What’s a Newsbite?

Newsbites are focused, brief selections spotlighting an idea, product, teaching strategy, research study, a GFCF recipe or cooking tip – anything that widens your understanding of ASDs and our community. Newsbites are scattered throughout each issue of the Autism Asperger’s Digest.

Check back regularly! We’ll add and subtract newsbites to the site on a regular basis.

Parents, educators, product owners, research programs: Submit your own newsbite to the Digest! We love 'em, readers love 'em, and it's the perfect way to share an idea or introduce your product to our community. Email your idea to the Digest's Managing Editor, editor@autismdigest.com, or visit our Contact page for our mailing address. 



 

TEMPLE GRANDIN: The Movie We're All Talking About!
And now there's even more to talk about!

From casting, make-up, and music to the globally prestigious lead actress, supporting actress, supporting actor, and director awards, HBO Films’ Temple Grandin is a multi-faceted masterpiece. Capturing 15 Emmy nominations in 14 categories this year, it is one of six movies vying for the coveted Outstanding Made for Television Movie Award.

Winners will be announced at the 62nd Emmy Awards, which will be broadcasted live on Sunday August 29, 2010 at 8:00 EST on NBC.

The movie first aired in February 2010 and continues to air on HBO. The DVD is scheduled to be released on August 17th, 2010. Preorder yours now before the Emmy rush! (Available at www.fhautism.com)

Following are the 14 categories Temple Grandin was nominated in:
Outstanding Made For Television Movie
Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special (Mick Jackson)
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie (Claire Danes)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie (Julia Ormond as Temple's Mom AND Catherine O'Hara as Aunt Ann)
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie (David Strathairn as Dr. Carlock)
Outstanding Art Direction For A Miniseries Or Movie
Outstanding Casting For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Miniseries Or A Movie
Outstanding Hairstyling For A Miniseries Or A Movie
Outstanding Main Title Design
Outstanding Makeup For A Miniseries Or A Movie (Non-Prosthetic)
Outstanding Music Composition For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special (Original Dramatic Score)Outstanding Sound Editing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special

Earlier this year the AADigest did an interview with Emily Gerson Saines, one of the executive producers of the HBO movie, and the parent of a child with ASD.

An Interview with Emily Gerson Saines

AADigest talks with one of the executive producers of the HBO Films presentation, TEMPLE GRANDIN. Learn some of the backstage buzz on the movie, Claire Danes' role as Temple Grandin, and why the autism community is loving this movie!

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Higher Divorce Rate Among Parents of Spectrum Kids? Not So!

A frequently cited statistic in the autism community is that 80% of families that includ a child with autism end in divorce. A new study, released May 19th, by researchers from Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD, is debunking this claim.

Brian Freedman, PhD, lead author of the study and clinical director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute, and his research team used data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, which looked at the physical and emotional health of children ages 0-17.Examining a nationally representative sample of 77,911 children, ages 3 to 17, they found that 64 percent of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) belong to a family with two married biological or adoptive parents, compared with 65 percent of children who do not have an ASD.  

Receiving the news of a child’s autism diagnosis can be devastating, and Dr. Freedman said the pain is compounded as parents ponder what will happen to them as a couple. “In the work I’ve done with children with autism, I’ve come across many couples who quote this 80 percent divorce rate to me. They don’t know what the future holds for their child, and feel a sense of hopelessness about the future of their marriage as well – almost like getting a diagnosis of autism and a diagnosis of divorce at the same time,” he said.

Dr. Freedman noted that past studies have found couples with a child with autism experience more stress in their marriage than couples with typically developing children or couples with children with other types of developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome. “While there are indeed stressors in parenting a child with autism, it doesn’t necessarily result in the family breaking up more often than would occur in another family,” said Dr. Freedman. In addition to Freedman, the research team included Luther Kalb, of Kennedy Krieger Institute; and Ben Zablotsky and Dr. Elizabeth Stuart, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Find more information on the study and the Kennedy Krieger Institute, at their website, www.kennedykrieger.org.

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Free Autism Diet Webinars!

Julie Matthews, internationally respected Certified Nutrition Consultant, DAN! practitioner (Defeat Autism Now protocol), and award-winning author of the book, Nourishing Hope, specializes in autism spectrum disorders. Her diet and nutrition intervention guidance is backed by scientific research and applied clinical experience.

