Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Next SEPAC meeting Aug 21

SEPAC stands for the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee.  It's a friendly group of parents of Special Needs kids enrolled in public schools in Marquette and Alger Counties.  We meet once a month to plan events and share concerns.  There is always a report from the Superintendent of Special Education and from a member of the MARESA school board. 

I highly recommend participation in this group, not only do you get a really good sense of how the system works, you get compensated for your travel costs to attend. 

The next meeting will be at 6:00 pm, Thursday August 21, at MARESA 321 E. Ohio Street in Marquette.  Child care will be provided and they will be serving pizza. 

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Walk and Roll this Saturday

When: Saturday July 26, 2014
Registration:  10-11:30 am
10K:  10:45
5K:  11:15
1/2 mile:  11:30

Where: Tourist Park, Marquette
Race Registration: $25.00

It's time again to join SAIL for our Walk & Roll event. This is a 5k, 10k or 1/2mile walk, run or by any means. There will be outdoor games, snacks and a cookout following the race

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Adults on the spectrum needed for U of Wisconsin survey

I got the following call for participants from SAIL.

Are you an adult with Aspergers, Autism, or PDD-NOS?

Do you ever wish research on the autism spectrum reflected  your attitudes, experiences, and opinions?

You are invited to participate in an online research study about the experiences and attitudes of individuals on the autism spectrum. Little is known about how adults on the autism spectrum think about themselves or their experiences. Little is also known about how individuals on the autism spectrum view the diagnosis. Your participation in this study may help advance understanding of the perceptions and experiences of adults on the autism spectrum.

To participate in this study, you need to:

  • Be age 18 or older
  • Have a diagnosis or identify with a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, or PDD-NOS
  • Be able to complete an online survey

Participation in this study includes a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card.

To participate in this study, please use the following link:

https://uwmadison.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9mBLjVV14yPtgKV

Saturday, July 12, 2014

New at the Library

The following two books were recently added to the collection at the Peter White Public Library.  If you don't live in Marquette, you can request these titles through interlibrary loan-- just ask at your local library.  If they're checked-out, you can place a hold and get a call or e-mail when they're available. 

The Autism Revolution:  Whole-body strategies for making life all it can be by Martha Herbert, MD, PhD, Harvard Health Publications, 2013.
From the back cover:  "After years of treating patients and analyzing scientific data, Harvard Medical School researcher and clinician Dr. Martha Herbert offers a revolutionary new view of autism and a transformative strategy for dealing with it.  Autism, she concludes,is not a hardwired impairment programmed into a child's genes and destined to remain fixed forever.  Instead, it is the result of a cascade of event, many seemingly minor.  And while other doctors may dismiss your child's physical symptoms--the anxiety, sensory overload, sleeplessness, frequent illnesses or seizures-- as coincidental or irrelevant, Dr. Herbert sees them as vital clues to what the underlying problems are, and how to help.  Drawing from the newest research, technologies, and insights, as well as inspiring case studies of both children and adults, Dr. Herbert guides you toward restoring health and resiliency in your loved one with autism."

Currently I'm about half-way through a recorded copy I downloaded from Audible.com.  One thing I've take from it so far is ebsom salt baths-- cheap and easy to implement, might help, might not.  Won't hurt to try.  Other things like diet changes would be much harder for us to put in place, but I appreciate the careful look at the research that supports different approaches.

Self-Regulation Interventions and Strategies:  Keeping the body, mind & emotions on task in children with autism, ADHD or sensory disorders by Teresa Garland, MOT, OTR, PESI Publising & Media, 2014.
 From the back cover:  "Keeping children's bodies, minds and emotions on task just got easier with this book from self-regulation expert Teresa Garland.  It features 200 practical and proven interventions, strategies and adaptations for helping children gain more control over their lives.  Each chapter provides rich background and theoretical material to better understand the challenges children face."

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Sparrow Migrations author to speak at Library

Cari Noga, author of Sparrow Migrations, a novel featuring a twelve-year-old boy with autism, will be at the Peter White Public Library on Monday, July 14 at 6:30 pm for an informal "coffee house" book discussion.  I finished the book this morning and enjoyed reading it.  The author wrote the novel shortly after her own son was diagnosed with autism.  That said, it's not strictly an autism book, rather there are three main story lines that are connected by a real time and place-- all the main characters were present on the Hudson River when a plane made an emergency landing there late in 2009. I found the story both relevant and transporting.  I look forward to meeting the author to learn more about her experiences with her son and with creating this story.

As a side note, the beautiful cover illustration was created by Anie Knipping, who also has autism.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Car wash this Friday to support Next Chapter Book Club

There will be a car wash this Friday, July 11, from 9 am to 2 pm in the Econo Foods parking lot to support the Next Chapter Book clubs held here in Marquette.  Get your vehicle looking sharp for just $5.00 and help support a great program

Next Chapter Book Clubs are open to anyone and are designed especially for adults with developmental disabilities.  They meet weekly in the Peter White Public Library and now at the new Yoop frozen yogurt shop on Washington.  To learn about Next Chapter Book Clubs nationally, check out their website.  To learn about them locally, contact me (Ellen) at the Peter White Public Library 226-4312, or Kristine at SAIL 228-5744.

Fifth Annual Her Power! Her Pride! Her Voice!

Her Power! Her Pride! Her Voice! is an annual event for high school girls with disabilities in Michigan. This event uses accessible art techniques because of their universal ability for any girl to express herself. This four day event holds conversations around media to help girls explore their multiple identities. 

The  2014 Her Power! Her Pride! Her Voice! event will be August 22-25, 2014 at Indian Trails Camp near Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Registration materials are available here.

Registration deadline is July 30.