Country: Managua, Nicaragua
School/ Organizations/Center: Lincoln International Academy, Managua, Nicaragua
By Elayne Pearson, Special Needs Safety/Preparedness Specialist, CAS
More than one mother recently confided that getting her children ready to enter school with its fees, clothes, and required items was a real financial burden—and those students weren’t even in high school yet. I recalled those same September concerns years ago, knowing taxes were also due in November, and Christmas was just around the corner. With four amazing daughters, including Heidi (our beautiful daughter with Down syndrome and late-onset autism) my husband Rod and I felt so blessed, but our budget and stress levels were very stretched. With Heidi’s special needs for good quality vitamins/food, calming craniosacral therapy appointments each week, and educational toys and more – my motto, “keep it up!” served us well. Today’s parents can live this way, too, with some of our common sense advice.
By Lida Citroen, IBCCES Board Member, LIDA360
Everyone has a personal brand – whether you are a politician, celebrity, physical therapist, or teacher — that forms their reputation, in person and online. Right or wrong, other people’s perception of us determines whether they want to work with us, hire us, partner with us, or interact with us.
In the 20+ years I’ve worked as a personal branding and reputation management specialist, I’ve helped define, design and re-direct the perceptions of my clients in industries across education, technology, healthcare, finance, coaching, and many more. I can say with all certainty that your personal brand is directly related to the opportunities you attract and the credibility you hold in your field.
As an Autism professional, you interact with educators, students, parents, administrators and other colleagues, who form perceptions of you that directly influences whether they see you as valuable and relevant to them.
By Brigid Rankowski
Once again, we are at the time of year that brings about so many mixed emotions for professionals in the education field; The beginning of a new school year. The smell of fresh markers, the sight of a completely clean classroom, a desk without piles of paperwork are all soon to be fleeting things as the momentum of the school year kicks things into high gear. For some educators who are taking on new positions or responsibilities this year, there may we waves of apprehension wondering how everything will manage to get done on time. Others who have been in the field for a while may wonder how they can incorporate new ideas into their lesson plans to keep students interested. There are so many different situations going on and everyone is different.
By Lois Jean Brady, Author of Apps for Autism – www.itherapyllc.com
If you take my glasses away – I can’t read
If you encourage me – I still can’t read
If you give me a verbal model, I know what to say – but I still can’t read
If you give me cues or prompts, I have an idea of what to say – but I still can’t read
If you offer chips and skittles (reinforcers), I still won’t be able to read
If you test me, I will fail and be labeled illiterate or, worse, cognitively delayed
I may referred to resource or special education
If you give me my glasses
I can read!
By: Taveesha Guyton, Social Worker, Future CAS
In July, I was an attendee of the Autism Society National Conference held in the beautiful city of New Orleans, Louisiana. I am a social worker who specializes in working with the intellectually disabled and autism community. When the opportunity arose for me to not only go to New Orleans, a city I have admired for many years, but also attend a conference I professionally attached too, I became Super Man, “Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”!
IBCCES is excited to introduce Director of International Development, Alison Williams. In her role at IBCCES, Alison organizes international conferences, including the upcoming conference in September on teaching students with autism with our partner St. Andrew’s Autism Centre in Singapore. She additionally handles all international sales for global educators, international schools, and healthcare groups, working with the rest of the team at IBCCES and our partners around the world.
By Elayne Pearson, Special Needs Preparedness Specialist, Author, and National Speaker
July is great for recalling our amazing heritage in this choice land. I adore the patriotic music, programs, and parades. However, there were many years when even attending a local July 4th parade with Miss Heidi, our cute daughter with Down syndrome and autism, was very stressful. Personally, I loved the spirit of patriotism, the scalloped star-spangled bunting, and creating parade floats. Our four daughters in their crisp red, white, and blue outfits (and matching hair bows) undoubtedly felt the excitement in the air too, but our youngest, Heidi (who craved peace, quiet, and predictability) probably felt like she was entering a war zone, with random firecrackers, flashing police lights directing the excited mobs, smoke and BBQ odors from vendors, and bands playing with true vigor. More than once, Heidi darted off in a “parade panic” and our family (also in a panic) thankfully always found her.
By Elayne Pearson, Disability Advocate, Motivational Speaker & Consultant
Hope everyone is having a great summer. I bet your thoughts have turned more than once to the students affected with autism in your sphere of influence. As a mom of Heidi, a young lady on the spectrum, I can tell you, summer is a difficult season with lots of open doors and windows, time on our hands and restless kids. UGH!
By Rachel Wise, CAS
As a school psychologist, I often hear parents asking what happened to the Asperger’s diagnosis? Asperger’s still exists, it just falls under a different name.
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-4), there were four separate diagnoses all related to autism, which fell under a broader category called Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). These four separate diagnoses included autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder (also referred to as Asperger’s Syndrome), childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD, NOS).
