September 27, 2006
Disability Resources (State of Michigan)
SITE: Disability Resources (State of Michigan)
URL: http://www.michigan.gov/disabilityresources
DESCRIPTION: Sections on the page highlight a variety of services available to Michigan residents and are nicely broken down into these categories: Employment, Education, Housing, Transportation, Health, Benefits, Technology, Disability Rights, Accessibility, & State Programs and Services. The links included in this resource primarily go to Michigan state resources. Also included are a few links to Federal resources and sites.
From the site: "Michigan's first website devoted specially to the interests, concerns, and needs of Michiganians with disabilities. Of Michigan's nearly 10 million residents, about 1.9 million have a disability. That's one in every five residents."
"On these pages you will find the services and programs for people with disabilities offered by the State of Michigan as well as other sites of interest. Whether you're looking for assistance in finding a job, want to learn about the latest assistive technology, or have a question about your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you will find it here."
"The Michigan Departments of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG) and Information Technology (DIT) collaborated in developing this website. We will continue to enhance this site and would appreciate your input. If you have suggestions for making the site more helpful and user-friendly,please e-Mail us at disabilityresources@michigan.gov"
This entry was posted in the following categories: Education (IEP and Other Issues) , General Web Sites , Government Committees and Reports (including the NIH) , Resources for Midwest United StatesPosted by cseeman at 04:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (286)
September 25, 2006
AblePlay
SITE: AblePlay
URL: http://www.ableplay.org/
DESCRIPTION: (From the site) - AblePlayTM toy evaluations are the key to unlocking the magic of play for children with special needs! Choosing toys for children with disabilities can be difficult. There are thousands of choices but finding just the right toy to match the varying abilities of each child with special needs can be a challenge. AblePlay's independent toy reviews and detailed information help you get "beyond the box" to understand each toy's unique features, creative ways each toy can be used with children with special needs and skills that will be enhanced as a result. Search for an AblePlay-Rated Toy today and unlock the magic of play for your children with special needs.
You can search by disability and the type of toy. A great resource for determining appropriate toys for the child with a disability.
Resource from the National Lekotek Center
This entry was posted in the following categories: Education (IEP and Other Issues) , General Web SitesPosted by cseeman at 07:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (152)
National Lekotek Center of Evanston, Illinois
SITE: National Lekotek Center of Evanston, Illinois
URL: http://www.lekotek.org
DESCRIPTION: The National Lekotek Center of Evanston, IL is a non-profit organization that promotes access to play for children with special needs, and access to supportive services for their families.
"Our Mission: Lekotek uses interactive play experiences, and the learning that results, to promote the inclusion of children with special needs into family and community life."
Website includes numerous services, information on resources, and articles on appropriate play. Many children with autism have inapropriate play with toys (lining them up for one). Also includes links to AblePlay, a database of toys for children with special needs.
This entry was posted in the following categories: Autism Spectrum Organizations , Education (IEP and Other Issues) , General Web SitesPosted by cseeman at 07:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (317)
Toys 'R' Us Annual Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids
SITE: Toys 'R' Us Annual Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids
URL: http://www.toysrus.com/differentlyabled
DESCRIPTION: Interesting Web-based catalog from Toys 'R' Us that serves as a guide for parents purchasing toys for differently abled children. This was created "through its partnerships with the National Lekotek Center and the National Parent Network on Disabilities Toys "R" Us developed and distributed this digest-sized catalog -- the ideal resource for parents, family members and friends who just don't know what to get for a child with special needs. It features more than 60 popular toys and is available now at Toys "R" Us stores."
"The toys featured in the Toys "R" Us Toy Guide for Differently Abled Kids have been extensively evaluated and specifically chosen by the National Lekotek Center for promoting the development of children with physical and cognitive disabilities. The National Lekotek Center is an independent non- profit organization dedicated to making the world of play accessible to children with all types of disabilities so they can learn just like any other kids. Each toy in the Guide has a strong play value and is chosen for its developmental and educational attributes."
