Dr Gupta CNN today

This just posted on CNN.com - Paging Dr. Gupta Blog
As a parent of a 5 year old on the Autism Spectrum, I can confirm that early intervention is crucial, not just for the individual, but also giving the whole family a sense of understanding, and some relief – like we are actually taking action to help improve the prospects of the next generation.
There is research to support that intervention can be successful in older individual too, but I see the hopelessness and exhaustion in the faces of the parents I meet and I feel that action needs to be taken immediately to ensure that their children’s miss understood brilliance is not overlooked, or worse.
If the growth of incidence of Autism and related conditions are even close to accurate, we can look forward to a generation where the most brilliant individuals struggle with the day-to-day activities.
The workplace and our social environment has to do more to support and accept every individual on the Autism Spectrum, because each of us have so much to offer, it would be a crime not to take advantage of this “new intelligence”.
What we face as a nation and perhaps as a race is within each and every one of us. We have a choice to act or discriminate. Posted here Just in case it get rejected.

Wikipedia - a learning experience indeed.

Recently, I visit the wikipedia site with the intention of editing a page. I could have opted for something trivial like the Christmas tree, but I chose to edit the page for Autism – I added a remark about the instances of autism in boys being higher. I supported it with a link for ASA, ( Autism Society of America)
My research was limited to references to the CDC (Center for Disease control and prevention )quotes Autism as four times more likely in boys than in girls)
My comment was removed over night, and removal was justified by a wiki-er with far more knowledge of wiki-ing procedure and luckily for me, made time to write back explaining how things get to stay on the wiki pages.
While I am learning SO much, I am also blown away because only ‘real’ fact I knew about Autism is not a ‘fact‘ at all. The CDC makes this statement, as do many of the organisations to which I belong, and I absorbed the ‘accepted knowledge’ and assumed it to be correct because it is from a “reliable source” The truth may be that there is little of no research to support much of what is presented, and possibly we are misinformed.

Wiki-ers are encouraged to base their statements on facts referencing peer-reviewed research from one of the recognized journals.
Sadly I cannot invest the time to look into the research at this time as I am as always committed to the furtherance of those associated with Autism to make their way in this world, but I am sure that many parents and educators take for granted what they told by official organisations and I am considering the detrimental effects.

What other non–subjective assumptions have I made?

My concern is that we know so little, and much of what we learn, absorbed, accept is ‘hear-say or Chinese whispers or worse – manipulative propaganda.
I am not one for conspiracy theories, but now I have to re-think all my “accepted knowledge” about Autism and consider everything subjectively.

The truth is out there!
Keep on keeping on.

My friend ( hope I can call you that) and co-student on the ASD cert Program at Antioch.http://www.antiochne.edu/ap/asd/default.cfm?ref=homepage Mhttp://mcanthink.blogspot.com/ - Love the young mentor idea,,,not sure if this helps but with my son - PDD NOS in Kindergarten, we allow him to choose whom he wishes to accompany him on 'specials' body breaks and social walks. He gets to choose and we have the opportunity to learn why he is choosing particular friends, and teach friendship qualities in terms that a 5/6 year old may understand. All of his friends want to be chosen and the classroom teacher and his aide will cycle the choices so they all 'share' my son and all get to experience what he does when he's out of the classroom.
Is this like a baby step to mentoring? I don’t know - but it's sure is away to promote social interactions, and empathy/tolerance.
Recently, we attended a tree lighting and seasonal singsong - short story = is that most of the kids performing were older - and one of my son's friends invited him and my daughter to step up and join in. My son chose not to but it was my daughter’s first time 'performing' in front of a crowd, and it was a positive experience. I knew I could trust the older (1 st grader) friend with my daughter and could not choose a better peer mentor for her and my son. I guess I have to seek those special individuals who have natural mentoring skills - even at a young age and engineer those opportunities for both my Children. Thanks for making me think of this. You are a star! Twinkle bright now.

be careful what you wish for......

