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Into the late hours of the night, his squeals and babbles echo through the hallway. I have not slept soundly for 5 years. The day I became pregnant, I started worrying, maybe even abnormally so.

I was 23 years old, a college graduate, and an Air Force Wife. Facing the uncertainty of adult life and all that it entailed was overwhelming enough. But, to add to the stress of that, I was half a world away from my mom and sisters who were cornerstones of my heart. When deployment became an everyday discussion in my husband’s career, and an inevitable future, that was the last straw. I prayed for guidance, understanding, patience, and a sense of calm in what felt like an emotional tornado in my heart. Like an irrational thought often does, the idea to have a baby in order to defeat loneliness popped into my head. And it seems less then two weeks later I was pregnant. I knew I was pregnant before I even was, before it registered via the little pink lines. Because I had insisted I was pregnant so many times before, only to waste ten dollars on a home test, Chris didn’t believe me. He refused to buy a test, and I lay defeated in the bathtub, drawing circles in the water over the life forming inside my belly. Like, he always does, Chris gave into me and we purchased yet another pregnancy test, this time it turned out positive, and the anxiety began. I had already been on anti-depressants, coming from a family of substance abusing emotional wrecks. So, therapy was already a part of my life. Now, though there was a real concern. I could no longer have emotional tirades and go walking down the street in the dark insisting I was going to hitchhike back to California . . . all the way from where we were in Texas. Each sobbing episode would affect my unborn child, and I was terrified. I was on Lexapro at the time I got pregnant, which was not considered safe for a pregnant woman or her baby, so I was switched to Zoloft, a much safer option. Taking me off of anti-depressants all together was not even an option because my emotions were so volatile, even on the medication.
My emotional outbursts were no longer fueled by jealousy or feelings of inadequacy. Now, I was facing some real crises. I began to fear for the health of my baby, I worried about diseases, miscarriages, deformations, and genetic disorders. I worried myself sick, but worked hard to keep my heart rate down in order to maintain a safe and healthy balance for the both of us. The first trimester was full of tears, prayers, questions, and fears. But it seemed like the first day of the 2nd trimester I woke up a new woman. I felt happy, balanced, hungry, and ready to exercise.
I didn’t stay away from caffeine, I allowed myself one Pepsi a day, and I even snuck one or two mountain dews throughout the 2nd and 3rd trimester.
Jais developed beautifully. I gained a healthy 30 pounds, and my healthy baby boy was perfect inside my uterus. At 38 weeks I went into labor. Chris was a navigator on the C-130 at the time, out at Pope AFB in North Carolina. I woke up at 6am feeling contractions. I walked around the house, and recorded every contraction, seven minutes apart. I showered to ease the pain, 6.5 minutes apart. I decided it was time to call Chris. He came home from work and we were off to the hospital with our cameras and bag full of cute baby outfits. After I was monitored and examined, I was sent home and told that I was not in labor, but just experiencing Braxton hicks. Since it was December, we decided to go Christmas shopping. By this time my contractions were 5 minutes apart. It was 11am and I was miserable. Pushing the cart through the BX, I had to stop every 5 minutes and squat on the ground in pain. Everybody asked me if I was okay, and we explained that I was just experiencing Braxton hicks. The ride home seemed like it was the longest ride ever. Chris decided to stop somewhere, and then we were detoured the long way around. I was contracting the whole time, and each one were stronger then the last. When we got home I insisted Chris call the hospital and explain that I was in a lot of pain. They insisted again it was Braxton hicks and advised me to take some Tylenol pm and get some rest. I took two Tylenol pm, but was unable to rest. After an hour at home, and no relief or break in the contractions, I cried and begged Chris to drive me to the hospital again. When I got there, they seemed annoyed to see me, and said there was no room in triage and that I would have to wait in the waiting room until there was room. I was in extreme pain and could not sit still on the hard leather benches. In the bathroom of the waiting room I began to bleed. After begging the nurses for a bed, they finally gave me some rest in triage. The same doctor that had checked my dilation that morning, checked me again, and insisted I was still not dilated enough to be in labor, or admitted. He said that I was simply dehydrated. I was hooked up to an IV, and my contractions were not monitored, nor were the heartbeat of my baby. Three hours went by with me laboring, 5 minutes apart, 4 minutes apart, 3 minutes apart, and then my mucous plug came out. At this, Chris called the doctor over to see me. They hooked me up for contraction monitoring finally, I was crying because of the pain, and the nurse told me that I needed to be still while she hooked me up, and that I was fine, this wasn’t even real