PLUK News feed

Exploring autism through theater - Fosters

• Exploring autism through theater - Fosters

  tags: autism

  • "Autistic License" by Stacey Dinner-Levin will be the season opener for Harbor Light Stage's 2009-10 Bold Face Play Readings series. In partnership with the Monarch School of New England, three readings of this award-winning script will be offered from Nov. 6-8, with a closing symposium to follow the final performance.

Education Week: Bill Would Replace Key Federal Literacy Programs

• Education Week: Bill Would Replace Key Federal Literacy Programs

  tags: reading, legislation

  • Long-awaited legislation to replace three federal reading programs—Early Reading First, Reading First, and Striving Readers—was introduced Nov. 5 by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and would authorize $2.35 billion in funding to improve reading and writing in kindergarten to 12th grade.

Cut the Cord: Connecting to our Mobile Users - Billings - Nov. 18, 2009

Cut the Cord: Connecting to our Mobile Users

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Location: Montana State University-Billings Library
1500 University Drive, Billings, MT, 59101

Cost: FREE! Bring your own lunch

Topics covered:

• A short history and an in-depth review of tools including iPhones, Kindles, Netbooks and their application in the healthcare setting.
• Future directions and applications of mobile technology for family medicine, point of care use, patient managed medical records.
• Return on investment in mobile technology.
• Sources of funding for implementing and sustaining use of mobile technology.

See the following website for agenda and course details:
http://www.mlanet.org/education/distance_ed/mobile/agenda.html

Download Webcast - Cut the Cord II (BAHSIC) Flyer

Warm Springs facility chief retires after 30 years

• Warm Springs facility chief retires after 30 years

  tags: montana, Mental Health

  • Ed Amberg is retiring in December after nine years at the helm of the Montana State Hospital and 30 years of working at the state's mental illness institution in Warm Springs.

    During his tenure, Amberg has been a key player in the push toward community-based care, which tries to get help for people with mental illnesses where they live instead of in an institution.

A Vanishing Diagnosis for Asperger’s Syndrome - NYTimes.com

• A Vanishing Diagnosis for Asperger’s Syndrome - NYTimes.com

  tags: asperger

  • Much of the growing prevalence of autism, which now affects about 1 percent of American children, according to federal data, can be attributed to Asperger’s and other mild forms of the disorder. And Asperger’s has exploded into popular culture through books and films depicting it as the realm of brilliant nerds and savantlike geniuses.

    But no sooner has Asperger consciousness awakened than the disorder seems headed for psychiatric obsolescence. Though it became an official part of the medical lexicon only in 1994, the experts who are revising psychiatry’s diagnostic manual have proposed to eliminate it from the new edition, due out in 2012.

Principals Want More Special Education Teachers, Consistency In IDEA - Disability Scoop

• Principals Want More Special Education Teachers, Consistency In IDEA - Disability Scoop

  tags: idea, reauthorization

  • Lawmakers should work to increase the number of special education teachers and establish consistency in the implementation of services when Congress meets next year to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a group of school principals says.

HHS Secretary Calls on States and Communities to Get Health Coverage to Uninsured Children

• HHS Secretary Calls on States and Communities to Get Health Coverage to Uninsured Children

  tags: children's health insurance

  • HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today called on states and communities to join with HHS to redouble efforts to find and enroll the 5 million children who are currently eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but are not yet covered.  The Secretary issued this call to action as she opened the National Children’s Health Insurance Summit in Chicago, kicking off the nation’s largest campaign to find and enroll uninsured children in over a decade.

Leaves of change: Blind, autistic woman rakes yards to help pay for dental work

• Leaves of change: Blind, autistic woman rakes yards to help pay for dental work

  tags: autism

  • Stone, 33, is blind and autistic, and in recent weeks has used leaf raking as a way to earn enough money to go somewhere she absolutely despises: the dentist.

