The Parent Child Training Program (PCTP) at Action For Autism is a ‘model’ program that addresses the critical need for parent education. How to parent an autistic child is not an intuitive process. True parental involvement is the key to successful autism programming and activities.

PCTP’s training empowers parents to take charge of their children’s health and education. Parental involvement on this level not only helps educate children, but it heals the emotional stresses that parents face. The PCTP training program is a ten-week country wide opportunity.

The coursework covers behavior modification and skills maintenance. Mothers learn tools and tactics for facilitating learning. Most importantly, they gain confidence through community by meeting other parents. This is the goal of ICare4Autism’s conference and our institute at large. By sharing information we strengthen our skills.

Ms. Barua’s organization quotes that they hope for “a society that views the interdependence of people of every ability as valuable and enriching.” AFA seeks to provide equal opportunities for all. Their goals are not only research and expanding autism education in India but also independent life training and skills.

The AFA’s reach goes beyond Los Angeles and India to the Europe. AFA created “Activate Yourself!” to put into action the value of all people. Due to the nature Autism, people with this disorder have difficulties in terms of self-advocating their fundamental rights. Therefore “Activate Yourself” was developed to encourage active participation of young people with ASD; empower them as active citizens, make them aware of their role in creating their own future and promote their equal rights and opportunities. The project is supported by the Youth in Action Programme of the European Union.

This kind of active work is right in line with the International Center for Global Research. We learn as much in the classroom as we do from the scientists in our lab. How to educate our autistic youth comes directly from their communication and achievements.

Attendees at past ICare4Autism International Autism Conference

On August 1-2, 2012, more than 1,500 leaders in autism research, educationand policy from every continent will gather in Jerusalem, Israel, for ICare4Autism‘s 2012 International Conference, “Autism: A Global Perspective“.

Dr.Joshua Weinstein, CEO & Founder indicated that the, “Conference will highlight groundbreaking research into the causes and treatments of Autism Spectrum Disorders, and serve as a catalyst for powerful new collaborations to tackle the global autism crisis”.

Students from around the world are invited to present their autism research at a poster session. One poster will be selected by the review committee to receive a scholarship to attend the Conference.  The scholarship will cover travel, hotel accommodations and conference registration fee. The scholarship winner will also be invited to participate on one of the Conference panels. The Poster Session consists of physical displays (aka posters) of information shown during a 60-90 minute session, with presenters standing by their poster reporting empirical research and pilot projects for future research.  Attendees have the opportunity to speak with the presenters about their work.

Dame Stephanie Shirley, The British Government’s Founding Ambassador for Philanthropy, and Chairman of the Shirley Foundation, will deliver the Keynote Address and The First Lady of Panama Mrs. Marta Linares de Martinelli will be giving opening remarks.

They will be joined by distinguished researchers and practitioners from more than 20 countries who will unveil their latest biomedical discoveries andeducational innovations.

Groundbreaking biomedical research will be presented; notably Henry Markram, Ph.D, the Director of Blue Brain Project, Coordinator of the Human Brain Project and Professor at Swiss Federal Institute for Technology (EPFL) will present, “Prospects of using detailed brain simulations to explore possible causes and treatments of Autism”

Innovativeeducational practices will be featured in presentations by Dr. S. Mariam Aljunied (Senior Autism Specialist, Singapore Ministry of Education); Dr.Carlos MarcinSalazar (Director of the National Autism Clinic of Mexico); and Dr. Pamela Wolfberg (Director, Autism Spectrum Program,UniversityofCalifornia San Francisco). Attendees will tour the campus where ICare4Autism will open the world’s first Global Autism Research andEducationCenterin 2015.

ICare4Autism (InternationalCenterfor Autism Research & Education) is a charitable organization, founded in 2004 to catalyze breakthrough innovations in autism research, diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Joshua Weinstein, CEO & Founder of ICare4Autism and Shema Kolainu – Hear Our Voices

The workshop featured an introduction by Dr. Joshua Weinstein, CEO & Founder of ICare4Autism and Shema Kolainu – Hear Our Voices.  He spoke about ICare4Autism’s Autism Workforce Initiative which will be the first of its kind. The initiative will be an integral component of ICare4Autism’s Global Autism Center for Research and Education in Jerusalem.

It will encompass workforce entry services providing high school students with autism with the opportunity to discover their interests and abilities by participating in a variety of vocational experiences, and works with students and their families to develop realistic transition plans when preparing to leave school and enter the workforce.

