New Autism School, The Aspen Academy, Opens In Eatontown, NJ

New Autism School Opens In Eatontown - Long Branch-Eatontown Patch, NJ Patch

The Center for Vocational Rehabilitation has opened a new facility for their autism school in Eatontown. 

A ribbon cutting for the Aspen Academy, located at 15 Meridan Way, was held on Monday March 4, and was attended by Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo. 

The Aspen Academy is a day program structured to provide every individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder and developmentally disabled individuals with cognitive impairments, an appropriate foundation to learn in the areas of vocational skills, daily living skills, work skills, pre-employment development, supported employment and social independence, according to the school's web site.

West Tennessee: The K.I.T.E. Center: Buy from SnagMob and Support K.I.T.E.!!!!

The K.I.T.E. Center: Buy from SnagMob and Support K.I.T.E.!!!! 2012

SnagMob.com March 20 to March 27, 2012

Hey all -- We're joining forces with @SnagMob to help raise money for The K.I.T.E Center. SnagMob is like Groupon or Living Social, but exclusively for Jackson & West Tennessee. More importantly, they give back a percentage of their profits to non profits like us! Please click on the link and buy ANY deals on SnagMob to give to The K.I.T.E. Center.   The K.I.T.E. Center will be the featured non profiton SnagMob.com on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012, to Tuesday, March 27th!!!!!

During this time, you will be able to purchase great deals on the following:

- Half off Italian Fare at a Jackson-area restaurant

- Half off Body Wrap Applications and One Month Unlimited Use of Toning Tables

- Half off Mani/Pedi

- Half off a Four-Hour World Cuisine Class

- Half off Hair Removal 

VIEW CURRENT DEALS HERE!!!!

You can also help by sharing this link from our Facebook page.  By sharing it, it always helps raise money and awareness.  Thank you so much for your support.

 

K.I.T.E. is located in Jackson, TN.

The K.I.T.E. Center
636 Wallace Rd.
Jackson, TN
Contact: 731-267-5007
www.thekitecenter.com
email: thekitecenter@eplus.net

The KITE Center is a 50(c)3 Non Profit Organization

The Lighthouse School - Leeds, Yorkshire, UK

Region’s first special needs free school for the autistic approved - Education - Yorkshire Post

THE FIRST special education free school in Yorkshire for pupils with autism will open next year.

The Lighthouse School in Leeds was one eight special or alternative provision free schools across the country to be given the go-ahead this week by Ministers.

The decision marks the fulfilment of a seven-year dream for a group of parents of children with autism who have developed the plans.

The new school will be for 50 pupils between the ages of 11 and 19 with statements of special educational needs and will be based in part of a former school building in Pudsey which is now empty.

More @ http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/education/region_s_first_special_needs_free_school_for_the_autistic_approved_1_3971193

School uses dogs to help autistic students

School uses dogs to help autistic students in the classroom : News : miNBCnews.com

FLUSHING -- Two years ago, special education teachers at Central Elementary School in Flushing never dreamed they would see their autistic students walking a dog.

"The first time the dogs came in, it was utter chaos," said special education aide, Pam Weisenburger.

But now students are petting, feeding and even hugging their new friends Lelia and Brewtus. Children enter this classroom when they are six and leave when they are 12.

http://www.minbcnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=686757#.TsQj2j1Co8k

Family First Preparatory Academy Closes after just 3 Weeks. Special Needs Parents Scramble

West Side private school closes after a month - News - The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Christopher Vance was surprised when his wife asked him to pick up his son from school on Tuesday.

Family First Preparatory Academy, on Charleston's West Side, closed its doors Tuesday after a month of classes, with no warning to parents. Thirty families were left scrambling to find their children another place to go to school.

Vance, whose 6-year-old autistic son also is named Christopher, said the boy was doing well at the "character-based" school, where a staff of five teachers could provide more personalized attention.