WebMath - Solve Your Math Problem

• WebMath - Solve Your Math Problem

  tags: math

  • Webmath is a math-help web site that generates answers to specific math questions and problems, as entered by a user, at any particular moment. The math answers are generated and displayed real-time, at the moment a web user types in their math problem and clicks "solve." In addition to the answers, Webmath also shows the student how to arrive at the answer.

Apple - iPhone - Apps for Students

• Apple - iPhone - Apps for Students

  iTouch/iPhone Applications can be found at the Apple store, on iTunes and on many developers sites. Here are a few of Tara’s favorites from Closing the Gap. iHomework, available for $.99, is a simple application to keep school work and life organized. Visules, available for $4.99, is a visual support created by a father of a child with autism. Visules communicates checklists and prompts using text, images and colors. Visual Scheduler, available for $2.99, is an organizational tool using video, visual and audio prompting. iStudiez Pro (formerly iStudent Pro), available for $2.99, is a multi function homework planner that helps a user take charge of their schedule.

  tags: iphone, ipod, assistive technology

E-speaking - voice computer control and dictation

• E-speaking - voice computer control and dictation

  E-Speaking is a free or shareware program ($15) that enables a user to command and control the computer, dictate emails and letters, and have the program read documents back. For individuals with motor impairments that make it difficult or impossible to use a mouse and keyboard, this might be a viable and affordable alternative.

  tags: assistive technology, speech, recognition, voice, dictation

NIH Awards More than 50 Grants to Boost Search for Causes, Improve Treatments for Autism, November 4, 2009 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• NIH Awards More than 50 Grants to Boost Search for Causes, Improve Treatments for Autism, November 4, 2009 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

  tags: autism, research

  • The National Institutes of Health has awarded more than 50 autism research grants, totaling more than $65 million, which will be supported with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. These grants are the result of the largest funding opportunity for research on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to date

Superintendent Steve Cousins: Educating all of America's children | Muskegon News - - MLive.com

• Superintendent Steve Cousins: Educating all of America's children | Muskegon News - - MLive.com

  tags: idea, education, disabilities

  • In the early 1970s, it was rare for a student to see a child with a disability in the hallways of their school. The disabled were invisible; their education was provided in isolated programs that rarely allowed them to access what every other child enjoyed. The landmark legislation, Education of All Handicapped Children Act (1975) and the subsequent revisions, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, dramatically changed the face of public education.

Skype helps students communicate with deaf

• Skype helps students communicate with deaf

  tags: technology

  • LAND O' LAKES - About 155 sign language students at Sunlake High School are communicating each week with students from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine - from their classroom here.

    The students see and sign each other with the use of Skype technology: a computer program that enables communication through video and blog-style message blocks.

Project lifesaver helps caregivers locate lost relatives who have dementia, autism | sctimes.com | St Cloud Times

• Project lifesaver helps caregivers locate lost relatives who have dementia, autism | sctimes.com | St Cloud Times

  tags: technology

  • Project Lifesaver helps to locate adults and children who wander off due to autism, Alzheimer’s, Down syndrome, stroke, dementia and other related short-term memory issues, thereby reducing their risk for serious injury and death when they are alone.

My Child Without Limits: for parents

• My Child Without Limits: for parents

  tags: parents, child, Development

  • Are you worried that your child isn’t developing like other children? Has your child been diagnosed with a developmental delay or disability? You are not alone. We are here to help you find answers to your questions. Other parents and therapists are here with you. Click here to get started.

msnbc.com Video: blind marching band

• msnbc.com Video: blind marching band

  32-member marching band going to the Rose Bowl this year...all 32 of them are blind.

  tags: blind

Premature Births Fuel Infant Death Rates in U.S., Report Says - NYTimes.com

• Premature Births Fuel Infant Death Rates in U.S., Report Says - NYTimes.com

  tags: premature births

  • High rates of premature birth are the main reason the United States has higher infant mortality than do many other rich countries, government researchers reported Tuesday in their first detailed analysis of a longstanding problem.