"The National Lekotek Center of Evanston, IL is a non-profit organization with a national network of 50 affiliates that promote access to play for children with special needs, and access to supportive services for their families. For more information on toys, play and technology for children with disabilities, please contact the Lekotek Toy Resource Helpline at 800-366-PLAY or visit our website at http://www.lekotek.org."
Posted by cseeman at 07:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (736)
September 11, 2006
IEP Goals and Objectives Bank
SITE: IEP Goals and Objectives Bank
URL: http://www.bridges4kids.org/IEP/iep.goal.bank.pdf
DESCRIPTION:
Excellent resource from the Bridges4kids site (see their section on special education). This large resource (177 page PDF) comes from Redmond, Oregon) and will be very useful in identifying specific goals to be associated with a student's IEP. The Goal Bank has been written to use the same terms as found in the eSIS SPED software.
In this document, you can find IEP goals in just about every area that you would have on your own document. These include: English, Functional Academics, Independent Living, Mathematics, Mathematics Readiness, Motor, Recreation and Leisure, Self-management and Daily Living, Social Emotional, Speech and Language, Study Skills, and Vocational/Career Education.
A great resource even if your school is not using eSIS SPED software. It will allow you to see good examples of clear ways to state IEP goals for the special needs child.
This entry was posted in the following categories: Education (IEP and Other Issues) , General Web SitesPosted by cseeman at 05:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (337)
September 06, 2006
SITE: Early Childhood & Inclusive Education Projects (Institute on Disability/UCED, University of New Hampshire)
SITE: Early Childhood & Inclusive Education Projects (Institute on Disability/UCED, University of New Hampshire)
URL: http://iod.unh.edu/projects/early_childhood.html
DESCRIPTION: Part of an excellent site from the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, the section on Inclusive Education Projects allows people to see best practices on this important subject. Many children with autism are being educated in inclusion settings, which force greater importance on the IEP and good classroom experiences for each child. While many of the links on this page focus on programs in New Hampshire, the links provide information on best practices and their Jumpstart program.
Many resources are also available on their products page which includes links to New Hampshire Public Radio pieces on autism.
This entry was posted in the following categories: General Web SitesPosted by cseeman at 08:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (168)
August 25, 2006
SITE: Ten Common Mistakes Parents Make During the IEP Meeting (Gray Center)
SITE: Ten Common Mistakes Parents Make During the IEP Meeting (Gray Center)
URL: http://www.thegraycenter.org/sectionsdetails.cfm?id=41
DESCRIPTION: Excellent article by Matt Foley and DeAnn Hyatt-Foley (who living in Lubbock Texas and have a fourteen year old son. (from the site - Matt and DeAnn have also developed a workshop that teaches parents and educators the special education process. Their workshop has been presented throughout Texas and at the Yale University Autism Conference.)
As advertised, the site offers ten ideas that help better understand the process. These are (see the article for full explinations):
-Believing the professionals are the only experts.
-Not making requests in writing.
-Not being familiar with Prior Notice section of the Procedural Safeguards (34 CFR 300.503).
-Requesting a related service instead of an assessment that supports the need for a related service.
-Accepting assessment results that do not recommend the services you think your child needs.
-Allowing the assessment information to be presented for the first time at the IEP meeting.
-Accepting goals and objectives that are not measurable.
-Allowing placement decisions to be made before IEP goals and objectives are written.
-Allowing your child’s IEP meeting to be rushed so the school staff can begin the next child’s IEP meeting.
-Not asking a lot of questions.
Posted by cseeman at 01:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (2622)
August 09, 2006
Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
SITE: Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
URL: http://www.researchautism.org
DESCRIPTION: Excellent site from the Organization for Autism Research (OAR). They were formed in 2001 by seven parents and grandparents of children and adults on the autism spectrum, "OAR set out to use applied science to answer questions that parents, families, individuals with autism, teachers and caregivers confront daily. No other autism organization has this singular focus."
