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Archive for December 18th, 2010

First Published Monday, 21st July, 2008.

Justice for All

*BREAKING NEWS*

Senator Tom Harkin Confirms as Obama Surrogate at Disability Forum JFA is
a free service of the American Association of People with Disabilities
(AAPD<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElclR1q4qv81fYI8k8BZfYi4mxBgdFt-kXspYR-Bah3GvIu0bVrIn-y2k_CPYpz0teogzjIVqmJwJa1T99cJZtd-rAl612ZVRLo=>
)
Today’s JFA:  *Senator Tom Harkin Confirms as Obama Surrogate at
Disability Forum <#11b3e46034a91a5c_LETTER.BLOCK3>* *Actor Robert David Hall
to Speak at Disability Forum <#11b3e46034a91a5c_LETTER.BLOCK5>* *State
Disability News <#11b3e46034a91a5c_LETTER.BLOCK6>* *International Disability
News <#11b3e46034a91a5c_LETTER.BLOCK11>*  *Senator Tom Harkin Confirms as
Obama Surrogate at Disability Forum* [image: Senator Tom Harkin
(D-IA)]<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElclR1q4qv81fYI8k8BZfYi4mxBgdFt-kXspYR-Bah3GvIu0bVrIn-y2k_CPYpz0teogzjIVqmJwJa1T99cJZtd-rAl612ZVRLo=>

*BREAKING NEWS*

The Obama campaign has just recently confirmed Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)
will act as the surrogate for Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) at the National
Forum on Disability
Issues<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElc-TQc8vbM9FaoDqqkEho1AJI3VD0diyJdz8NIz7ChXuDyUCbVwXKOVLPzsWAq_kH4KNCxWGr4tMgHyfqpH8wJJt9fIzSbGs03v-eReDiuIlJ1acaD-YEtiFrtvzTLVPtqs0ZXbLkcnoA==>in
Columbus, Ohio next Saturday, July 26.

Senator Obama will be out of the country on the day of the forum with a
congressional delegation.
A long time friend of the disability community, the Obama campaign cites
Senator Harkin as Obama’s closest disability policy advisor, noting that
before Obama released his “Plan to Empower Americans with
Disabilities,”<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElepVP4veU-5NLC0p6GABWd7XZBsS3p9QYFanv5UsZfbirYRH7ANLCjrKuvQPYy8BgLQl4zLjcF7BY3HNfIEzRtSRC_gvhLMDqJKtc0at3z2b9fCf3Izpr5fVbyxidZ5XDRHNJUWRDO0DJOVQGIfUfBh>he
and Harkin discussed the policy, and Harkin made specific suggestions
for
edits. Senator Obama’s staff regularly consults with Harkin’s lead
disability staff on key disability policy pronouncements from the
campaign.

*Actor Robert David Hall to Speak at Disability Forum* [image: Robert David
Hall]<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElclR1q4qv81fYI8k8BZfYi4mxBgdFt-kXspYR-Bah3GvIu0bVrIn-y2k_CPYpz0teogzjIVqmJwJa1T99cJZtd-rAl612ZVRLo=>Actor
Robert David Hall,  best known for his role as coroner Dr. Albert Robbins
M.D. on the television show *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (CBS), has
confirmed his participation in the National Forum on Disability
Issues<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElc-TQc8vbM9FaoDqqkEho1AJI3VD0diyJdz8NIz7ChXuDyUCbVwXKOVLPzsWAq_kH4KNCxWGr4tMgHyfqpH8wJJt9fIzSbGs03v-eReDiuIlJ1acaD-YEtiFrtvzTLVPtqs0ZXbLkcnoA==>.
Hall will speak on the importance of raising the visibility of the
disability community as a powerful political constituency.
Hall, a passionate disability advocate, is a double amputee and experienced
burns over 65% of his body following a car accident over twenty years ago.
Several of Hall’s acting roles have involved characters who share his
disability.

Hall has testifed before Congress and served as a national board member and
chair on the Performers with Disabilities Committee.
*State Disability News*  *California:* First Lady Maria Shriver’s campaign
to find jobs for 20,000 Californians with developmental disabilities may be
hampered by a state budget deficit.
(More<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElcEPH8NSlhzShoz9r5zVPWirSvoUBiTee6Z2NenqEfO5a6Qw5jHqi6T7H3IvoYpy8yXztjgexdBYqePKQSh-Ed7vSP9Ov51PyGLw7M3Y_RMoII7qSok1RxXcMPQok_dGRI7lCMVZMR1DGiWldNbM5rmqtueT6DVwahCwnLTCgM-lght5gJc6vCH>).

*Kansas:* TOPEKA -  Kansas teenager Ben Berlin has become the first teen
with autism to serve as a Congressional Page in Washington, D.C.
(More<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElckSINE3wUST5MgBykaUb4DEMYp_0niSiaPngLam2M4zf8rlBHCXVtxno18nNq5Y_lfL3HudM_moePw6H1MAStoscxnHRrls1DzR2yesIghDQxPyb8eL3GvViaMxi6XX7NMIYdRbFjFfDiJFlQPUi2I_tizmhnYwjlOF9r1VXuDpgADjS5iNGCznzW6yNU8Y9h6xrvVlDdRly-_pvlcmhZg>).

*Texas: *
AUSTIN – A Texas state audit reveals that the state is failing to follow the
wishes of residents with disabilities who say they want to leave state
instituions for community-based settings.
(More<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHEldGDo–9ZIOyfDX5X7EATmLjEMtjQ8W4Cpp2x52yHRugJK3cY7KNZbnIS66dv-3u4MEWBdP71P_oCnxfalBLHTpEaqIkmOMJz9lNiOKLdIT-vvLCFlNuABQ1_sE1j52klhzTtr27UyknV4mkRntvdc9wK28Z8cBZiY=>
).
MODERATOR, Anne Sommers, JUSTICE FOR ALL — A Service of the American
Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).

To respond to a JFA email, submit an article, or contact the moderator,
email her at JFAModerator@aol.com.
*ACCESSIBILITY:* To request to receive a text-only version of this and every
JFA newsletter rather than the html version, please contact the moderator at
JFAModerator@aol.com.

*DISCLAIMER:* The JFA listserv is designed to share information of interest
to people with disabilities and promote dialogue in the disability
community. Information circulated does not necessarily express the views of
AAPD. The JFA listserv is non-partisan.

*JFA ARCHIVES:* All JFA postings from 1995 through October 2007 are available
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElchq-km6ISmsDZFPQXs6-Nxm-87TGIRqku_J63cuqjme68a0J5EN7sPXLNjrxoabLC3spteqtPM475KuipYfFo-tRMoOJiQrEPiOyS4uG55KkO1SFsf_wfe>on
the AAPD website. Archives of news and other articles featured on JFA since
October 2007 are available by category and date on the JFActivist
blog<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElcRnxEFl5kRw8AfjIf4k-9TLpMLWLJY_yQz1b6flk4qvBEtFUyCYvjtb2XsicJvRkbe1Uqr_7rKILNYJmJ71cgLs4naoFc-DhAKf7dmoEY8qA==>
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*International Disability News*  *Germany* – On Monday, German
geneticists marked the 75th anniversary of the “Prevention of Progeny with
Hereditary Diseases Act,” by condemning the killing of thousands of people
with disabilities during the Third Reich.
(More<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElcxwx2a34F8JwDa7ek2JRKT1KTI-uMMFpYT_ACFh6u2fD_RxinTsa4_n4akgVdJ7-bk7wUe9fza1-J7F2Dg8K86fZ6D7UxWMEtsidCIwdaylj3WTXwReC6kcMYeZOtw5YC3t2U9QVt9ErZ3W9L-6BeTuy_u6m838ew=>
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*Great Britian* – Public donations will help send a 150-person Great
Britian team of deaf athletes to the Summer Deaflympics after the government
diverted funding to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
(More<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uX4wIjVHElfAtmrxbkMqvMo-Acu8UMOS_iBrp-U1nzZeSn9dGP7oIBTan5Dx6-7QzzM7CYhUbMTzEjhBGzfIOdWRd9utDeht-o6_QK7fD3tP6t83u-pAR1Q99Y7xL10hhfARL1AtpnPfYvGR0ix9IAgfJ1pcWUAW-bJBv9F5ghyb_FACWJrv-Q==>)

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The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
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Washington, DC 20005
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org
732.763.5530



Silver Pavilion, Japan

 

HEADLINES

 

“Family Justice: the secret state that steals our children”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/camilla_cavendish/article4271773.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1

 
“Woman gets nearly 11 years for NY adoption fraud”:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080716/ap_on_re_us/abuse_adopted_children_3

 
“Mom charged with denying son cancer medication”:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,374742,00.html

~Associated Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo-tLTKY7Wo

 

AUSTRALIA “Measles: it’s back”:

http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2008/07/17/2306469.htm

 

USA “Measles outbreak hits 127 people in 15 states”:

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=healthNews&storyid=2008-07-09T221229Z_01_N09437431_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-MEASLES-USA-DC.XML

 

UK “No choice but MMR as supplies of single mumps vaccine run out”:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23514084-details/No+choice+but+MMR+as+supplies+of+single+mumps+vaccine+run+out/article.do

 

UK “One in six East Lancs kids in measles risk”:

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/3203455.One_in_six_East_Lancs_kids_in_measles_risk/

 

“Teen, 13 years, with form of autism found 20 miles from home”:

http://www.wbay.com/global/story.asp?s=8667953

 

“Autistic man found after week lost in Wisconsin woods back home”:

http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_9809377?source=rss

 

“Couple appeal against bouncy castle injury ruling”:

http://www.kentnews.co.uk/kent-news/Couple-appeal-against-bouncy-castle-injury-ruling-newsinkent14466.aspx?news=local

 

“Despair at axing of Denbigh autism centre”:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/07/16/despair-at-axing-of-denbigh-autism-centre-55578-21348246/

 

“Police chief orders autistic girl out of restaurant”:

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=ddb84685-ed31-46cf-913e-e7212ce650e9&rss=68

 

“Children to be assessed for speech difficulties”:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2269409/Children-to-be-assessed-for-speech-difficulties.html

 

“National Autistic Society response to the Bercow Review on Children, Young People and Speech, Language and Communication”:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114491.php

 

“Pennsylvania tells Autism Speaks to stop talking”:

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=39740

 

“Judge blasts lawyer for subpoena of blogger’s personal information”:

http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/07/07/judge-blasts-lawyer-subpoena-bloggers-personal-information

 

“Woman took out false loans to pay for grandmother’s Alzheimer’s drugs the NHS denied her”:

http://www.mailonsunday..co.uk/news/article-1031588/Woman-took-false-loans-pay-grandmothers-Alzheimers-drugs-NHS-denied-her.html

 

“Remembering Marla Comm(1956 – 2008)”

Michelle Dawson pays tribute:

http://autismcrisis.blogspot.com/2008/07/remembering-marla-comm.html

 

Marla was co-author of “Severe Autism, Denied Support: Struggling To Survive In The Mainstream”:

http://books.google.com/books?id=jKiK7XE7QYcC

 

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RESEARCH

 

ASAN in the Wall Street Journal “New ways to diagnose autism earlier”:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121545978096433273.html?mod=2_1566_topbox

 

Cause for Concern over Unethical Treatment – “Fringe autism treatment could get federal study”:

http://www.lcsun-news.com/apcontent/ci_9826290

 

“Genetic contribution to autism examined”:

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/science/article_212158444.shtml

 

“Is your baby autistic? UF researchers’ book helps provide answers”:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/lifestyle/orl-autisticbaby08jul08,0,6113718.story

 

“Study reveals water’s role in rare autism”:

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/latestnews/Study-reveals-water39s-role-in.4282792..jp

 

“Psychiatric genetics: The brains of the family”:

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080709/full/454154a.html?s=news_rss

 

“Genes from Middle East families yield autism clues”:

http://www.kpic.com/news/health/24317024.html

 

“Common mechanisms may contribute to autism’s mutations”:

http://www.babycenter.com/204_common-mechanisms-may-contribute-to-autisms-mutations_5234495.bc

 

“Autism breakthrough as study identifies genetic defect link”:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article4311466.ece

 

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EDUCATION

 

“Schools use restraints to handle behavior disorders – Calm down or Else”:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/health/15restraint.html?em&ex=1216267200&en=078c77627ccfd0b1&ei=5087%0A

 

“State’s schools lack cohesive plan for autism”:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/12/BAFH103EEM.DTL&tsp=1

 

“Skills evolution”:

http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=185771&d=680&h=608&f=626&dateformat=%25e-%25h-%25y

 

“Number of autistic Calif. Students triple – due to better diagnosis”:

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/258931.php/Number-of-autistic-Calif-students-triples

 

“Autistic students get help navigating college life”:

http://www.kmov.com/justposted/stories//kmov_education_080711_autisticcollege.4680a904.html

 

“Special programme for autistic youths expands”:

http://www.cphpost.dk/get/108108.html

 

“Fair lets Burger students show their science smarts”:

http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080706/NEWS16/807060489

 

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EMPLOYMENT

 

“I Exist: Department of Health advertises for a specialist advisor on autism”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1665&a=16881

 

Job “Raisers Edge Database Manager, The National Autistic Society”:

http://jobs.thirdsector.co.uk/job/311020/raisers-edge-database-manager

 

“Asperger syndrome: Bosses say I’m not a team player”:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2008/07/14/haspergers114.xml

 

“Auties.org”:
Individuality, Diversity, Equality, Achievement

 

Auties.org is an Aspie & Autie friendly site for all people on the Autistic Spectrum who are ready to dare reach out to occupation and employment, open the doors to the community and market their abilities directly to the public and for those interested in supporting these pioneers. http://www.auties.org/


“Prospects”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=473&a=2348


“AutismJobs”:
Linking job seekers with vacancies in work related to autism, Aspergers and ASDs
http://www.autismjobs.org/?section=00010009


“Current job vacancies within the NAS”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=170


For further employment information, please view”:
http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/employment_on_the_autism_spectrum.htm

 

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GENERAL/HUMAN INTEREST

 

OCD “Are you crazy enough to succeed?

