OASIS WOOSTER CHAPTER MINI SEMINAR DECEMBER 6, 2009

Prentke Romich Company

Representatives of PRC, an established leader in the Alternative and Augmentative Communication field, will be presenting at the OASIS meeting on December 6, 2009, to introduce their 100% employee-owned company, and give a brief overview of their available services.

Funding Coordinator, Angie Neveadomi, will discuss PRC's role with submitting funding packets to Insurance, Medicare, and/or Medicaid. She will also give a tour of the Funding Assistant, a tool utilized by http://www.prentrom.com/ for an easier submission process, as well as, the available family resources and other various funding sources available to families.

Special guest, Brandon Williamson, a 16-year old ambassador for PRC, and his mother, will also discuss how Brandon’s world improved with the use of his Vantage, and their journey to obtaining it. There will be a question and answer session, along with handouts and an introduction to a new online resource, the Center for AAC and Autism, stationed at http://www.aacandautism.com/. For more information about PRC, please call toll-free, (800) 262-1984.

LOCATION:
Wooster Community Hospital, North Auditorium
1761 Beall Ave, Wooster, OH 44691

TIME: 4pm

DATE: December 6, 2009

OASIS MINI SEMINAR/WOOSTER OHIO 12/06/2009

OASIS MINI SEMINAR....yes our OASIS Wayne County Meetings have returned!


Sunday, December 6th, Wooster's very own Prentke Romich Company, that makes communication devices will be our guest speakers.

They will be talking about the latest communication devices for our children as well as adults. They will also be talking to us about the FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES we have for these MUCH needed products. FUNDING THAT WE ALL HAVE, but are not aware of how to obtain it. They will share how. They are also hoping to have a young man who has Aspergers and who uses the device in his life. If he is able to come he will show you how he uses it for his job.

This mini seminar is FREE and open to parents, family members, teachers, therapists....
Teachers, come and find out how your school district can obtain these devices through funding!

WHEN: DECEMBER 6
TIME: 4PM
WHERE: WOOSTER COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, NORTH AUDITORIUM



ABOUT PRC

PRC TODAY - 100% EMPLOYEE-OWNED

Doing business with an employee-owned company assures you that every interaction is with an employee-owner committed to providing the best possible service. The foundation of employee ownership is the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). An ESOP makes the employees of a company owners of its stock.

Success is defined by PRC employee-owners who are dedicated to sustaining and building on a culture that is client-centered. We are dedicated to seeing our customers succeed in whatever they want to achieve by delivering assistive technology that enables real, spontaneous communication that enriches their lives.

These values have been our mainstay for well over 40 years. We ensure quality assistive technology products and services that focus on language development and helping people reach their full potential. Simply, our client's success is our success.

• Our Mission: To help people with disabilities achieve their potential in educational, vocational, and personal pursuits.
• Our Method: By providing quality language and assistive technology products and services to people with disabilities, their families and professionals.
• Our Manner: By treating each person with whom we interact with the highest respect.
  

We believe that 100% Employee Ownership demonstrates our dedication to innovative, quality communication technology products and our caring, honest and customer-driven service standards. For more than 40 years, PRC has stood for innovation and integrity. We have ensured that same standard long into the future by becoming 100% employee-owned.

http://www.prentrom.com/

Autism Affects 1 In 91 Children, Government Says

Autism Affects 1 In 91 Children, Government Says

October 4, 2009
Autism affects 1 in 91 children in the United States, government data published Monday shows, marking a dramatic increase over the previous estimate of 1 in 150.

How many more "tally marks" before it is seen as an epidemic?

How many more "tally marks" until families in communities SMALL and large receive support through respite services, waivers, therapy and educational needs....no matter their income level?

How many more "tally marks" until.....

LIFE INSIDE THE BOX OF A JIGSAW PUZZLE

NEW DEVOTIONAL BOOK!

We all have a plan in our heads of how we “think” life ought to be when we marry and have children. When those plans are shattered, it is like someone came up to your card table while you were putting together a jigsaw puzzle and the pieces went everywhere. Yet, your puzzle did not just hit the floor, it scattered to the winds and you now stand there with an empty box.

Life Inside the Box of a Jigsaw Puzzle is a book about finding God’s Grace, Strength, Hope and Understanding inside the Spectrum of Autism. I am a parent who is inspired daily by our son who was born and blessed with Autism. May you find blessing, hope...and a new look within the puzzle of Autism.

Publisher: Angel Thompson/Unleashing Potential Ministries

Copyright: © 2009 Unleashing Potential Ministries/Angel Thompson Standard Copyright License

Language: English

Country: United States

Edition: First

Version: 1

You can order a copy today by clicking LIFE INSIDE...