The site has very good information on Autism and resources that you can use. Of primary note are three books that can be downloaded in their entirety from the site:
A Parent's Guide to Research (the first book in the Life Journey through Autism Series that provides basic information on Autism, especially useful for the parent first discovering the diagnosis for a loved one).
An Educator’s Guide to Autism (the second book in the Life Journey through Autism series provides parents, teachers and education professionals with a plan for teaching a child with autism in the general elementary classroom setting).
An Educator’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome (the third book in the Life Journey Through Autism series that illustrates ways to work with Asperger Syndrome children within an inclusive classroom setting).
This entry was posted in the following categories: Basic Information on ASD , Bibliographies , General Web Sites , Publishers of Books and Resources on AutismPosted by cseeman at 10:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (645)
August 08, 2006
2006 National Autism Conference (State College, Pennsylvania)
SITE: 2006 National Autism Conference (State College, Pennsylvania)
URL: http://www.outreach.psu.edu/programs/Autism/National/default-Agenda.asp
DESCRIPTION: The mission of the conference is to: "This conference provides comprehensive, evidence-based information to assist educators,
providers, and families in developing effective educational and therapeutic programming for all students with autism spectrum disorders." Many of the presentation materials are posted to the site. Click on the agenda and browse the days to see if online content is available. Many of the speakers have placed their slides on the site and they provide good outlines of many topics that would be of interest to educators, parents and others who work with autistic children and adults.
Posted by cseeman at 07:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1055)
August 03, 2006
College and Research Library News INTERNET RESOURCES Series: Autism spectrum disorders: A resource for ASD information on the Web
Site: College and Research Library News INTERNET RESOURCES Series: Autism spectrum disorders: A resource for ASD information on the Web
URL: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2005/october05/autism.htm
Description: Article written by Corey Seeman for College and Research Library News (C&RL News, October 2005, Vol. 66, No. 9) on resources that academic libraries should know about when exploring Autism Spectrum Disorders. This list was not comprehensive, but focuses on some of the more prominent sites of interest to academic libraries.
Posted by cseeman at 05:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (447)
July 27, 2006
General Autism Resources on the Internet
SITE: General Autism Resources on the Internet
URL: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cseeman/Files/asd/autism_resources_internet_Seeman.pdf
DESCRIPTION: Article written by Corey Seeman for the newsletter of the Autism Society of Northwest Ohio's newsletter, the ANSO Forum. This article focuses on general websites and information available to people interested in Autism.
Posted by cseeman at 02:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (24)
Autism Spectrum Disorder Service Guidelines from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council
SITE: Autism Spectrum Disorder Service Guidelines from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council
URL: http://ddc.ohio.gov/Pub/ASDGuide.PDF
DESCRIPTION: Titled "Autism: Reaching for a Brighter Future," This long document (105 pages as a 849KB PDF file), is intended to offer basic support and best practices for individuals with Autistic Specturm Disorders from birth to 21 years. The intended audience is everyone that works with people on the autistic spectrum: families, educators, medical professionals, care providers and other service providers. These are not written as mandatory activities, but as a guide for people working with ASD individuals. This is a great introductory work on the subject.
Posted by cseeman at 06:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (28)
July 26, 2006
Tony Attwood's Website (expert on ASD)
SITE: Tony Attwood's Website (expert on ASD)
URL: http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/
DESCRIPTION: Tony Attwood is one of the leading figures in working with ASD and has presented on the subject all over the world. This website includes many resources on Asperger's Syndrome and high functioning autism including: papers he has delivered, excerpts of current articles, links to web resources, and other information.
Posted by cseeman at 06:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (69)
Temple Grandin's Website
SITE: Temple Grandin's Website
URL: http://www.templegrandin.com/
DESCRIPTION: Tomple Grandin is one of the leading figures in the ASD community and one of the most well known adults with autism in the world. Diagnosed with Autism as a young girl, Dr. Grandin went on to get her Ph.D. and become one of the leading figures in the Livestock Behavior and the design of humane cattle slaughter facilities. This site has a link to her older site, http://www.grandin.com/. She has written extensively on autism and is the author of two prominent books on the subject: Emergence : labeled autistic & Thinking in pictures : and other reports from my life with autism.