Obsessive and compulsive behaviours can make you – or break you”:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25415322/

 

“British kids set new World Record for longest game of Chinese Whispers”:

http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=40245&hilite=

 

“Save the Children smash two world records in record time!”:

http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/press-releases/save-children-smash-two-world-records-in-record-time–$1231639$364470.htm

 

“Autism NZ gets boost for 0800 number”:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0807/S00048.htm

 

“Dolls with disability divide opinion”:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24000338-23289,00.html

 

Rett Syndrome “Ride to benefit Middleburg girl”:

http://www.dailyitem.com/0100_news/local_story_197004915.html

 

“Autism not a problem for Danial”:

http://www.nst.com.my/Sunday/National/2286671/Article/index_html

 

“Boy in a bubble”:

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman..com/spectrum/Boy-in-a-bubble.4260186.jp

 

“Measles: under the microscope”:

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/health/265373/Under-the-microscope–Measles

 

“Autistic teen seeks a helping paw”:

http://www.capitalcityweekly.com/stories/070208/community_20080702010.shtml

 

“Group helps families…”:

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/NEWS01/807130400

 

Mt Fuji, Japan

“Japan: Community Support for Autistic Adults: The Example of Keyaki-no-Sato”:

http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/other/wz_keyaki_e.htm

Matsumoto Castle

“Autism Japan”:

http://www.autism.jp/

 

“Translation of a Japanese booklet “What is Asperger’s Syndrome?” published by the Tokyo Chapter of Autism Society Japan”:

http://www.autism.jp/asp_eng.html

GoJunoto Main Gate, Japan
“JSRPD”:

http://www.jsrpd.jp/index.php

http://www.jsrpd.jp/static/index_e.html

Most Sacred Site - Kumano-san-zan

“Japan – Stunning Photo Gallery – Daisetsuzan National Park”:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/08/daisetsuzan/yamashita-photography

The village of Ogimachi, in Shirakawa-go, has the biggest group of gassho-zukuri houses in Japan. These are traditional mountain houses specific of the central Hida region. All are part of the UNESCO World Heritage. shirakawa-go.org/english/e_world.html
www.japan-guide.com/e/e5951.html
www.vill.shirakawa.gifu.jp/e/

 

Japanese Feature Article – “Between Volcanoes”:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/08/daisetsuzan/ehrlich-text


Giant panda cub Kouhin (born on 8/23/2005) at the Adventure World in Japan.


Autism Society of Japan
Zenkoku Fukushi Saidan Center
2-2-8 Nishi Waseda,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0051
JAPAN
tel: 03-3232-6478
email: asj@mub.biglobe.ne.jp

Website: http://www1.biz.biglobe.ne.jp/~asj/

Miyako Island, japan

Asian Network of Resources for Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Website: http://ibuki.ha.shotoku.ac.jp/~tsujii/eng/


Oshima Sumo House, Ryogoku, Tokyo

ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/大島部屋


Autism Society of Kyoto
Website: http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/atoz3/ask/
e-mail: GFH03344@nifty.ne.jp

Traditonal Japanese Kimono
Traditional Japanese Kimono

 

Research Institute for the Education of Exceptional Children
Tokyo Gakugei University
Koganei Tokyo 184
JAPAN


Great Waves, Hokusai  ca. 1829-1833


1857 — A print from the series by Hiroshige.

 

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ADD/ADHD

 

“ADHD drug linked to child suicide risk, re-igniting concerns”:

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/2008/07/04/6063616-sun.html

 

“ADHD Conference opens in Minneapolis”:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_9845228

 

“The full cost of ADHD includes ignorance”:

http://healthcare.zdnet.com/?p=1141

 

“The Robin Williams in My Head”:

http://www.danablankenhorn.com/2007/10/the-robin-willi.html

 

“7 Steps Toward Creating the Best Learning Environment for Your ADD/ADHD Child”:

http://lifewithadhd.com/adhd-in-the-classroom/7-steps-toward-creating-the-best-learning-environment-for-your-add-adhd-child.php

 

“Managing the ADD/ADHD Child in Public”:

http://lifewithadhd.com/parenting-the-adhd-child/managing-the-addadhd-child-in-public.php

 

“Teaching Social Skills to the ADHD Child”:

http://lifewithadhd.com/parenting-the-adhd-child/teaching-social-skills-to-the-adhd-child.php

 

“Improving ADHD care”:

http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/8019217/main.html

 

“Improve adult ADHD diagnosis”:

http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/July08/090708/wn02.htm

 

“Researchers find possible genetic clue to ADHD”:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92455272&ft=1&f=1007

 

“Genetic change in dopamine transporter linked to ADHD”:

http://www.andhranews.net/Health/2008/July/9-Genetic-change-53240.asp

 

Launch of “ADHD Moms” on Facebook “Tools for Moms of Children with ADHD”:

http://www.emaxhealth.com/20/23113.html

 

Parents and Experts Reject Guidlelines – “Medication like Ritalin pushed for ADHD kids, not diet, exercise”:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24005386-5006009,00.html

 

Social & Health Concerns “Female ADHD college students & Academic Success with Binge Drinking”:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/836815/female_adhd_college_students_academic.html

 

“ADHD might raise kids’ obesity risk”:

http://www.kvoa.com/global/story.asp?s=8627482

 

“Executive Functioning in children with ADHD”:

http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=search.displayRecord&uid=2008-05020-006

 

“New strategies for treating kids with ADHD”:

http://foodtherapy.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-strategies-for-treating-kids-with.html

 

“adders.org”
Our objective is to promote awareness to AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and to provide information and as much free practical help as we can to affected by the condition, both adults and children, their families in the UK and around the World via this website.
http://www.adders.org/


“ADDISS” The National
Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service…
http://www.addiss.co.uk/index.html


“ADDA”:
http://www.add.org/


“hi2u ADHD Pages”:
http://www.adhd..org.uk/


“CHADD”:
http://www.chadd.org/am/CustomPages/home/CHADD_Home.htm?CFID=2282059&CFTOKEN=38105335&jsessionid=f2303343221169802693562

Book “Different Minds: Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and other Learning Deficits”:

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781853029646

 

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SPORT

 

“Andrew’s funding appeal following euro medal joy”:

http://icsolihull.icnetwork.co.uk/sport/local/tm_headline=andrew-s-funding-appeal-following-euro-medal-joy&method=full&objectid=21325525&siteid=91411-name_page.html

 

“Disabled kids ride waves”:

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/sport/Disabled-kids-ride-waves/article-220077-detail/article.html

 

“City grandfather returns from epic hike”:

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED14%20Jul%202008%2011%3A03%3A14%3A690

 

“Grab a ‘Pisa’ the action: trek Tuscany this September!”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16690

 

“Sky diving: take the plunge for the NAS”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16319


“Support NAS Scotland … by eating Sunday lunch”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16282


“The London Triathlon 2008 – 9th-10
th August”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16295


“Adidas Women’s 5k Challenge – 7
th September, 2008”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16296


Newcastle & Portsmouth “BUPA Great North Run 2008 – World’s Biggest Half Marathon – 5
th October”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16132


“Sahara Desert Trek – 8
th-15th November, 2008”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16303


“Cycle China 2009 – 19th-29
th March”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16305


“Trek the Inca Trail 2009 – 14th-23
rd May”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16310


“Trek Jordan 2009 – 10
th-14th September”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16314

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MUSIC

 

“The Raventones”:

http://www.raventones.com/

 

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ART

 

“Artist Peter Howson donates John Lennon portrait to autism appeal”:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/07/15/exclusive-artist-peter-howson-donates-john-lennon-portrait-to-autism-appeal-86908-20643882/

 

“Brendan’s all set to become a big draw”:

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Brendan-s-set-big-draw/article-209306-detail/article.html

 

ZOE KAKOLYRIS “Zoe’s World”

“Zoe’s World is a magical and quirky world, full of life and humour. Her wonderful naïve style is completely unique and unaffected by art movements and trends. In her artwork Zoe has found a way of expressing herself. Amidst apparent chaos and hyperactivity is joy and a strange kind of serenity. For Zoe, her world and her people, are the realisation of a utopian dream where love, fun and friendship are neverending.

http://www.zoes-world.co.uk/index.php

 

NAS “Take part in our creativity competition”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1665&a=16597

 

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MOVIES/ENTERTAINMENT

 

“Josh Hartnett and Adam Godley to headline Rain Man in London”:
http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=568069

 

“Actors for Autism”:
http://www.actorsforautism.com/

 

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BOOKS

 

New “In His Shoes – A Short Journey Through Autism”

Author: Joanna Keating-Velasco

“This book is great for students aged 11-15.”

http://www.asperger.net/bookstore_9013.htm

 

New “More Than Little Professors – Children with Asperger Syndrome: In Their Own Words”

Author: Lisa Barrett Mann, M.S. Ed.

http://www.asperger.net/bookstore_9009.htm

 

New “Making Sense of Sex: A Forthright Guide to Puberty, Sex and Relationships for People with Asperger’s Syndrome”:

Author: Sarah Attwood

Illustrated by Jonathon Powell

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843103745

 

Coming Soon “Adults on the Autism Spectrum Leave the Nest: Achieving Supported Independence”

Author: Nancy Perry

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843109044

 

Coming Soon “The Red Beast: Controlling Anger in Children with Asperger’s Syndrome”

Author: K. I. AI Ghani

Illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843109433

 

Bronze Medal Winner in the 2008 IPPY Awards

“Autism Heroes: Portraits of Families Meeting the Challenge”

Author: Barbara Firestone Ph. D.

Forewords by Teddy Cole, Gary Cole and Catherine Lord, Ph. D.

Photographs by Joe Buissink

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108375

 

“Understanding Autism For Dummies”

Authors: Stephen Shore, Linda G. Rastelli, Temple Grandin

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Autism-Dummies-Health-Fitness/dp/0764525476

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Autism-Dummies-Temple-Grandin/dp/0764525476/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216122635&sr=8-1

 

“Asperger Syndrome in the Family: Redifining Normal”

Author: Liane Holliday Willey

Foreword by Pamela B. Tanguay

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781853028731

 

“Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything: Kenneth’s Book”

Author: Kenneth Hall

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781853029301

 

DVD “Asperger Syndrome: A Different Mind”

Narrated by Simon Baron-Cohen

“Presents viewers with the opportunity to both see and hear about the nature of Asperger Syndrome from children and adults themselves who have AS, as well as from their family members and school teachers.”

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843104711

 

The LEGO® Club has teamed up with the NAS to launch an exciting new fundraising challenge for LEGO Club members.

 

As part of the challenge, LEGO Club members have the chance to win up to £250 of LEGO products! The winner will get £250 of LEGO products, while ten runners-up will get £100 of products. All LEGO Club members who enter the challenge and donate at least £1 will receive a fantastic LEGO frog!

If you’re not a member, but would like to join the LEGO Club and help to fundraise for the NAS, visit the LEGO Club website at: www.LEGOclub.com

 

The challenge is simple: raise as much money as you can. All donations will go towards a new playground for children with autism at the NAS Radlett Lodge School.

 

Our challenge runs until 31 December 2008, so you have until the end of the year to collect as many donations as you can.

