A New Social Network for Moms Fighting Autism Launches Today

Web site brings moms coping with autism closer together to vent, cope and support.

Irvine CA (PRWEB) April 23, 2008 -- In honor of autism awareness month, an Orange County man launches a social network called Moms Fighting Autism (www.momsfightingautism.com). The social network aims to connect moms of children with autism.

Members of the Moms Fighting Autism social network can immediately setup journals, photo albums, interest profiles and friends lists. The social network allows users to comment on photos, journals and send notes of support to others coping with autism.

"The purpose of the Moms Fighting Autism social network is to provide a place for moms to cope, vent and support each other. Autism can be overwhelming and there needs to be a place to feel welcome. Fortunately other moms have gone through the same situation who are willing to help them," says Ernest Priestly.

Autism effects one out of 150 children in the United States and there is no known cause or cure for it. There are social networks such as Myspace and Facebook that are more general but MomsFightingAutism.com focuses on only autism.

"... Reading about moms who are going through some of the same challenges that I have with my son has lifted my spirits up. I'm not alone and that is the best feeling in the world. Even though they maybe miles away we all can reach out, share, talk and that's just great. It's worked for me so I just want to say thank you for this site," says member Keyanna Rogers.

For the past 4 months, the site has enrolled 1,500 beta test members evaluating the site features and performance. It was launched officially today.

About MomsFightingAutism.com

Moms Fighting Autism is a social network for moms of children with autism. This social network provides the tools and services that allow moms to vent, cope, support and learn from each other. According to Autism Speaks, autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 150 children in the United States.

For more information visit www.autismfightingautism.com

CONTACT:
Ernest Priestly
press@momsfightingautism.com
714-335-8176

Autism Caught On Tape

Computer Scientists Use Technology To Help Children With Autism


Computer scientists have devised two tools to help people interact with autistic children. Videotaping interactions allows teachers or parents to replay situations and evaluate the cause of particularly good or bad behavior. Cataloging actual data, rather relying on memory or interpretation, proves to be a more accurate measure of a situation.


Autism affects one in every 165 children. For the parents and teachers of those boys and girls ... knowing what works and what doesn’t can be key to their development. Now, new technology is helping them help these kids.

From riding on dads back ... to bouncing around the kitchen. There's little down time in the Abowd home. Both of Gregory Abowd's sons have autism.

"With Aiden you have to work really hard to get him to say anything. With Blaise you have to stop him from what he wants to say, to get him to actually communicate with you," Abowd told Ivanhoe.

It’s his boys who gave this human computer interaction professor his next project at Georgia Tech.

"It was very disappointing for me to see how much people were relying on their memory to figure out what was going on," Abowd said.

CareLog allows parents and teachers to catch moments on tape.

"So what happens here there is a camera in the living room actually pointing down ... if something interesting happens ... I just press a button. When that behavior occurs ... sometime before and sometime after the incident is now saved to go over and take a look at," Abowd explained. This takes the memory out of the picture.

For example, often times when a child is trying to get the attention of his teacher it can get frustrating. When she doesn’t see him ... he may begin hitting himself. Now the teacher knows why.

"Someone can observe it and describe it to you, or you can see it," Abowd said.

Another tool called the Abaris also catches moments on tape. A teacher can compare video to her notes, taken down with a special pen and paper that automatically charts a child's progress on a computer. She may then realize a student is distracted. The teacher then can get more on his level to help him focus.

"They’d see themselves doing therapy and say oh my gosh, I didn’t even realize I was doing that," Julie Kientz, computing expert at Georgia Tech, told Ivanhoe.

Two ways technology is helping at home and in the classroom.

Autism:P.L.A.Y. Project

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects young children and the number of cases are growing at an alarming rate.

Today a leading expert on autism visited the valley to talk about a therapy he created that is showing promise for a lot of children.

The number of children with autism is growing fast.

Dr. Rick Solomon, Autism Expert: "There's no doubt that it's gone from being recognized from one in 10,000 to one in 150. And among boys it's one in every 88. So something seems to be going on."

Dr. Rick Solomon is a leading expert on autism a brain disorder that begins in childhood and affects communication and social development.

Solomon created the "play and language for autistic youngster's project" known as the "P.L.A.Y. Project." consultants make monthly visits and train parents who have children with autism how to play with them in a way that promotes their development.
Solomon: "Children with autism tend to want to go off and play by themselves but if you know how to play the right way you can truly engage your child."