Posted by cseeman at 06:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (29)
Council For Exceptional Children
SITE: Council For Exceptional Children
URL: http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
DESCRIPTION: The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. (from their website). Included on their site is a great deal of information on working with children with ASD.
Posted by cseeman at 06:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (52)
Current Research from Child Development Institute
SITE: Current Research from Child Development Institute
URL: http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/disorders/current_research_on_autism.shtml
DESCRIPTION: Site includes descriptions of research and links to full reports for medical issues related to autism and ASD. It is broken down into three categories: brain functions, causes of autism, and treatments. This is from the Child Development Institute was founded by Dr. Robert Myers, a Clinical Child Psychologist with 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, families and parents.
Posted by cseeman at 06:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (91)
Autism Network Resources for Physicians - Autism Research & Related Links
SITE: Autism Network Resources for Physicians - Autism Research & Related Links
URL: http://home.san.rr.com/autismnet/research.html
DESCRIPTION: The Autism Network Resources for Physicians is a website with extensive links for autism research of a more medical nature. This section of their site has extensive resources for finding research being done in a number of areas on ASD, university-based programs, and a who's who of autism research.
Posted by cseeman at 06:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (5695)
Autism Network Resources for Physicians
SITE: Autism Network Resources for Physicians
URL: http://home.san.rr.com/autismnet/index.html
DESCRIPTION: The Autism Network Resources for Physicians is a website with extensive links for autism research of a more medical nature. While they indicate that they are primarily of interest to physicians, they are valuable for parents and others looking for medical research on autism and ASD. This site includes links for autism research, treatment options, articles, reports, hearings, conferences, message boards and others. The Treatment Options and Interventions page has a great summary of both conventional and unconventional treatment options available for children and adults with ASD.
Posted by cseeman at 06:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (35)
Autism-INFO
SITE: Autism-INFO
URL: http://www.autisminfo.com
DESCRIPTION: Created in 1998 by Jenny and Brad Middlebrook, this site offers news, links and information autism for parents, teachers, therapists and doctors. One of its stated goals is to provide balanced information for families of recently diagnosed children. Sections of the site include: quick facts, medical issues, diet, books, news, ABA resources, action plans for newly diagnosed children, and conferences.
Posted by cseeman at 06:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (36)
Autism page of Patient Centered Guides
SITE: Autism page of Patient Centered Guides
URL: http://www.patientcenters.com/autism/news/resources.html
DESCRIPTION: A list of printed material, online resources, and organization taken from Appendix A of Mitzi Waltz's excellent book, Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Finding a Diagnosis and Getting Help (O'Reilly & Associates, 2002). This resource is very valuable, though its links may not be updated as web addresses and organizations change. The main page for those resources, http://www.patientcenters.com/autism/ is very valuable as well and includes excerpts from the book.
Posted by cseeman at 06:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (262)
Autism Today
SITE: Autism Today
URL: http://www.autismtoday.com/index.asp
DESCRIPTION: Based in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, Autism Today is a valuable resource for information on Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. The site has a number of member only features and resources, but provides some good links and FAQs for the general public. Included is a strong section on news including links to recent stories from different media outlets that is updated frequently.
Posted by cseeman at 06:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (87)
Autism Resources
SITE: Autism Resources
URL: http://www.autism-resources.com
DESCRIPTION:Excellent general information resource on Autism. The site includes links (broken down by category), FAQ, book information, and other resources. The book listing is excellent and offers the information from a number of different ordering structures. Additionally, the section on "Advice to parents who discover their child is autistic" includes messages from parents on what they would have liked to know when their child was diagnosed with Autism.
Posted by cseeman at 06:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (2239)