labor. The doctor confirmed that it was in fact my mucous plug, and checked my dilation again. He announced that I was right around 4 and perhaps could be admitted finally. He then said he was going to bring over another doctor for a second opinion. As soon as the other doctor stuck his fingers in to check me, his face looked concerned, he said “You’re at a 10, ready to push.” From there it was a flurry and scurry of medical procedures. I was wheeled quickly down to the labor and delivery room. It was discovered there was not monitor on my baby and as soon as they hooked up Jais to a monitor, things got very urgent. I was given an oxygen mask, I was briefed by a surgeon and informed I may be getting an emergency c-section. It was explained to my very quickly that Jais needed to come out now, and there was no time for an epidural. I was given something in my IV to help with the pain, but I FELT EVERYTHING. They broke my water, and I pushed once, after that, Jais’s heartbeat was at a very concerning 30 and I was told that an episiotomy was going to be done, and forceps were going to be used. I felt those scissors cut my skin. I felt those forceps squeeze into me and pull out the baby I was supposed to push out with my inner woman strength and instinct. There wasn’t even time for Chris to cut the cord, or for me to hold Jais, as was written in my birthing plan. The birthing plan might as well have not been written, it was gone like the beautiful labor I was supposed to experience. Jais was whisked away from me before I even got to look at his face. I couldn’t hear him cry. I begged and begged to see him, to hold him, to feed him on my breast. I begged to kiss his little cheeks, which were marked red where the forceps grabbed him and pulled him out of his warm womb. How scary it must’ve been for him. My poor sweet baby who was supposed to make his way safely through the birth canal, was rushed out, his little heart barely beating, rushed under the lights, wondering where his mommy was. Chris couldn’t film the labor because of the emergency state we were all in, but was finally able to turn on the camera once jais’s second apgar was taken and he started breathing on his own. I’ve watched this video only twice, and it breaks my heart every time. ON the video you can see me, face flushed in fear and pain, eyes wide with tears and panic. You can hear me asking to see Jais over and over again, asking if he’s okay. And then you see in the corner, the doctor who insisted I wasn’t in labor. He was a resident, on his way to be a pediatrician, doing rounds as an OB. We went to the hospital director a week later to file a formal complaint about him. We were gently coerced against doing so, and with a seemingly healthy baby boy in our arms, we left the hospital without even being able to tell our story to a pair of caring ears.
Looking back, I wish I fought for myself. I wish I had the confidence and strength to insist I was in labor. I wish I had the knowledge to insist my baby was being monitored. I wish I had the chance for a peaceful labor. This is why my second baby was born with the aid of midwives, and it was everything my first labor was not.
Jais was healthy, after his second apgar, and a small bout with jaundice in his first week, he was beautifully healthy. He had a few ear infections, about 8 his first year, but besides that he was a very beautiful “bouncy baby boy”. I can even say he was an extremely good baby. Some people might remember with cloudy vision that their baby only cried when hungry, tired, or wet. But, seriously, this was Jais. He was happy, quiet, easy to transition, and extraordinarily independent. After Jais was diagnosed with Autism, we reflected back to try and see when it was first noticeable. We watched videos of him as a baby, we looked back at pictures, and we even looked at the notes in his baby book. I can honestly say that I feel it was apparent from day one. And, I personally in my heart believe that his traumatic birth set it off. I don’t believe that it caused it; I believe (without any medical evidence or scientific research to back me up) that he had a genetic disposition that was set off by his traumatic birth. I hope and pray that this is not the case, because then I can put the blame back on myself- why didn’t I insist I was in labor? Why didn’t I insist they monitor my baby? These questions plague my heart daily.
But, if there is even something to blame, then am I not loving and accepting my son for everything that he is? If I feel angry, am I somehow betraying Jais? I NEVER want Jais to think that I don’t love him for exactly who he is. Sure, I want to help him rise above autism, have all of the opportunities he deserves, become everything I know that he can be, and have all that life has to offer. But, if he’s never “cured” of autism, if he never crosses over into “neuro-typical” status, I will still believe he is complete and perfect exactly how he is. He is beautiful and complex in ways no other human being in the world is. If he does in fact become “cured”, I can honestly say I will miss the “autistic Jais” that I knew. When you have an autistic child, you mourn for about a week, the child you thought you’d have- the walking at 1, talking at 2, neuro-typical child that you’ll brag about in the playgroup. And then you move on. And I’ve spent every day after, and will spend every day in the future falling in love with the CHILD THAT HE IS!