 

All LEGO Club members who are residents of the United Kingdom, Eire and the Channel Islands can take part in our challenge.

 

Find out more about the LEGO Club charity challenge:

 

Lego Charity Challenge – how can you help?

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1769&a=16866

 
Sending your donations to the LEGO Club:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1769&a=16878

 

Wallace and Gromit

In closing, as production of Nick Park’s latest film, “A Matter of Loaf and Death” gathers momentum, I leave you with a popular favourite of children of all ages:

http://www.wallaceandgromit.com/index.html

 

Take Care,

Julie

View From The World Trade Centre, Japan



First Published Wednesday, 16th July, 2008.

FWD:

ADA Amendments Act

*ADA Amendments Act
Senate Roundtable* – Who Showed Up, What Went Down JFA is a free service of
the American Association of People with Disabilities
(AAPD<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uHFZqC1SPmSjO-yMH6XxkCKXRQqJfiatXXatIJlu2axFRx8_Xa686K4Hlg5h1ykUJPceQg2TWj3Yzp8_QXfmvBmNqe_X__X06ZadHy_c8iU=>
)
Today’s JFA:  *ADA Amendments Act Senate Roundtable: Who Showed Up &
What Went Down<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=js&name=js&ver=80lCHVuPxfI&am=T_E4pcLnE08YZQ#11b2d7385b3cb889_LETTER.BLOCK3>
* *ADA Restoration: Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=js&name=js&ver=80lCHVuPxfI&am=T_E4pcLnE08YZQ#11b2d7385b3cb889_LETTER.BLOCK6>
*  *ADA Amendments Act Senate Roundtable: Who Showed Up & What Went
Down* [image:
U.S. Capitol]<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uHFZqC1SPmSjO-yMH6XxkCKXRQqJfiatXXatIJlu2axFRx8_Xa686K4Hlg5h1ykUJPceQg2TWj3Yzp8_QXfmvBmNqe_X__X06ZadHy_c8iU=>The
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP Committee)
convened a public Roundtable meeting/hearing yesterday entitled, “Determining
the Proper Scope of Coverage for the Americans with Disabilities
Act,”<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uHFZqC1SPmRxyjqEIr1JTYJJ5VjAAF8Zx0SEBZUN0PuyxTUqyu-onFehdLS130hPMKaRu0M5zoiKw7vFnsYKkLUlz_zM5rerWj0h902-S7ihFXxFTx1rUVxTDfOreOhMNpptcfiQfRiKRlZnI_1mLQ8Wua3ePoas5hC34zIJtGI=>and
chaired by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA).

*Who Showed Up?
*
*Senators: *Tom Harkin (D-IA) Mike Enzi (R-WY)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
*

What went down?*

Speaking in defense of the bill that passed the House 402-17 on June 25
were law professors Chai Feldblum (Georgetown University), Sam Bagenstos
(Washington University), Carey McClure (an electrician with muscular
dystrophy who lost his employment discrimination case on the grounds that he
wasn’t “disabled enough” to qualify for civil rights protections under the
ADA), attorney Jo Anne Simon (a disability rights lawyer with education
expertise), and Michael Eastman from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Sue Gamm, an education consultant from Chicago, expressed concerns that the
House bill had the potential of creating rights for more students under the
ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in the context of  K-12
education, and were that to happen, there may be unintended
consequences of…

…Read the rest<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uHFZqC1SPmRZlpGvS1qC54npST5ralS_yzjYyBidM6jJMfy8jXpPy27MGpLaHv58Z747bSsdtf1r-2c_wivuYNy3cz7RoOs5-zcWu649YavjFf66mLFDRymPmTLpVOLLAhEfIV5Ebn0TbS4oUgGhU50mq26D204Ch8utcrW4BolJBe98bcmiJg==>to
find out  who
else expressed concerns and how the supporters addressed them.
*ADA Restoration: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
*  *Q: Why did the name change?
*
*A:* Since originally introduced in 2006, we’d all grown used to and fond of
calling this legislation the “ADA Restoration Act.” The important point is
that the effort can still be referred to as restoration of the ADA – a
return to original Congressional intent. The legislation’s name was changed
to the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 to avoid confusion by signaling that the
language as negotiated by the employer and disability communities was
different from the legislation as introduced in July 2007. Particularly for
Members who either did not support or had misgivings about the previous
legislation, the name change was helpful in demonstrating that this was
something other than the bill with which they had previously held concerns.

*Q: Why are we trying so hard for this Congress? Why not wait?
*
*A:* Optimistic of the effect of a new Congress and administration on ADA
restoration efforts, some advocates have wondered why we don’t wait for the
next Congress to revisit this legislation and get it passed. First, there
are no guarantees of a more favorable outcome in a future Congress. Most
importantly, however, because there are scores of people with disabilities
all across this country who have been told by the courts for nearly a decade
that they do not have civil rights in the workplace, we cannot wait to act.
Tabling efforts for a future Congress asks these individuals to continue
waiting for their civil rights and can promise them nothing for it.

Practically and politically speaking, there are many conservative Democrats
in the House especially who will be reluctant to vote for a civil rights
bill that affects employers in their home districts and that is opposed by
the major groups representing employers at the national and local levels. We
recognize that support at least neutrality from the employer community is
necessary to get a bill through both the House and the Senate in future
Congresses (which is consistent with the experience of the passage of the
original ADA).

*Q:  What is the “deal”?
*
*A:* The negotiation reached between the disability and employer communities
is both legislative language (discussed below) and the promise to one
another that we will uphold the balance struck by defending the bill against
amendments to the language unless they are mutually agreed upon.

The negotiated language overturns three Supreme Court decisions that came
down in 1999 (called the “Sutton trilogy” because the lead case was Sutton
v. United Airlines and all three dealt with a similar issue and were decided
on the same day) which decided for the first time that a person cannot use
the ADA to challenge discrimination if they are able to manage the symptoms
associated with their disability by using medication, prosthetics, or other
means of diminishing their level of impairment. Under the negotiated
language, courts would evaluate whether a person qualifies as “disabled”
under the ADA without considering these measures (what courts call
“mitigating measures”). This is a HUGE improvement for people with
conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, cancer,
and many others who will have a much easier time establishing that they fall
within the ADA’s protected class.

The legislation would also overturn a 2003 Supreme Court decision called
Toyota v. Williams. In that case, the court ruled for the first time that
the standard for establishing the existence of a disability under the ADA is
a demanding standard that should be interpreted narrowly. The court said in
that unanimous decision that the term “substantially limited in a major life
activity” means “prevented or severely restricted in an activity that is of
central importance to most people’s daily lives.” The negotiated language
makes clear that Congress wants the ADA definition to be interpreted broadly
in a manner that protects the full range of individuals who experience
discrimination on the basis of disability. It clarifies that “substantially
limits” does not mean “prevents or severely restricts” but instead means
“materially restricts,” which is a new term defined in the report language
as “more than moderate but less than severe”.  The negotiated language also
includes for the first time in the statute a non-exhaustive list of major
life activities and major bodily functions that is designed to restore
protections for many people who have had difficulty establishing coverage in
the wake of Toyota v. Williams and the Sutton trilogy.

The bill would also make it clear that when you are evaluating whether a
person with an episodic condition like epilepsy or depression is
substantially limited or materially restricted, you evaluate them when their
condition is presenting symptoms.

Finally, the bill includes a broad “regarded as” prong of the definition
that makes clear that you are protected by the ADA if you experience an
adverse action based on a physical or mental impairment (whether it is real
or it is simply perceived by the employer), regardless of whether that
impairment actually substantially limits a major life activity. To get that
substantial improvement, the disability negotiators had to relinquish the
argument that had worked in a a small amount of federal appellate courts
that people who come into the protection of the ADA solely under the
“regarded as” prong are still entitled to a reasonable accommodation. Under
the deal language, in order to get an accommodation, you must establish
protection under the first prong of the definition and be actually
materially restricted in a major life activity.

*Q:  How does this differ from H.R. 3195 as introduced last July?
*
*A:* H.R. 3195, as introduced last July, would have extended civil rights to
any individual with a “physical or mental impairment,” without
qualification. The new language continues to rely on the original ADA’s
phrasing  – “”substantially limited in a major life activity” – while
defining it differently and adding explicit direction that courts are to
interpret the legislation broadly for robust protections.

*Q:  Why did we negotiate?
*
A: With over 200 co-sponsors on the original bill, many have wondered why we
negotiated at all. The original ADA enjoyed broad bipartisan support. This
support was garnered through the protracted negotiations and compromises
between the business and disability communities. It was at the request of
key leadership and disability champions in the House who understood how
vital the employers’ role was in the passage of this legislation that the
disability and employer communities sat down in good faith to talk about the
bill language and come up with a compromise that would overturn the
problematic Supreme Court decisions and thus restore Congress’s intent in
passing the original ADA.

*Q:  Who was at the table?
*
*A:* From the disability community, the groups represented at the
negotiating table were the Epilepsy Foundation, the National Council on
Independent Living (NCIL), National Disability Rights Network (NDRN),
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the American Association of People
with Disabilities (AAPD). The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
(DREDF) was invited to participate but elected not to join the negotiation
process. DREDF and many other groups provided key advice to the negotiators
throughout the process. The groups representing the employers in the
negotiations were the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM), the HR Policy Association, and the National
Association of Manufacturers.

*Q:  Who was involved in the vetting process for what became the ADAAA?
*
*A:* The negotiated language was widely vetted on both the disability and
employer sides. In fact, AAPD sent the proposed deal language to thousands
of grassroots disability advocates on its Justice For All email listerv,
asking for feedback before AAPD signed off on the deal. AAPD received well
over a hundred email responses back, some with questions, which were
answered, a few with concerns, which were discussed, but overwhelmingly,
from those indicating their strong support of the negotiated language.

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) followed a similar process
with their own grassroots communications. Leaders from all groups comprising
the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) were also involved in
the vetting process, suggesting tweaks and revisions that were often
incorporated into final bill language.

*Q:  Who supports this?
*
*A:* ADAAA enjoys extremely broad support from disability, civil rights,
faith-based, veterans, and employer groups. AAPD has been collecting the
names of supporting organizations for several weeks now, and at last count,
there were 183 national and 157 state, local, and other groups indicating
their support.

*Q:  We got it passed in the House, now what in the Senate?
*
*A:* With the solid victory in the House (402 to 17), we are working to
build the same kind of overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate that
the bill enjoyed in the House and that the original ADA also had in both
houses. We anticipate Senate action on the bill in September when the Senate
returns from their August recess.

*Q:  Does the President support this?
*
*A:* President Bush supports and understands the need to overturn the
problematic Supreme Court decisions and seems ready to sign the bill. He did
express some “concerns” and some ideas for how to improve the language the
day before the House vote, and those concerns are being considered during
the Senate process.

*Q:  What happens if we don’t get it done this year?
*
*A:* We try, try again. The good news is that through the tireless efforts
of grassroots advocates across the country, Members of Congress and their
staff are far more educated on the need for restoration than ever before, so
we’ll be starting from a stronger place in terms of education and awareness.

If the bill isn’t passed in this Congress, we come back in the next Congress
and try hard to get it passed as quickly as possible. Before beginning that
effort, we will likely reevaluate the bill language to determine if there
are things that we want to change in light of a potentially different
political environment, although no major changes to the bill are expected in
the next Congress.
MODERATOR, Anne Sommers, JUSTICE FOR ALL — A Service of the American
Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).

To respond to a JFA email, submit an article, or contact the moderator,
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First Published Saturday, 12th July, 2008.

posted Saturday, 12 July 2008

Bullying
Bullying


If you’ve ever been bullied, as a child, as an adult, this is for you.

For those wishing to prevent and help stamp it out, for you.

For my son who’s been to hell and back…who grew into an amazing man, protective of others…for whom I am proud beyond words…

For family and friends who are no longer with us…because ‘they sensed you were different’…bullying…depression…suicide, this is for you…


Jared’s Story:

http://jaredstory.com/

The following article covers:


~ Invaluable contributions by Nick Dubin in this area – Advice, Support and Helpful Strategies


~ Carol Gray and Judy Williams provide an all-inclusive program via DVD, Teacher’s Manual and Student Workbook entitled “No Fishing Allowed, Reeling in Bullying” endorsed by Dr. Tony Attwood


~ A NAS book review and article entitled “My daughter is being bullied at school. How can we help her?”