Toolbox promoting children's health and well-being through health information technology (IT)

• Toolbox

  tags: health care, Children, Health Information Technology

  • Welcome to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) toolbox on promoting children's health and well-being through health information technology (IT). This resource is designed to provide concrete health IT tools to families, public and private organizations and clinicians who provide services to children and their families.

CDC Features - People with Disabilities Can Lead Long, Healthy Lives

• CDC Features - People with Disabilities Can Lead Long, Healthy Lives

  tags: disabilities

  • Today, about 50 million Americans, or 1 in 5 people, are living with at least one disability, and most Americans will experience a disability some time during the course of their lives. Anyone can have a disability. Some people are born with a disability, get hurt or sick and have disability as a result, or develop a disability as they age. Some people may have a disability that lasts a short time while other people have a disability that lasts a lifetime. Different kinds of disabilities affect people in different ways. 

Parents can plumb the Web for data on private schools - washingtonpost.com

• Parents can plumb the Web for data on private schools - washingtonpost.com

  tags: private schools, US Dept of ED, statistics

  • The Private School Universe Survey, part of the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, is a biennial roundup of private schools with information on enrollment, demographics, college attendance rates and number of days in the school year.

A Vanishing Diagnosis for Asperger’s Syndrome - NYTimes.com

• A Vanishing Diagnosis for Asperger’s Syndrome - NYTimes.com

  tags: autism, asperger

  • no sooner has Asperger consciousness awakened than the disorder seems headed for psychiatric obsolescence. Though it became an official part of the medical lexicon only in 1994, the experts who are revising psychiatry’s diagnostic manual have proposed to eliminate it from the new edition, due out in 2012.

    If these experts have their way, Asperger’s syndrome and another mild form of autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (P.D.D.-N.O.S. for short), will be folded into a single broad diagnosis, autism spectrum disorder — a category that encompasses autism’s entire range, or spectrum, from high-functioning to profoundly disabling.

Down Syndrome Births Drop in U.S. as More Women Abort - ABC News

• Down Syndrome Births Drop in U.S. as More Women Abort - ABC News

  tags: down syndrome

  • "I was so naive, with no experience with anyone with Down syndrome," she said. "I got a huge education about that later."

Trials Beginning On Drug To 'Correct Or Improve' Fragile X - Disability Scoop

• Trials Beginning On Drug To 'Correct Or Improve' Fragile X - Disability Scoop

  tags: fragile x, medication, research

  • The drug, currently called STX107, targets altered brain connections that appear in individuals with fragile X. Researchers hope that the drug will force the brain to make normal connections therefore improving learning capabilities in those with the disorder.

Reaction mixed to N.J. office on autism | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/18/2009

• Reaction mixed to N.J. office on autism | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/18/2009

  tags: autism

  • Gov. Corzine's latest proposal to strengthen services for people with autism has families and advocates cheering, but experts in the wider developmental-disabilities community fear New Jersey is headed toward a two-tiered system favoring one diagnosis.

More kids have diabetes, fewer schools have nurses - USATODAY.com

• More kids have diabetes, fewer schools have nurses - USATODAY.com

  tags: diabetes

  • Christopher Rodriguez should have started kindergarten last year at PS 28 in the Bronx, but he's starting a year late.

Virtual National Town Hall on Autism - Webconference - Nov. 13, 2009

Download Rethink Autism Flyer-Registration

The National Town Hall is taking place in multiple cities across the United States on November 13. Satellite and Virtual sites will be linked via technology and live webcast. The meeting will consist of small group discussions providing each participant with the opportunity to give direct, meaningful feedback. As a Virtual Town Hall participant you will be able to fully participate. You will chat with our local group throughout the meeting as well as vote on issues along with all the other participants around the country. This will be a highly engaging and interactive experience. You may register by phone, mail, fax, or online through the link below.