In partnership with Generation Rescue, Julie is now offering free autism diet and nutrition webinars every week. Upcoming topics in July, August and September include: 

• Implementing the Specific Carbohydrate Diet
• Healthy Diets and Meal Planning
• Food Sensitivities
• How to Implement a Rotation Diet
• Understanding Phenols, Salicylates, and Faulty Sulfation
• GFCF Diet for Beginners: Basics & Refresher
• Yeast & Fermented Foods
• Implementing a Low Oxalate Diet

The webinars take place every Tuesday, from 6-7 pm PT. Learn more at the Nourishing Hope website, www.nourishinghope.com.

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Wake Up Your Brain!

Temple Grandin, PhD, well known author, Colorado State University professor and herself on the autism spectrum, tells us that “repetitive rocking motion that requires a person to continually find and refind their balance stimulates areas of the brain where learning receptors are located.”

Autism Movement Therapy and the Aut-erobics® DVD have been designed to specifically do just that, stimulate communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain through fun movement and music patterns, sequences, repetition and improvisation increasing overall cognitive processing. It literally wakes up the brain! Learn more about this stimulating and engaging form of therapy at their website, www.aut-erobics.com.

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Silver Award Winner in the 2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards!!!

Expanded and updated 2^nd edition of the award-winning bestseller adds over 600 new ideas to tried and true strategies from the first edition. 

Winner of Learning Magazine's Teachers Choice Award, the first edition of 1001 Great Ideas has been a treasured resource in the autism community since 2004. Now, in this expanded edition, Ellen Notbohm (best-selling author of the revolutionary book Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew) and Veronica Zysk (award-winning author and editor of Autism Asperger's Digest magazine) present parents and educators with over 1800 ideas, try-it-now tips, eye-opening advice, and grassroots strategies.

More than 600 fresh ideas join tried and true tactics from the original edition, while many ideas pick up where the first edition left off, offering modifications for older kids, honing in on Asperger's challenges, and enhancing already-effective ways to help your child or student achieve success at home, in school, and in the community.

Time is money ... and this book saves you both. 320 pages. Buy your copy today!

"Genuine, commonsense advice that all parents and educators can quickly and easily use!"
-TEMPLE GRANDIN, PH.D., autism expert and self-advocate, and author of Thinking in Pictures and The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger's

"I was amazed at the number and quality of ideas, and strongly recommend that parents read and apply the advice. I learned some really good ideas!"
-TONY ATTWOOD, PH.D., author of The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome

Published by Future Horizons, Inc. World leader in books and materials on autism spectrum disorders.

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Stepping Out

It’s natural that there will be times when you feel apprehensive about taking your child into public settings. But with care and planning, outings with your child can be successful for both of you. The key, as always, is to build competency and tolerance in increments that are manageable for him.

1.       Keep the trip short, especially at first. When starting out, there is no such thing as too short. If you only get to the end of the driveway, know that you’ll eventually make it to the corner – and beyond.

2.       If you are going on errands, decide beforehand the number of stops you will make. Depending on the day, your child’s mood, and the destinations, one or two stops may be all that’s manageable.

3.       Keep your word. If you tell him you will be making two stops, make only those two stops. Even when things are going well, resist the temptation to squeeze in “just one more…” That may be the tipping point between success and disaster. It also teaches him that he can’t trust what you tell him.

4.       Plan stops in order of importance. Be prepared to abort the trip calmly if it veers toward unsuccessful. Praise and/or thank him for the part of the trip that was successful.

5.      Schedule outings based on your child’s needs and ability levels first. It may mean you go out only once a week, or never two days in a row. It may mean outings are limited to mornings and never more than 30 minutes away from home. Honor your child’s needs while you teach and build his skills, knowing that he will grow and progress in his own time. Let him know he can always trust you to protect his safety: physical, mental and emotional.

-Excerpt from revised and expanded 2nd edition: 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Asperger’s by Ellen Notbohm and Veronica Zysk. (Future Horizons)

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Emotes Teach Emotions!

The goal of the Emotes project is to help young people increase their emotional intelligence and boost their emotional vocabulary—the ability to put feelings into words. The colorful, animated product line includes books, comics, toys, magnets, wristbands, and interactive web content that appeals to children of varying age and developmental levels.

Each of the 12 Emotes characters represent a different emotion. They teach that every emotion is valid. The Emotes teach children to express their feelings in healthy ways, and to respect the feelings of others.