"I don't know what to do," said Vance, standing with his son outside the school, located in the Rehoboth Cathedral on Main Street. "I'm back at square one.

"I feel more for the kids than the teachers," Vance said. "The kids were just beginning to bond with their teachers. I can't put him back in public school like I did last year and have to fight with them day after day."

More http://wvgazette.com/News/201109134327

60 Essential Twitter Feeds for Following Autism Education | Online Colleges

60 Essential Twitter Feeds for Following Autism Education | Online Colleges

Autism has received a lot of national media attention in recent years, largely because the number of children diagnosed has risen sharply. Whether this is due to better diagnostic testing or some yet undiscovered genetic or environmental factor is still to be determined. Either way, its increased prevalence has made it necessary for educators and parents alike to work hard and learn more about autism, from spotting the early signs to the best ways autistic children can learn and thrive. Keeping up with the latest news and information can be a full time job, but social media may prove one fairly effortless way to do so.

We’ve collected 60 Twitter feeds here that will help you to keep up with all the latest news on autism, from charities working to help diagnosed individuals to new discoveries by scientists and researchers — even some support and inspiration from parents raising afflicted children. No matter what drives your interest in autism, you’re bound to find some tweets among these feeds that will help you better understand and work with those who have the condition.

These feeds will ensure you always know the latest in autism research and news.

1. @theautismnews: This feed is a great follow if you want easy access to a wide range of news articles on autism and autism spectrum disorders.
2. @autism_research: Check out this Twitter feed to find a great collection of articles that may be of interest to parents and professionals in the autism field.
3. @autismbulletin: Make sure you stay in the loop when it comes to autism news by reading this regularly updated feed.
4. @TheCoffeeKlatch: Geared towards parents, this feed is an excellent resource for practical articles on living with autism and the latest research being done.
5. @asteens: Find some great posts about autism news and more, specifically dealing with the disorder’s impact on teens, through this organization’s feed.
6. @autismtalk: Host of Autism Talk Radio, Steven Prussack, keeps this feed loaded with links to his show’s latest recordings.
7. @anne_barbano: Anne Barbano hosts a radio show that focuses on autism and other disabilities. Check out her latest topics of discussion here.
8. @thinkingautism: Here you’ll find links to some amazingly informative essays written by parents, professionals and those with autism.

MORE HERE. Click to see #9 - #60 @ OnlineColleges.Net

Pathfinder Academy in Jacksonville - Summer Program

Autism school holds summer program to prep students | todaysthv.com

JACKSONVILLE, Ark. (KTHV) -- Pathfinder Inc. in Jacksonville has opened a middle school for children with autism. The school year begins on Aug. 15 and the organization is holding a summer program to prepare the students for the school year.

"It's exciting. Exciting for me because when he was in public school I would never go have lunch with him because he would cry when I left."

Lisa Bamburg's son, Joel, is one of eight students enrolled in the new Pathfinder Academy in Jacksonville. Joel and his classmates have autism. He's working on a basic skill, brushing his teeth, when we visit his classroom.

Director Tim Thomas says they are ready for the academy's first official year to begin.

The Good Shepherd Catholic School at Mercy (Autism School)

Mercy Health Center to open school for autistic children in Oklahoma City | NewsOK.com

Children with autism and patients who need rehabilitation will find help in a new multimillion-dollar Mercy Health Center school and hospital.

This is an artist's drawing of the 50-bed Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital, at Memorial Road and MacArthur Boulevard. Construction is expected to begin Aug. 16 and be complete the fall of 2012.

The state's first school for autistic children, The Good Shepherd Catholic School at Mercy, initially will provide special services for 20 children when it opens Aug. 22 on the hospital campus.

Read more: http://newsok.com/mercy-health-center-to-open-school-for-autistic-children-in-oklahoma-city/article/3586759#ixzz1SeRs0t8X

Struggle to find autism schools in the UK

BBC News - 'Struggle' to find autism schools

Almost half of parents of children with autism are having to wait more than a year to get their children into the right school, a survey carried out by the National Autistic Society has found.

