Helen Obiageli Oshikoya, LLB, BL, MA, ACIEA, CAS
Title: Founder & CEO
Country: Nigeria
School/Organizations: Nobelova Gradani PsychoEducational Services Nigeria
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The ABLE Act, or Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, was signed by President Obama on December 19th, 2014. The Able Act allows individuals with a disability, or their family, to establish a tax exempt savings account to pay for certain qualified expenses. It’s a similar idea to a 529 College savings plan and, in fact, will be called a 529 – ABLE account. This is a huge win for families and individuals with disabilities.
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Research demonstrates that early interventions are critical for overcoming the social and behavioral deficits of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). That is why it is important for clinicians to be able to identify individuals with autism as early as possible. Unfortunately for many, autism assessments may not be available for various reasons. To solve this problem, researchers are seeking new ways to streamline autism assessments so that anyone can access autism-related services.
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Marybeth Blanchette, School Psychologist, BCBA, CAS
Title: School Psychologist, In-Home Behavior Therapist
City/State: Providence, RI
School/Organizations: Providence Public School Department District Autism Team, In-Home Behavior Therapist for Northeast Behavioral Associates in Massachusetts
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Snug Vest founder Lisa Fraser saw the need for a better deep pressure solution after eight years of working with autistic children and was determined to design a product that could help calm them without the use of weights. Weighted vests are commonly used to provide deep pressure therapy, however many parents have expressed concerns about their children wearing weights and the inability to adjust the pressure. “I had a passion to design a tool that could help children with autism function better in their daily lives, promote inclusion, and help them live happy and healthy, to excel and thrive” said Fraser. From day one it was important to her that Snug Vest be both effective & attractive to be discrete and avoid stigma.
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The CDC estimates that 1 in 54 children have been identified with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Even more staggering is that approximately half of all children with autism engage in wandering behavior according to a research project completed by the Interactive Autism Network (IAN). Many of the children that wander are not able to communicate their basic needs to a person that finds them, including their name. I’m sure you have heard the horror stories of fatalities involving children with autism wandering away. This is a real life everyday fear for parents. As we head back to school for the year, it is important for professionals to be prepared to educate their staff and prepare the environment of the building and grounds for prevention.
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“Teachers-Teachers.com was the key site for finding this job. I appreciate the organized resume builder, message center and opportunities to browse for specific teaching jobs. Where I live school districts used this site exclusively to find teachers and I’m very happy I could be a part of this program.”
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Dr. Love Johnson, DrPH, MS, MA, CCC-SLP, CAS, CPH
Title: Certified Multilingual Speech Language Pathologist, Linguist & Certified Autism Specialist, Certified Public Health Researcher
City/State: Cedar Hill, TX
School/Organizations: K&K Services, Cook Childrens, Childrens Medical Center of Dallas
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This summer’s 45th Annual Autism Society National Conference in Indianapolis featured keynote speaker Dr. Temple Grandin, noted advocate for autism rights. In her speech, The Autistic Brain, Dr. Grandin recommended a scientific article called “Environmental enrichment as an effective treatment for autism: A randomized controlled trial.” The article, published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience in 2013, discusses a method of habituating children with autism spectrum disorders to sensory stimuli.
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On Friday August 8th, 2014, President Obama signed the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 2014. Better known as the Autism CARES Act. The act was recently voted on unanimously by the Senate after passing through the House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-04) and Mike Doyle (D-Pa) authored the bill as bipartisan legislature in the House. Smith stated, “This is a critical investment that is working to determine the cause of ASD, identify autistic children as early as possible to begin treatment, and producing better awareness, new therapies and effective services. The quality of life of many children is at stake, as it is with young adults who age out of the support services in educational systems.”
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