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05:52 Monday 25 November 2013
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Written by GARETH MCPHERSON
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An expert from Cambridge University has said he is underwhelmed by the Government’s efforts to improve support for people with autism.
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Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, director of Cambridge’s Autism Research Centre, said the optimism brought on by the Autism Act has been diminished by a lack of spending – and suggested punishing regions who do not offer a good enough service.
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In an interview with John Bercow MP, who has a son with autism, at a National Autistic Society (NAS) event, Prof Baron-Cohen said he was most concerned about the Government’s policy of “decentralisationâ€, which means no-one takes responsibility for monitoring or naming and shaming regions that are failing.
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He said: “The Autism Act in 2009 was a cause of celebration, because at last people with autism – especially adults who had been under the radar for services and support – were finally being discussed by the House of Commons. But four years on, Baron-Cohen, who accepts it is still early days, is worried.
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He added: “All the Autism Act did was to call on the Department of Health to implement an autism strategy. That was fine, although it left the details to be worked out.
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“In 2010, the DH published the Autism Strategy and on paper it looked good. But good intentions – to ensure rapid access to diagnosis, and a quick route to the clinical pathway of receiving life-long post-diagnosis support – need extra spending, and even penalties on those regions that are not delivering an excellent service.
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“Regretfully, in too many parts of the country, services are still very patchy.â€
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A NAS survey found too many adults with the condition are still waiting for support. It revealed 77 per cent of respondents need help managing money, but only 4 per cent receive support.
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Source:

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ASAN is proud to announce that Empowering Leadership is now available on our website as a free PDF! This book is an introduction to campus activism written for and by students with disabilities who want to organize on their campus. Co-published by ASAN and The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, Empowering Leadership includes guides on navigating a disability services program, handling discrimination on campus, networking, accommodations, and more.
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Young people with disabilities who want to make change at their school — either by forming a group to tackle broader social issues or by advocating for disability rights on campus — face many barriers to making that happen. The established routines and methods for achieving specific kinds of change are not widely known. ASAN Â and The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation wanted to change this, so we have created a new resource aimed at speaking directly to young adults with disabilities who wish to navigate activism and advocacy at their school–and now that resource is free online!
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Empowering Leadership is available as a free printer-friendly PDF, but if you prefer a physical paperback copy, it’s also available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you have any questions or are interested in arranging a bulk order of print copies of Empowering Leadership, feel free to contact Julia Bascom, ASAN’s Director of Programs, at jbascom@autisti cadvocacy.org.

By Therese J. Borchard
Cicero said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.†The English preacher John Henry Jowett wrote that “every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.†And according to Aseop Fables, “gratitude is the sign of noble souls.†A dear professor of mine just acknowledged a thank-you note I sent him and told me that “gratitude is the sign of maturity and wisdom.â€
I don’t feel like I’m very good at gratitude. This virtue comes hard to a depressive whose first thoughts are seldom positive. It has only been with much work and lots of practice that I have been able to cultivate gratitude and be genuinely thankful. Here are 12 techniques I use to help me get to the parent of all virtues.
 
Creating a Peaceful Holiday for your Family
Buck Black, LCSW Updated: Nov 18th 2009
Read in Full:Â
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=33852&cn=116
Related Articles:
- *A Primer on Coping (and some Holiday applications) – A Mental …
- *Anger Management Relaxation Techniques
- *Self-Help For The Holidays – A Mental Health Reader
- *Do Disrespectful People Make You Angry? – Buck Black, LCSW
- *Is the economy ruining your holiday season? 5 steps to a better holiday
Monica J. Foster
Read in Full:Â
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art64323.asp

Children’s Thanksgiving Art & Craft SitesÂ
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/thanksgiving/Â
http://holidays.kaboose.com/thanksgiving/index.html
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/thanksgiving.htm
“Thanksgiving Activities for Kids & Teachersâ€
http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Thanksgiving/
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/index.htmlÂ
http://www.thekidzpage.com/thanksgiving_games/index.html
http://crafts.suite101.com/article.cfm/thanksgiving_crafts_for_kids
Thanksgiving Social Story from Slater Software:
http://www.yaiautismcommunity.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Thanksgiving-Social-Story.pdf

