Project Lifesaver

Project Lifesaver Training Begins in Harrison County

Harrison is the 33rd county to use the missing-persons equipment.By Susan Sullivan NUTTER FORT -- Search-and-rescue officials out of Parkersburg say it takes a team nine hours to find someone with Alzheimer's or Autism who has wandered from home. But with Harrison County’s new Project Lifesaver equipment, they can cut that time down nearly 95 percent - and keep a growing demographic safe. Here's the scenario: A young girl with Autism has strayed from her path to the grocery store. She likes ducks and water.

 But the most important information, her frequency number: 224.413.

The first test search begins with Harrison County's new Project Lifesaver system. “Project Lifesaver is a search-and-rescue technique that is used for individuals with cognitive disabilities: Alzheimer's, Autism, Downs Syndrome,” said Sue Patalano, Project Lifesaver trainer from the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. “Individuals wear a bracelet around their wrist or ankle that has a transmitter in it with its own frequency number. It emits a signal once every second, and our equipment can track that signal when they are lost.” Sue Patalano from the Wood County Sheriff's Department is training her 33rd county to be certified in the program. “Once every 71 seconds, someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and that's really scary,” said Patalano. “It’s really needed, so much. It's a very worthwhile program.” The Project Lifesaver transmitter is available for families with a member who has a cognitive disability, the tendency to wander, and a daily caregiver. “It's not expensive,” she explained. “Clients, if they can afford to, pay $10 a month maintenance fee, and that's because the battery has to be changed and that's all. But if they can't afford it, we find sponsors for them, so it's a very worthwhile program.” Using Project Lifesaver, West Virginia has had 14 successful rescues, said Patalano. On a nationwide scale, there have been 2,300 rescues, and no serious injuries, and no deaths. “Average rescue time is under 30 minutes,” said Patalano. Each Project Lifesaver starter set, one per county, has been purchased by a generous donation by Mr. and Mrs. John Raese, she said.

Autistic Workers are untapped talent

Montreal Gazette .com

http://www.montrealgazette.com/search/search.html?q=autistic+workers+untapped+talent+pool

Strong memory, passion for details and ability to think visually are some of the traits that make high-functioning autistic workers currently an untapped talent pool for the IT industry, industry watchers point out.

Thorkil Sonne, founder of Danish computer company Specialisterne, hires only people with autism, specifically from the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum. His experience with them has demonstrated that these special-needs people not only have a robust memory and attention for details, they take pride in what they do, have perseverance for repetitive tasks and are "very precise in their way of communication".

"High-functioning" autism typically refers to those that are able to live relatively independent lives compared to others who may demonstrate associated learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support.

Rather than simply placing them in jobs that might not be a good fit, Specialisterne assesses every individual's skills, identifies what would make them feel wanted in the workplace and can help them excel, Sonne told ZDNet Asia in his e-mail.

"We try to find [specific] tasks in the business arena in which the [abovementioned] characteristics are important in order to do a great job," he explained. "We believe that up to 5 percent of all tasks could be solved successfully in a superior quality by our staff."

Specialisterne has been successful in solving tasks such as software testing, quality control, data entry and logistic services, he noted, adding that his team has proven that autistic workers can do better jobs than that of "other providers" the company's customers previously experienced.

Specialized education
Anita Russell, autism consultant at Pathlight School, a Singapore-based autism-focused school with mainstream curriculum augmented by "life readiness skills", shed more light on the matter.

She said in an e-mail interview that people on the autism spectrum vary widely in their skills, abilities, needs and preferences.

Russell, citing Temple Grandin, a vocal advocate of autism who has Asperger's Syndrome, noted that when people work at tasks or their jobs that match how their brains process information, this will make learning and employment "much more feasible".

She added that for a "significant number" of people with autism, processing information and facts is best accomplished using visual means or, in other words, "visual thinking".

In a separate interview with the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune, Grandin explained that her ability to think in pictures allows her to "see" every aspect of an industrial machine before she draws it.