The play project is for kids from 18 months to five years old.

On Tuesday Dr. Solomon visited Fresno and talked to parents and therapists about it. Fresno started a "p.l.a.y. project" a year ago through the Easter seals and is working with 20 families.

Bruce Hinman, Easter Seals President: "Parents can't say enough about the progress they see with their children."

Therapy and treatment that normally costs tens of thousands of dollars a year is free for families thanks to two generous grants.

Hinman: "We're hearing stories that parents are getting a hug from their child for the first time at three or four years old hearing them say 'I love you' when they were told they would never talk. It's just phenomenal.

The two other cities in California with P.L.A.Y. projects are Monterey and Sacramento but it will soon expand into the Bay Area.

more playdoh recipes

OAT PLAY DOH: (textured!)




Note: This play doh is for tactile stimulation. Young children love it. It has a rough texture and is great for exercising hand muscles. You should use this dough the same day you make it, as it will get moldy within a day or two.

2 cups water

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup flour

cinnamon (optional)

Heat water until boiling. Combine boiling water and oatmeal in mixing bowl. Add enough flour to make it dough. Add cinnamon for smell if desired.

EASY SALT DOUGH:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup salt

3/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, add more water if needed. Knead into soft ball of dough. Have fun playing with it.

FUN CLAY:

1 cup cornstarch

2 cups salt

1 1/3 cups cold water

paint

Put salt and 2/3 cup water in a pot and bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and remaining 2/3 cup water in separate bowl and stir well. Add salt mixture to cornstarch mixture in bowl. Knead dough. Model or mold dough and let it dry for several hours. Paint when dry if desired. Keep unused clay in airtight container or Ziploc in refrigerator.

BASIC ART DOUGH:

4 cups flour

1 cup iodized salt

1 3/4 cups warm water

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Knead dough for 10 minutes. Model as with any clay. Bake sculptures at 300 degrees until hard. Let air dry for a few days.

MODELING CLAY:

1 box baking soda (16 oz.)

1 cup cornstarch

1 1/4 cups cold water

food coloring, if desired

microwave

In a large mixing bowl, combine baking soda and cornstarch. In a two cup measuring cup, combine water and food coloring. Pour colored water over baking soda mixture. Stir until smooth. Microwave on high for 4 to 8 minutes, stirring after every minute until mixture is firm. Cover with a damp towel until cool. Knead until smooth. Store in airtight containers or Ziploc bags.

SHAMPOO DOUGH:

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup white glue

1/4 cup thick shampoo

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Knead dough. Add more flour as needed for right consistency. Model or roll and cut as desired. Let air dry. Paint as desired.

Warning: Could be toxic if ingested

PLAY CLAY:

1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup warm water

food coloring or poster paints

shellac or clear nail polish

Mix baking soda and cornstarch in saucepan. Add water and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat, boil and stir until "mashed potato consistency". Pour onto board to cool. Knead when cool. For color, knead food coloring into clay (after cooled) until blended, or paint after finished molding. When your shapes are dry, you can brush with shellac or clear nail polish.

Notes:

hardens quickly

will store in airtight container for several weeks

PLAY CLAY (WITHOUT FLOUR):

1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup warm water

food coloring or poster paints

shellac or clear nail polish

Mix baking soda and cornstarch in pot. Add water and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat, boil and stir until "mashed potato consistency". Pour onto board to cool. Knead when cool. For color, knead food coloring into clay (after cooled) until blended, or paint after finished molding. When your shapes are dry, you can brush with shellac or clear nail polish.

Notes:

hardens quickly

will store in airtight container for several weeks

CORNSTARCH DOUGH:

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup cornstarch

Mix salt and hot water and boil in pot. Stir cold water and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to boiling water and stir. Cook over low heat, stirring until "pie dough consistency". Remove from heat and place dough on board. When cool, knead dough until smooth. Have fun playing!

Notes:


texture is grainy

hardens in 1-2 days

dough will be white



to speed dry, put in 200 degree oven for 1 hour


will keep for a long time if stored in a container

SNOW PLAY DOH:

1 cup Ivory Snow laundry detergent

2 cups warm water

food coloring

electric hand mixer or egg beater

Add food coloring to warm water, then add to laundry detergent. Mix well with beater until fluffy. Use just like regular play doh.

Warning: Could be toxic if ingested

SCENTED PLAY DOH: (smells awesome and the kids LOVE IT!)