Giant Steps Autism School Forges Relationship With Darien Lions Club - Lisle, IL Patch

Giant Steps Autism School Forges Relationship With Darien Lions Club - Lisle, IL Patch

From Darien Patch: The Lions Club’s motto is “We serve.” So when Darien Lion Steve Hiatt got the call that Giant Steps school in Lisle needed a hand with its auction in February, it was a no brainer.

A group from the club manned the coatroom, collecting over the course of the evening about $750 in tips, said Giant Steps special event planner Jeni Fulton. They donated the tips, of course, to Giant Steps.

What started with one tip jar at one event has blossomed into a rewarding relationship between the Darien Lions Club and Giant Steps.

With the Lions help at events such as the auction, pancake breakfasts and a recent school picnic, Giant Steps’ staff is able to spend more time interacting with parents and students, said Executive Director Bridget O’Connor.

More at http://lisle.patch.com/articles/giant-steps-autism-school-forges-relationship-with-darien-lions-club

Princeton Family Affected by Autism Thrives at Eden Institute, Special Olympics - Princeton, NJ Patch

Princeton Family Affected by Autism Thrives at Eden Institute, Special Olympics - Princeton, NJ Patch

Eden Institute, located in Plainsboro, provides year round educational services for people with autism between the ages of 3-21.

Eden Institute for Autism

About Eden : Eden Autism Services

Eden's philosophy of lifespan services is based upon the premise that the majority of individuals with autism require services throughout their lifetime. While the extent to which these services are needed will differ from person to person, their specialized nature will not.

Lifespan services are at the core of Eden's service continuum that ranges from early intervention programming to services for older adults with autism. Lifespan services are the vehicle by which individuals who have autism continue to learn and to grow - and to become active, contributing members of their communities.

The Peninsula School for Autism

Autistic children's school: Newport News families opening special school geared to needs of autistic children - dailypress.com

The Peninsula School for Autism is expected to open this fall in Newport News, and it appears it would be the first private school on the Peninsula specifically devoted to autistic children.

Autism school in city provides academic and behavioral health services to students

Autism school in city provides academic and behavioral health services to students

At NHS Autism School, a classroom of seven starts the day by picking someone to hold the flag for the morning salute. Upstairs, a small group of students is already searching for adjectives on worksheets, with several aides nearby.

Down the hall in an emotional support classroom, a teacher asks students questions one by one.

Teacher Kelly Dugan asks a boy to count to 25 and helps him along. Some of the students stray from their chairs and struggle to focus.

The next student counts backwards from 20.

When he gets stuck, Dugan points out the numbers.

The schedule on the wall lists writing, reading, math, lunch, grooming, cooking and gym class.

The school in south Reading, which serves students on all grade levels, is a licensed private school that provides academic and behavioral health services to students with special needs. And there is a need here for such a school. Since it opened four years ago, it has quickly outgrown its enrollment projections for students with special needs, said school director Corlene Ocker.

More @ http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=310635

Matthew Israel, Founder of the School of Shock JREC, to Face Criminal Charges (VIDEO)

Matthew Israel, Founder of the School of Shock JREC, to Face Criminal Charges (VIDEO)

When I first heard about the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center (JREC) in Canton, Massachusetts, I couldn't believe that such a school existed. The JREC is a school for that uses electric shocks to discipline students with disabilities including autism, mental retardation or emotional-behavioral issues. The school was founded by a Harvard-trained psychologist, Matthew Israel and has long attracted controversy among disability rights activists, parents and experts in the field of mental health.

Today, the Boston Globe reports that Israel faces criminal charges over an incident in 2007, when two teenagers with disabilities who were residents at the JREC were wrongfully administered a number of shocks after a prank phone call by someone posing as a supervisor ordered them.

