I am for vaccinations, but I support this cause. I would love to see the vaccines that can save a child's life looked over and possibly greened... I saw this and thought it was pretty interested.

The Green Our Vaccines Rally, lead by celebrities Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey and sponsored by Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), Generation Rescue, HEAL Foundation and Moms Against Mercury, will be held on June 4 in Washington, D.C.. The event will begin with a march through the streets of the nation's capitol and conclude at a rally site in front of the Capitol Building. As stated on the rally website, the purpose of the event is to demand a reassessment of the mandatory childhood vaccine schedule. The organizers believe children are receiving “too many, too soon.” They feel vaccines are too toxic and they would like all toxins eliminated from children's vaccines. They believe a safer vaccine supply and schedule is possible.

This is a bit of a embarrassing picture of me, and them one of Michael from pictures his teacher took. But some reason I see the most similarity in us the most between these shots.

Perhaps it is a lack of sleep or impending "woman time", but I am covered with a cloud of blues that I cannot shake away. I am so dissapointed because it has been raining all day, and I had bought rodeo tickets a month ago for tonight. There was a special pre-show event with free pony rides, and a petting zoo. I wanted to do something really special for Michael today and I feel like a let-down. I know he is not disappointed but I am. To make matters worse, not one relative from my family or his fathers have even sent along a birthday wish let alone called him. My mother is the only person other than me who has recognized the fact that it is his birthday. I wish I could make excuses or give them all a benefit of the doubt, but this has been a reoccuring event. I just wonder why they think my son deserves less recognition than the other children in his family.

Currently Michael is laying on the floor playing with his new Lets go Fishin' game oblivious to the fact that I am all torn up. I wish I could follow through with the attitude that if he is not bothered I should not be, but I know what he is missing, he does not...

He is happy though. He loves all of his new presents, especially that game. His real fish were a surprise to him, but he loves them. The keyboard is going to annoy me. 54 keys and plus numerous other settings and he is obsessed with one orange button.

I get my USB ports fixed tomorrow so we will have to hook up his new little camera to see the quality of the pictures it takes. The preview screen is horrid, I hope they are a little clearer on the computer. I am not expecting much, but this camera is a good starting point. Now Crayola has a little video camera like his digital camera so I may think about that for Christmas. Of course I still need a video camera for myself. Another dream without funds, but who knows, maybe someday. I will always check Ebay and Amazon for deals.

I have always been a person who was better expressing my feelings on paper than within the confines of conversation with others. It is no surprise that the feelings I am having now would come out this way. My life has been exceptional with a few bumps here and there. I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children. My daughter is a second grader with a real zest for life. She drives me to the brink of insanity at times, but I am grateful everyday that God blessed me with her. Then there is my little CJ boy. He is the light in my dark tunnel. He was a clear surprise, but a good one from the beginning. I have a wonderful family and extended family.

In the last several months it has been clear that the path our lives were set on was about to change whether we wanted it to or not. We would receive some news that would change the course of our lives forever. Even without a final diagnosis, just a journey into uncharted territory has veered us off course. In order to explain this journey, it will be necessary that I explain how we got there. I hope over the next few pages, I will be able to give you insight to what this has been like. I want you to understand where I am coming from. So starting from the beginning…  read more »

It seems like just yesterday that Marcel was 4, he's 8 now. The

years are flying by. ANYWAY I'll be "away" til sometime next week.

We've got friends coming in from California =)

Later, Cindy

Tomorrow is my little boy's birthday. He will turn 4! Michael is getting his first pet. Well unless you count the dog and cat we had when he was born. But we moved out before his first birthday. We are getting fish. it is all I can have here anyways. But Michael loves fish, all fish. Last night I was going o sneak down to the t runk of Ma's car to get the tank and as I opened the door he yelled FISH, and my first thought was HOW DID HE KNOW. Well he was saying it at the TV.

I need to be cleaning my house. As usual. His teachers are coming for the end of school home visit. And of course I have known for a week and procrastinate on everything. I hate cleaning. I still need a shower too.

Ma is picking up the fish for the tank later today and his cake. I decided to go woth a cupcake cake shaped like a clown hat. After he goes to bed we will put the fish in the tank and set up everything for his birthday. I bought a package of balloons and will have them blown up all over the floor from his door down the hall to the living room. I hope 50 is enough. Of course I do not look forward to puffing those up tonight. Thank goodness I am not a smoker or it would be even harder.