To better develop this among Pathlight's students, Russell said its IT program has been tailored to meet their learning preferences and strengths. Developing talents in the computer arena is balanced with equipping them with skills in self-organization, problem solving, managing emotions and social communications--areas which people with autism tend to struggle with, she explained.

Pathlight has also been beefing up its IT curriculum, training its students in word processing using Microsoft Word and the creation of presentations using Powerpoint since 2005, the consultant said. Additionally, it started a pilot phase of its IT & Design School in March this year to close the "digital gap" for students with special needs, and create new opportunities for them as the Singapore government continues to push for a knowledge-based economy.

To date, about 56 of its students are attending courses such as introduction modules to visual arts, digital art and interactive design. Russell revealed that the school has plans to introduce new modules in 2012 which will include illustration, Web publishing and animation.

Within the IT industry, specifically, Sonne said the market "needs" the special skills and minds of high-functioning autistic people who have passion and are able to "think differently" from that of other employees.

He added that the corporate sector is "very open" to Specialisterne's concept of making sure companies provide the job scope and environment that will allow this group of people to succeed in the work arena.

In fact, he mentioned that IBM recently hired two people whom his company had assessed and trained during an internship partnership with the IT vendor.

"By using our management model, corporate companies can tap a huge pool of untapped skilled resources," Sonne surmised.

Kate Winslet to pen celebrity book for autism

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/127345/20110328/kate-winslet-to-pen-celebrity-book-for-autism.htm

Actress Kate Winslet has asked a dozen of celebrities to take self-portrait photos that will be featured in her upcoming book on autism titled, “The Golden Hat”.

Inspired by a film she narrated for HBO, called “A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back To Autism”, Winslet has agreed to pen the book in hopes to promote awareness and enjoin support for treatment of autism.

Kaspar the friendly robot helps autistic kids

STEVENAGE, ENGLAND — Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions and physical contact and now she hugs everyone.

"She's a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even initiate the embrace," said Claire Sawczenko, Eden's mother.

The girl attends a preschool for autistic children in Stevenage, north of London, where researchers bring in a human-looking, child-size robot once a week for a supervised session.

The children, whose autism ranges from mild to severe, play with the robot for as long as 10 minutes alongside a scientist who controls the robot with a remote control.

The robot, named Kaspar, is programmed to do such things as smile, frown, laugh, blink and wave his arms. He has shaggy black hair, a baseball cap, a few wires protruding from his neck, and striped red socks. He was built by scientists at the University of Hertfordshire at a cost of roughly $2,118.

There are several versions of Kaspar, including one advanced enough to play Nintendo Wii. The robot's still in the experimental stage, and researchers hope he could be mass-produced one day for a few hundred dollars.

"Children with autism don't react well to people because they don't understand facial expressions," said Ben Robins, a senior research fellow in computer science at the University of Hertfordshire who specializes in working with autistic children. "Robots are much safer for them because there's less for them to interpret and they are very predictable."

There are similar autism projects in Canada, Japan and the U.S., but the British one is the most advanced, according to other European robotics researchers not connected with the project.

Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire first began using a version of Kaspar in 2005. The newest model is covered in silicone patches that feel like skin to help children become more comfortable with touching people.

So far, almost 300 kids in Britain with autism, a disorder that affects development of social interaction and communication, have played with a Kaspar robot as part of scientific research.

The robot has only a handful of tricks, such as saying, "Hello, my name is Kaspar. Let's play together," laughing when his sides or feet are touched, moving his arms up and down, or hiding his face with his hands and crying out, "Ouch. This hurts," when he's slapped too hard.

But that is enough to keep autistic children enthralled.

Ronnie Arloff, 4, was so eager to see Kaspar that he banged on the door and shouted his name. Ronnie opened his arms wide just like the robot. He also recognized facial expressions, saying "happy" when Kaspar was smiling and "sad" when he frowned.

Nan Cannon-Jones, an autism consultant at the school, said the robot helps children understand emotions and language.