If the use of electric skin shock on children with disabilities is not troubling and barbaric enough, the suit against Israel also suggests how woefully poor the JREC's administrative practices are and also brings into question the training and supervision of its staff at all levels. From the Boston Globe:

A court official who works at the Norfolk County Superior Court said that today's schedule of cases lists a defendant named Matthew Israel facing two charges, misleading a grand jury and accessory after the fact to a crime.

The charges against Israel are believed to be related to the destruction of some of the center's digital surveillance tapes that would have showed what occurred the night of Aug. 26, 2007, in one of the center's residential group homes in Stoughton. That night, staffers received a prank phone call from someone posing as a supervisor, saying two teenagers, including Dumas's son, should be administered electrical shocks as punishment for bad behavior earlier that day.

More http://www.care2.com/causes/education/blog/matthew-israel-founder-of-center-to-face-criminal-charges/

Youngstown News, School is specially suited for autistic students

Youngstown News, School is specially suited for autistic students

The Potential Development School of Autism on the Southeast Side is a single-story building fitted for the unique 55 students it educates.

With hallway floors lined with tape telling students where to go and dividers between desks, the school is structured to give easily distracted autistic children the best opportunity at an education — an education that may not be possible at a public school.

“Instead of getting an appropriate education, their socials skills or their anxieties are holding them back,” said Marilyn Fielding, its director. “We, here, are trained to deal with those kinds of things.”

One important aspect of their education is sensory breaks, or mini-recesses, autistic students frequently need between lessons.

“I can’t tell you how that’s turned around some of our kids,” Fielding said.

A large sensory-break area for the students at the 880 E. Indianola Ave. school, however, is incomplete. A jungle gym occupies half of a playground while the other half is filled with mounds of dirt.

When preparing the ground, workers dug down and discovered water flowing downhill from an old hospital next door. They were forced to lay pipe which diverted the water but also shot up the cost of construction.

More ... http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/may/25/school-is-specially-suited-for-autistic-/

Northern School for Autism

Go-ahead for Northern School for Autism's new campus - Education - News - Northcote Leader

175% Jump in Autism Diagnoses Forces Schools to Adapt - Los Alamitos-Seal Beach, CA Patch

175% Jump in Autism Diagnoses Forces Schools to Adapt - Los Alamitos-Seal Beach, CA Patch

The number of children diagnosed with autism in the Los Alamitos Unified School District has nearly tripled in the last eight years, prompting district officials to hire a behavioral specialist to manage the district’s special-education needs.

Between 2002 and 2010, the district experienced a 175 percent increase in the number of students with the autism spectrum disorder, for a total of 152 students. In total, the district has 800 students with special needs. It’s a trend reflected in districts around the nation, and it has a significant impact on the classroom.

In the past, the Los Alamitos school district contracted with an outside agency instead of having its own behavioral specialist.

PBS 'NewsHour' shines spotlight on efforts of Bronx Autism school

PBS 'NewsHour' shines spotlight on efforts of Bronx Autism school

A Bronx school for children with autism stars on television tonight.

A PBS "NewsHour" segment at 7 p.m. features Public School 176X in Co-op City. It serves nearly 700 children with the disorder.

Part of a "NewsHour" series on autism hosted by legendary news anchor Robert MacNeil, the segment compares PS 176X with a small charter school in Manhattan that boasts one teacher for every student.

It also looks at the heart-wrenching impacts of the disorder on parents, such as Jesse Mojica, education director for Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., and grandparents, like MacNeil.

"So often, we parents feel powerless to help," Mojica said yesterday. His son has attended PS176X.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2011/04/21/2011-04-21_autisms_challenge_heroic_efforts_of_bronx_school_focus_of_tv_show.html#ixzz1KXwfNV82

Whiz Kid Cole Cook: Raising Money for Autism - Levittown, NY Patch

Whiz Kid Cole Cook: Raising Money for Autism - Levittown, NY Patch