I am taking him to the rodeo tomorrow night. They are having games and pony rides before the show, so I really lucked out that it all fell on his birthday.

I suppose it is time to stop blogging, both here and my personal blog, and stop messing with my Myspace profile and get things done. His teachers will be here at 315 and it is already 1125. I may just cheat clean. That is what closets are for :)

I wasnt able to just copy and paste the article, excuse any goofs. This is awful =(

Family remembers boy killed by train
Updated: 05/28/2008 08:05 AM
Stephanie Stilwell
Memorial service Family, friends and loved ones remembered 10-year-old Jacob Smithey during a memorial service Tuesday.

GRAHAM, N.C. -- Family, friends and loved ones remembered 10-year-old Jacob Smithey during a memorial service on Tuesday. The boy with severe autism died Saturday after wandering away from his home and being struck by a passing train.

The mother of 10-year-old Jacob Smithey said her son was a wonderful, playful little boy. “He sort of liked to play games, like when we would go to the bus, he would take these little baby steps going to the bus,” Vickie Shore, Jacob’s mother said.

Shore said her son was diagnosed with severe autism several years ago and that just meant extra attention, like when they got ready for the bus.

“There'd be mornings he'd just want you to kiss him, hug him, all the way to the bus, and I know [the bus driver] had a schedule to keep so I would try to get him on the bus as fast as he would go.”

Jacob Smithey Police said the boy died Saturday after he wandered away from home and was hit by a train.

“As soon as you walk through that door you know he's going to be right at that door to meet you and hug you and play with you. Every time I walked through that door he was right there, and it doesn't seem right that when I walk through that door he's not there,” Larry Shore, Jacob’s stepfather said.

Teachers at Smithey's school, E.M. Yoder Elementary, started a memorial fund they called "Jake’s fund." They money will help his family pay for the funeral costs.  read more »

ICDL Annual Conference

http://www.icdl.com/ 

Save the Date: ICDL Annual Conference, Friday, November 7 to Sunday, November 9 with Pre-Conference Workshops on Thursday, November 6. Hilton McLean, Tysons Corner, Virginia (Washington, DC area). Watch http://www.icdl.com/ for details and registration materials.

Location(s)

My heart goes out to this little boy. I am hoping that this teacher looses her credentials over this! St. Lucie teacher reassigned after student 'voted out' of clas

By Colleen Wixon (Contact)
Originally published 10:12 a.m., May 27, 2008
Updated 01:40 p.m., May 27, 2008

Wendy Portillo

Photo provided by the family

Alex Barton

Port ST. LUCIE — Morningside Elementary kindergarten teacher Wendy Portillo has been reassigned until further action may be determined, according to St. Lucie County School District spokeswoman Janice Karst.

Last week, Portillo held a vote in her classroom in which kindergarten students "voted out" 5-year-old Alex Barton, who was in the process of being tested for Asperger's Disorder, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex's mother, Melissa Barton, said the vote was taken after classmates were allowed to tell Alex what they didn't like about him.

The class voted Alex out of the room, by a 14 to 2 margin.  read more »

Michael playing in the waiting room at Therapy.

Filling out job applications for my 16 year old son, who has Aspergers, is a new experience for each different format we come across.  I have to go through each section with him and explain which fields to leave blank and sometimes assist with an explanation of the information being requested.  Since Ryan has an excellent memory, on one I tried going through the entire form ahead of time and pointed to the blanks where he needed to write nothing.  Bad choice of words on my part!  When he was finished, there were blanks filled out like:  College -- "Nothing";  Technical School -- "Nothing;  Special Skills -- "Nothing".

When will I ever learn to beware of his literal understanding of our language.  It is times like this that I am glad Ryan has a good sense of humor, because I couldn't hide my giggles on this one.  There were times when this type of miscommunication frustrated me and him.  We find it much more theraputic to laugh about it and enjoy the differences.

