Willing, Able -- and Unemployable

By Ann Bauer
Monday, October 30, 2006

Today, what I fret about most is the fact that after two years of submitting applications, taking tests and going in for interviews, he cannot get a job.

When he was 16, I told him it was time to get a part-time job. I took him first to the coffeehouse where I wrote each morning, introduced him to the manager and took my usual table. But even from a distance, I could see things weren't going well. The "interview" took three minutes, ending abruptly when the manager offered Andrew a cup of coffee and my son -- ever conscious of the rules -- insisted on paying for it, fumbling with his wallet and spilling coins all over the floor.

I switched coffeehouses and tactics. Next, I took Andrew to Target, a company known for its history of working with disabled people. Only there's a catch: I was told when I called that their policy was to employ "visibly handicapped" workers. People in wheelchairs qualify, as do those with Down syndrome. My son, with his eccentricities and halting speech, does not. What's more, Target administers a computerized psychological screening test designed to eliminate people on the outer edges of the bell curve. People like Andrew. Read full article.

Check out Employment and Independent Living Resources here.

Medicaid Funds Cut Autism Education Program

A program that teaches autistic children at public schools will lose more than one million dollars in Medicaid funding at the end of the year. The state Department of Health and Human Services says it will provide enough funding to get programs through the end of the school year, but then schools will have to come up with other ways to pay for the programs. The program is called applied behavioral therapy and teaches new skills to children with the brain disorder. child-autism-parent-cafe.com

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What is Guardianship?

Did You Know...

Parents do not have the legal authority to make decisions for their child once their child turns 18 years of age -- no matter the child's level of competency. This includes medical, housing, vocational and financial decisions.

Check out our updated What Is Guardianship? page. Learn how you may continue to protect your adult child’s rights.

Genetic Variant Carries Increased Risk Of Autism

Researchers have identified a common gene variant that more than doubles the risk of autism. The research, led by investigators at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, provides new insights into the genetic basis of the complex disorder.

“This is a relatively common variant, seen in about 47 percent of the population,” Levitt said. “So why doesn't everybody have autism?”

“Genes create a vulnerability that then gets coupled with some environmental disturbance - but right now, we don't have any idea what those factors might be.”
child-autism-parent-cafe.com

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Study: Crucial Deficit In Children With Autism

Young children with autism appear to be delayed in their ability to categorize objects and to distinguish between living and nonliving things, according to a breakthrough study by researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. The results could provide a cognitive explanation for one of the characteristics of autism: the inability to recognize the goals and motivations of others. child-autism-parent-cafe.com

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FDA approves autism drug for behavior problems

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Risperdal to treat irritability in autistic children and adolescents. This is the first time the FDA approved a drug to treat behavior-related problems associated with autism in children. The drug can be used to treat aggression, deliberate self-injury and temper tantrums. child-autism-parent-cafe.com

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NYS - Senator Golden Hosts Special Ed Fair For Community Children

Senator Golden Hosts Special Ed Fair For Community Children

State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-C, Brooklyn) will be hosting a special education fair for families and students of School District 20, 21 and 22 on Saturday, October 14, 2006, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Marine & Academic Center Rotunda at Kingsborough Community College located at 2001 Oriental Boulevard in Brooklyn.

"As a member of the State Senate Education Committee who has worked very closely with our schools and our parents for many years, I have discovered the need to host this special education fair to address the needs, to provide the information, and to allow for the best of opportunities for our children who require special education. I think it is important for parents to understand how to access the services that are available to them in an effort to benefit their children. I look forward to hosting this event that will help our children learn and grow."

Refreshments and lunch will be served. For directions, call Kingsborough Community College at (718) 368-5000. For additional information, contact Sen. Golden at (718) 238-6044. child-autism-parent-cafe.com

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Free autism workshops

Eden II Foundation, in cooperation with KeySpan Energy, will offer a series of free monthly workshops from Oct. 19 through July 19 to educate parents and professionals on autism. The workshops topics such as an overview of autism, promoting speech and language in autistic children, managing challenging behaviors and using video and computer technology in autism education. child-autism-parent-cafe.com

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AutismExpo 2007

Where: Howard Community College
Location: 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Maryland
Rooms: Arts / ILB Wing (Smith Theatre, Monteabaro & Kittleman Room)
When: Saturday April 14, 2007
Time: 10AM - 4PM
Tickets: November 1st 2006 - $49.95 (until Feb 1, 2007 then $59.95)

Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Vincent L. Carbone, BCBA

Service Related Providers
Mary L. Dokos, Otr/L
Heather A. Franks, Ms Ccc-Slp
Michelle L. Hurst, Med, Bcba, Rdi® Certified Consultant
Leslie S. Smith, Med, Bcba

Other Guest Speakers:
Scott Campbell (Parents Of Autistic Children / No. Va)

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child-autism-parent-cafe.com

Special Education Needs Improvement

But last week the state Department of Education said much more needs to be done. It found that all of the city's 33 schools districts are failing to meet the needs of special education students and that 23 of them require "immediate intervention" to address low test scores and woeful high school graduation rates. Only 37 percent of all special education high school students in New York state graduate. But in New York City the number is far worse: Less than 17 percent of special education students receive regular diplomas.
Of the students evaluated as needing special education, a disproportionate number are black and Latino. While about a third of city public school students are black, more than half of the students classified as emotionally disturbed and more than 40 percent of those labeled mentally retarded are black.

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Autistic boy prevented from boarding flight

An 11-year-old autistic boy was prevented from boarding a flight at Bangalore by Central Industrial Security Force personnel who said he could harm other passengers. The boy's father, Tamil actor Prithviraj, has condemned the 'insensitiveness' of the security personnel and stressed the need for greater awareness about autism, which afflicts an estimated two million people in the country. "I want to make this issue a big one. We will make use of the publicity to see at least some good comes out of it so that people are more aware of autism or any such problem and are sensitive about it," Prithviraj told PTI. child-autism-parent-cafe.com

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Autism treatment options at Corey's Place

A new centre opened its doors hoping to provide services for children in the region who suffer from developmental challenges. Corey's Place, is a fee-for-service centre operating to meet the needs of families and children with developmental challenges. The new learning facility is structured with several service areas that work together to offer families comprehensive assessment, consultation, education, treatment and support. child-autism-parent-cafe.com

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Stop the Mercury. Start The Cure. To Benefit by SafeMinds

Please join SafeMinds founders Sallie Bernard & Lyn Redwood, Evidence of Harm author David Kirby, and Ross Bell, Producer of Academy Award nominated Fight Club and the upcoming Evidence of Harm movie.

October 19, 2006
5:00 P.M. TO 8:00 P.M.
$100 Per Person at
The Jonathan Beach Club
850 Palisades Road
Santa Monica, CA 90403

To purchase tickets, donate an item to the silent auction, or volunteer at the event, contact Elizabeth Kilpatrick at eksafeminds@gmail.com.
child-autism-parent-cafe.com


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