At the core of the Emotes message is love—love for others and self. Love is an extremely powerful emotion. It provides encouragement and support when the world seems hopeless and disappointing. The Emotes emphasize the importance of expressing and accepting this important emotion. They model forgiveness and acceptance despite differences between us, and help us better understand confusing feelings such as jealousy and fear. The characters demonstrate acceptance and tolerance for the different emotions that everyone is capable of feeling, and they teach our children empathy and compassion for others, as well as for oneself. All of this contributes to the development of a healthy social and emotional intelligence.

The Emotes website offers bountiful teaching information for parents and educators. Thoughtfully created video, emotion explanations and lesson plans extend the learning into real life situations at home, school or community settings. Learn more at www.emotes.com.

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Baking Without?

Cakes don’t rise as they should and their texture is somehow… off. Breads crumble in your fingers into a heap of morsels that might work to coat a chicken breast, but certainly aren’t what you need for that sandwich you wanted to take to work. The mock cheese doesn’t melt, and the crust on your pizza is more like cardboard. And, just what the heck is that funky bean taste in the middle of that freshly baked brownie?

If you’ve ever attempted to bake gluten and dairy free, you may chuckle (or not!) over these and other baking disaster stories of your own. While the benefits of this dietary program may be obvious to you or your child, the reality of it is that sometimes you feel like you’re living “without” – not just gluten and dairy, but an entire recipe box of beloved foods that seem to have faded from life. Sigh - you’d sell a year of your gym membership for one creamy slice of the decadent chocolate layer cake you once so enjoyed.

Turn those frowns upside down and grab your spatula! There’s help to be found, in the form of a delightfully instructive cookbook full of delicious GFCF baked goods, most completed in five easy steps. Bake Deliciously! Gluten and Dairy Free will make you reevaluate what you thought you knew about GFCF diets! Author Jean Duane’s innovative ideas will tingle your taste buds and inspire you to set off on a culinary baking journey that ranges from cheesecake to cheese crackers, brownies to breakfast muffins, and apple pie to pizza. Just as the title says, you’ll soon bake deliciously again! Available at amazon.com or through the author’s website, www.alternativecook.com

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A Guide for Military Families

Military sources indicate more than 13,000 military dependents, the majority of them children, have some form of autism. Their families face all the emotions and challenges that accompany having a child diagnosed with autism, compounded by the realities of military service: war, extended family separation, frequent moves, varying access to specialized healthcare, and other stressors that complicate and often work against effective treatment for children with autism. These families need help navigating these uncharted and difficult waters.

OAR (Organization for Autism Research) is pleased to announce the publication and release of Life Journey through Autism: A Guide for Military Families, culminating a year-long effort to develop resources specifically designed for military families impacted by autism. The Guide is intended to serve as a stand-alone reference for parents and as a handy companion resource for Operation Autism, a web site OAR introduced last November for the military community. These linked resources offer information on autism, autism treatments, the military healthcare system, and raising a child with autism in the military community. 

The guide was produced in collaboration with the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) and funded through a grant from the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation. It is free to military families and available at a nominal cost to others. Visit www.operationautismonline.org for more information.

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 Sensory Processing Master Class

Autism training materials can be expensive and it’s not always easy to know if the material contained within them is accurate, meaningful and reliable. This is especially true in certain areas related to autism spectrum disorders, one of them being sensory processing disorder (SPD).

To the rescue is an excellent, six-hour two-DVD set that combines the basics of SPD with hands-on tips and solutions for addressing daily-life sensory challenges at school and home. Topics range from the six senses to motor skills, emotions, social issues, attention, language and writing. Appropriate for parents and professionals, the content is top notch, meshing the expertise of Dr. Brock Eide, a primary care physician, with Dr. Fernette Eide, a neurologist, and Lindsey Biel, a pediatric occupational therapist. (Yes, the same OT who writes our Sensory Smarts column!). The Eides are authors of the book, The Mislabeled Child, and founders of the Eide Neurolearning Clinic in Edmonds, WA. Lindsey is coauthor of Raising a Sensory Smart Child.

Oh, did we mention the Sensory Processing Master Class DVD set is just $39.95? It’s the steal of the year, for sure! Buy your copy today at http://sensorypro.blogspot.com.

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You'll find all sorts of great information in every issue of the Autism Asperger's Digest. Helpful articles, inspirational stories, lots of newsbites, and featured books.

All material copyright © Autism Asperger's Digest 2010. All Rights Reserved.