You look into the eyes of this beautiful handsome boy. And you hope and wish he would have everything, every opportunity, every experience, and every chance that he deserves. You look into his eyes and send a wish into the future that he will be safe, that he will be healthy, and that he will fall in love . . . that somebody will fall in love with him. Not because like every other average woman, you simply desire to be a grandma, but because you just want him to feel life, feel warmth, feel the comfort that is being a husband, having a wife, being in a family.

http://www.thisnext.com/list/97915374/Toys-for-Autism

Millions of children around the world love Thomas the Tank Engine. Parents everywhere have watched their children learn, grow and have fun with this cheeky little blue engine. For many children with autistic spectrum disorders, Thomas plays an even more important role. A 2002 study by the National Autistic Society in the UK shows that Thomas the Tank Engine helps break through the barriers of many children with autism and Asperger syndrome. Parents of children with ASD have known for years that Thomas and his friends have special value to their children. The report confirms this anecdotal evidence, stating that children with ASD associate far more strongly with Thomas the Tank Engine than with other children’s characters. Some parents of children with ASD have reported leaps of emotion, imagination and symbolic play that were unimaginable before the child’s relationship with Thomas. Why Thomas the Tank Engine? Children with ASD seem to be particularly fascinated with Thomas. A number of reasons have been proposed to explain this special relationship. Children with autism are often attracted to objects arranged in lines (like cars on a train), as well as spinning objects and wheels. Thomas and his friends have bold, easily-to-recognize colors. Thomas and the other characters have friendly faces, often with exaggerated expressions. In the videos, the expressions are set for some time and are often accompanied by simple narration explaining the emotion (“Thomas was sad.”), allowing children to identify the feelings and expressions. The narration of the videos is calm and clear, and changes are ‘signposted’ clearly. The stories are relatively short (less than five minutes) and easy to follow. Things that go wrong are usually resolved by the end of the episode. The unique stop-action photography of the videos allows the background and scenery to remain still, allowing for greater focus on the “big picture” with less distraction. The characters play predictable roles. Children with ASD often have the need to identify, list, collect and create lines with favorite objects. Thomas is especially suitable for these activities. Thomas is a True-Blue Friend Many children with ASD have a hard time making and maintaining friendships. Thomas and the other characters can serve as substitute friends in a world with few friends. Parents of children with autism and related disorders often mention that their children find Thomas calming and comforting, rather like a ‘security blanket’. Children often like to have their trains with them at all times. The sound of the videos playing in the background can have a comforting effect while the child is engaged in other activities. This is especially important for children with ASD, where the world is often frightening beyond their understanding. Learning with Thomas Thomas often serves as a ‘gateway to learning’ for children with ASD. The interest in Thomas provides children with the motivation and interest to try new things. For example, a child who is not otherwise interested in the computer will eagerly learn computer skills when introduced to a Thomas game. Thomas also often plays an important role in learning color recognition, numbers and language skills. Because language is such an obstacle for many children with ASD, Thomas’ influence on these skills is especially beneficial. Parents report children echoing entire chunks of Thomas videos. (This use of language, called echolalia, is common in children with autism.) Over time, many children move to using Thomas language in real-life situations. Parents have reported great success in using Thomas language with their children, such as “Stop, the signal is up,” or “Apply the brakes”. Emotional and Social Development In the videos, Thomas and the other characters have exaggerated facial expressions, which are often set for a relatively long period of time. This allows the child with ASD to relate to the emotions, expressions and feelings of the characters. This is especially valuable for children who have difficulty understanding people and their thoughts and feelings. You can see some examples of Thomas’ facial expressions on our Many Faces of Thomas page. Perhaps the best way to understand the profound effects Thomas the Tank Engine has had on children with autism is to read the accounts first-hand. Read the stories that some readers have sent to us. We would love to hear about your experiences as well. Please drop us an email at asd@myfavoritetoys.com with your stories about Thomas and children with ASD. Resources Hannah Brown, “Autistic Kids Make Connection with Thomas,” New York Post, July 26, 2000. Page 57. The National Autistic Society, London, England. “Do children with autism spectrum disorders have a special relationship with Thomas the Tank Engine and, if so, why?” Research undertaken by Aidan Prior Communications. February, 2002. www.nas.org.uk