There will be vocational and employment services ranging for the semi-skilled, placing individuals in (or work as subcontractors on) jobs performing tasks such as light assembly, packaging, recycling, collating, lawn and garden work, etc. There will also be the placement for the high functioning placing individuals in jobs that build off their existing strengths and personality traits in such areas as computer programming, maintenance and operation of machines and equipment, laboratory technician, animal training and care, horticulture, handicrafts, photography, etc.

In recognition to the large number of opportunities in the technology sector and the unique skills that persons with Asperger’s possess there will be a special targeted program to place persons with Asperger’s Syndrome in technology sector jobs.

Dr. Weinstein also discussed ICare4Autism’s International Autism Conference scheduled for August this year and those in attendance were lucky enough to receive a special discount on registration for the conference.

Dr. Stephen Shore, Assistant Professor at Adelphi University

Dr. Stephen Shore then took the floor, speaking to a full house about employment opportunities for people with Autism.  Even those individuals with ASD who achieved post secondary education or have highly developed skill areas often have difficulty selling themselves in job interviews and maintaining working relationships on the job. Drawing on his personal and professional experiences as an adult living with Autism, Dr. Shore shared the strategies he has used successfully to find and secure employment and meet the expectations of employers for people throughout the autism spectrum.

Dr. Shore reiterated the point that when looking for employment, those with autism should focus on their strengths and what could make them uniquely employable given special talents or interests.

The next workshop at Shema Kolainu – Hear Our Voices, The Road to Independence, is on the 28^th of March and will cover issues such as toilet training, self care skills and pre-vocational skills.  Click here to see the full workshop schedule.

The benefits of attending are that you will listen to leading experts presenting the latest international research and developments in the field of Autism, learn practical approaches to supporting people with ASD, network with professional colleagues from around the world and get fresh information to help inspire families affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Don’t wait to register! We have early bird specials going on right now. It’s only $175 for both days of this groundbreaking conference and $105 for both days for students with proof of ID. There are package specials that include accommodation and tours of beautiful Jerusalem. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be inspired by our speakers from around the world and by the amazing surroundings. Check out the packages deals and register here>>http://www.icare4autism.org/events/2012-international-autism-conference/register/

The purpose of the conference was to share recent research into the causes and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders, and to serve as a catalyst for powerful collaborations to tackle the global autism crisis. A variety of exciting research was revealed at the conference, from metabolism issues to targeted intervention and much more.

ICare4Autism is again bringing together the worlds leading researchers to present their latest findings at 2012 International Autism Conference.

By holding an open submission for the conference Poster Session, we are opening the floor to up and coming researchers and seasoned professionals alike.

The Poster Session consists of many posters being exhibited together while viewers wander through them, stopping to read posters that catch their eye. Authors and presenters stand by to present their work and answer questions that anyone may have. This is an excellent opportunity to publicize the results of a wide array of research to the greatest minds in the same fields.

One lucky poster submission will be chosen to receive a scholarship to the conference and will be asked to speak on one of the conference panels as well as having their research highlighted on the ICare4Autism website.

The deadline for submitting a poster is the 15^th of May, more information can be found about the requirements for submission here: Call for Posters.

Photo by Michael O./ ShutterbugMike/Flickr

A topic that is often difficult for people to discuss and can be emotionally tolling is getting the attention of a network that represents a much brighter concept: comedy. Comedy Central will be hosting “Night Of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert For Autism Education”. The network has lined up a dazzling list of some of comedy’s biggest players: Steve Carell, Jimmy Fallon, Tracy Morgan, Joel McHale, John Oliver, and Chris Rock are just a few of those expected to perform.

The benefit will be bi-coastal, with a comedy concert at New York’s Beacon Hall Theatre on October 2^nd that will be recorded and broadcast with live appearances and a celebrity phone bank originating from Los Angeles on October 21^st.

Jon Stewart is said to host the event, which will be two-hours long and is intended to raise money to help ease the deficiency of schools and education programs for children and adults with ASD.

For more information on this event, visit Comedy Central’s website by clicking HERE.

Photo by: alvi2047/Flickr

Last week, the first ever court award was announced for a vaccinate-related autism claim.  The family of Hannah Poling said that she was developing at a normal rate, until she received vaccinations for nine diseases when she was 18 months old.  The diseases included measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae, polio, varicella, and diphtheria.

The Poling family is set to receive more than $1.5 million dollars to take care of Hannah for the first year alone.  They will then receive over $500,000 each year.  This could total $20 million in her lifetime, according to a party who is familiar with the case.