When:

Friday, November 13th, 2009
9:00 am to 3:30 pm

Register Online:
http://shortlinks.pluk.org/autism-forum

Where:
MSU-Billings, Downtown
208 North Broadway Ave, Billings, MT

For more Information:
Connie VonBergen: 406- 672-0912, connievb@bresnan.net
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLUK: 255-0540, info@pluk.org

You may also register by calling Connie or PLUK.

Electronic Field Trip | National Park Foundation

• Electronic Field Trip | National Park Foundation

  tags: electronic field trip

  • The EFT, or Electronic Field Trip, is an interactive, live, educational experience that breaks down the geographic barrier between youth and our national treasures and creates a shared classroom experience with park rangers, fellow students and classrooms across the country.

A different sort of genius

• A different sort of genius

  tags: Learning Disabilities

  • We now know that some people, like Jerry Pinkney, can be geniuses just in a different type of intelligence, and probably have a condition that makes it difficult to concentrate for periods of time on certain types of learning, such as reading. Despite these learning differences, he actually graduated with honors, but had to put in much more effort due to his learning challenges.

Chautauqua adopts program to catch struggling readers early on - Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

• Chautauqua adopts program to catch struggling readers early on - Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

  tags: reading

  • Three minutes is all it takes to find out if a student needs extra help with reading.

Librarians: Forget Baby Einstein; Try Reading - 10/29/2009 - School Library Journal

• Librarians: Forget Baby Einstein; Try Reading - 10/29/2009 - School Library Journal

  tags: reading, early childhood

  • Librarians and media specialists are secretly saying "I told you so" about the Walt Disney Company’s decision to issue a full refund on the Baby Einstein videos that parents have bought by the millions over the last five years.

FCTD | AT in the classroom

• FCTD | AT in the classroom

  tags: assistive technology

  • Since the early days of the digital era, assistive and instructional technologies (AT/IT) have evolved along with other technologies, producing tools that can dramatically increase learning gains by children with and without disabilities. Still, getting that technology into the hands of those who need it the most remains a struggle in many schools and districts.

Parents & Adolescents Needed for Focus Groups - Billings - Nov. 20, 2009

Background:
Health Improvement Team, LLC has been contracted by Montana Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) to examine the health related needs of families and children. This study is conducted every five years and is used to assist DPHHS improve health related services and resources.

We would like to invite parents and adolescents from the community to participate in focus groups. Their participation will be entirely confidential to allow them to share their honest thoughts and opinions.

Who We Need:

• Parents of children aged 0 – 12 years
• Parents of children with special health care needs
• Adolescents between the ages of 13-22 year
• 10 – 12 participants will be needed for each group identified above.

What They Receive: In recognition of his or her time, Health Improvement Team, LLC will provide each participant with cash reimbursement of $35 for the parent groups ($25 for adolescents).

Date / Time / Location:
All three focus groups will be conducted on Friday, November 20th. We are hoping to secure a conference room at MSU Billings downtown and will inform you of the confirmed location and time.

If you, or anyone you know, is interested to participating in one of these focus groups, please contact Colleen Roylance at (406) 439-1764 or colleen@hityouraim.com.

We will send participant a confirmation letter with location (and map), time, and date. They will also receive another reminder about the event as the time approaches.

Nashville schools move special-needs students into mainstream classes | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

• Nashville schools move special-needs students into mainstream classes | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

  tags: inclusion

  • Metro Nashville Public Schools continues to move its 8,200 special-needs population into mainstream classes, satisfying parents who want inclusion for their children. The school district and the mayor's office made it a priority last year because federal law requires students with disabilities to be educated in the least-restrictive environment available.