1 package of sugar free gelatin; .3 oz size (use any flavor you want, as the dough will have that scent when done; I believe you can replace the gelatin with a Kool-Aid packet instead for even more scented varieties!)

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients together in pot, add the boiling water and cooking oil. Stir over medium heat until it forms a ball. Let it cool. Keep in air tight container in refrigerator when not playing with it.

CHOCOLATE SCENTED PLAYDOH:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup salt

1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar

1/2 tablespoon cooking oil

1 cup boiling water.

Mix flour, cocoa powder, salt, and cream of tartar together. Add cooking oil and boiling water to mixture. Stir quickly and mix well. Cook over low heat until dough forms a ball. When cool, mix with your hands. Store in airtight container.

Note: It smells good enough to eat, but tastes awful! Is NOT EDIBLE.

MICROWAVE PLAY DOH: (scented, if use Kool Aid)

6 tablespoons cream of tartar

3 cups plain flour

4 tablespoons cooking oil

1/2 cup salt

3 cups water

food coloring/powder paint/or Kool Aid packet

Combine all ingredients in microwave proof dish and beat until smooth. Cover with cling wrap and microwave on high for 7 minutes, stirring half way through cooking. If the mixture is still gooey, microwave for another minute.

(Since all microwaves are different, be sure to watch the dough while cooking). Cool and store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Fun Playdoh Recipes And More: From Playdoh To "Gak", Fingerpaints To "Glop"

Here is a great collection of play doh recipes :















Not only is making and playing with these recipes fun, but they also provide the following benefits...















development of fine motor skills










stimulates sense of touch and smell












development of finger/hand strength










development of eye-hand coordination skills










an overall wonderful and necessary sensory experience














PLAY DOH RECIPES:














UNCOOKED PLAY DOH:















3/4 cups flour










3/4 cup salt










3/4 to 1 cup water with preferred color food coloring










1 tablespoon vegetable oil













Mix all ingredients. Knead until smooth consistency. Keep it covered and in refrigerator when not using it.













COOKED PLAY DOH:














1 cup flour










1/2 cup salt










2 teaspoons cream of tartar










1 cup water with preferred color food coloring










1 tablespoon oil














Mix all ingredients. Cook over medium hear until forms into a ball and becomes "translucent", not "milky". Knead dough. Store in plastic covered bowl in refrigerator when not using it.














SNOWMAN PLAY DOH:













1 1/3 cups salt










1 1/3 cups flour










1 tablespoon oil










water














Mix the salt, flour and oil together. Add a small amount of water at a time until you have a big ball of dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until very smooth and elastic. If too dry, add water; if too moist, add flour to the surface. On a floured surface sculpt the dough into a snowman... to join 2 pieces of dough together, moisten both edges of dough with water and press together.














Hardening the dough:












let them air dry for at least 48 hours

















OR, bake them in the oven at 325- 350 degrees on foil lined sheet, allow a 1/2 hour for each 1/2 each thickness or until surfaces turn golden brown. If the dough puffs up, turn your oven down and poke a hole in them to let the air out.














After drying, they can be painted with water colors, acrylics, enamels, or spray paints.














SAND PLAY DOH: (textured play doh!)















1 cup sand










1/2 cup cornstarch










3/4 cup water















Mix ingredients in saucepan and cook until thick. Allow to cool, knead and allow to harden enough for use. SAND MODELING DOUGH: (textured play doh!)















1 cup sand










1/2 cup cornstarch









1 teaspoon Alum










3/4 cup hot water










food coloring if desired















Mix sand, cornstarch and Alum in bowl. Add hot water and stir vigorously. Add food coloring if desired. Cook over medium heat until thick. Let dough cool. Mold into desired shapes and let dry in the sun for several days. Store any leftover dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

10 Most Effective Teaching Strategies for Students with Autism

Here are 10 of the most effective strategies for teaching students with autism spectrum disorders; they can be implemented in a variety of educational settings:

1) Visual SchedulesStudents with autism perform best when their daily routine is predictable, with clear expectations.

Establishing and following a visual schedule eliminates the unexpected and assists students in anticipating and preparing for transitions…………………….

2) Environmental ConsiderationsVisual and auditory stimulation in the classroom must be taken into consideration.

Many students with autism are sensitive to auditory input and have a more difficult time processing auditory stimulation. Their work stations should be placed away from excessive auditory stimulation and away from unnecessary movement.