~ A must-read “The ASD Male’s Survival Guide to Highschool” courtesy of Jerry Newport


~ Dennis Debbaudt and Barbara Doyle – prevention, guidance and support


~ NAS report “B is for Bullied”


~ Various Books, DVDs and Articles/Worksheet(shall be updated from time to time)


~ Workplace Bullying


kick me
Aspie to Aspie  -  6 Proactive Bully-Proofing Strategies


If you’re a teen on the spectrum, you know these years can be challenging and at times, really hard to live through. The good news is it’s just a few years. Life does get better! I know, I lived through adolescence.

One major culprit: the bully. What worked for me? Being proactive rather than reactive! Help protect yourself and others from the harmful effects of being bullied.


  • Take a course in the martial arts. Strengthen your motor skills and get to know your body a little better. This will help should you ever need to physically defend yourself against a bully. The real benefit, though, is the boost in self-confidence and self-esteem you’ll get. Priceless.

  • Ask your principal to institute a “buddy” or “mentor” system at your school. Having a friend you know will stick up for you against a bully can be a real asset.

  • Put an end to cyber-bullying by initiating a school-wide policy against it. Talk to your principal about giving students access to an email address where cyber-bullying through emails and message boards could be forwarded to those in authority who can then deal with it appropriately.

  • Try your best not to let your academics suffer because of being bullied. Bullies are not worth wasting energy upon. Practice ignoring them. Enlist the help of a friend or sibling in acting out scenarios so you can become more comfortable dealing with the situations.

  • If you can, attend an autism conference and meet adults on the spectrum who lived through these tumultuous years and ask how they handled being bullied as children. You will learn you are far from alone and that many adults with ASD are successful and happy in spite of the torture they endured as children. Or find support online where ASD peers can share strategies with you. Or email me: AspergersGuru@comcast.net

  • Be a beacon for change by advocating for yourself against bullies! Make your voice heard at your school and in your community! People will listen!


Nick Dubin, M. Ed., Psy. S, diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome;

author of Asperger Syndrome and Bullying: Strategies and Solutions (2007). www.nickdubin.com



No Fishing Allowed

No Fishing Allowed
“Reeling” In Bullying

Carol Gray & Judy Williams
Published 2006 by Future Horizons, Inc. Arlington, TX
DVD, Teacher Manual & Student Workbook sold separately and as a classroom set.
Available at www.FHAutism.com or call 800.489.0727.


“Finally, one program teaches students and adults what they can do to prevent bullying!”


No Fishing Allowed is a peer violence prevention program that addresses various elements of bullying behaviours. Carol Gray, author, creator of Social Stories and a pioneer in social skills education teams up with Judy Williams and her extensive counseling experience to produce an all-inclusive program emphasizing empowerment strategies for all students affected by bully/target relationships.


Partial listing of Contents


What is violence?


Peer conflict


What is a bullying attempt?


The roles in a bullying attempt


Buddies of children who bully


Word bullying


Friendship bullying


Safe strategies for targeted children


Targets: What to Say and Do


Tattling vs. Reporting


Girl Bullying: What to Say and Do


  • Interactive media addresses topics such as peer conflict versus bullying attempts, tattling versus reporting, word bullying, friendship bullying, gender-specific bullying, anti-bullying strategies for witnesses, and many more.

  • Provides teachers with information, ideas, and activities to address bullying attempts and other unfriendly social interactions.

  • Allows teachers to organize efforts toward establishing peaceful, friendly, and accepting learning environments for all students.


“The manner in which adults handle reports of bullying attempts largely influences the effectiveness of any peer violence prevention program.” (p.3)


Buddies of Children who Bully (from the teacher manual)


“Some children may encourage the child who bullies and join in a bullying attempt. Privately, these “buddies” may feel bad about what has occurred.”


Some children may choose to join the social network of the child who bullies. They support the actions of the child who bullies. General characteristics of children falling into this role may include:

  • direct or indirect involvement in a bullying attempt

  • demonstration of support via physical aggression toward a targeted child

  • echoed statements or additional insults, and/or laughter

  • a feeling of power-via-association, or protection, by allying with the child with the greatest power in a bullying situation

  • privately feel guilty or ashamed of their role, feelings which are not apparent during the bullying attempt.

The buddies of children who bully are in a unique role with great potential. Their close association with the child who bullies places them in a position to influence that child’s choices and behaviour. Given effective strategies, these “buddies” may be able to alter the course of events.


“The explanations and strategies are based on a thorough review and understanding of the research literature, but are also based on an intuitive understanding of how children think and relate to each other.” – Dr. Tony Attwood


pin Children identified as bullies by age 8 are six times more likely to be convicted of a crime by age 24. (Eron, 1987)


pin Bullying attempts occur most frequently in school. (Bullies B’Ware, 2000)


pin Bullying behaviour is most prevalent between the ages of 8 and 14. (Olweus, 1993)


pin Bullying relationships are often established by the sixth week of the school year.

Bullies Busted Part 1

Book Review

“Bullying and how to deal with it: a guide for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders”

By Patricia Thorpe.

Published by The National Autistic Society. £1.00


This booklet is packed with information which will help break/lunch time assistants who are at the heart of unstructured time. It will also help an older pupil who is supporting a younger pupil. The advice on the sort of behaviour that the bully’s victim may show will also benefit parents and carers.


The author recommends the Buddy System, which I have used in my own work with autistic children and have found invaluable. As children with ASD do not pick up on body language, a responsible older child can be a great support. The buddy not only raises concerns about bullying to appropriate people, but raises the status of the child with ASD.


Bullying is an important issue in schools and this booklet reminds us that the only way to protect vulnerable children with ASD is to unite and work for zero tolerance.


-Judith Colley, SEN support assistant

Bullies Busted Part 2

Just Stop

Bullying – “My daughter is being bullied at school. How can we help her?”

Courtesy of NAS Communication magazine Volume 40 Number 4 Winter 2006


Children with an ASD can be at more risk of being bullied. In recent NAS research, 59 percent of parents of children with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism said their children had been bullied at school.


What to look out for

Any sudden changes in behaviour. Signs that they are being bullied might include coming home with damaged or missing clothes, bags or books, with bruises or scratches, or without money they should have. There might be a sudden reluctance to go to school.


Children with an ASD can find using chat forums and email a less intimidating way of socialising and so you may not want to discourage your child from using them completely. But be aware that bullying can happen via the internet and mobiles. If your child does not seem as keen to get onto the computer as they used to be, bear it in mind as a possibility.


What you can do

Some children find it easier to write the incidents down or draw a picture. Ask siblings what they know and keep a diary of the incidents.


Once you have spoken to your child, make an appointment to talk to the school. Schools are now either legally required to – or its is strongly suggested that they – have an anti-bullying policy. If you are not happy with the response you get from the class teacher, make an appointment to talk to the headteacher.


When you see the teacher, it would be useful to have some suggestions of what you would like the school to do.

badge

pin Suggest making a map of the child’s world and identifying the areas where your child feels most and least vulnerable, including a map of the school and the route your child takes to and from school and identify potentially difficult areas. Bullies are more likely to bully a child in less supervised areas of the school or playground. Ask the school to make sure there is a greater staff presence in those parts at specific times. Your child might prefer to stick to areas that are staffed, like the library.


pin Arrange some additional social skills training for your child to help them learn to recognise when someone is being nice or nasty to them.


pin Teach your child what to do if they are upset by an incident. Perhaps give your child a list of rules of what to do and a reminder to stick in their school diary of which teacher or teachers they should go and see.


pin Work on boosting your child’s self-esteem at home. Praise for specific pieces of work, an achievement book or board with photographs and pieces of work can act as a reminder.


pin Make contact with other children with an ASD. Knowing that there are other children that have similar difficulties and experiences may make them feel less isolated.


pin Ask the school to identify a number of ‘buddies’ in the playground. Some schools will also have a ‘friendship’ bench where children can sit, if they need someone to talk to or play with.


More information

~ If you are not happy with the way the school has dealt with the bullying and have already been in contact with the head, then there are a number of other steps you can take. Call the NAS Autism Helpline: 0845 070 4004 or email: autismhelpline@nas.org.uk for more advice. The NAS has a range of information sheets, including ones on bullying, social skills and social stories, also available from the NAS Autism Helpline.

Girls Bullying Girls

The following article comes courtesy of Autism Asperger’s Digest magazine January – February 2006.

No Bully Zone

The ASD Male’s Survival Guide to High School

By Jerry Newport


Adolescence – for many kids with autism spectrum disorders just the mention of the word makes them double over with anxiety, stress and even fear. Socially it’s a time when the ‘group mentality’ of elementary school dissolves and alliances and rival factions grow in and among peers. It’s a highly volatile time as hormones play on delicate emotions, and blow insignificant daily experiences into giant-sized issues. The good news is that High School is not the rest of your life – it’s a temporary span of time that will end. The bad news is that you have to go through it. Personally, I remember high school as four of my happiest years. If some of my advice works, maybe you will too.


To start, assess the ‘damage’ you’re currently experiencing from going through middle school. It’s a very difficult, awkward three years for any boy, and even moreso for a male whose autism may have rendered him clueless when it comes to social interactions and ‘fitting in’ with the cliques and groups that form during those years.


Many of you have been teased or even bullied during middle school. As you go through high school that should happen less frequently because many of the bullies will quit school or graduate before you do. But not always, so don’t view ‘waiting it out’ as your sole solution. The reality is that you need to learn how to deal with the situation. That may include avoiding these peers, coming up with a survival plan and/or be willing to report them every time they bully you. They are out of control and have no excuse to do this to you. They, not you, are wrong. I admit this is a complicated situation; you need help in handling it, so don’t try to go it alone. Enlist the support and advice of teachers, your principal, your parents, your friends. (There’s lots of great suggestions in the article “How to Stop Bullies” written by Dan Grover, and available online at www.WrongPlanet.net in their Articles section of the website. Check it out.) Idealistically, you should be able to be as fat as you want, or dress eccentrically, or discuss PhD-level quantum physics over lunch, or do any of the other things that make people targets for bullies. But we don’t live in an ideal society and a little common sense – a little social sense – is definitely needed.


How you are treated by others in high school depends a lot on how you treat yourself. There are lots of different ways your peers use to define themselves as unique: clothing styles, hairstyles, hobbies, verbal talk. But, there is no excuse for being a slob. “Dirty” or “smelly” aren’t acceptable versions of any style. Just a couple of minutes more each day of attention paid to what you wear and your grooming habits, will go a long way in making friends and not being a bully target. And as far as nutrition goes, if it comes from your nose, it doesn’t belong in your diet!!


You also have a right to fight back when you’re being bullied, but you need to know when, where and how to do that. More than anything else, learn how to avoid having to fight if you can help it. I know several young autistic men who joined self-defense classes and NEVER got bullied again! It wasn’t because they fought back. It was because once they learned how to defend themselves, they walked like people who can do that – with confidence, not hunched over in fear. The bullies decided to look for easier targets. A self-defense class may be a good idea for you if bullying was a regular problem in middle school. Plus, it’s great exercise and you might even make a few friends there.


It is just common sense to not give bullies any more reason to pick on you than you think they have. Don’t isolate yourself – it makes you an easy target for them – and if that means joining some game in the gym that really doesn’t interest you, isn’t that better than being picked on while alone on the sidelines?


You may not have any friends yet to hang with. Most high schools sponsor all kinds of clubs – especially the larger schools. You must have at least one interest and there is probably a club that includes that interest. Join it. That’s how I made my first real friends, by being part of various activities. Your chances of making friends are much higher in clubs or on teams because you start with a common interest among you. Remember though that being part of a group requires you to practice certain social skills, like sharing, conversing, being polite, inquiring about the ideas of others. Ask fellow group members what they enjoy most about being in the chess club. Don’t try to show everyone how much smarter you are than them. That’s a sure way to turn people off, fast!


My favourite activity was the band. We practiced every day and I found that band instilled in me a lot of social skills too. You can’t play your instrument when you want to – you have to read the music and play the correct note at the right volume at the right time. You have to pay attention to how the sound you make blends in with the rest of the band to make the desired music. Those abilities carried over into personal relationships too.


The quick coordination of body and mind required by team sports is difficult for many of us and some sports don’t even make sense to some of us. But, exercising your body is good sense for many reasons: for your health, to keep in shape, and to alleviate stress and anxiety. So take advantage of school-sponsored opportunities to do this. Sports like track and cross country are great for improving endurance and helping you relax and focus in the classroom. You can be part of an athletic team without the confusion of basketball, baseball, soccer or football, sports full of people in motion.


I was not good at those types of team sports but I found a way to be part of them without playing: I was a manager for the basketball team and its statistician. I was the person who kept track of all the stats during the game and called the local newspapers to report the game scores. I also made sure we didn’t lose any uniforms or basketballs on road trips. Sometimes, I even got to share a seat on the team with a cheerleader. Heck, a lot of guys in my class would have paid for that seat!