I got an email from David today that he is still coming on Sunday, but he will not be staying overnight. I do not understand what can be more important than spending at least 24 hours with his son.  I want to curl up in a ball and cry or run off to a lawyer and remove all rights. He may love his son, but Michael does not know it. Michael is hurting so badly for a father that he runs up to the other children's fathers with big searching eyes. I do not know if I can bare the pain anymore. We were supposed to fill out information on him for a research project and go over the IEP and everything. How can I be selfish and try to get David to listen to that when it is only a few hours wih Michael? I cannot terminate rights becauase I need the child support so badly. I love David but this hurts too badly to keep hoping for my son to have a father.

How are you spending your Memorial Day?  Me:  I'm working on IEP goals because Wyatt's IEP is Friday morning.  Marc is going to try to replace our kitchen faucet because it's corroding/disintegrating.  Wyatt has a 3 hour make-up therapy session so that's how Marc and I will have the time to work on things!  Later today we'll go for pizza (we'll bring spaghetti for Wyatt since he's not into pizza). 

I guess most people have barbecues but Marc is SO not a barbecue man.  (He says a doesn't want a rusted out, grimy, disgusting barbecue rotting on our patio--I guess we already have a kitchen faucet that fits that discription).   I kind of miss the barbecue scene because my Dad was always cooking something up on the grill.  (Yeah, I know, everyone loves their George Foreman, but we don't have one--although my nieghbor has said she's going to give me her extra one). Either that or my Mom was microwaving a whole raw chicken from scratch--I DON'T miss microwaved chicken.  Has anyone here ever eaten Mom's Microwaved Chicken?  One thing my Mom made in the microwave that I definitely liked was Cheese Potatoes.  She would cut up potatoes and pour a little milk and water into the glass baking dish.  Then she would sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper and nuke the heck out of them.  When they were almost done she'd cover them with thick slabs of that creamy Old English (Kraft?) cheese and nuke to melt.  Yum! 

If I won the lottery I would either buy and remodel an old farm house or build one. Depending on which is cheaper. I want four bedrooms.

A master bedroom with a bathroom. I would have one of the huge clawfoot tubs, or a sunken tub with ledges for candles. I would have a california king sized bed, or maybe a round pedastal bed.

Michael's bedroom would be simple, a big bed for him, his dressers, posters all over the walls, and any other small furniture he needs.

Another room will be set up as a play and therapy room. Michael would have a wall built of shelves with bins for blocks, pluzzles, and other learning things. I would have a large table in the center of the room for him to play or work at. One wall I would have from top to bottom the whiteboard material, with suction cup marker/eraser holders. The other walls would be painted a light blue so that they would be distingushable and so he would know not to draw on them.

The last room would be all mine of course. I would have one computer set up, a desktop most likely with the photo printers and an engraving machine. I would keep the colors cool, as I seem to be most inspired in colder settings. Dark blues and burgandys. I would also have a book shelf, and perhaps a comfy loveseat in there for reading.

I would keep my furniture very casual. Over-stuffed couched and chairs. A big huge wooden table, even though it would just be me and Michael. My kitchen I would modernize if possible. I would want a dishwasher of course. If possible I would have a center bar for preparing things and double as a breakfast bar. Of course I would have a larger indoor George Foreman and definately keep my Pizzazz.

I would want the main bathroom darker. I like dark toilets and such rather than the white. Maybe a marble counter top, since this would mainly be guest and Michael's bathroom, things would be kid friendly.  read more »

Lighting the Way Conference

Keynote Presenter: Kristi Sakai 
Creating a Supportive Home and Community for Individuals with
an ASD and their families

Keynote Presenter:  Val Paradiz
What is Autistic Culture?

Jun 12-13 Sioux Falls 8a.m. to 5p.m., Augustana College Campus

www.augie.edu/autism  605-357-1423

Location(s)

Fall 2008 Autism Workshop
The Ziggurat Model
September 15-16, 2008
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Workshop Presenters:  Ruth Aspy, Ph.D. and Barry G. Grossman, Ph.D.