Click here to download the classroom diagram.

3) Visual StructureThe environment needs to be structured visually to help the student clearly see and understand what is expected of him. Work stations must be clearly defined………………….



4) Alternatives to Verbal CommunicationMany students with autism have impairments in communication, particularly expressive communication. For those who are non-verbal, an augmentative communication system must be in place. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has been very effective……………

5) Direct Instruction of Social SkillsThe majority of students with autism need direct instruction in social skills. Most do not learn interaction skills by simply being placed in social environments. They need to learn social interaction skills in the same way they learn other academic skills……………………………

6) Literacy Instruction

Because many students with autism rely on some form of augmentative communication, even if it is only a backup, literacy instruction is very important. If a student is literate, s/he will be able to communicate at a much higher level than if the child is forced to depend on communications devices that are programmed with limited vocabulary……………………….

7) Sensory OpportunitiesMost students with autism have some sensory needs. Many find deep pressure very relaxing. Others need frequent opportunities for movement. All students should have a sensory profile completed by an occupational therapist or other professional trained in sensory integration…………………………

8) Consistency

All students do best when the daily program remains consistent with clear expectations. All staff working with students with autism need to be well-trained and must implement the daily program as consistently as possible.

9) Take advantage of student strengths and interestsMany students with autism have particular strengths and interests and these should be taken advantage of in the classroom……………………………….

10) Functional Curriculum

Students with autism have a great deal of potential to live and work independently as adults. The curriculum should place a strong emphasis on following a functional curriculum. Skills that emphasize daily living skills, community skills, recreation and leisure and employment need to be incorporated into the curriculum…………………………………….

Surfing and Autism: Floating on Glory

When Hal Rager took his 5-year-old autistic son, Ian, to see the animated film "Surf's Up," Ian's eyes lit up. "He cries, 'I want to go surfing,'" said Rager, "and we said, 'Really?'"

Directors Cut: Surfing and Autism

But six weeks later, when Rager brought Ian to the ocean, the movie, which shows elated penguins embracing the lucid Antarctic waves, was a far cry from the crowded California beaches.

"[He] was fine with everything, but then I think it was the sheer number of people, because crowds get him nervous," said Rager.

It may be surprising to learn that young Ian is not the first autistic child to take an interest in surfing. Many parents of autistic children have discovered surfing can be a valuable reprieve from a sometimes stressful life.

As they watch their children's rigid behavior and unyielding routines, the prospect of allowing them to experience surfing for the first time means a great deal. But as in most cases of autism, if there's one thing that's almost certain, it's that doing anything for the first time can prove traumatic.

'There's a Magic out There That Happens'

To be fair, serious surfing in serious waves -- who wouldn't hesitate the first time?
And so it happens. The children wail and flail as their parents place them into the arms of the volunteers who plan to take them out. No matter how gentle they are, it is nearly impossible to explain to autistic children that it will be all right. So at several points, the kids are physically forced onto the boards.

Episodes like this show the raw truth of living with an autistic child, and Paskowitz has no difficulty admitting it. The tantrums, the uncomfortable outbursts -- this was never part of his plans.

Nightline Webcast: Surfing and Autism

And as the volunteers begin to paddle the first unwilling child into the swelling sea, it's almost impossible not to ask whether this is really a good thing to do to these kids.

"Somehow, someway, there's a magic out there that happens," said Israel "Izzy" Paskowitz, the founder and president of Surfer's Healing, a surfing camp for autistic children. Paskowitz is also the parent of an autistic son, Isaiah. At 16, Isaiah can hardly speak, but at 250 pounds, he is enormously strong.

His size came into play one morning as "Nightline" witnessed an altercation between Isaiah and his father. Isaiah slugged his father twice, forcing Paskowitz to restrain his son on the tent floor.

'I Thought Isaiah Would Get Better'

Paskowitz was a former competitive surfer himself, and when his son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, he found it hard to accept.

"He was my hopes, my dreams, my pro surfer who was supposed to be all that stuff when you were young," said Paskowitz. "And I just thought he would get better. I thought Isaiah would get better. And I did not like the fact that he never got better."

For a long time, Paskowitz simply walked away from it. When Isaiah was 13, Paskowitz admitted, he just didn't want to deal with it.

And then, by accident, Paskowitz discovered something he and his son had in common: the way the waves worked on them. They were at the beach one day when Isaiah was having one of his tantrums.