Driving class can be fun, too, but it may not be for you. Driving is a serious endeavour and many people with ASD have sensory or attention issues that impair their ability to drive. Can you concentrate all of the time, even under stressful conditions? Can you control your impulses if you lose your temper and not use a car as a weapon? Is your field of vision (ie peripheral and depth) compromised in any way that would affect your driving? Many autistic people never drive and shouldn’t. But if you can gain self-control and discipline, learning to drive will expand your world, just as it did for me.


High school offers some fun and easy ways to improve your chance with girls, too. Usually the chorus is loaded with females and begging for male voices. Art clubs and drama clubs are largely female dominated too. They are fun activities and no one expects that you be an expert before you join. Most of the people in them can’t sing, act or paint any better than average people. They have fun trying, though, and so can you.


You’ll undoubtedly meet a girl you like, and that’s great. Don’t ‘rule out’ getting to know her if she already has a boyfriend or claims to. She may be willing to be a friend, and a couple of good female friends may eventually help you find a girl-friend, if they like you. Just don’t let them take advantage of you. Don’t loan them money or run errands for them, or do anything else that seems out of line with a friendship. And, don’t worry about hearing the word “no” from girls. All men hear that from different women at various points in their lives. If you ask a girl out and she says “no”, and she isn’t interested in being a friend either, respect that and move on. You don’t want to be known as a stalker, no matter how attracted you are to a girl.


I was a wallflower during high school, but not a complete one. I didn’t even ask a girl out until my senior year, but at least I started. It is important to try dating if you ever want to find a mate for life. The longer you wait, the more self-conscious you will be and less likely to even attempt it. Dating is an art, not a science, and it’s not easy at first for anyone. Practice and experience makes you more comfortable with it and more able to enjoy the social time you do have with a suitable companion.


The book, Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome by Luke Jackson (featured in the Sept-Oct 2005 Digest) contains a lot of good social advice from somebody of high school age. I also recommend books by adults who remember their high school years and how they handled them. Stephen Shore, Liane Holliday Willey, Sean Barron and Paul McDonald are all people on the autism spectrum whose experiences may help you if you read their books.


Oh, academics; I almost forgot. You are in school to learn too. The one piece of advice I have is this: Do your best in all your subjects, not just your favourite ones. I didn’t really like English but I gave it my best effort because my father urged me to. He was right. I would have never tried writing otherwise. I discovered that I liked poetry and then joined the poetry club. It took some extra effort in a class I didn’t even like to make that personal discovery.


My one regret is that I didn’t take some classes that would really have helped me in living independently in the future. It took me years to learn to cook, for example. I lost hundreds and hundreds of dollars paying for car repairs done by people who took the auto mechanics class I never took! Now that I own a home, I wish I knew more about some of the basics of home repair and house decorating – things I could have learned in high school too. If you have any space in your schedule for an elective class, consider taking one that will teach you a practical skill for adult life, rather than just college or work preparation.


In closing, I have to mention one more aspect of high school. You may feel tempted to try some things to fit in. Peer pressure is very real and kids with autism feel strong urges to fit in. Some kids begin smoking cigarettes or experiment with drugs to be accepted into a group or to “feel cool.” I did both; not in high school but in college. Trust me, neither is a good idea. There are all sorts of healthy, interesting activities to try instead. Lung cancer is not cool, nor is being arrested for using illegal drugs. Just say no.


High school was four years of fun and exploration of different interests for me. It can be a positive experience for you too. Even if it isn’t, remember: it doesn’t last forever. Once you graduate, you’ll probably lose touch with all but a small handful of people you knew in middle and high school. Keep those years in perspective and look towards your future. The older you get, the more your true self will emerge, and the better your chances of being appreciated for who you really are. Through the high school years, make the most of the experience and look forward to being older and wiser.


Jerry Newport lives in Arizona and is the author of the book, Your Life is Not a Label: A guide to living fully with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, and co-author of Autism-Asperger’s & Sexuality: Puberty and Beyond (both published by Future Horizons).

traffic light
In an excerpt from “Asperger Syndrome in Adolescence – Living with the Ups, the Downs and Things in Between “
Edited by Liane Holliday Willey Foreword by Luke Jackson, Dennis Debbaudt writes…


“No one wants to get labeled a snitch yet no one should be persecuted for having a disability. In today’s dangerous world, important information must be reported to those in charge. For the AS student to come to understand the differences between bullying and innocent teasing, educators should be encouraged to teach the subtle distinctions between the two by role playing through the gray areas of reporting an incident to (a) get help, (b) stop bullying or torment and (c) recognizing when they are just being innocently teased. Classmates should be identified who are willing to be trained to help explain to the AS student what should be reported and what shouldn’t and act as communication go-betweens or buffers between the AS student, other students, and school authorities.


Many schools in the US now have police officers assigned as resource officers. Parents and educators should talk to police proactively to establish guidelines for reporting bullying, taunting and torment. Ask how teasing should be reported. Involve law enforcers to develop reporting procedures, and role-playing activities that are designed to explain the differences between reporting real dangers and tattling. Clearly differentiate the differences between what should be reported such as robbery attempts, threats or planning of violent acts and trivial acts such as innocent name calling.


A school-based anti-bullying campaign is not only the right thing to do, it’s the law (United States Department of Education 2000). Parents encounter the ‘boys will be boys’ and ‘they just have to get used to it’ excuse for bullying from educational system administrators who often lack awareness of anti-bullying statutes or the will to put into place anti-bullying curriculum and policies. Yet the same educational system through campaigns such as Silence Hurts engages in procative efforts that encourage students to come forward, identify and report information about students who may be planning violent acts. Are anti-bullying campaigns any less important? At your child’s next individual education plan (IEP) meeting ask school administrators what anti-bullying curriculum is in place at the school. If none exists, ask through the IEP that an anti-bullying curriculum or awareness campaign be instituted immediately.


Barbara Doyle MS, a Springfield, Illinois based special educator and clinical consultant, is a teacher’s teacher who preaches the need to educate AS students early and often about life in general to ensure that they develop the necessary life skills to recognize and deal with security and risk. In her workshop Teaching Ten Important Lifetime Goals To All Children she suggests that all children need to accomplish goals that result in safe and productive lives. She presents guidelines for identifying and addressing these essential life goals, such as targeting the elimination of dangerous or potentially dangerous behaviour, who to touch and how to be touched appropriately, respectful use of other’s property and knowing who to ask for help, how and when (Doyle and Iland, 2001).


To prevent bullying and to teach students with AS to report appropriately, Barbara Doyle (Doyle and Iland, 2001) writes:


Every student with ASD needs to receive systematic instruction in understanding who and what in the environment is dangerous. This systematic instruction is more than just talking about it! If students with ASD could learn all about danger from hearing the topic discussed, they would know all about it by now! Here are some instructional strategies:


  • Make board games for individuals with AS to play with typical peers. On three by five cards, simply write a series of situations that could come up in the lives of youth. Pair a student with Asperger Syndrome with a typical partner. Using a spinner or other board game devices, a student pair selects a card, reads it aloud and then discusses if it is something that should be reported to authorities or not. The players can earn points for each logical response. Some sample cards could be:

* A boy tells a girl he wants to take her out on a date.

    * A boy tells a girl to leave the school with him.


    * A girl invites another girl to smoke pot in the bathroom.

    * Several boys push a student and tear his jacket.

    * A student says a teacher is dressed in an unfashionable way.

    * A girl shows another girl some mace that she has in her purse at school.

    * Some teens tell another student that they will be ‘waiting for him’ after school to beat him up.


  • *Make a list of the people in each environment who are the right ones to report to if bullying or dangerous behaviour is observed. Set up role-play situations in which the student with AS sees a ‘pretend’ dangerous situation and then reports it to a key figure on the list. Teach the student with AS to ask to speak to the authority figure in private and to speak quietly when making the report. Let the identified adults know that the individual with AS has permission to come quietly to them.

  • *Go into the community with students with AS. Sit and watch human behaviour. Discuss what should be reported and not reported. Identify authority figures in each environment. Speak with authority figures and introduce the individual with AS to them. Include the shopping mall stores, restaurants, the movies, ice cream shop, sporting events, etc.

  • *Identify students who have been previously implicated in bullying. PROVIDE SUPERVISION when known bullies are within proximity of students with AS regardless of their ages especially in large, moving groups such as lunchrooms, outdoor areas and gymnasiums. Bullies recognize the naivete and vulnerability of students with ASD and target them without mercy, later claiming to have been teasing or ‘just kidding.’ It is ridiculous to think that ‘all’ students are kind and nice to students with Asperger Syndrome. Students with AS are mentally and physically assaulted by fellow students every year in our country.

  • *Teach typical students to recognize and assist students with AS. Many high school and college students respond very well when they are taught about autism spectrum disorders and how to be of assistance. One student said, ‘I had watched him be bullied before but did not know that I could do something about it. From now on, I will.’

  • *Provide instruction to all adults in the environment. One physical education teacher allowed a child with AS to be hit over and over again by a ball thrown by other students. This teacher later said he mistakenly thought that the student with AS would learn to ‘defend himself’ if the student was left alone to handle it and not be babied. This teacher was under-educated.

  • *Watch videotaped movies with individuals with AS. Stop the tape periodically and check to be sure that the individuals observed and understood the meaning of what was said and done. Teach them to try to predict what might happen next to the characters in the movie. Sometimes rewind the tape to find the ‘clues’ that the character should have observed to be able to better predict what was going to happen next. This type of activity is a far more valuable ‘social skills training’ activity than learning how to say please and thank you or hold one end of a jump rope!

  • *Role-play bullying situations with trusted comrades playing the part of the bully. Teach the individuals with AS to ‘see it coming’ and get away quickly. Teach them to seek the company of others. Teach them to use anti-bullying techniques such as speaking forcefully and drawing attention to themselves. Teach them how to seek assistance in every possible place they may find themselves in the community including public bathrooms.

  • *Enroll students with AS in carefully designed self-defense classes. Many young people with AS have learned the martial arts. They have surprised many of us by NOT using these skills until and unless it is absolutely necessary. All good martial arts training include teaching to recognize and avoid dangerous situations.

bullying ain't cool

NAS “B is for bullied”


Autistic children can be particularly vulnerable to being bullied at school. This report demonstrates the devastating impact this can have on children and their families, yet simple strategies and adjustments can make a huge difference. This report is based on the largest ever survey on education and autism in the country and is part of the make school make sense campaign.

http://www.autism.org.uk/bullyingengland

On Being Bullied/Being a Bully

Books

“Asperger Syndrome and Bullying: Strategies and Solutions”

Author: Nick Dubin

Foreword by Michael John Carley

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108467


DVD “Being Bullied: Strategies and Solutions for People with Asperger’s Syndrome”

Nick Dubin

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108436


“Perfect Targets: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying – Practical Solutions for Surviving the Social World”

Authors: Rebekah Heinrichs & Brenda Smith Myles

http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Targets-Bullying-Practical-Solutions-Surviving/dp/1931282188

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Targets-Practical-Solutions-Surviving/dp/1931282188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215533390&sr=8-1

“Why is Everybody Always Picking on Me:

A Guide to Handling Bullies

Author: Terrence Webster-Doyle

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Everybody-Picking-Me-Handling/dp/0834804670


Article and Worksheet

“Helping Autistic Children Cope with Bullies”

http://autism.about.com/od/theautismcommunity/a/bullies.htm


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WORKPLACE BULLYING

Adults with either autism or Asperger’s syndrome may encounter bullying if neurotypical people target their different style of social interaction.

Workplace bullying, like childhood bullying, is the tendency of individuals or groups to use persistent aggressive or unreasonable behavior against a co-worker. Workplace bullying can include such tactics as verbal, nonverbal, and even physical abuse. This type of aggression is particularly difficult because unlike the typical forms of schoolyard bullying, workplace bullies often operate within the established rules and policies of their organization and their society. Bullying in the workplace therefore takes a wide variety of forms, from being rude or belligerent, to screaming or cursing, destruction of property or work product, social ostracism, and even physical assault. According to Tracy, Lutgen-Sandvik, and Alberts[1] , researchers associated with the Project for Wellness and Work-Life workplace bullying is most often “a combination of tactics in which numerous types of hostile communication and behavior are used” (p. 152).

Gary and Ruth Namie define workplace bullying as “repeated, health-harming mistreatment, verbal abuse, or conduct which is threatening, humiliating, intimidating, or sabotage that interferes with work or some combination of the three.”.[2]. Pamela Lutgen-Sandvik[3] expands this definition, stating that workplace bullying is “persistent verbal and nonverbal aggression at work, that includes personal attacks, social ostracism, and a multitude of other painful messages and hostile interactions.”