Workshop Description:  Learn how to address national and state guidelines focusing on Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).  The Ziggurat Model is a guide for designing comprehensive behavior interventions for individuals of all ages with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  The model has been adopted at both district and statewide levels.  The Ziggurat approach centers on a hierarchical system, consisting of five levels, each representing an area, such as communication and emotional vulnerability, that must be addressed to ensure the intervention plan is comprehensive.  The premise of the model is that underlying needs and characteristics related to the autism spectrum must be addressed.  The Ziggurat Model is unique in its approach and fills a void by providing a framework for organizing the range of possible interventions and ensuring that true needs are addressed in a meaningful way.

www.usd.edu/cd/autism bdschmid@usd.edu 605-347-1423

Location(s)

Annual Metric Century - Cycle for Autism 

Register at http://www.active.com

There will be four different routes available to ride. Choose from a short 2 mile family ride through Spring Green, a 15 mile ride that is mainly flat, a 38 mile ride for intermediate riders, or a challenging 62 mile (metric century) that goes through several towns in scenic southwest Wisconsin. The 38 & 62 mile rides will be fully supported with SAG & multiple rest stops.
Jun 7 Spring Green 7am registration $35 all rides except the 2 mile route is $15 Arthur's Supper Club Hwy 14 & 23 - James Larson www.angelautismnetwork.org kcsspringgreen@gmail.com 608-574-7989

Location(s)

Autism Journeys: Today, Tomorrow & Beyond

A two-day conference concentrating on how to help parents & families prepare for the transitions their autistic children face as they pass through adolescence toward adulthood. The conference is for professionals & practitioners working in the field of autism. It also is appropriate for families living with autism & related syndromes.

Aug 11-12 Milwaukee 9am-4pm

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Mary Pick sce-autism.uwm.edu mpick@uwm.edu 414-227-3312

Location(s)

http://www.pecs.com/Camp.htm 

PECS Two-Week Intensive Summer Program 2008

This intensive Two-week session is ideal for families seeking intensive summer communication programming using the Picture Exchange Communication System. Each session will meet for six hours per day, five days per week for two weeks. The program is designed for students needing comprehensive and intensive functional communication intervention. The emphasis will be on teaching children to communicate within functional routines. This program is ideal for students who need to develop functional communication skills and who are new to “group” instruction. This includes children who have been receiving instruction in an individual format or who have not been successful in-group settings. Each student’s current communicative repertoire will be assessed so that specific skill deficits can be addressed. After baseline data is collected specific goals for camp will be developed for each student. The instructional methodology will encompass strategies of applied behavior analysis with an emphasis on “reinforcer first” strategies. Parents will have opportunities to observe their child and will receive a comprehensive report at the end of the session .

Total Contact Hours: Two week sessions (10 Days), 6 Hours per day

See above website for brochure/application/details! 

Who is appropriate:

• Children between the ages of two and six, who are having a difficult time communicating and have not been exposed to PECS
• Children who already use PECS as a Functional Communication system and are ready for expanding PECS skills
• Children Who have been exposed to PECS and are having difficulties discriminating or with other skills
• Children Who have autism spectrum disorder or a syndrome resulting in communication difficulties

Location(s)

Michael had his own secluded corner with a little desk set up in one of the corners of his preschool classes.  I need to put a routine together for Michael. He has his own small table that he sits at for meals, but I really want a different table or desk for him for working. The good desks I can find seem expensive. Or they have all sorts of pencil and crayon holders. Michael is horrid about those things. He will scatter a thing of crayons all over the house, playing with them rather than sitting and coloring for very long. But they say he worked really well at school. So if I set up a PECs schedule at home for his summer, maybe things will go alot smoother at home. He can work on puzzles, coloring, and little things like that.

Does anybpdy have any ideas about a table/desk idea? I am even thinking of a kids picnic table if I need. I put an ad of Freecycle but not sure what all I can do to set up the space like he had at school. It was nearly closed in. My apartment is pretty small, and I have way too much stuff. Did/Do you have a section like that set up for your child?

I am calling Tuesday about getting my USB ports fixed so I can start printing things for him like new PECs or coloring pages.

Location(s)

There are several good things on TV. Michael ikes Veggie Tales but I do not have that channel, I think I can ge it free for 3 months so I should probably sign my promotion paper for those channels. But something about Veggie Tales bothers me. How to they carry things without arms? Watching them sweep and move things gives me some chills. I suppose that is morbid since it is a reliegious toddler show. Michael likes it so I guess I can give in.

 Right now he is watching Higglytown Heroes. That is a cute show. Michael has an allergy induced cold and it is cruddy outside. Lately getting him outside is the only way to drag him away from the TV. When it warms up he will be spending alot of time outside because I do not want to have to admit all he does is watch TV...