Also on this website:

For many children with autism and other Autism Spectrum Disorders, Thomas the Tank Engine serves as a gateway into the world of understanding emotions. in a 2002 study by the National Autistic Society in the UK, researchers found that some children were able to make significant leaps in emotional development that were previously unimaginable. (You can read more about the study here.)

Go to website to see the many faces of Thomas.

from website: http://www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/thomas_dates.php

Thomas & Friends TM Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes to Town
Autism Speaks is partnering with Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes to Town, to bring special performances across the country tailored to children with autism and their families. AEG/ThemeSTAR will donate one dollar to Autism Speaks from each ticket sold for these special performances and will also offer a discount on tickets to our families. Select performances will have a quiet room.

Check out a Thomas & Friends performance in your town!

Sat., January 31, 2009 – Los Angeles, Calif.

Time: 5:00 p.m.

Location: Nokia Theatre

Quiet Room Location: Nokia Boardroom

Ticket Price: $15 for all seats except P1

Discount Code: AUTISM

www.ticketmaster.com

Tues., February 3, 2009 – Ontario, Calif.

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Citizen Business Bank Arena

Quiet Room Location: TBD

Ticket Price: $15 for all seats except P1

Discount Code: AUTISM

www.ticketmaster.com

Fri., February 6, 2009 – Costa Mesa, Calif.

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Segerstrom Hall

Quiet Room Location: TBD

Ticket Price: $15 for all seats except P1

Discount Code: 8735

www.ocpac.org

Tues., February 10, 2009 – Bakersfield, Calif.

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Rabobank Theatre

Quiet Room Location: TBD

Ticket Price: $10 for all seats except P1

Discount Code: AUTISM

www.ticketmaster.com

Fri., April 17, 2009 – New York, N.Y.

Time: 5:00 p.m.

Location: Beacon Theatre

Quiet Room Location: TBD

Ticket Price: $20 for all seats except P1 & P2

Discount Code: AUTISM

www.ticketmaster.com

Tues., June 2, 2009 – Grand Prairie, Texas

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Nokia Theatre

Quiet Room Location: TBD

Ticket Price: $15 for all seats except P1

Discount Code: AUTISM

www.ticketmaster.com

Tues., June 16, 2009 – Uniondale, N.Y.

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Nassau Coliseum

Quiet Room Location: TBD

Ticket Price: $15 for all seats except P1 & P2

Discount Code: AUTISM

www.ticketmaster.com

Fri., June 19, 2009 – Newark, N.J.

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Prudential Center

Quiet Room Location: TBD

Ticket Price: $15 for all seats except P1 & P2

Discount Code: AUTISM

www.ticketmaster.com

http://www.autism.com/families/life/movies.htm

This is what they said, I’m kind of shocked. . . WDYT???

Autism in the Movies

Autism Research Institute — Spring 2007

This list contains only movies which were released in the cinemas, and all have been subsequently released on videocassette and/or DVD. There have been numerous made-for-television movies as well as television shows with an autistic character, but there are too many of these to list.

Most of the actors/actresses in the movies do a reasonable job of portraying a person with autistic traits. However, the majority do not provide an accurate description of the underlying cause of autism and may, in fact, either label a person as autistic who, given the circumstances presented, may not be, or fail to recognize the disorder and confuse it with another neurodevelopmental disorder.

If you are aware of any other movies not included on the list, please let us know!

Mozart and The Whale

Stars: Josh Hartnett, Radha Mitchell
Released: 2005
Director: Peter Naess
Length: 94 Minutes

A love story between two savants with Asperger’s syndrome whose social disparities sabotage their budding relationship. This film is based on the story of Jerry and Mary Newport.