Workplace bullying is also referred to as mobbing, although mobbing can also mean any bullying by more than one person. Other psynonyms include “emotional abuse” at work, “social undermining, and general workplace abuse. According to Pamela Lutgin-Sandvik[4], the lack of unifying language to name the phenomenon of workplace bullying is a problem because without a unifying term or phrase, individuals have difficulty naming their experiences of abuse, and therefore have trouble pursuing justice against the bully. Unlike the term “sexual harassment,” which named a specific problem and is now recognized in U.S. law (and many international laws), workplace bullying is still being established as a relevant social problem and is in need of a specific vernacular.

BullyBoss

Statistics ON WORKPLACE BULLYING

Statistics[5] from the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention show that one in three employees personally experiences bullying at some point in their working lives. At any given time, 1 out of every 10 employees is a target of workplace bullying. Nearly half of all American workers (49%) have been affected by workplace bullying, either being a target themselves or having witnessed abusive behavior against a co-worker.

Although socio-economic factors may play a role in the abuse, researchers from the Project for Wellness and Work-Life[1] suggest that “workplace bullying, by definition, is not explicitly connected to demographic markers such as sex and ethnicity” (p. 151). Because one out of ten employees experiences workplace bullying, the prevalence of this issue is cause for great concern, even as initial data about this issue are reviewed.

In terms of gender, the Workplace Bullying Institute (2007) states that women apear to be at greater risk of becoming a bullying target, as 57% of those who reported being targeting for abuse were women. Men are more likely to participate in aggressive bullying behavior (60%), however if the bully is a woman, her target is more likely to be a woman as well (71%).

Race also may play a role in the experience of workplace bullying. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute (2007), “the comparison of combined bullying (current + ever bullied) prevalence percentages reveals the pattern from most to least: Hispanics (52.1%), African-Americans (46%), Whites (33.5%) and Asian-Americans (30.6%). The reported rates of witnessing bullying were African-Americans (21.1%), Hispanics (14%), Whites (10.8%), and Asian-Americans (8.5%). The percentages of those claiming to have neither experienced nor witnessed mistreatment were among Asian-Americans (57.3%), Whites (49.7%), Hispanics (32.2%) and African-Americans (23.4%).”

Health effects of bullying

According to Gary and Ruth Namie, as well as Tracy, et al.[6], workplace bullying can harm the health of the targets of bullying. Organizations are beginning to take note of workplace bullying because of the costs to the organization in terms of the health of their employees.

According to scholars at the Project for Wellness and Work-Life at Arizona State University, “workplace bullying is linked to a host of physical, psychological, organizational, and social costs.” Stress is the most predominant health affect associated with bullying in the workplace. Research indicates that workplace stress has significant negative effects that are correlated to poor mental health and poor physical health, resulting in an increase in the use of “sick days” or time off from work (Farrell & Geist-Martin, 2005).

In addition, co-workers who witness workplace bullying can also have negative effects, such as fear, stress, and emotional exhaustion[3]. Those who witness repetitive workplace abuse often choose to leave the place of employment where the abuse took place. Workplace bullying can also hinder the organizational dynamics such as group cohesion, peer communication, and overall performance.

BullyBoss

Bullying and personality disorders

Robert Hare and Paul Babiak discuss psychopathy and workplace bullying thus[7]:

“Bullies react aggressively in response to provocation or perceived insults or slights. It is unclear whether their acts of bullying give them pleasure or are just the most effective way they have learned to get what they want from others. Similar to manipulators, however, psychopathic bullies do not feel remorse, guilt or empathy. They lack insight into their own behaviour, and seem unwilling or unable to moderate it, even when it is to their own advantage. Not being able to understand the harm they do to themselves (let alone their victims), psychopathic bullies are particularly dangerous.”


“Of course, not all bullies are psychopathic, though this may be of little concern to their victims. Bullies come in many psychological and physical sizes and shapes. In many cases, “garden variety” bullies have deep seated psychological problems, including feelings of inferiority or inadequacy and difficulty in relating to others. Some may simply have learned at an early stage that their size, strength, or verbal talent was the only effective tool they had for social behaviour. Some of these individuals may be context-specific bullies, behaving badly at work but more or less normally in other contexts. But the psychopathic bully is what he is: a callous, vindictive, controlling individual with little or no empathy or concern for the rights and feelings of the victim, no matter what the context.”

law

Workplace bullying and the law

Australia
Each state has its own legislation.In Queensland there is no law against workplace bullying although anti-discrimination and stalking laws could be used to prosecute if appropriate.In Victoria, legislation comes from Worksafe Victoria. if bullying endangers a worker’s health causing stress or any other physical harm, a corporation can be found liable for not providing a safe place for their employees to work.[8]

Canada

The Canadian Province of Quebec introduced legislation addressing workplace bullying on 1 June 2004. In its Act representing Labour Standards “psychological harassment” is prohibited. The Commission des normes du travail is the organization responsible for the application of this act.[9]

Under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act 1979, “all employers must take every precautions reasonable in the circumstances to protect the health and safety of their workers in the workplace. This includes protecting them against the risk of workplace violence “[10]. The Act requires establishment of Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees for larger employers.

Under the act, workplace violence is defined as “…the attempted or actual exercise of any intentional physical force that causes or may cause physical injury to a worker. It also includes any threats which give a worker reasonable grounds to believe he or she is at risk of physical injury”[11][10]. Currently, as the Act is written, the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act does not specifically cover the issue of psychological harassment [10].

On Dec 13, 2007 MPP Andrea Horwath introduced for first reading a new Bill, Bill-29, to make an amendment to the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act. This Bill-29 is proposing “to protect workers from harassment and violence in the workplace” and will include protection from psychological abuse and bullying behaviors in the workplace in Ontario. [12]

The Canadian Province of Saskatchewan made workplace bullying illegal in 2007 by passing The Occupational Health and Safety (Harassment Prevention) Amendment Act, 2007. The act broadened the definition of harassment, as defined in the The Occupational Health and Safety Act 1993, to include psychological harassment.[13]

Ireland

In Ireland, there is a Code of Practice for employers and employees on the prevention and resolution of bullying at work.[14] The Code notes the provision in the Safety, Health and Welfare Act 2005 requiring employers to manage work activities to prevent improper conduct or behaviour at work. The Code of Practice provides both employer and employee with the means and the machinery to identify and to stamp out bullying in the workplace in a way which benefits all sides.

Sweden

Workplace bullying in Sweden is covered by the Ordinance of the Swedish National Board of Occupational Safety and Health containing Provisions on measures against Victimization at Work, which defines victimisation as “…recurrent reprehensible or distinctly negative actions which are directed against individual employees in an offensive manner and can result in those employees being placed outside the workplace community.”[15]

The act places the onus on employers to plan and organise work so as to prevent victimisation and to make it clear to employees that victimisation is not acceptable. The employer is also responsible for the early detection of signs of victimisation, prompt counter measures to deal with victimisation and making support available to employees who have been targeted.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, although bullying is not specifically mentioned in workplace legislation, there are means to obtain legal redress for bullying. The Protection from Harassment Act 1997[16] is a recent addition to the more traditional approaches using employment-only legislation. Notable cases include Majrowski v Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust wherein it was held that an employer is vicariously liable for one employee’s harassment of another, and Green v DB Group Services (UK) Ltd, where a bullied worker was awarded over £800,000 in damages. In the latter case, at paragraph 99, the judge Mr Justice Owen said:

“…I am satisfied that the behaviour amounted to a deliberate and concerted campaign of bullying within the ordinary meaning of that term.”
Bullying behaviour breaches other UK laws. An implied term of every employment contract in the UK is that parties to the contract have a (legal) duty of trust and confidence to each other. Bullying, or an employer tolerating bullying, typically breaches that contractual term. Such a breach creates circumstances entitling an employee to terminate his or her contract of employment without notice, which can lead to a finding by an Employment Tribunal of unfair dismissal, colloquially called constructive dismissal. An employee bullied in response to asserting a statutory right can be compensated for the detriment under Part V of the Employment Rights Act 1996, and if dismissed, Part X of the same Act provides that the dismissal is automatically unfair. Where a person is bullied on grounds of sex, race or disability et al, it is outlawed under anti-discrimination laws.

It was argued, following the obiter comments of Lord Hoffman in Johnson v. Unisys in March 2001,[17][18] that claims could be made before an Employment Tribunal for injury to feelings arising from unfair dismissal. It was re-established that this was not what the law provided, in Dunnachie v Kingston upon Hull City Council, July 2004 [19] wherein the Lords confirmed that the position established in Norton Tool v Tewson in 1972, that compensation for unfair dismissal was limited to financial loss alone. Unfair dismissal compensation is subject to a statutory cap set at £60600 from Feb 2006. Discriminatory dismissal continues to attract compensation for injury to feelings and financial loss, and there is no statutory cap.

United States

In the United States, comprehensive workplace bullying legislation has yet to be passed by the federal government or by any U.S. state government, but since 2003, many state legislatures have considered bills.[20] As of October 2007, 13 U.S. states have proposed legislation; these are:[21]

New Jersey (2007)
Washington (2007, 2005)
New York (2006)
Vermont (2007)
Oregon (2007, 2005)
Montana (2007)
Connecticut (2007)
Hawaii (2007, 2006, 2005, 2004)
Oklahoma (2007, 2004)
Kansas (2006)
Missouri (2006)
Massachusetts (2005)
California (2003)
These workplace bullying bills have typically allowed employees to sue their employers for creating an “abusive work environment,” and most have been supported by the notion that laws against workplace bullying are necessary to protect public health.

Although most U.S. states operate under the 19th Century doctrine of at-will employment (which, in theory, allows an employer to fire an employee for any reason or no reason), American workers have gained significant legal leverage through discrimination and harassment laws, workplace safety laws, union-protection laws. etc., such that it would be illegal under federal and the laws of most states to fire employees for a whole host of reasons. These employment laws typically forbid retaliation for good faith complaints or exercising legal rights, such as organizing a union. Discrimination and harassment laws enable employees to sue for creating a “hostile work environment,” which can include bullying, but the bullying/hostility must be tied in some way to a characteristic protected under the discrimination/harassment law, such as race, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, etc.

References

1 Tracy, Lutgen-Sandvik, and AlbertsNightmares, Demons and Slaves, Exploring the Painful Metaphors of Workplace Bullying, 2006
2 Namie, Gary and Ruth Workplace Bullying Institute Brochure
3 Lutgen-Sandvik, Pamela Take This Job and . . . : Quitting and Other Forms of Resistance to Workplace Bullying
4 Lutgin-Sandvik, Pamela, The Communicative Cycle of Employee Emotional Abuse, 2003
5 Bully Busters Workplace Bullying Defined
6Namie, Gary and Ruth The WBI 2003 Report on Abusive Workplaces
7 Hare, Robert and Babiak, Paul, Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work Harper Collins, 2006
8 Worksafe, Victorian Workcover Authority
9 Commission des normes du travail
10 Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act 1979 Ministry of Labor, Ontario, Canada
11 Workplace Violence Ministry of Labor, Ontario, Canada
12 Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada
13 The Occupational Health and Safety (Harassment Prevention) Amendment Act, 2007 in Saskatchewan
14 Republic of Ireland – 2007 Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work
15 Ordinance of the Swedish National Board of Occupational Safety and Health containing Provisions on measures against Victimization at Work AFS 1993:17 Official English translation
16 Protection from Harassment Act 1997
17 Judgments – Johnson (A.P.) v. Unisys Limited, Uk Parliament – Publications
18 Johnson v Unisys Ltd [2001 IRLR 279 House of Lords], Case Summaries, Equal Opportunities Commission, UK
19 Dunnachie v Kingston upon Hull City Council 2004
20 Said, Caroline (2007-01-21). Bullying bosses could be busted: Movement against worst workplace abusers gains momentum with proposed laws. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-10-19.
21 Workplace Bullying Institute

Source:
http://www.autism-adults.org/adults-bullying-aspergers.htm

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First Published Wednesday, 9th July, 2008.

Autistic man found after week lost in Wisconsin woods back home


Undated courtesy photo of Keith Kennedy, the 25 year old autistic man who went missing from the Trade Lake Camp near Grantsburg Wis. on June 15. 2008. He is from Minneapolis. Kennedy is autistic and medically fragile due to a recent kidney transplant. He was last seen wearing an orange shirt. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should contact the THE BURNETT COUNTY SHERIFF S DEPT at 715-349-2128.

Keith Kennedy is back in his home.


Kennedy, 25, left the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, on Saturday, two weeks after he was found clinging to life in the woods of northwestern Wisconsin.