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Employment - Webinar - Dec. 1, 2009

By: Peter Gerhardt, Ed. D.
Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Time: 1 :30 – 3:00 pm Mountain Time

Abstract: In addition to productivity goals, youths and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families are beginning to redefine employment outcomes to include measures of social competence and involvement as well as life satisfaction. This presentation will provide an overview and practical suggestions for supporting individuals with ASD to be competent, productive, and socially included co-workers and colleagues. This includes issues related to effective communication, understanding social challenges and the hidden curriculum, behavior support, production competence, and interdependence.

Who Should Attend? This session is appropriate for job coaches, job developers, VR counselors, transition age special educators and paraeducators, employment specialists, advocates, families, non-profit leadership staff, and employers.

For more information: E-mail or call Mary Mercer or Jana Kremer at 1-800-233-1737.
mary.mercer@minotstateu.edu or jana.kremer@minotstateu.edu 

Click here to view the full brochure (PDF)

Defusing Tension When Advocating for Children of Special Needs | EduGuide

• Defusing Tension When Advocating for Children of Special Needs | EduGuide

  tags: parents, schools, advocating

  • Most parents and professionals would agree that good parent teacher communication is crucial to a dynamic home-school partnership, especially with regard to educating students with special needs. Most of us also agree that when adults strive for good communication, children win.
  • Education professionals say that emotionally-charged school meetings result from the demands of unreasonable and unrealistic parents. Parents counter this argument. They say that professional arrogance and an unwillingness to recognize the parent's valuable input is at the root of parent teacher communication breakdowns.

Parent/adolescent focus groups on health needs in Billings - Nov 20

Health Improvement Team, LLC has been contracted by Montana Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) to examine the health related needs of families and children. This study is conducted every five years and is used to assist DPHHS improve health related services and resources.

We would like to invite parents and adolescents from the community to participate in focus groups. Their participation will be entirely confidential to allow them to share their honest thoughts and opinions.

Who We Need:

o   Parents of children aged 0 – 12 years

o   Parents of children with special health care needs

o   Adolescents between the ages of 13-22 year

10 – 12 participants will be needed for each group identified above (30-36 total).

What They Receive:

In recognition of his or her time, Health Improvement Team, LLC will provide each participant with cash reimbursement of $35 for the parent groups ($25 for adolescents).

Date / Time / Location:
All three focus groups will be conducted on Friday, November 20^th. We are hoping to secure a conference room at MSU Billings downtown and will inform you of the confirmed location and time.

If you, or anyone you know, is interested to participating in one of these focus groups, please contact Colleen Roylance at (406) 439-1764 or colleen@hityouraim.com.

We will send participant a confirmation letter with location (and map), time, and date. They will also receive another reminder about the event as the time approaches.

Obama Signs Bill Giving Disability Hate Crimes Protections - Disability Scoop

• Obama Signs Bill Giving Disability Hate Crimes Protections - Disability Scoop

  tags: Hate Crimes, disabilities, legislation

  • President Barack Obama signed an expanded hate crimes bill into law Wednesday making it a federal offense to commit a crime against a person based on their disability.

Disability Accommodations Vary Widely At Nation's Colleges - Disability Scoop

• Disability Accommodations Vary Widely At Nation's Colleges - Disability Scoop

  tags: college, disabilities

  • One in 10 college students has a disability but the federal government needs to do more to accommodate these students, a new report finds.

Introduction – Going to College for students with diabilities

• Introduction – Going to College

  tags: college, disabilities

  • This Web site contains information about living college life with a disability. It’s designed for high school students and provides video clips, activities and additional resources that can help you get a head start in planning for college.

IRIS CENTER - Functional Behavior Assessment

• IRIS CENTER - Functional Behavior Assessment

  tags: FBA, Behavior

  • 

    Module:

    Functional Behavioral Assessment: Identifying the Reasons for Problem Behavior and Developing a Behavior Plan

Montana disability Blog: 52 Weeks

• 52 Weeks

  tags: montana, disability, blog

  • 52 weeks is a blog featuring People, Places and Issues that are part of the everyday reality of people with disabilities. At least once a week Disability Rights Montana will feature a person with a disability, a place that supports people with disabilities, or an issue that affects people with disabilities. The site is meant to promote dignity, equality and self-determination. It is meant to be interactive, allowing people to comment and discuss the topics posted. Join the conversation.

