it's not until 3 p.m. - he is in his full uniform, shin guards and everything by 9 a.m.," his mom, Shari Chase, said, with a laugh.
Alec has been playing soccer for four years, the last two with largely the same group of boys, the Black Dragons. The team has been very successful, losing just one game a year ago and going a perfect 15-0 this fall under new coach Gabe Dagen. The highlight of the season was successfully defending their tournament title at the season-ending Simon Decker tournament. The victory this year came on penalty kicks in overtime.
For Alec, who is autistic, the Black Dragons - whose coaches, parents and players have taken him under their collective wing - play an extraordinary role.
"It's so important for him to be around typical peers - otherwise a child never sees how they could be or should behave," Shari Chase said. "It's important I think, too, for the other kids to realize that inside Alec, or other challenged kids, are kids like them. They have the same feelings."
Alec's mom spoke with all the team parents and Dagen before the season to make sure everyone was comfortable having Alec on the team.
Alec's motor skills are fine, but he requires attention to help stay focused and in position on the field.
Alec usually gets on the field after Black Dragons are up by a few goals in the second half.
"I would ask Alec if he wanted to go in, usually we were ahead by four or five goals, and required that unless he said, 'Yes,' he wouldn't go in," Dagen said. "Usually by then there would be a bunch of the kids crowding around, encouraging him, telling him to say, 'Yes,' say, 'Yes'."
Alec participates at practice with the help of his parents and teammates.
"He'll do our drills and mom and dad would help him, or on our one-on-one drills the kids would work with him - just like they would do with anybody else," Dagen said. "It was rewarding to help all the kids get better, to improve, including Alec, in what they were doing. The kids accepted Alec as part of the team - they didn't require much prompting."
Autism is a type of pervasive developmental disorder, which interferes with a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It affects speech patterns and often stimulates repetitive movements or actions. It usually appears before the age of 3, but is sometimes not diagnosed until later.
Research shows that people with autism have irregular biological brain structures, the exact cause of which is unknown. Some studies show a genetic link while others point to environmental factors; some believe it stems from a of mix of the two. Others have suggested a possible link to pre-natal exposure to the rubella virus, a lack of oxygen during childbirth and mercury found in some vaccinations. Heavy metal screening is recommended for young children displaying symptoms, Shari Chase said.
Alec's mother is currently working on a campaign and program encouraging pediatricians and parents to set up and follow monthly timetables to measure a child's progress in different developmental areas.
Mark Riso, whose son, Zach, plays with Alec, has noticed a positive change in Alec. "I don't think it is necessarily because he's playing soccer," Riso said. "I think it is the socialization involved around the sport, the interaction with other kids, which is difficult for him, that has helped. The kids know he's different, but they kind of treat him like any other kid."
Alec and his teammates, all of whom attend Pointers Run Elementary School in Clarksville, capped their big year with a sleepover at the Chase house a week after the end of the season. Nearly everyone on the team made it to the party, for which Alec's parents had rented every 7-year-old's favorite: a moonbounce. Nine of the kids stayed the entire night.
"I never thought I would be, or wanted to be, a parent of a child with a disability - it never occurred to me," Shari Chase said. "But it has been a dream come true to have the Black Dragons' coaches and kids in our lives."
Alec, who sleeps with the team picture near his pillow every night, can name all of his teammates in the photo: Brady Acker, Alex Dagen, Andy Delmont, B.J. Hill, Jack Jacobs, Adam Levitt, Chase Polkow, Deion Richardson, Zach Riso, Justin Shapiro and Matthew Thompson.
He tells his mom that, "They are all my friends."
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