The 2nd Annual Wright Family Community Picnic benefiting the Autism Tree Project Foundation

Date: Saturday, July 12, 2008
Time: 12 - 4 PM, lunch served noon-2 pm
Location: Westminster Park, Point Loma 
 3598 Talbot Street, San Diego, CA 92106
(corner of Talbot Street and Can?on
Street)
 

“We are thrilled to treat the ATPF families, our friends & family, our neighbors, and the entire
San Diego community to a fantastic, good old-fashioned, patriotic family picnic, packed with
Red, White and Blue Fun! Come join us!” This event, benefiting the Autism Tree Project
Foundation, will include an autism awareness table, raffle with giveaways for families, picnic
lunch, music area, arts and crafts, a jumper and climber, and party favors for kids. Come join
us!”
 
For more information call Karen & Tim Wright 619-405-0176

Location(s)

TACA 5th Annual Family Picnic - June 1, 2008

Title		TACA 5th Annual Family Picnic
Location		Camp James/Hidden Valley Park in Irvine (Next to Wild Rivers) Driving Directions
Date		June 1, 2008, Sunday
Time		11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Description		This extremely popular family event will be attended by more than 2,000 Southern California families who have children with autism. This event has sold out every year! We are excited to announce special guest and TACA Spokesperson Jenny McCarthy. This event will provide a safe and fun picnic for children affected by autism and is a primary fundraiser to help TACA continue to provide important services to families affected by autism at no cost.  This year’s picnic will feature:  read more »

Location(s)

http://www.kansasautism.org/

DO NOT DELAY-REGISTER NOW, SPACES FILLING UP FAST 

Jenny McCarthy, Keynote Speaker

June 19th 2008: For Law Enforcement, EMS, and Firefighters

8:00 a.m to 12 p.m. (check-in @ 7:30 a.m.) 

June 20th 2008:  For Parents, Educators, and Anyone Else Affected by Autism

8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. (check-in @ 7:00 a.m.) 

Lunch on Your Own

Pittsburg High School

1978 East 4th Street

Pittsburg, KS 

Location(s)

TACA of Georgia Meeting - June 21, 2008

Title		TACA of Georgia Meeting -June 21, 2008
Location		The Hyperbaric Therapy Center, 104 Colony Park Drive, Suite 500, Cumming, GA 30040 Directions from your location
Date		June 21, 2008
Time		2-4 p.m.
Description		Chene Panagopoulos and Jill Feldman "Why Does My Child Do That?"  A brief overview of the "How Does Your Engine Run?" Alert Program, a sensory integration approach  read more »

Location(s)

TACA of Hawaii Meeting - June 30, 2008

Title		TACA of Hawaii Meeting - June 30, 2008
Location		Kaimuki Christian Church, 1117 Koko Head Ave., Honolulu, Hawaii. Please do not contact the church for information about TACA or the meetings. Get directions
Date		June 30, 2008
Time		6:45-9 p.m.
Description		Parent Support Meeting
Website		www.tacanow.org/hawaii
Fee		FREE

Location(s)

TACA of Washington Meeting -June 14, 2008

Title		TACA of Washington Meeting -June 14, 2008
Location		Building E Auditorium, South Campus, Bates Technical College, 2201 South 78th Street, Tacoma, WA Driving Directions
Date		June 14, 2008
Time		10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Description		Dr. Leigh Ann Chapman Treating Autism by Treating the Gut: Diets, Allergies and Digestive Disorders Dr. Leigh Ann Chapman provides integrative healthcare in Portland, Oregon with a special focus in pediatric developmental disorders and utilizes both natural and conventional therapies to treat Autism, Asperger Syndrome, sensory integration disorders and ADHD. Dr. Chapman uses a Defeat Autism Now! approach and blends these biomedical protocols with traditional Naturopathic philosophy to provide individualized, comprehensive treatment for every child.  read more »

Location(s)

TACA of Washington Meeting - May 31, 2008

Title		TACA of Washington Meeting - May 31, 2008
Location		Building E Auditorium, South Campus, Bates Technical College, 2201 South 78th Street, Tacoma, WA Driving Directions
Date		May 31, 2008
Time		10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Description		Raphael Bernier, Ph.D. - UW Autism Center Current Services and Research Projects at the UW Autism Center Learn about the University of Washington Autism Center's current research projects and clinical services.
Website		www.tacanow.org/washington
Fee		FREE