After Poling received the vaccinations in July of 2000, she took a turn for the worse.  She developed many symptoms that are common among children with autism, such as finicky eating happens, screaming tantrums, and not acknowledging or making contact with others in the same vicinity.  The claim was filed in federal vaccine court in 2002, and was settled by the government five years later.  The rest of the wait was then dedicated to figuring out how much the family should receive.

Andres Rueda/Flickr

What does this mean for the autism-vaccine debate?  The government’s stance is that the vaccines served as a catalyst to an unknown mitochondrial disorder that Hannah had.  Thus, her autism was a “result” of the vaccines, not “caused by” the vaccines.

Julie Gerberding, former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and current president of Merck Vaccines, said: “The government has made absolutely no statement indicating that vaccines are a cause of autism. This does not represent anything other than a very specific situation and a very sad situation as far as the family of the affected child.”

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20015982-10391695.html.

Photo by Ron Uriel

On July 5-6, 2010, thirty speakers connected at one conference to educate attendees from around the globe on autism. This grand conference was held in Jerusalem at the Ramada- Renaissance and kept the autism community a buzz. Check out photos, bios and more info from the event, in the following article.

Speakers for the event, in alphabetical order, included: Kenneth J. Aitken, PhD. (Scotland), Dafna Ben Bashat, Ph.D. (Canada), Esther Ben Yitzchak, Ph.D. (Israel), Doreen Ben Shalom, Ph.D. (Israel), Agantino Battaglia, M.D, DNeurol (Italy), Yoram Bonneh, Ph.D. (Israel), W. Ted Brown, M.D, Ph.D. (USA), Eitan Eldar, Ph.D., BCBA-D (Israel), Kenneth D. Gadow, Ph.D (USA), Eynat Gal, Ph.D. (Israel), Doreen Granspeesheh, Ph.D., BCBA, Lior Greenbaum, MD (Israel), Tal Kenet, Ph.D. (USA), Yoav Kohn, M.D. (Israel), Dhavendra Kumar, M.D. (Wales, UK), Amos Rolidor, Ph.D., BCBA (Israel), Lauren Schreibman, Ph.D. (USA), Stephen von Tetzchner, Ph.D (Israel), Sigal Tidhar Paz, MA, BCBA (Israel), Tamar Weiss, Ph.D. (Israel), Ditza Zachor, M.D. (Israel), Gil Zalsman, M.D. (Israel), Ofer Zeevy (Israel), and Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, M.D. (Canada).

Eric Hollander, M.D. - USA

Eric Hollander, M.D. – USA

Eric Hollander, M.D., is an internationally recognized psychiatrist and former Esther and Joseph Klingenstein Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Director of the Seaver and Greater New York Autism Center of Excellence. He is the Chairman of The International Center for Autism Research and Education’s Advisory Board. He is also the Chair of Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center.

Dr. Hollander is known for his work with oxytocin. To read about him and his comments in the news, click on the following links: Daily News, Newsweek, Washington Post, The Epoch Times.

Presentation Title: Neuropsychopharmacology of Autism Symptom Domains.

_____________________________________________________

Eli Hatchwell, M.D., PhD

Dr. Eli Hatchwell records a message for online conference viewers.

Dr. Eli Hatchwell is a Medical Geneticist and Molecular Genetics scientist who studies a variety of childhood disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorders, Congenital Heart Disease and a number of lesser known but important conditions. Dr. Hatchwell was among the first to discover the phenomenon of copy number variation in normal human beings, and specializes in the use of copy number variation for his study of human genetic disorders. He is a member of The International Center for Autism Research and Education’s Advisory Board.

View his bio: Click here, Watch him on CNN: Click here

Presentation Title: Modern Approaches to the Study of the Genetics of Autism.

_____________________________________________________

Ken Aitken M.A., MPhil, PhD – Scotland

Ken Aitken M.A., MPhil, PhD – Scotland

Dr. Aitken is a clinical neuropsychologist and researcher with a particular interest in neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly in those conditions that result in differences in social interaction and development such as the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and the Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders. He has been a Trustee and a Director of the Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and has contributed to a number of UK best practice guidelines in this area.

Read more about him: Click here

Presentation Title: Intersubjectivity, Affective Neuroscience, and the Neurobiology of Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

_____________________________________________________

Agatino Battaglia, M.D., DPed, DNeurol – Italy

Agatino Battaglia

Agatino Battaglia, M.D., DPed, DNeurol is a contract professor of Child Neuropsychiatry at the Post-Graduate Medical School in Child Neuropsychiatry, at the University of Pisa.