"After Kaspar says 'ha ha' when he's tickled, the children learn that's what laughing is," she said.

Only two of the 12 to 17 kids who attend the preschool have refused to play with Kaspar outright.

The school also uses speech and music therapy. "You can't teach children to speak or play using a robot, but it helps reinforce what we're teaching them already, like how to share and be nice to people," Cannon-Jones said.

Experts not linked to the robot project said it was a promising idea.

"Autistic children like things that are made up of different parts, like a robot, so they may process what the robot does more easily than a real person," said Dr. Abigael San, a childhood clinical psychologist in London and spokeswoman for the British Psychological Society.

She thought it was possible that skills children learned with the robot at the preschool could be transferred to their homes or the playground.

But San warned that experts and parents shouldn't rely on robots too much.

"We don't want children with autism to get too used to playing with robots," she said. "Ultimately, they need to be able to relate to other people."

http://www.statesman.com/opinion/insight/kaspar-the-friendly-robot-helps-autistic-kids-1350918.html

Taking your son/daughter with ASD to the Dentist

http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/taking-your-sondaughter-autism-spectrum-disorder-dentist-22783922

Taking your son/daughter with ASD to the Dentist

IRCA

Taking your son/daughter on the autism spectrum to the dentist poses many challenges. This article hopes to make you aware of some of these challenges prior to your first visit, as well as provide some useful ways to deal with them. Included in this article are three main areas that are most often in need of attention:preparation, sensory issues and communication.

Preparation
When seeking a dentist, call the office and discuss your son/daughter’s needs. The more you know ahead of time about their practices and why they do them, the more comfortable you will be. Ask if they have experience with children who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and if they have special procedures in order to optimize each visit. Ask about those procedures. Some procedures you might ask about are:accompanying your son/daughter in the room while doing the exam; having an appointment at a time of day when your son/daughter is at his/her best; having a short wait time; and having the same staff at each visit for consistency. If you’re not comfortable with the answers to your questions, consider another dentist. Some dentists may refuse to treat your son/daughter because they’re unsure how to make them comfortable.

Is your son/daughter accustomed to daily tooth brushing? If not, consider working with an occupational therapist (OT) or an autism or behavioral professional to teach the child good oral hygiene habits. Use of visual routines and a timer are helpful for good daily brushing habits.

Use their toothbrush or a plastic tooth mirror (available at local pharmacies) and get your child use to letting you put it in his/her mouth. Make a fun game out of counting their teeth. Vibration toys that are safe for oral use, or even electric toothbrushes, are also excellent for getting your child use to the strange sensations in their mouths.

One of the most effective preparatory steps you can take is to create and read a social story about going to the dentist with your son/daughter. The social story should take the uncertainty out of what will happen at the dentist office.Be sure to highlight things that you think your child will like or be concerned about. A social narrative, “Going to the Dentist” is listed in the “Resource” section of this article. Another idea is to include an incentive/motivator for when the appointment is over. Does the dentist have a prize basket? Can you stop for a treat afterward? There are many good books about practicing good oral hygiene and going to the dentist that you can read with your child.A resource guide for helpful books is included at the end of this article.

To get your son/daughter off to the right start with a dentist, schedule a few short “happy visits” to start off with. Keep these visits very positive and short. Let your son/daughter get use to the office environment; try out the chair; let the hygienist look in their mouth or count their teeth, and listen to the sound the drill makes. These may not all happen on the same visit. Use these visits to slowly desensitize your son/daughter to the experience, as well as discover what could potentially be difficult at future visits.

Sensory Issues
There are many potential sensory challenges at a dentist’s office – tastes, smells, textures, sounds, lights and proprioceptive. Knowing in what areas your son/daughter tends to be sensitive will help you know what coping strategies to try. Share your son/daughter’s coping strategies with the dental staff before the visit.Collaboration and teamwork are essential for a successful trip to the dentist.