Location(s)

Green Our Vaccines Rally - June 4, 2008

Title		Green Our Vaccines Rally - June 4, 2008
Location		Washington DC
Date		June 4, 2008
Time		9 a.m.
Website		Register at www.tacanow.org

Location(s)

TACA of Virginia - Virginia Beach Meeting - June 3, 2008

Title		TACA of Viriginia - June 3, 2008
Location		Sentara Princess Anne, 1975 Glenn Mitchell Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23456, Ambulatory Surgical Center, enter door next to Emergency Room and take elevator to 3rd floor
Date		May 6, 2008
Time		7 - 9 p.m.
Description		Cynthia Sidner Ph.D. & Nutritionist WHY THE GF/CF DIET? Cynthia will explain why this diet can improve the function of the gastrointestinal tract and how this effect on the gut can consequently improve behavior and brain function in many children with autism. She will also introduce the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, a variation of the gluten/casein free diet, that can reduce yeast overgrowths in the gut and thereby support additional improvements in our children.  read more »

Location(s)

TACA of North Dakota Meeting - June 22, 2008

Title		TACA of North Dakota Meeting - June 22, 2008
Location		Family Medicine Residency, 725 Hamline Street Grand Forks, ND Driving Directions
Date		June 22, 2008
Time		6:30-8:00 p.m.
Description		Therapy An explanation of therapies used in early intervention such as sound sensitivity, visual, speech related, etc...with an emphasis on ABA.
Website		www.tacanow.org/north-dakota
Fee		FREE

Location(s)

TACA of Illinois (Chicago Metro - Schaumburg) Meeting - June 14, 2008

Title		TACA of Illinois (Chicago Metro - Schaumburg) Meeting - June 14, 2008
Location		Macy’s Woodfield Center Mall, 1 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL - Special Events Room on 3rd floor near women’s petites Directions from your location
Date		June 14, 2008 (Meets 2nd Saturday monthly)
Time		4-6 p.m.
Description		Sonja Hintz, RN, BSN Implementing the GF/CF Diet  read more »

Location(s)

TACA of Minnesota Meeting - June 23, 2008

Title		TACA of Minnesota Meeting - June 23, 2008
Location		Ridgedale Public Library, 12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN Driving Directions We have be able to acquire a larger room that can easily accomodate 100 people!
Date		Jun 23, 2008
Time		6 - 9 p.m.
Description		Amy Dawson Funding Options and Obstacles for Autism Treatment and Therapy  read more »

Location(s)

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We splurged & bought a Hamilton Beach Ice Treat machine.

It was $30 and it's soooooooo much fun. I made slurpys

tonight. I love crushed ice. I feel like a little kid at Christmas

lol. You can make slurpys or snow cones. I can just see my

brother comin' over here "Margarita machine woo hoo" lol.

It's the little things that make me happy =)

Here's the latest potty idea:  A soft vinyl potty seat from Wal-Mart, plain white (cheapest color).  Not the tiny kind with little Elmo's all over it (Wyatt is too big for those), but the regular-sized toilet kind that I normally would never buy because I don't like that wheezy-squishy sound and that floaty insubstantial feeling.  But some people must like those kinds of toilet seats 'cause they sure manufacture a lot of them, and I think Wyatt will be one who likes the vinyl puff seat.  Maybe he'll LOVE it so much that I can get him the REALLY tacky vinyl seat with all the tropical fish on the lid, or maybe antlers for Christmas.  (Oh my gosh, that would be double tacky if it was a Christmas gift!)  His little potty has a vinyl seat so that's where I got the idea from.

Nice, I see lots of people uploading their images...cool. It's nice to see who you are talking to, or half of them. : )

I always think it is so strange when you chat online or talk on the phone with someone, you have this mental image of how they look. Then you finally see their picture or meet them in person and they're nothing like you expect.  