Autistic Traits: A Plus for Many Careers

By Lisa Jo Rudy, About.com

Redefining the Workplace for Autistic Teens and Adults:
Since when have passion, meticulous attention to detail, and lack of interest in office gossip been problems in the workplace? Since the workplace was defined as a 9-5 social setting! It's true that offices -- and the stock rooms at Walmart -- are "typical" work settings. But autistic people aren't typical. And neither are the careers for which they're ALREADY good candidates.

He Just Can't See the Forest for the Trees:
It's a common trait among autistic people: they see the parts instead of the whole. It's a problem in some settings, but a terrific attribute if you're looking for... deep space anomalies (as an astronomer), unique cells (as a lab technician), differences among species (as a biological researcher), particular qualities of objects (as a gemologist, antiques appraiser, or art historian).

Her Only Friends Are Her Family:
This trait may not get you invited to the prom. But it's a wonderful attribute if you're... a forest ranger; a self-employed writer or artist; a caretaker at an estate; a gardener or horticulturalist; or even a paleontologist (dinosaur scientist). After all, lack of interest in other people is not indicative of lack of interest in or ability to manage things, animals, or systems. And it's not easy to find a qualified person who's willing to spend extended periods on their own.

All He Cares About in the World Is... [Fill In the Blank]:
If you've ever worked at museum, lab or university, you'll find worlds full of single-minded, passionate people. To an academic, their area of interest, no matter how small, is desperately interesting. The same is true of museum professionals and archaeologists, who spend their lives studying individual artifacts, bones or textiles.

She Thinks In Pictures, But It's Hard for Her to Understand Conversations:
Some autistic people can, with virtually no effort, envision a 2-dimensional photograph as a 3-dimensional object. With appropriate training, such people are ideal candidates for jobs in areas like CAD (computer aided design), architectural model construction, industrial design, exhibit prototyping, and much more. The key is finding and supporting the training that can lead to such careers.

He's So Rule-Oriented That He Drives People Crazy!:
In a typical workplace, most people bend and break the rules. This is very tough for many autistic people, who need and respond to structure. But there are plenty of work places in which rules are absolute -- for everyone. Of course, the most obvious choice for rule-oriented people is the military. But even in hospitals and labs, rule-following is not only important -- it's critical.

She Likes Animals, Not People!:
It's not easy to become a veterinarian. But consider some of the many, many animal-oriented careers available. Caring for horses at a stable, horse-farm or track. Working on a farm. Zookeeper or animal curator at a zoo or petting farm. Animal wrangler for the entertainment industry. Naturalist or husbandry expert at a museum or aquarium. Pet store employee. Animal tech at a veterinary practice or kennel. The list goes on and on!

Keeping an Open Mind:
What's out there? Who's doing it? For people on the autism spectrum, the answers need to be as wide ranging as possible. Whether your autistic loved one is a dinosaur devotee or crazy about computers, with a college degree or GED, there are career options available. Take a close look at your child's passions, abilities and needs, and the wide world of possible careers. He or she may already be halfway there.

©2009 by Lisa Jo Rudy - To view this page in its original form, please visit: http://autism.about.com/od/transitioncollegejobs/p/autismskills.htm
Used with permission of About, Inc., which can be found online at http://www.about.com/
©2009 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved

Mirror, Mirror – Synchronizing with others in conversations

“People who are in rapport exhibit an interesting behavior characteristic: They unconsciously synchronize their body language and their vocal characteristics.”

– “How to Connect in Business in 90 Seconds or Less” by Nicholas Boothman.

Boothman goes on to explain how other people can be comforted and often feel more engaged when others synchronize with their body language. This can be a benefit to you, especially when you aren’t quite sure what you should be doing with your body. This works best when you are engaged in one-on-one conversation as well. Synchronization is not a flat out mimicking of actions, rather it is a very subtle synchronization of movements. If another person is crossing their legs, you cross your legs as well. If a person is nodding, you nod as well. The movements that you synchronize should be very slight but your general body posture should look similar to the conversational partner. If the other person moves into a different position, you may gradually assume that position too. Don’t overdo it and try to copy all the movements.What you can do: Try synchronizing your body language to that of others.

Plan: Think of a time or times throughout your day that you can practice this. This can be practiced at anytime you are in a conversation with another. It may be best to start with someone that you are more comfortable with and then progress to less familiar people.

Act: When you are interacting with the other person, very subtly synchronize your body posture to match theirs. Don’t worry about focusing too much on this, but when you are unsure what to do with your body, take the other person’s body language as a clue.