I Am Sam

Stars: Sean Penn, Dakota Fanning, Michele Pfeiffer
Released: 1998
Director: Harold Becker
Length: 108 Minutes

The story of an autistic man living independently and functioning well in the real world until his life changes drastically when he becomes a father and is left to care for his small child.

The Other Sister

Stars: Juliette Lewis, Dianne Keaton, Giovanni Ribisi
Released: 1999
Director: Garry Marshall
Length: 127 Minutes

A girl with many autistic traits proves herself capable of living independently when she moves into an apartment and starts college.

Mercury Rising

Stars: Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Miko Hughes
Released: 1998
Director: Harold Becker
Length: 108 Minutes

A brilliant 9-year-old autistic boy becomes a target for assassins after he breaks a top government code. An undercover FBI agent finds the boy hiding in his closet and protects him.

Cube

Stars: David Hewlett, Julian Richings, Helen Holloway
Released: 1997
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Length: 91 Minutes

This low-budget science-fiction drama, winner of a 1997 Toronto Film Festival prize for “Best Canadian First Feature,” depicts the plight of a group of people clad in prison-style uniforms and trapped in futuristic cube-like metal cells. One of the prisoners is Kazan, an autistic man.

Forest Gump

Stars: Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright-Penn, Gary Sinise
Released: 1994
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Length: 135 Minutes

A best-picture winner presenting a comical view of the American experience from the 1940s to the 1980s as seen through the eyes of a man with some autistic traits.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?

Stars: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen
Released: 1993
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Length: 118 Minutes

Gilbert Grape lives in a small town where nothing much happens. The town’s most interesting resident is Gilbert’s autistic brother Arnie.

Little Man Tate

Stars: Dianne Weist, Harry Connick, Jr.
Released: 1991
Director: Jodie Foster
Length: 118 Minutes

Fred is a genius with many Aspberger’s traits. His mother, Dede is determined to protect Fred from opportunists who wish to exploit his intellect. An interesting insight into the emotions of a child with autistic traits.

Backstreet Dreams

Stars: Brooke Shields, Sherilyn Fenn, Tony Fields, Burt Young, Anthony Franciosa
Released: 1990
Director: Rupert Hitzig
Length: 104 Minutes

A gangster, with apparent mafia connections, winds up taking care of his autistic son. The child displays many autistic behaviors, such as social withdrawal, does not speak, and rocks. A graduate student decides to help the child as well as help the father leave the mafia.

Change of Habit

Stars: Elvis Presley, Mary Tyler Moore, Jane Elliot, Barbara McNair
Released: 1969
Director: William Graham
Length: 97 Minutes

Elvis plays a physician who runs a medical clinic in a poor neighborhood. Three nuns are sent to assist Elvis in his medical practice. A parent brings her girl to the clinic for an evaluation and treatment. The girl is diagnosed as having autism because she rocks, does not want to be held, and does not respond to sounds. Elvis treats the girl, and she begins to break out of her autism.

Run Wild, Run Free

Stars: Mark Lester, John Mills, Fiona Fullerton, Gordon Jackson
Released: 1969
Director: Richard C. Sarafian
Length: 100 Minutes

Mark Lester (of Oliver fame ), plays Philip Ransome, a northern English boy about 10 years old, who has been mute since age 3. He spends his days roaming the moors alone. His parents despair of a cure. Gradually Philip emerges from his shell. But the way out is full of heartbreak and setbacks.

House of Cards

Stars: Asha Menina, Kathleen Turner, Tommy Lee Jones, Esther Rolle
Released: 1993
Director: Michael Lessac
Length: 107 Minutes

A bright, young girl withdraws soon after her father is killed by falling off a cliff. She believes that by withdrawing socially and climbing tall structures, she will reunite with her father who she believes is near the moon. She exhibits many autistic characteristics, such as insistence on sameness, good coordination, lack of social interaction, and no language. At the end of the movie, the mother builds a circular tower which is similar to a tower the child built from playing cards. The mother climbs the tower with her daughter, and the girl comes out of her autistic-like state.