In a message posted Monday at Kennedy’s Caring Bridge Web site — www.caringbridge.org/visit/keithkennedy1 — his family said he was back in his Shoreview group home “enjoying the comforts of his own room …”


“Everybody is unified in the desire to fatten up this skinny dude!” the message read.


Kennedy, who has autism, wandered away from a camp for adults with developmental disabilities near Grantsburg, Wis., June 15 and wasn’t seen for a week.


Hundreds of searchers scoured dozens of square miles of fields and overgrown forest before finding Kennedy lying in a fetal position near a stream about a mile west of the camp.


He had gone without an anti-rejection medication for a kidney transplant the entire week and was taken to the U of M hospital in critical condition.


He has steadily improved since then and is now eating and walking on his own.


Source:  http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_9809377?source=rss



First Published Monday, 7th July, 2008.

Scales of Justice

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW — 7/03/08

Meat company settles suit over harassment of employee with Asperger’s Syndrome


A New York-based meat fabricator and distributor will pay $70,000 to settle a disability discrimination and retaliation suit brought by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced June 18, 2008. The EEOC claimed that London Manhattan Corp unlawfully subjected an employee to a hostile work environment because of his Asperger’s Syndrome and then fired him for complaining.


The harassment included tying the employee with masking tape, putting gel in his hair, littering his work area with pornographic pictures and wrapping his legs with plastic with a meat-wrapping machine, according to the EEOC’s lawsuit SDNY, No 07-8249 (LTS) (KNF)). The federal agency also alleged that London Manhattan unlawfully retaliated against the employee by discharging him shortly after he complained about the humiliating treatment.


The lawsuit was resolved by a consent decree signed by Judge Laura Taylor Swain on June 16, 2008 in New York. In addition to paying the victim $70,000, London Manhattan must also take substantial steps to prevent future workplace harassment. The company is required to: post and maintain EEOC remedial notices and posters; provide training to all employees regarding federal laws prohibiting discrimination; and adopt and maintain an antidiscrimination policy and complaint procedure. London Manhattan is also enjoined from discriminating against any individual on the basis of his or her disability and from retaliating against anyone who participated in the EEOC’s investigation or litigation of this case.


“Employees with a disability have a legal right to work in an environment that is free from harassment and abuse,” said EEOC New York District Director Spencer H. Lewis, Jr. “We are very pleased London Manhattan agreed to settle this case without protracted litigation and that it is taking steps to prevent future workplace discrimination,” added Adela Santos, the EEOC trial attorney assigned to the case.


Source: http://hr.cch.com/news/employment/070308a.asp



First Published Sunday, 6th July, 2008.

Little Wall Lake, Iowa

FWD:  *From ASAN-Iowa leader Jeff Gitchel:


*The Honorable Dennis Cohoon
816 Randall Lane
P.O. Box 157
Burlington IA 52601


Dear Representative Cohoon,


I am an autistic father of two autistic sons. I live and work in downtown
Des Moines, and am a volunteer advocate for my fellow Autistics. I publish a
weblog (Perseveration. org) dedicated to Autistic advocacy, and am affiliated
with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a national non-profit organization
run by and for Autistics.


I am writing in regard to a deficit in House File 2031, which is currently
in sub-committee in the Education Committee. I hope to correct what may have
been an oversight in Section 2, which creates an Autism Council to advise
the State Board of Education and Board of Educational Examiners on “best
practices which school districts and accredited nonpublic schools can
utilize to better educate and assist students with autism spectrum
disorders.”


According to HF 2031 Sec 2-2, “The membership shall include parents of
children with autism, school district administrators, teachers,
representatives of area education agencies, representatives of accredited
nonpublic schools, autism research specialists, physicians who possess a
background or expertise in a pertinent medical field such as psychiatry or
behavioral science, and individuals with a recognized expertise in the best
practices for providing instruction to children with autism.” Although I
applaud the effort to be inclusive, there is one very important group that
is not being asked to contribute its experience and insight. *The proposed
council does not include any adult Autistics*.


Despite popular misconceptions, autism does not disappear at adulthood. Many
grown Autistics live independently and join the workforce. Many raise
families, and some raise autistic children. Adult Autistics can contribute a
unique and invaluable perspective on the education of autistic children,
since they represent the end result of the educational process. Only they
can offer a firsthand, long-term evaluation of what works, and what doesn’t.
Theirs is a perspective we can not afford to neglect when considering the
futures of autistic children.


I recommend that the language of HF 2031 Sec 2-2 be modified to be similar
to SF 2425 Sec. 126-2a (256.35A), recently signed by the Governor, which
creates the Iowa Autism Council. It reads, in part, “The majority of the
voting members shall be individuals with autism or members of their
families.”


Specifically creating a place for autistic adults on this advisory council
is the best way to inform its deliberations with an involved, intimate
understanding of the relationship between education and autism.


Sincerely,


Jeff Gitchel
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
jeff@perseveration. org
Perseveration. org



First Published Saturday, 5th July, 2008.

spectrum rose

What’s In A Label?


The NAS Autism Helpline is frequently contacted by parents who are puzzled by the diagnostic label their child has been given. Confusion is also expressed on many online forums and in support groups, both on and offline the world over, by both those on the spectrum and their families. Most parents are now familiar with the terms ‘autism’ and ‘autistic spectrum disorder’, but problems arise with a range of other diagnoses where the relationship to the autistic spectrum is not clear. In the following article, Lorna Wing helps provide clarity.

The use and misuse of diagnostic labels


Clarification is important because, whatever other condition may also be present, when a child or adult has an autistic spectrum disorder, this has a major effect in determining the needs of the person concerned. Providing the right kind of help and services is essential for the person’s future progress and quality of life. The right diagnosis and the right help also makes life much easier for the person’s family.

1. Terms used for autistic disorders


Autistic spectrum disorders

Commonly used to cover the whole range of conditions that have in common the triad of impairment of social interaction, social communication and social imagination. This triad is associated with a repetitive pattern of behaviour. The social interaction impairment is the most important part of the triad so people who have this on its own can be included in the spectrum. This is particularly relevant for people coming for a diagnosis later in childhood or adult life. They may have learned to compensate for their disabilities in communication and imagination, but the social interaction impairment is still evident even though it may be shown in subtle ways.


Pervasive developmental disorders

Used in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10) and the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th edition (DSM-IV) to cover more or less the same range as autistic spectrum disorders.


Childhood autism (ICD-10)

Used when the person’s behaviour fits the full picture of typical autism.


Autistic disorder (DSM-IV)

This is the same as childhood autism.


Atypical autism (ICD-10)

Used when the person’s behaviour pattern fits most but not all the criteria for typical autism.


Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)

This is more or less the same as atypical autism.


Asperger’s syndrome (ICD-10)/Asperger disorder (DSM-IV)

Briefly, this is used for more able people who have good grammatical language but use it mainly to talk about their special interests.

2.  Labels sometimes used for particular patterns of disabilities and/or behaviour that can be found among people with autistic spectrum disorders


Some professionals in the field have picked out particular patterns of disabilities and/or behaviour that can be seen in some people with autistic spectrum disorders, and have named them as separate syndromes.


There is disagreement as to whether these so-called syndromes can ever occur on their own without the social, communication and imagination impairments that are diagnostic of an autistic spectrum disorder.


My own view, shared by many colleagues, is that they are part of the autistic spectrum, as is shown when a detailed developmental history is taken.


Non-verbal learning disorder(NVLD)

Study of the criteria for this condition shows that it covers people with the social behaviour pattern of Asperger syndrome, who also have problems with the non-verbal skills of arithmetic and some visuo-spatial skills. Asperger included such people in his descriptions but also included people with social problems who were very good with numbers and visuo-spatial skills.


Right hemisphere learning disorder

The same as non-verbal learning disorder. The non-verbal learning problems mentioned above are mainly located in the right hemisphere.


Semantic-pragmatic disorder

Good grammatical language but lack of ability to use language in a socially appropriate manner. This pattern is characteristic of the people Asperger described.


Pathological demand avoidance (PDA)

Briefly, avoidance of everyday tasks and manipulative, socially inappropriate, in some cases aggressive, behaviour.

3.  Developmental disorders that are not in the autistic spectrum but often occur together with an autistic spectrum disorder


These developmental disorders can occur on their own – that is, the child or adult concerned does not have the triad of impairments. However, the disorders listed below very often occur as part of the picture of an autistic spectrum disorder.


One of the most common mistakes made by clinicians lacking experience with autistic disorders is to observe the person’s clumsiness, or reading difficulty, or poor attention span and to diagnose that as the main problem.


They miss the fact that underlying the obvious difficulties seen on the surface is an autistic spectrum disorder with the characteristic social impairments.


It is of the greatest importance that the autistic spectrum disorder is recognised and the appropriate help and services provided.


Attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD)

Poor attention span together with marked overactivity.


Hyperkinetic disorder

Marked overactivity without poor attention span.


Attention deficit disorder(ADD)

Poor attention span without marked overactivity.


Tourette’s syndrome

A condition in which the person has many sudden involuntary jerky movements and vocal noises they cannot control.


Dyslexia

Specific difficulty with reading.


Dyspraxia

Specific difficulty with co-ordinating movements.


Developmental co-ordination disorder

Same as dyspraxia


Disorder of attention, motor co-ordination and perception (DAMP)

Used when the person has a combination of these problems; the perceptual problem may, for example, be dyslexia.

4.  Physical conditions affecting the brain that can be associated with autistic spectrum disorders

There are a number of conditions of this kind that can be associated with autistic spectrum disorders. Just a few examples are:


Tuberous sclerosis

Fragile X

Rett’s syndrome

Brain damage following encephalitis


If a child or adult has one of these conditions together with an autistic spectrum disorder, the physical condition should have appropriate treatment.


The autistic spectrum disorder requires the type of treatment, education and other services as for any autistic spectrum disorder occurring on its own.

5. Terms used in the International Classification System that are applied to difficult behaviour


Conduct disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder


These labels are most unhelpful. They simply name the behaviour without any indication of the underlying cause.


It is possible for a child or adult with an autistic spectrum disorder to be given one of these diagnoses if a proper history is not taken and the proper psychological investigations are not carried out.


If this happens, the needs of the child or adult concerned and their family are likely to be misjudged, with disastrous results.


Advice for parents


If parents are given one or more of the labels listed under 2. – 5. above, but feel that their son or daughter has features of an autistic spectrum disorder, the first step is to discuss this with the professional who has made the diagnosis.


If this professional insists that autism, in any of its forms, is not present, the parents should ask to be referred to someone who specialises in the field of autistic spectrum disorders.

rainbow drops

The NAS Autism Helpline is able to give information about professionals with a special interest in autistic disorders in the UK.


Autism Helpline 0845 070 4004

Helpline advisors are available Monday-Friday, 10am – 4pm.