I made it into the advanced counseling! http://www.antiochne.edu/ap/asd/courses.cfmI know I have so much to learn about counseling techniques, terminology, and more, that I was more than a little apprehensive when I enquired about the possibility of getting onto this advanced study, but after a long telephone conversation with Celia Oliver, Ph.D., Psy.D., http://www.antiochne.edu/ap/asd/faculty.cfm it felt right, and fits with the direction in which I think I am headed. Celia is fabulous, and I am sure I will benefit greatly from her instruction.So now I have to follow through with my commitments. Be good to my word, or else that all there is just "words"Those of you that have had the miss-fortune to share a class with me will know that I have words - many - some that you might not understand ( E-N-G-L-I-S-H ) and some even I don't understand - but I going to learn.I am going be good to my words.No new years resolutions for me - I am still working on promises I made over two years ago.....What follows is from my last assignment for the New Hampshire Leadership series http://nhleadership.org/index.html

"Now that I have ‘Leadership’ this is what I can do….. March 30th 2005
Organize. My local school area had yet to implement a child find.I am working with my pre school team to organize an efficient and appropriate child screening system. Currently, I am reaching out to other school districts and areas to find a model that both suits Hinsdale and is effective method of catching children with any signs of developmental delay. Our goal is to have it up and running by this fall.
Plan. I will monitor the progress that my son makes and take the necessary actions to achieve the goal of mainstream, yet appropriate education by the age of 8I will focus on Daisy to ensure she has the supports she needs to be success too.

Mission/Goals. I will spend less money on stuff, and give more thought our environment.
I will exercise 3 times a week.
I will not let my health take a back seat.
I will not feel guilty because I have not done things that I should.
I will feel good that I have made a difference each day.
I will eat less and dance more.

Self Interest.
I plan to complete at least one 1:1 each month, and use it not only as a way to further my self-interest, but to establish my self within the community.
I will construct my life so I can be more effective, and creative. I want to start my own business this year, and attend to it as much as John and Daisy’s education schedule allows, but have it at the forefront of my mind at all times.
I need to measure my performance; I need to be appreciated for what I do well.
Leadership and John has shown me that I am more than a designer, or a mother.I am an advocate. And I like it!

Be more involved, and active.
No longer is it someone else’s job right a letter, or to fight for a right, or be outraged.
I am convinced that Politicians do listen, do read, and sometime even act upon what I have to say. I will have more to say, as I feel more educated.
I know how to get educated, or I know whom to ask.

Motivate.I have found that sharing my ideas and actions with others motivates them to do more.I can lead by example, motivate others and myself to be more active, more impacting, and have a greater sense of achievement.Leadership gave me the knowledge to make a difference.

Thank you Leadership. "http://nhleadership.org/index.html

Titles and Credits

Upon review of my first blog, I realise that I did not correctly merit the ANE faculty .
John Moran should be credited with Ed. D.

Elsa Abele CCC, SLP is on the board at ANE , and with Pamela Ely Martins, M.S., CCC, SLP have a combined lifetime of experiences. Elsa was Pamela's professor, and it made me think how good Elsa must feel to be able to work with such a inspiring professional, and say "she's one of my students". Pride indeed.

But what exactly do all these letter mean???? Liz Etheridge's for example should be followed with MS., OTR/L , and even my own name can be followed with a BA.hons,,,so I did some research and here's a overview of all the letters,,,,,,,

D.Ed, The Doctor of Education degree (or D.Ed.) is a professional doctorate, which prepares the student for administrative or specialized positions in education. Like other doctorates, (e.g. the Ph.D., D.A., and so on), the Ed.D./D.Ed. is an academic degree of the highest level. In the United States, the Ed.D. tends to be granted by the Schools of Education of Universities; hence, it is designated a Doctor of Education degree.

OT R/L Occupational Therapist, Registered, Licensed.

Ph.D Doctor of Philosophy,an abbreviation for the Latin "Philosophiæ Doctor"
MS, Master of Science.

Psy.D., Doctor of Psychologies
1. The science that deals with mental processes and behavior.
2. The emotional and behavioral characteristics of an individual, group, or activity: the psychology of war.
3. Subtle tactical action or argument used to manipulate or influence another: He used poor psychology on his employer when trying to make the point.
4. Philosophy The branch of metaphysics that studies the soul, the mind, and the relationship of life and mind to the functions of the body.