Killer Diller

Stars: Lucas Black, Fred Willard, William Lee Scott, Ashley Johnson
Released: 2004
Director: Tricia Brock
Length: 107 Minutes

A guitar playing car thief meets an autistic savant piano player, and together they transform a group of reluctant halfway house convicts into The Killer Diller Blues Band

Rain Man

Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino
Released: 1988
Director: Barry Levinson
Length: 140 Minutes

A car dealer returns to his boyhood home soon after learning about his father’s death. His father left a large sum of money to a benefactor, who he later discovers is left to his autistic brother, Raymond. Raymond was institutionalized soon after his mother’s death because of the fear that he might accidentally hurt his younger brother. Raymond has many autistic features, such as perseverations, insistence on sameness, rocking, self-injury, and savant abilities. Throughout the movie, the car dealer gets to know his brother during a cross-country car trip. (Dr. Rimland was the technical advisor on this movie ).

Silence (also known as Crazy Jack and The Boy)

Stars: Will Geer, Ellen Geer, Ian Geer, Richard Kelton
Released: 1974
Director: John Korty
Length: 99 Minutes

An autistic child is lost during a camping trip and is befriended by a hermit. The child leaves the hermit’s house and is then faced with the dangers of the woods. He is later rescued.

The Pit

Stars: Sammy Snyders, Richard Alden, Jeannie Elias, Laura Hollingsworth
Released: 1981
Director: Lew Lehman
Length: 97 Minutes

Twelve year-old Jamie Benjamin (Sammy Snyder) is a misunderstood lad. His classmates pick on him, his neighbors think he’s weird and his parents ignore him. But now Jamie has a secret weapon: deep in the woods he has discovered a deep pit full of man-eating creatures he calls Trogs…and it isn’t long before he gets an idea for getting revenge and feeding the Trogs in the process!

The Boy Who Could Fly

Stars: Jay Underwood, Lucy Deakins, Fred Savage, Colleen Dewhurst, Fred Gwynne, Louise Fletcher
Released: 1986
Director: Nick Castle
Length: 114 Minutes

A teenager with autism is sent to live with his uncle after his parents die in an airplane crash. The teenager exhibits many features of autism such as social withdrawal, no languge, and stereotypic behaviors. A girl who lives in a house next door befriends the teenager. Initially, she becomes his friend, but later she becomes his tutor. After much one-on-one contact, the teenager becomes more aware of other people and starts to show emotions. Because of his uncle’s alcohol problem, the teenager is sent to an institution. At the end of the movie, the teenager flew away to avoid being institutionalized.

Camps

Camp Jabberwocky
Off the coast of Massachusetts lies the small island of Martha’s Vineyard, a picturesque tourist destination that’s also home to Camp Jabberwocky. First established in the summer of 1953 as a small camp for kids with cerebral palsy, it’s now a 14-acre space designed especially for children with all kinds of disabilities. Jabberwocky is set up to care for disabled kids and adults, while also fostering their independence. Each camp session is typically one month long. Though the stated cost is $50 per week, no one is turned away due to insufficient funds.
http://www.campjabberwocky.org/

Camp Huntington
Camp Huntington, located in High Falls, NY, is an ideal summer camp for kids and young adults ages 6 to 21 with “hidden abilities.” Featuring individually designed programs, it caters to children with autism, developmental disabilities, and learning disabilities. Camp Huntington combines activities such as swimming, horseback riding, and arts with social and life skills training and health therapies. A full season is six weeks, though campers can spend from one to three weeks as well. Tuition ranges from $1,825 to $9,850.
http://www.camphuntington.com/

Easter Seals Wisconsin
Easter Seals Wisconsin offers a number of camps for children and adults with disabilities. Camp Wawbeek and Trailblazers in the Wisconsin Dells includes 600 acres where campers with physical disabilities and cognitive impairments can camp, fish, and enjoy the outdoors. Choose from weekly, weekend, or day camp options. Respite Camp provides one-on-one caregivers for children and adults with a wide variety of physical and cognitive disabilities. Tuition for these programs starts at $180. Check with your local Easter Seals chapter to find out if it offers similar camps.
http://wi.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=WIMA_homepage

Handi Kids
This unique, year-round facility is open to kids and young adults with both physical and cognitive disabilities. It features therapeutic recreation options such as horseback riding as well as Boy & Girl Scouts programs. Choose from after-school care, School Vacation Camp, Saturday Camp, and Summer Day Camp. The 20-acre complex in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, provides arts and crafts, fishing, sports, nature walks, boating, and much more.
http://www.handikids.org/