Email autismhelpline@nas.org.uk




Hawaiian Pipeline

HEADLINES

“Autistic child suffocated in therapeutic blanket”:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008/06/19/qc-autisticreport0619.html?ref=rss

“Woman jailed for starving autistic sister”:
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/446491

“Ignored psychiatric patient dies on hospital floor”:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=5284151&page=1

“Missing autistic man found alive”:
http://www.rivertowns.net/daily/nrn/c080623/

“Autistic man recovering well after a week lost in the woods”:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/06/23/manfoundfolo/?refid=0

“Campaign triggers government rethink”:
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.2364875.0.woodford_grn_campaign_triggers_government_rethink.php

“Autistic children to see $190m support”:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23923684-23289,00.html

“New Australian health programmes provide health checks for children and teen dental care”:
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=39662

“AutismLink, Autism Center of Pittsburgh denounce Senate Autism Bill”:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20080629/pl_usnw/autismlink__autism_center_of_pittsburgh_denounce_senate_autism_bill

“Judge upholds restraining order banning autistic boy from Minn. Church”:
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6888503&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

“Meeting to highlight autism needs”:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7480942.stm

“Autism service fast-track praised”:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3842596.ece

“Wales on target for MMR jab uptakes”:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/06/30/wales-on-target-for-mmr-jab-uptakes-91466-21170765/

“Widened coverage for autism is approved”:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20080703_Widened_coverage_for_autism_is_approved_Under_legislative_plan__private_insurers_and_Pa__would_share_cost_of_some_therapy_programs_.html

“Lt. Gov Kinder in Springfield to sign Autism Bill”:
http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=26341

“Autistic boy and Mom kicked off plane”:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5238571&page=1

“New Jersey Legislators rushing to summer vacation”:
http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/2463505.php?contentType=4&contentId=2301253

NAS “I Exist: help us make a difference in your local area”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1736&a=16754

“NAS International Conference 2008”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=404&a=16641

RESEARCH

“Mental and physical exercise improves genetic mental impairment”:
http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=112338

“Drug reverses MR caused by genetic disorder”:
http://www.eurekalert..org/pub_releases/2008-06/uoc–drm062008.php

“Scientists find childbirth wonder drug that can ‘cure’ shyness”:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1028462/Scientists-childbirth-wonder-drug-cure-shyness.html

“Shyness drug could boost confidence”:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/2175030/Shyness-drug-could-boost-confidence.html

“Lack of Fragile X and related gene fractures sleep”:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113065.php

“Mental state decoding v. mental state reasoning as a mediator between cognitive and social function in psychosis”:
http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/193/1/77

“Principal components analysis of a large cohort with Tourette syndrome”:
http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/abstract/193/1/31

“Transplant drug may ease disorder linked to autism”:
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mental-health/mg19826623.700-transplant-drug-may-ease-disorder-linked-to-autism.html

“Impairments in phonological processing and nonverbal intellectual function in parents of autistic children”:
http://www.citeulike.org/group/454/article/2924175

“Fragile X: Unravelling autism’s secrets”:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1818268,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

EDUCATION

“Restraint and seclusion on children with disabilities in Florida public schools”:
http://ednews.org/articles/26683/1/Restraint-and-Seclusion-on-Children-with-Disabilities-in-Florida-Public-Schools/Page1.html

“Cashion autism case might not be finished”:
http://newsok.com/cashion-autism-case-might-not-be-finished/article/3260283

“Missing autism class photo ‘Not intentional”:
http://www.kcra.com/news/16648501/detail.html

“Small school may share head teachers”:
http://www.berwickshire-news.co.uk/news/Small-school-may-share-head.4220639.jp

“Budding filmmaker graduates 2nd in class”:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/someone_you_should_know&id=6225632

“Grad meets own challenge”:
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_9598091

Can video games teach kids? “Capcom sets out to ‘brainwash’ kids”:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/vdunet/20080630/ttc-capcom-sets-out-to-brainwash-kids-6315470.html

EMPLOYMENT

“Making it on their own: Autistic men learn to succeed”:
http://www.sharonherald.com/local/local_story_181213532.html

“Vita Europe: Social enterprises boom despite lack of ad hoc law”

Excerpt…
Poland: Doing things different: an enterprise for people with autism
Twenty four adults who, because of their autism, would have never found a job in Poland’s open labour market earn a living thanks to a social enterprise founded and run by the Synapsis Foundation, that provides one on one assistance with instructors and psychologists. The Different Things workshop is made up of several sections, including professional printing and bookbinding services, ceramic designs, and stained glass and woodcraft artifacts. The products are available online (http://rzeczyrozne.pl). Although the enterprise is struggling to reach financial sustainability, the enterprise is one of its kind in Poland and hopes to be a model of best practice for other organizations that work with the disabled.

http://beta.vita.it/news/view/83043

“Auties.org”:
Individuality, Diversity, Equality, Achievement

Auties.org is an Aspie & Autie friendly site for all people on the Autistic Spectrum who are ready to dare reach out to occupation and employment, open the doors to the community and market their abilities directly to the public and for those interested in supporting these pioneers. http://www.auties.org/


“Prospects”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=473&a=2348


“AutismJobs”:
Linking job seekers with vacancies in work related to autism, Aspergers and ASDs
http://www.autismjobs.org/?section=00010009


“Current job vacancies within the NAS”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=170

For further employment information, please view”:
http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/employment_on_the_autism_spectrum.htm

GENERAL/HUMAN INTEREST

“Lego UK sets a force-ful record by assembling over 30,000 Star Wars figurines”:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/techdigest/20080630/ttc-lego-uk-sets-a-force-ful-record-by-a-e870a33.html

“Bracelets help track the lost”:
http://www.startribune.com/local/22179889.html?location_refer=Homepage:highlightModules:1

“UM researchers help teach autistic and Down Syndrome kids to ride bikes”:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs..dll/article?AID=/20080620/BLOG12/80620082

“Movement for life a link for children with special needs”:
http://www.theunion.com/article/20080623/TODAYSFEATURE/726391789/-1/rss02

“Lebanese autism society hosts event to raise funds and awareness”:
http://www..dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=93194

“KiDazzles gives children with disabilities a place of their own”:
http://www.citizenet.com/news/2008/jun/24/kidazzles-gives-children-disabilities-place-their-/

“Dream night at Dalton Zoo”:
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/barrow/1.132196

“Grandad ready for epic charity hitchhike”:
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED28%20Jun%202008%2009%3A28%3A28%3A960

“Charity ghost hunt, Vale Park”:
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=158315&command=displayContent&sourceNode=158315&contentPK=20980007&folderPk=87654

“Father and son are top dragon slayers”:
http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/news/2361796.father_and_son_are_top_dragon_slayers/

“Animal angels with a special task”:
http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/all-autism.6441327jun09,0,5598246.story

“Dream of camp for autistic kids now a reality”:
http://www.theheraldbulletin.com/local/local_story_180210352.html

“Former camper overcomes adversity, becomes volunteer”:
http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com/features/local_story_180154911.html

“Bill Gates bids a teary farewell to Microsoft”:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080627/tts-uk-microsoft-gates-ca02f96.html

ADD/ADHD

“FDA approves Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development…extended release tablets”:
http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=101814&full=1

“Pediatricians can help families define – and treat ADHD”:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/health/ci_9652270?source=rss

“Early ritalin may cause long-term effects on the brain”:
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/4915

“DNA all over the place”:
http://www.economist..com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11580690&fsrc=RSS

“Amphetamine abuse tied to heart attack at young age”:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=amphetamine-abuse-tied-to

“adders.org”
Our objective is to promote awareness to AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and to provide information and as much free practical help as we can to affected by the condition, both adults and children, their families in the UK and around the World via this website.
http://www.adders.org/

“ADDISS” The National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service..
http://www.addiss.co.uk/index.html


“
ADDA”:
http://www.add.org/


“
hi2u ADHD Pages”:
http://www.adhd..org.uk/


“
CHADD”:
http://www.chadd.org/am/CustomPages/home/CHADD_Home.htm?CFID=2282059&CFTOKEN=38105335&jsessionid=f2303343221169802693562

Book “The ADHD Handbook”:
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781853027567

SPORT

“Free sports for youngsters in Fleetwood”:
http://www.fleetwoodtoday.co.uk/fleetwood-sport/Free-sports-for-youngsters-in.4218734.jp

“Golf suits special needs kids to a tee”:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/foxvalleysun/sports/1034223,2_6_5_FV03_GOLF_S1.article

“Run around the world for charity”:
http://www.mk-news.co.uk/mknews/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=326112

“Grab a ‘Pisa’ the action: trek Tuscany this September!”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16690

“Fundraising events in Northern Ireland”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16812

“Four dive in to help out for Middlesbrough’s main charity”:
http://ts4.gazettelive.co.uk/2008/06/four_dive_in_to_help_out_for_m.html

“Sky diving: take the plunge for the NAS”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16319


“Support NAS Scotland … by eating Sunday lunch”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16282


“The London Triathlon 2008 – 9th-10
th August”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16295


“Adidas Women’s 5k Challenge – 7
th September, 2008”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16296


Newcastle & Portsmouth “BUPA Great North Run 2008 – World’s Biggest Half Marathon – 5
th October”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16132


“Sahara Desert Trek – 8
th-15th November, 2008”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16303


“Cycle China 2009 – 19th-29
th March”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16305


“Trek the Inca Trail 2009 – 14th-23
rd May”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16310

“Trek Jordan 2009 – 10th-14th September”:
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1667&a=16314

MUSIC

“Piano program strikes a chord with autistic kids”:
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-liaut065715746jun06,0,6374388.story

“My job: Music therapist”:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/11/story.cfm?c_id=11&objectid=10518120

“The Jazz of Matt Savage”:
http://www.savagerecords.com/

ART

“Natural Pop Artist Jessica Park’s book offers a window into her dazzling work”:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/06-30-2008/0004841477&EDATE=

CATHERINE MOUET et GILLES TREHIN:
http://trehinp.dyndns.org/urville/

YouTube Video – “Urville: The Imaginary City”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxAR9dnSuQM

Gilles Trehin – The City of Urville:
http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome/savant_profiles/gilles_trehin

BOOK “Urville”

Author Information:

Gilles Tréhin is 32 years old and autistic. He has exceptional talents in mathematics, music, languages and art. He has been developing his vision of Urville since the age of 15, and drawing since the age of 5. His father is vice-president of Autism-Europe, Belgium.
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843104193

MOVIES/ENTERTAINMENT

“Actors for Autism”:
http://www.actorsforautism.com/

“Josh Hartnett and Adam Godley to headline Rain Man in London”:
http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=568069

“Doc sales made for September Films”:
http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=september062608.htm

BOOKS

“New book release about Downs Syndrome, Autistic Catatonia and Bipolar Disorder”:
http://www.pr.com/press-release/92867

coming soon “Adults on the Autism Spectrum Leave the Nest:

Achieving Supported Independence”

Author: Nancy Perry
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843109044

coming soon “A Book About What Autism Can Be Like”

Author: Sue Adams
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843109402

coming soon “Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Practical Resource of Play Ideas for Parents and Carers”

Author: Julia Moor
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843106081

coming soon “Alphabet Kids – From ADD to Zellweger Syndrome”

Author: Robbie Woliver
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108801

“Guiding Your Teenager with Special Needs through the Transition from School to Adult Life: Tools for Parents”

Author: Mary Korpi
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108740

“Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome”

Author: Ann Palmer
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843108016

“Succeeding in College with Asperger Syndrome: A Student Guide

Authors: John Harpur, Maria Lawlor and Michael Fitzgerald
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843102014

“Employment for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome or Non-Verbal Learning Disability: Stories and Strategies”

Author: Yvona Fast
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843107668

“Crystalline Lifetime: Fragments of Asperger Syndrome”

Author: Luke Jackson
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843104438

“Embracing the Sky: Poems beyond Disability”

Author: Craig Romkema
http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php/isbn/9781843107286

plumeria

Summer is with us here in the UK with soaring temperatures and balmy nights, a very welcome change from “the Summer that never was – 2007” :)! If you live in the UK, you’ll know what I mean. However, the change in season and routine can throw many on the spectrum off course, so to hopefully give us a few pointers to help along the way, those over at Suite 101 have been busy compiling a list or two…

Sunset at the Fair

“Summer Schedules that Work: Transitions to Summer with Kids Who Are Autistic”:
http://autistic-child-parenting.suite101.com/article.cfm/summer_schedules_that_work

“Vacationing with an Autistic Child: Tips for Traveling with Children with Special Needs”:
http://autistic-child-parenting.suite101.com/article.cfm/vacationing_with_an_autistic_child

“Summer Guide: Crafts, Recipes, Coloring Pages, Printables, Fun, Games, Activities, Hiking, Biking & Movie Fun”:
http://holidays.kaboose.com/summer/

Disney's Magic Kingdom

“Tips for Autistic Children at Disney World”:
http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/dis_aut2.htm

Mickey

”The Official Home Page For All Things Disney”:
http://home.disney.co.uk/

Happy Independence Day to those celebrating.4th July

For those heading into Summer, stay safe, have fun and may Summer 2008 be a memorable one. For those experiencing the Winter, stay well and think warm!

Take Care,

Julie

beachside dining



First Published Tuesday, 1st July, 2008.

Sheriff's badge

FWD:  Please Circulate Far & Wide!


Please Support Gene Debbaudt for Sheriff of Kent County, Michigan


July 1, 2008


Dear Autism Advocates,


Some of you may know know my brother Gene. Gene and his family have
been a terrific source of support for our family, especially for our
son Brad, a young man who has autism.


Gene has been an advisor for autism and law enforcement books and
videos. He’s also taken the time to present at the Autism Society of
America’s Safe and Sound conference in Minneapolis in 2006. In
short, Gene has supported and spoken out for all of our families.


Gene is now a candidate for Sheriff of Kent County – and needs our
support. Gene will always continue his efforts for children and
adults affected by autism, their families and friends. With Gene
Debbaudt as the elected Sheriff of Kent County, a strong and
concerned leader will be there for all citizens including those with
autism and other exceptionalities.


Visit Gene’s web site at:
http://www.debbaudt forsheriff. com>http://www.debbaudt forsheriff. com


Please forward this email to your friends and family in Kent county
and support the Gene Debbaudt for Sheriff 2008 campaign in any way you can.


Thank you and enjoy the summer months!


Dennis Debbaudt