Reflect: Were you comfortable doing this exercise. Did you come across postures or movements that you don’t usually engage in? Consider other ways you might synchronize with another person.

Julie Wilson

Perspectives Social Learning, LLC

13703 Green PrairieVicksburg MI, 49097

269-720-1435

www.socialperspectives.com

GET THE JUMP ON BULLYING

By Dan Coulter

Will your child with Asperger Syndrome or a similar condition be bullied this school year? Unless you have an unusual situation, the odds say yes. If it happens, will school staff respond appropriately?

Ah, there’s the rub.

In my state, North Carolina, the legislature recently passed a law to help prevent school bullying. But the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction already required state school districts to have anti-bullying policies, so why did we need a law?

A story about the legislation in the June 29, 2009 Charlotte Observer sheds some light. Here’s the way the story starts:

"Students and administrators might as well be living on different planets when it comes to school bullying. Students across the state say it is common for bullies to taunt and hit them or their classmates, and for teachers to do little to stop it. Superintendents and principals say bullying is a small problem and policies to discourage it work well."

Talk about a disconnect.

To be sure, there are teachers and administrators who do recognize the scope of bullying and work to correct it and prevent it from happening again. But evidence shows that this is not the norm. Bullying is unofficially institutionalized in many of our schools. Partially because it’s not well understood by many school staff members. Partially because it’s so difficult to deal with.

We’re now starting to see research that shows the negative effects of bullying carry into adulthood, and damage both the victim and the bully. North Carolina is now the 40th state to enact anti-bullying legislation.

These laws are a move in the right direction. But they’re not enough. Laws are no better than the way they’re applied. As parents and educators, we’ve got to work with school staff to help everyone involved better understand bullying and how to prevent it. To help ensure these laws have the effect they’re intended to have. And to supplement them in the gaps they can’t cover.

One portion of the new NC law attempts to prevent witnesses from turning a blind eye. It requires that a school employee, student or volunteer "who has witnessed or has reliable information that a student or school employee has been subject to any act of bullying or harassing behavior shall report the incident to the appropriate school official."

That’s a good thing, as far as it goes. But my wife recalls discussions with our son’s teachers where they explained they couldn’t address complaints of harassment because they didn’t hear the harassing comments.

That response could have been an excuse or a sincere answer. Either way, it didn’t address the problem.

Bullies quickly learn to harass victims where teachers can’t see or hear them. It becomes a challenge to upset a student who’s vulnerable and act innocent when confronted.

Some schools are quick to act on physical bullying, but tend to dismiss verbal harassment, which can be devastating to children. When my son, Drew, was in high school, he became frustrated when his teachers’ response to reports of taunts and insults was, "Just ignore it." He points out that Asperger Syndrome made that virtually impossible for him.

The best anti-bullying programs involve an active prevention program. In talking with students who have Asperger Syndrome, my wife and I have found they are frequent targets of harassment, because they’re vulnerable to being manipulated. We’ve also found that educating classmates and school staff about Asperger Syndrome can dramatically reduce incidents of bullying.

This works in two ways. It prevents some children from bullying in the first place. These are mainly kids who didn’t have malicious intent, but were just making fun of a student who was different without realizing the consequences.

But awareness education also protects potential victims from diehard bullies, by engaging receptive classmates and school staff to intervene and prevent harassment.

As a concerned parent or educator, here’s what you can do:

- Learn about the anti-bullying laws and policies that affect your school and work to ensure that your school’s staff is aware of them.
- Form a parent support group to advocate on behalf of special needs children.
- Work with other parents and school staff to develop and use programs to educate students and staff about bullying and how to prevent it.
- Talk with your children or students about bullying and tell them what you want them to do when they encounter it.
- When your child or student reports being bullied, take the report seriously and follow up.

The Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland developed an awareness program specifically designed to educate students and staff about Asperger Syndrome and autism. You can see information about their, "Building Bridges" program on their website at: http://www.aacps.org/specialed/resources.asp. Programs such as this can go a long way towards preventing harassment of students who appear different to classmates.

I’d heard too many stories of students who suffered in silence because they came to believe nothing could be done to protect them from bullies. Feeling helpless is a terrible way to go through school.

If you’re a parent or teacher, this is the year you can make things different for your children. By letting them know that you’re aware of the problem. That you’re on their side. And that you’re not backing down.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -- Dan Coulter is the producer of the DVD "Intricate Minds: Understanding Classmates with Asperger Syndrome." You can find more articles on his website: http://www.coultervideo.com/.

Copyright 2009 Dan Coulter All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.