Helena IR: Celebrating imperfections

• Helena IR: Celebrating imperfections

  tags: Mental Health

  • The "shut up sisters," Gina Gallagher and Patty Konjoian of Massachusetts, regaled a standing-room-only crowd Thursday in Helena with stories of raising children with mental illnesses in a world that demands perfection.

New Kindle may assist some visually impaired - 10/29/09 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com

• New Kindle may assist some visually impaired - 10/29/09 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com

  tags: assistive technology, visual impairment, reading

  • From experts in the field of adaptive technology for people who are blind and visually impaired, the reviews of Kindle DX are mixed. They hope improvements are made to accommodate different levels of vision impairments.

PTA Take Your Family to School Week Awards Feb 7-13

• PTA Take Your Family to School Week Awards Feb 7-13

  tags: PTA, parent school partnerships

  • Plan family involvement events for February 7–13, 2010, and apply for an $1,897 Award to support your PTA in opening school doors to all families.

Tumbleweed Support Group for High School Girls - Billings - Every other Wednesday, starting Nov. 04, 2009

What:

Tumbleweed Support Group for High School Girls

When:

Every other Wednesday starting November 04th, 2009

From 4-5 PM

Where:

Tumbleweed Building: 505 N. 24th, Billings, MT 59101

Contact Heidi at 259-2558

Becoming a Love and Logic Parent - Billings - 5 week session beginning Nov. 09, 2009

Effective Parenting... without the Power Struggle.

A parenting program offering practical, easy-to-use techniques, dialogue and support; designed to put the fun back into parenting.

5 week session
SESSION begins Monday, November 9th, 2009
6:00-8:30pm

An approach to raising kids that provides loving support from parents while at the same time expecting kids to be respectful and responsible. Parent-child relationships are enhanced, family life becomes less strained, and we have time to enjoy our kids instead of either feeling used by them or being transformed from parent to policemen. Parents will learn how to take control of the home without anger.

*Approved Training for Montana Early Care & Education Career Development

Registration: To assure seating, call 259-2558 to register & mail fee to Tumbleweed, 505 North 24th, Billings, MT 59101

Cost: $20 per person / $30 per couple (parent handbook included)

No one will be denied due to the inability to pay. Alternative arrangements may be made at the time of registration.

Location: Tumbleweed, 505 North 24th, Billings, MT 59101

State's PTSD program going national | greatfallstribune.com | Great Falls Tribune

• State's PTSD program going national | greatfallstribune.com | Great Falls Tribune

  tags: PTSD

  • WASHINGTON — Montana's program to aggressively screen combat veterans for signs of mental trauma is going national.
  • President Barack Obama signed a Department of Defense authorization bill Wednesday, which among other provisions extends the Treasure State's program by requiring all military personnel to get face-to-face screenings before they leave for combat and periodically after they return to see if there are signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or other mental illnesses.

U.S. GAO - Higher Education and Disability: Education Needs a Coordinated Approach to Improve Its Assistance to Schools in Supporting Students

• U.S. GAO - Higher Education and Disability: Education Needs a Coordinated Approach to Improve Its Assistance to Schools in Supporting Students

  tags: higher education, students with disabilities, report

Bitterroot cycle shop helping disabled athletes

• Bitterroot cycle shop helping disabled athletes

  tags: assistive technology, athletics

  • Two weeks ago, a man named Chris Waddell arrived at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

    A paraplegic athlete from Park City, Utah, Waddell became the first in his condition to reach the summit of the 19,340-foot peak.

    In addition to the courage, vision and mental and physical strength he needed to achieve that goal, there was something else that helped propel him to the top of the largest free-standing continental mountain on earth; something that could only be found in the Bitterroot.