I have a membership to Disney Movie Club. At first I loved it, until I started double checking the prices, and got many movies at Wal-Mart.  I cannot usually afford more than one movie, but if I could, then I would get great deals. I have 2 more movies at full price to complete my membership. I need to be thinking about getting that done I think my time limit is closing up :( But I think I am going to order some Little Einstein movies when I can. Michael loves TV and he even laughs or gets scared in some, but out of all the toddler tv shows, that is the only one he gets into. He will not clap or yell out with Dora or Diego, but when they have to clap or pat on the L-E show he actually does it.  I love finally having cable just so I can see him actually getting into that.

http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/Autism/

2008 National Autism Conference

August 4 - 8, State College, Pennsylvania 

Conference Mission

This conference provides comprehensive, evidence-based information to assist educators, other professionals, and families in developing effective educational programming for all students with autism spectrum disorders.

Who Should Attend

Family members, physicians, speech-language pathologists, administrators, higher-education faculty, general and special education professionals, early-intervention staff, related service personnel, behavioral health professionals, and anyone interested in autism spectrum disorders.

Location(s)

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/child-locator.html

I didn't think I should post a link to commercial products on the Links page, so I'm going to post these great safety products here under Resources.  I really like the teddy bear shoe tag transmitter!  Maybe I'll get one and try it out. 

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33909.asp

This is an article about how one mom struggles through hardships to make ends meet. She also has a paragraph about her visits to the doctor's office, which Shootingstars might find interesting! The author is the autism editor for the website bellaonline.com and I saw that she has posted several other interesting articles.

The author has a lot of great suggestions, such as some programs under United Cerebral Palsy (UCP). I had no idea that UCP helped out all children with disabilities. One thing that they offer in many cities is something called Respitality where they give parents a free hotel stay and a stipend for respite care that night. I also saw that in my city they have a Toy Lending Library. That is such a neat idea! Another great suggestion of the author's is to sign up for Toys for Tots and other holiday programs as early as possible so your kiddo isn't left out.

Some of the author's suggestions and links are outdated or just specific the Los Angeles area, but I think the ideas are good for Google searches and things to look for locally.

http://www.uchsc.edu/atp/events_CollabConf.html

Dates:  June 12 -14, 2008 

Each year, Assistive Technology Partners, in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Education and SWAAAC Teams from across the state, co-sponsor the Collaborative Assistive Technology Conference of the Rockies.

This Year's Highlights Include:

SIX All Day Pre-Conference Workshops with Nationally
and Internationally Renowned Speakers

Inspirational Opening and Closing Keynote Speakers

Over 70 Conference Breakout Sessions on Friday and Saturday

Location(s)

http://www.defeatautismnow.com/

Save the Date

Defeat Autism Now! Fall 2008 Conference

October 23rd-27th, 2008
Town and Country Resort
500 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, California 92108

Why Attend A Defeat Autism Now!® Conference?
Autism is Treatable. Recovery is Possible!

Location(s)

2008 Autism Society of America National Conference Overview

National Conference and Exposition on Autism Spectrum Disorders 

July 9th - 12, 2008  Orlando, Florida

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida 

Conference Objectives

The Autism Society of America recognizes that families and individuals living with an autism spectrum disorder have a range of issues and needs. The National Conference of the Autism Society of America is the only conference that addresses the range of issues, including early intervention, education, employment, behavior, communication, social skills, biomedical interventions and others, across the entire lifespan. Bringing together the expertise and experiences of family members, professionals and individuals on the spectrum, attendees are able to learn how to more effectively advocate and obtain supports for the individual with ASD. The ultimate goal is to empower family members, individuals on the spectrum and professionals to make informed decisions.

ASA National Office
7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814-3067
Main #: 301.657.0881 x110
Fax #: 301.657.0869
Business Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST

General Conference Questions

Sarah Mitchell
301.657.0881, ext. 7 (phone)
conference@autism-society.org

Registration Questions:

Registration Customer Service
Event Ready TMI
E-mail: asareg@tmiexpos.com
Phone: (440) 446-9483 x10

Location(s)

http://www.autismcleveland.com/

Cleveland Ohio  October 10th - 12th, 2008 

• Hear world class leaders – parent advocates, doctors, educators – address the latest issues on Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
• Interact with our extraordinary speakers and workshop leaders... get your questions answered!
• Make new friends! - network and share experiences with others like you
• Find unique new national and local Autism and Asperger’s resources!
• Enjoy yourself!

Location(s)

http://www.register123.com/event/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x1105621...

1st Annual Autism Conference by Packard Children's Hospital and Stanford University 

Saturday, May 31, 2008

8:30 am – 4 pm

Stan