The Lighthouse Project
In addition to providing occupational speech therapy services year-round, The Lighthouse Project offers themed summer camps (like superheroes, science, and pirates) that allow kids to have fun while working toward their therapy goals. Programs in this Campbell, California-based camp are designed for kids ages 3 years through high school.
http://www.thelighthouseproject.com/

Programs

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Information
Whatever your special needs child is passionate about, you’ll find great resources on adaptive equipment through the UCP website. From bowling to golf to scuba diving, learn why nothing is out of reach for your child.
http://www.ucp.org/ucp_channelsub.cfm/1/15/11383

Villa Esperanza Services
This resource center offers programs for preschool through high school-aged children with developmental disabilities in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Villa’s School provides special education services specifically designed for developmentally impaired students, geared toward their age and ability. All of their services are free for low-income clients.
http://www.villaesperanzaservices.org/children_intro.asp

Friday’s Kids Respite
Everyone needs some time off, and that’s especially true for parents of kids with special needs. To the rescue is Friday’s Kids Respite, a nonprofit organization in Utah that provides babysitting for disabled kids on Thursday and Friday evenings to give parents a well-deserved break. Kids get one-on-one time with volunteers while mom and dad get to do whatever they want- or nothing at all!
http://www.fridayskids.org/app/?page=home

Conductive Education Center of Orlando
This center offers a number of programs to help kids with cerebral palsy improve motor skills and become more independent. Options include all-day programs for kids ages 4 to 16, after-school programs for kids ages 4 to 10, and the Youngster program for kids ages birth to 3. In addition to their individual educational activities, kids learn motor skills and sensory processing, as well as engage in physical activity.
http://www.cecfl.org/AboutUs/ProgramsOffered/tabid/3475/Default.aspx

Disabled Sports USA
This nonprofit organization offers sports rehabilitation programs to anyone with a permanent physical disability. Children and adults with visual impairments, a wide array of physical disabilities, and neuromuscular conditions can participate in water sports, cycling, riding, golf, snow sports, and social activities. Each regional chapter has its own set of activities.
http://www.dsusa.org/

To learn more about other camps and programs for special needs children, contact the local chapters of nonprofit organizations dedicated to your child’s specific disability.

Families With Autistic Children Get A Break At Israeli Vacation Spot

Upon first glance, Aluteva looks like another homey and quaint country family resort in northern Israel, one of the country’s most popular vacation destinations. The campus is surrounded by forest trees at the edge of Carmiel, families are lounging on plastic lounge chairs, and the green lawns and playground are dotted with colorful picket fences. Only upon closer look does it become apparent that Aluteva is highly different than any other country resorts in the area.

Aluteva is the only vacation spot in Israel, and possibly in the world, designed to cater to families with autistic children. The clues quickly become obvious; the campus is enclosed by fences and a security gate, the pool is raised instead of at ground level, and a young boy paces in a repeated pattern along the cement paths, clapping his hands.

Aluteva doesn’t have the funds or intention to offer five star amenities, but it provides one amenity that makes some families feel like it’s a five star resort: sensitivity to the needs of children with autism.

The concept was devised in 2003 by Alut, the Israeli Society for Autistic Children, to provide an innovative, permanent year-round solution for families for whom vacation is an essential need, but one that is often out of reach.

“We understand the complexity for families with autistic children to go out on vacation,” explained Aluteva’s director Nechama Amidan. “Often they don’t take a vacation because it’s difficult to go out on a vacation with an autistic child given the behavior of the child and safety concerns. The children are sometimes not aware of the dangers, and they can jump in a pool, cross a red light. They require the parents’ constant surveillance.”

Autism is a neurological development disorder that falls under the umbrella of pervasive development disorders (PDD) or autism spectrum disorders, and is usually characterized by abnormal social interactions, limited communication skills, and repetitive and obsessive behaviors which range in severity from individual to individual. According to Alut’s estimates, some 5,000 to 6,000 Israelis are diagnosed with autism, a disorder which crosses all racial boundaries. More and more children are being diagnosed with autism worldwide, in part because of improved diagnostic techniques. Today about one child out of every 250 is diagnosed with autism.

Upon discovering their child has been diagnosed with the disorder, parents are often required to restructure their lives to learn about it, to discover appropriate educational frameworks and therapies, and to normalize as best as possible the family dynamic.