Presentation Title: Genetics: Inverted Dup 15/idic(15).

Abstract: Chromosome region 15q11q13, known for its instability, is highly susceptible to clinically relevant genomic rearrangements, such as supernumerary marker chromosomes formed by the inverted duplication of proximal chromosome 15. Inv dup(15) results in tetrasomy 15p and partial tetrasomy 15q. Those containing the Prader-Willi/Angelman syndrome critical region (PWS/ASCR), are responsible for the inv dup(15) or idic(15) syndrome. The syndrome displays distinctive clinical findings represented by early central hypotonia, developmental delay and intellectual disability, epilepsy, and autistic behaviour. Incidence at birth is estimated to be 1 in 30,000 with a sex ratio of almost 1. Developmental delay and intellectual disability affect all individuals and are usually moderate to profound. Expressive language is absent or very poor; and often echolalic. Comprehension is very... CLICK HERE to read in Full

_____________________________________________________

TO VIEW the Entire collection of Speaker Bio’s,

please CLICK HERE to go to the Speaker Page

_____________________________________________________

Yuri Geiron, President of Israel bar Assoc., receives award from Dr. Joshua Weinstein. Photo by Wallace Karabee

Dr. Joshua Weinstein (Founder/President, ICare4Autism) speaks with Ruth Amber Gristak (Chief of Staff, ICare4Autism). Photo RON URIEL

_____________________________________________________

TO VIEW the Entire set of CONFERENCE PHOTOS,

please CLICK HERE to go to our FLICKR photo gallery

_____________________________________________________

(Photo by www.adultswithautism.net)

Adultswithautism.net is a new social networking site that caters primarily to adults suffering with autism. The site is designed to create a safe, comfortable environment for members to interact, develop better social skills, network and share stories and ideas.

Recently, ICare4Autism had the opportunity to sit down and talk more in length about the site with the director and founder, Kathy Clair. Clair, whose background is in teaching, received a Masters in Educational Psychology. She talked to us in depth about what sparked her interest in autism, and why she began this project.

Q: What inspired you to start AdultswithAutism.net?

My daughter used to be a program coordinator at SARRC (The Southwest Autism Research & Research Center) and worked at the academy for the adults. She taught classes like resume writing, Excel, life skills training, etc. What she noticed was that her clients were still not getting the social interaction that they craved for, and we determined that creating a social networking  site for adults with autism could provide that. I did some research and realized that there are very few resources out there that deal with just socializing, and people with autism can feel lonely and isolated. So we thought that with video conferencing and web casting, we could have socializing occur for these individuals.

Q: Why is autism important to you?

This is an epidemic; I read somewhere that every 20 minutes someone is diagnosed with autism. Not only is it important for the individuals, but also it’s important to society to have an autism-friendly environment. So, I see Adultswithautism.net as an opportunity to help people and help society. I see it as a bridge from a treatment center or clinic to the general society.

Families touched by autism can connect from the comfort of their home | Photo by: Benjamin Earwicker/SXC

Q: How do you ensure that the site is safe and appropriate for the users?

We do have a standard disclaimer on the website and encourage our users to report inappropriate use.  In addition, we want to monitor the site for inappropriate remarks, images, etc- these things will be identified and removed. We also will have sections on appropriate use, terms and conditions that need to be met by the user.

Q: You mentioned web casting, what are some of the other features of the site?

We will have all the standard features of a social networking site: message boards, chats, photos, etc. Once we build a good community of people, we will begin to have more events and activities. We plan on doing live movie reviews, where users can video conference and discuss a previously determined film. We also plan on collecting information on interests through our database and getting background information- that way we can spotlight topics that are relevant to the users.

Q: For those who suffer with autism and are reluctant to join the site, what is your advice?

I encourage them to take a chance. If they feel uncomfortable, they can always switch off their computer and return to their lives- they are in total control. What’s good about video conferencing is that it can be done in the comfort of your own home- so many people with autism who are reluctant to go out in normal social environments, can use this as a platform to feel more comfortable. Many users can also tune into video conferencing, but not necessarily be up on the screen. They can learn from watching other users interact and this way, they can build the confidence to maybe try it themselves.

Q: What is your vision for AdultswithAutism.net?

My vision would be that we create a large network across the county and host events. In November, we plan on administering a $5.00 monthly fee to participate in the site. This way, we can hire people to execute and monitor social gatherings online and eventually, have face-to-face social gatherings in areas through out the country for our members.