J.D.,Juris Doctor is the law degree granted upon graduation by many university law schools with accepted high standards of admission and grading. This often supersedes the Bachelor of Laws in recognition that the law curriculum entitles a person to a graduate degree.


SLP.,Speech pathology, also termed speech-language pathology and speech & language therapy (SLT, mainly in the UK) is the study of disorders that affect a person's speech, language, voice disorders and swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) or Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) address people's speech production, vocal production, swallowing difficulties and language needs through speech therapy in a variety of different contexts including schools, hospitals, and through private practice.
CCC-SLP., Certificate of Clinical Competency- Speech-Language Pathology.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate bachelor's degree awarded for a course or program in the liberal arts and/or sciences.
A Bachelor of Arts in the UK receives the designation BA or AB for an ordinary/pass degree and BA(Hons) or AB(Hon) for an honours degree.

CAS., Certificate of Advanced Study.

WOW! Experts indeed. I expect there are more, but at least now I know how to explore the meaning.

Welcome.
You have found my guide to the ASD certificate program at Antioch New England University http://www.antiochne.edu/ http://www.antiochne.edu/ap/asd/default.cfm?ref=homepage

I first discovered Antioch NE when a friend sent me a link with an introduction to this course.
I was amazed that this center for learning existed so close to my home,
so I attended a visiting day http://www.antiochne.edu/admissions/visitschedule.cfm
applied for an interview and was lucky enough to be accepted on the Fall 06, and Spring 07 semesters.

Since the beginning of the first class, I have been exposed to many new aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder, http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage
The course materials lean toward Apergers Syndrome http://aane.autistics.org/, and that's OK if you're like me, and believe that we ALL reside within one huge complex and diverse spectrum, and that normal is just one point of view and not a condition.

My Motivation.
I enrolled with the idea that these studies would better equip me to advocate fully for my son and I would become a solid resource for his school and our community.
As a parent of a child with disability I know how hard it can be to maintain the high level of commitment to learning demanded by each emerging study and every new treatment, while balancing the needs of everyday life and family.
My studies at Antioch both facilitate and motivate me to learn more about this fascinating and challenging condition.
Much of the responsibility for my son's quality of life rests with me (and my husband). The strength that knowledge and the quest for it brings, helps us move closer to our vision for him, and he can dream and choose the life he wants to lead.

My Courses.
First I completed the Introduction to ASD and had the pleasure of meeting John Moran.
http://www.antiochne.edu/ap/asd/faculty.cfm and the assignment he set allowed me to focus on a huge problem for families on the spectrum ....
S-L-E-E-P-? The lack of....http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1071&a=3376
During the same weekend sessions Liz Etheridge illuminated the world of Sensory Integration. This was fascinating, and If I could DELETE just one of the aspect of my son's Autism this would be it. With Liz's help I have been able to identify him as Sensory Over Responsive, and our I.E.P. Team are in the midst of making major changes to his sensory diet to better support his sensory needs and help him develop acceptable forms of self regulatory behaviors.

Elsa Able and Pamela Ely-Martins http://www.elycenter.com/staff.htm wowed me with their practical approach to the Training of the use of Social language, and offered the tools to approach the complicated world or verbal and non verbal communication, and the understanding of how to interpret the subtle nuances of everyday speech for our children who often have huge deficits in these area.

Terese Pawletko Ph.D, and Teresa Bolick Ph.D worked in unison to engage me in the field of clinical assessment, and I have just submitted a critique of an journal article - I wonder how I made out? You too? Stop back in a month or so and maybe I'll be brave enough to tell you.

This weekend I shared my time with Kathryn Ranson, MA who was super enthusiastic about her passion of Educational Interventions, and Larry Welcowizt Ph.D who beside introducing me to counselling Interventions is responsible for this Blog - the first part of the assignment that he set - so if this is painful for you? just think what its like for him - he HAS to read it.

My Next Steps.
November is a busy month at Antioch, and soon we 'ASDcerters' have to select where we will focus our advance studies, and final project. It's a tough decision, and maybe some posts on this blog could help me decide.

My Direction.
Over the next few weeks I will update yo'all one how I made the selections and the details of my final project - exciting ? Well ,I think so.

For My History see "about me" and promise to post.

Thank you, Keep on keeping on.
Liz Macdonald.