“Parents are often stressed from the moment they discover their child has a problem, and they naturally take upon themselves the responsibility to give their child the best care,” explained Amidan. “Their concern with the future stresses them out and they aren’t emotionally available to think about the long-term. Vacation seems like a special luxury for people who are in survival mode.”

Vacation is particularly difficult for families of children diagnosed with low-functioning autism since at times these children can exhibit behaviors that deviate from what is socially acceptable in public places. At one point during this reporter’s tour at Aluteva, a 15-year old boy named Ron repeatedly came up to smell my hair, a behavior which would have likely startled any vacationer at a regular hotel.

“He seems to like certain smells, certain shampoo smells. You’re not the first one, but you can take it as a compliment,” Ron’s mother explained on the lawns of Aluteva. Ron’s parents and younger sister are regulars at Aluteva. Ron cannot read, write, or speak, and smelling hair is likely a form of self-stimulation and a means of social interaction.

“My son needs constant activity; it’s hard taking care of him. He likes going places, but it’s hard to take him places because of the way he behaves. He doesn’t enjoy himself, and we have to run around after him.”

Generally children on the autistic spectrum prefer and require routine which steadies them in a world they perceive as threatening and ever-changing. Usually after a few days of acclimating at Aluteva, they begin to enjoy themselves. “He’s already used to the place so he’s happy when he comes here,” Ron’s mother said.

The premises of Aluteva have been converted from an Israeli army base. They are cheerfully decorated, compact and, what is more important for parents, enclosed. A specially trained staff is on hand full-time to keep an eye on the children as they freely wander around. Accommodations include eight guest rooms, most of which are built with two bedrooms and a small living room.

Children with autism generally require healthy doses of physical movement and sensory-visual stimuli due to impairments of the sensory system, and Aluteva is equipped with an indoor Gymboree and a unique room called “Snoozyland”, which features furniture and items that titillate the senses: strobe lights, puffy cushions, and background music. The staff organizes special activities and tours in northern Israel catered to the learning needs of autistic children.

For the parents, the luxuries are not physical, but social and psychological.

A typical entry in Aluteva’s guestbook reads: “You gave us the strength to continue with our routine, to enjoy the feeling of being a normal family, and to rest in a way we can’t do in the center of the country.”

At Aluteva they need not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable by their children’s socially abnormal behaviors. It gives parents and siblings of individuals with autism the opportunity to share their experiences and challenges in a relaxing and casual environment.

Younger guests are not necessarily aware that Aluteva is a guest house for children with special needs. This is Sarah’s third visit to Aluteva with her four children, ranging from ages three to eleven. At age four, her eldest son, Yonatan, was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, an informal term used to describe individuals who are able to function more independently in the real world. They have higher cognitive abilities and more mainstream day-to-day behaviors. Eleven-year-old Yonatan attends a regular school and only recently learned that he has been diagnosed with PDD.

“They think it’s a vacation place with strange kids walking around,” his mother explained.

Sarah recalls one frightening incident in which a boy with severe autism innocuously trespassed into her children’s room in the middle of the night. When it happened a second time, her children simply escorted the boy back to his parents without discomfort or umbrage on the part of either families. “It’s very educational,” she said. “For higher functioning kids and their siblings there can be a positive sense of helping the lower functioning kids.”

Next door to Aluteva is a petting zoo belonging to a neighboring boarding school where Aluteva sometimes takes the families. Animals are often used in therapy for children with PDD to teach them empathy and communication. As a few families staying at Aluteva take a walk across the forest to the zoo, one boy claps his hands routinely.

Sarah’s five-year old daughter, who does not have autism, tugs at her mother’s shirt and asks: “why does he do that?”

The scientific answer is that it is a form of self-stimulation, but her mother lovingly replies: “God made everyone different.”

http://www.israel21c.org

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/83399.php

Really cute photo attached of our little bike riding champion!!!!!  He is so determined to be independent in this skill. He pedals, keeps his feet on the pedal, steers by himself, problem solves when the bike gets stuck, protects his body when the trike goes down hill by sticking his feet out for better balance, says up when the bike goes up the hill. We love this photo and know you will too.

We’re so proud of you Jais, keep on truckin!