History of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving RecipesÂ
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http://www.oph-good-housekeeping.com/thanksgiving-recipes.html
 http://www.momswhothink.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-recipes.html
http://kidscooking.about.com/od/thanksgivingrecipes/ig/Thanksgiving-Recipes/
http://thanksgiving.betterrecipes.com/
 http://www.recipe.com/recipes/thanksgiving/

Additional Articles
“Don’t Let Your Thanksgiving Turn Into A Real Turkey, Tips For Avoiding Stress-Outsâ€:

Last Thursday I told you about Robyn Hadley, whose brother Skyler tragically died in a motorbike accident in May. The day before yesterday, Robyn took the place Skyler had booked for himself in the Great North Run and ran in her brother’s memory.
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Robyn did so well on Sunday, beating her personal target of 2:15 and completing the run in 2:09. She asked me to send a message of thanks to everyone who supported her and wrote such heartfelt messages of support.
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“I am completely overwhelmed by the support and the lovely messages from so many people who I haven’t met. I have read every single message and I wish I could say thank you to everyone personallyâ€.Â
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We’re sure her big brother would be proud of her. We certainly are – what Robyn has done is incredible. Â
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If you didn’t get the chance to sponsor Robyn beforehand but would still like to then please visit her justgiving page.Â
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On behalf of Robyn and from everyone at The National Autistic Society, thank you for your support.
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With kind regards,
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Dave
Head of Supporter Fundraising

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In just two and a half weeks, uninsured Americans will be able to shop for coverage and access health insurance subsidies through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces. Already, many states have adopted or are preparing to adopt new Medicaid state options on expanding community services created by the ACA. Yet, as we grow closer and closer to the full implementation of the landmark health insurance law, many in the disability community are unfamiliar with how the Affordable Care Act will impact them. In addition, advocates looking to monitor and enhance implementation of the ACA for people with disabilities are frequently left without a clear and comprehensive description of opportunities and challenges yet to come under the ACA.
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Thanks to the generous support of the Special Hope Foundation, ASAN has produced a new policy brief that aims to address these issues. Entitled The Affordable Care Act and the I/DD Community: An Overview of the Law and Advocacy Priorities Going Forward, this brief provides a summary of relevant provisions of the ACA and analyzes opportunities for advocates to enhance the impact of the law’s implementation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We provide it as a tool for state and federal I/DD advocates looking to shape the law’s implementation.
Download a copy here and let us know what you think by e-mailing info@autisticadvocacy.org. Feel free to share with your friends.
ASAN would like to thank the Special Hope Foundation for supporting the development of this policy brief.

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Two weeks after the London Marathon this year, I was devastated to receive the news that one of our runners, Skyler James Hadley, had been tragically killed in a motorbike
accident.
Skyler had planned to run the Great North Run this Sunday. His sister Robyn will take his place and run the half marathon in memory of her brother.Â
Skyler and Robyn’s story moved me to tears, which is why I’m sharing it with you. Please support Robyn today as she runs in memory of her brother.Â
Dave
Head of Supporter Fundraising
At 3pm on Sunday 5 May 2013, my brother, Skyler James Hadley, died too soon in a motorbike accident. Skyler was 22 years old and had Asperger syndrome.Â
He found life challenging and difficult at times – but that never stopped him loving and living life to the full. He found love with his girlfriend Caroline and they spent over two years together going to festivals, visiting Doctor Who and Harry Potter exhibitions, but most importantly diving – which is how they met.
In April 2013 Skyler ran the London Marathon to raise money for others living with autism. He completed the run in an incredible 5 hours 22 minutes and was due to run the Great North Run this Sunday. Caroline asked me to run in his memory and I’ve been in training ever since.
The National Autistic Society helped Skyler and our parents so much when he was growing up, facing the daily challenges of living with autism. With just two days to go the idea of running a half marathon is daunting and I’m feeling really nervous, but I’m determined to do this – for my brother, to say thank you for all the help the NAS give families like ours, and to help people like Skyler. I miss him every day.Â
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Please sponsor me today– everything I raise is going to the NAS.
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Keep everything crossed for me on Sunday.Â
Robyn