"[He] would resist going in the water," he said. "One fit on the beach led to me throwing him in the water, and led to 'Give me that … damn board' -- I put him on a board and we just paddled out, where we could be alone and have a cry."

And the tears didn't come only from Isaiah.

"I want to be the strong dad. I don't want to be crying in front of the kids or in front of my wife. So really, I just bawled my head off in the water with Isaiah and rode a few waves and I felt better, and he felt better. And that's it."

That's it: Those two words led to what occurred on the beach after Isaiah was forced out of the water by his father. He calmed down and off on the horizon, he and his father surfed in tandem. Something soothed Isaiah that day. Not a cure -- simply a good time, a respite.

Paskowitz has since began running events for kids with autism all over the United States and overseas. And in most cases, it ends with the kids exhilarated, triumphant and floating on glory.

Surfing's Soothing Powers

Ian Rager, who showed initial interest in surfing after seeing a movie, later became less willing to try it out. He is an only child, and he and his parents had traveled for five hours from their home in Las Vegas and checked into a Best Western, just so they could be in San Diego for the event.

"[I] want him to know that he could do things," said Rager. "Because a lot of times with being the way he is, being a … high functioning autistic, other kids aren't always kind to you, and especially if he's not able to do something at school because he's gotten emotionally overwrought or something."

The sight of other children smiling as they mounted their surfboards also had no effect on Ian. That's because for a child with autism, facial expressions are like a foreign language. For many, registering the emotions of others remains a mystery.

The other mystery -- why is surfing so soothing to these kids? A possible answer was discovered about 120 miles up the California coast, right off Santa Monica. "Nightline" met up with Steven Kotler, a surfing fanatic and a writer who has thought a lot about surfing's ability to heal.

Kotler said that when he was sick with Lyme disease a few years ago, he was hallucinating and confined to his house. Then a physical therapist friend called him one day and urged him to go surfing.

"And I just started laughing. At the time I couldn't even walk across a room," said Kotler of his persistent friend's call. "[She] dragged me out to the ocean, and ultimately what I was thinking was, 'You know what? I'm going to kill myself. I can't get any worse. I won't be able to surf, but I'll be able to see the ocean one more time,' and it drove me to the ocean."

Good for the Brain and the Body?

As Kotler recounts in his book, "West of Jesus," his friend was right. Somehow he got better, and he believes it was the surfing; he believes the risk-taking involved in surfing does something good to the brain and the body.

"Dopamine is the brain's principle happy drug," said Kotler. "It is also pre-performance enhancing drug. So muscles move faster, as does the heart. Norpromine, another chemical produced while surfing offers a similar result."

"[It is] good to be a little scared, and even if it's not a real fear, really, really small waves, you know, they can actually produce reactions," said Kotler. "And just the act of paddling, if you do it long enough, like any other cardiovascular activity, will endorse endorphins. These are serious pleasure chemicals."

Maybe that's what was working on the beach in San Diego. It wasn't just the kids who were smiling. So were their parents.

"They get tears," said Isaiah's mother, Danielle. "They never thought their kid could do something like that, and they're thanking me profusely, and I'm like, 'God, don't thank me. Thank you.'"

It was also good for these parents just to be around so many people who understood. This extreme-seeming thing they were doing, letting strangers wrestle their kids into the sea, has a logic to it -- an autism kind of logic.

And parents like Paskowitz believe this logic is not understood by everyone.

"From the outside? [People think] they're retarded, that they're weird," he said. "That they're crazy. That the parents are sh---y parents and they let their kid run around on the cliff and dart away or steal someone's soda. All these things with autism, the way they look are all normal."

'After a Couple of Waves, He Got Calm'

And so, for little Ian Rager, who resisted getting into the water, his parents, like so many others, had no problem forcing him in. Why? "They lock down and they either retreat to a safe zone or push on through."

Ian was overruled and out he went, so far out that his parents lost sight of him. But what none of us on shore could see was captured by the cameras. He was with a volunteer named Josh.
"After a couple of waves, he got calm, he got really calm and just kind of kept paddling," said Josh. "So it was really cool, it was really neat."

Not that anyone could see that from shore, because they stayed out there a long time.
And what were Ian's thoughts as the waves pushed him back to shore? "Please take me to Best Western!"

So once was enough for Ian Rager. But he did it. And for a brief time, he rode the waves and floated on glory.