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We Need Your Help!
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For too long people with invisible disabilities have been left out of the unemployment services system. Although people with invisible disabilities have incredibly high unemployment rates, many workforce developers at American Job Centers (AJCs) (old name One Stop Career Centers) have shared that they feel inadequately equppied to work with this population. They need more education.
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To help address this problem, ASAN is conducting a Secret Shopper program. People with invisible disabilities such as autism who want to be Secret Shoppers will visit American Job Centers and then share their experiences with ASAN through an online questionnaire. This questionnaire will help ASAN develop educational materials based on the Secret Shopper experiences. These materials will be shared with the AJCs to help create individual and system level change and improve inclusion of individuals with invisible disabilities.
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We are currently recruiting participants who have invisible disabilities to visit their local AJC. Each participant will be given a stipend of $50 at the completion of the project.Â
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Please email Melody Latimer at mlatimer@autisticadvocacy.org for more information.Â
Deadline to visit your local AJC and fill out the online questionnaire is September 30!

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ASAN is proud to announce that Navigating College: A Handbook on Self Advocacy Written for Autistic Students from Autistic Adults is now available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com!
Leaving high school and going to college is complicated for everyone. But if you’re a student on the autism spectrum who is about to enter higher education for the first time, it might be a little bit more complicated for you. Maybe you’re worried about getting accommodations, getting places on time, or dealing with sensory issues in a new environment. Maybe you could use some advice on how to stay healthy at school, handle dating and relationships, or talk to your friends and classmates about your disability. Maybe you want to talk to someone who’s already dealt with these issues. That’s where we come in.
Navigating College is an introduction to the college experience from those of us who’ve been there. The writers and contributors are Autistic adults, and we’re giving you the advice that we wish someone could have given us when we headed off to college. We wish we could sit down and have a chat with each of you, to share our experiences and answer your questions. But since we can’t teleport, and some of us have trouble meeting new people, this book is the next best thing. So as you go back to school, check out a copy of Navigating College for yourself or your loved one. We’ve done this all before–let us help you out.

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The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is honored to join The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation in presenting Empowering Leadership: A Systems Change Guide for Autistic College Students and Those With Other Disabilities, a resource for equipping the next generation of leaders in the disability rights movement.
Empowering Leadership is a clear, detailed guide to help college students with disabilities build a strong community of disability activists at their school, practice effective self-advocacy, and ensure that the legacy of disability advocacy continues long after they have graduated. Â In this handbook, you will find in-depth information on establishing a disability advocacy group at your school, navigating disability and mental health services, and ensuring that disabled students have a voice on campus. Among the wealth of content in this handbook is information on how to determine the difference between reasonable and unreasonable accommodations and how to request reasonable accommodation, tips on organizing meetings and events, and a variety of other tools and strategies for equipping student activists to effectively advocate for change on campus, share disability culture, and make the most of their college experience.

By Hugo Gye
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A three-year-old autistic girl has made a splash in the art world with her extraordinary paintings.
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Iris Grace Halmshaw began doing art as therapy, but when her parents decided to put the works on sale they began fetching prices of up to £830.
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And painting has also helped improve the youngster’s condition – she is now eager to play with her parents and has adopted a much happier demeanour.
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Her mother Arabella Carter-Johnson, of Market Harborough in Leicestershire, said she had received positive feedback since posting her daughter’s paintings on Facebook.
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‘We realised about three months ago she is actually really talented,’ she said. ‘Inquiries to buy her paintings were flooding in from all over the world and a framed print sold in a charity auction in London for £830.’
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Iris Grace’s financier father, Peter-Jon Halmshaw, added: ‘When she started doing art therapy we thought it was amazing, but we’re her parents so we think everything she does is amazing.
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‘But lots of other people started saying it was great. It went berserk from there.’
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So far, the family has sold eight of Iris Grace’s artworks, and is planning to makes prints of the paintings available too.
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