To be comfortable with the doctor’s chair, you may want to ask the hygienist to lean the chair back before your son/daughter gets in it, as sometimes they don’t like the feeling of being moved backwards. Also, try using a bean bag chair in the dentist’s chair during the exam to provide some snug comfort. Deep pressure can be used before and during the visit for calming. Consult your son/daughter’s classroom teacher or OT for suggestions. Wearing the x-ray vest may be similar to wearing a weighted vest. This can be discussed with the dental staff prior to the visit, too.

Consider a heavy work task to be done before and after the visit for calming. Let your son/daughter stretch a therapy band in their hands, or even wrapped around their ankles while they are in the chair. Lighting in a dental office is often too strong for children with autism. Let them wear sunglasses and request that the staff try to keep the light out of their eyes as much as possible. Night time eye covers can be used, but will make it difficult for the staff to show your son/daughter what they are going to do. If the noises of the office are upsetting, request to be moved to a more quiet or private area. If not available, the use of headphones or an iPod/music player are good ways to limit noise. To ensure that tastes are familiar and favorable, bring your son/daughter’s own toothpaste and toothbrush to the visit.

Communication
For a child who may not be able to verbalize or recognize a problem, the accompanying feelings of anxiety and frustration can be overwhelming. The impact of these feelings on behavior can be significant. Having a dental professional who can communicate effectively will be very important. Below are some tips to improve communication at the dentist office.

Tell/Show/Do. This is a shorthand way to explain to staff what they should do. First, Tell your son/daughter what they are going to do. Next, Show the tool or action they are going to use (let your son/daughter touch the tool, if possible). Then, Do only after they’ve done the other two. This verbal preparation and demonstration will help eliminate some uncertainty for your son/daughter and put them more at ease.

* Modeling is very effective for some children. Bring along a sibling or friend and letyour son/daughter with ASD watch as the doctor or hygienist performs the task on them first.

* Letting the child know ahead of time how long something is going to last can be very helpful.Instruct the staff to prompt the child with time durations as they work. Some examples:“This will be all done when we finish counting to 10.” “I need to touch 20 teeth… help me count them all.” “That gritty cleaner will only be there for 1 minute and then you can rinse and spit it out.”

* Instruct the staff that your child responds best to immediate praise for good behavior. When your child does something they want, staff should not delay their praises. This will help your child make the connection between what he/she does and the consequences. Some examples:“Great job keeping your mouth open.” “I like how you are …” “You did great while I cleaned the front of your teeth, now I’m going to clean the back of them.”

* Ignoring inappropriate behaviors is also something you’ll want to inform the staff about. Have them try to ignore inappropriate behaviors as much as they can. Maintaining a calm voice may help to minimize behavior problems.

Other Issues
There are some unique dental issues that you will want to discuss with your dentist, if they apply to your son/daughter. For those who engage in bruxism (grinding their teeth) or self-injurious behaviors (such as picking at the gums or biting their lip) a mouth guard might be recommended so long as it is tolerated by your son/daughter. Dentists should also review your child’s medications and/or supplements. They will then be able to advise whether medications are affecting saliva production or if they contain a lot of sugar, both of which will increase the chance of cavities.

Seizures may accompany autism, and if your child has seizures you will need to discuss this with your dentist. The mouth is always at risk during a seizure; children may chip teeth or bite their tongue or cheeks. The dentist should be able to help you develop a treatment plan for these challenges. Be prepared to manage a seizure if one occurs during the dental visit. Instruct staff to remove any instruments from the mouth and clear the area around your child. A simple trick is to attach dental floss to rubber dam clamps or mouth props before putting them in so that you can remove them quickly if needed.

Sedation is sometimes used with patients, usually in cases where the child has high levels of anxiety or discomfort that prevent good coping skills, for those with uncontrolled movements (including gagging), or for those requiring extensive dental treatment. Sedative medications cause most children to become relaxed and drowsy. Unlike general anesthesia, sedation is not intended to make a patient unconscious or unresponsive. You and your dentist should select a technique based on the specific needs of the child and discuss the benefits, limits and risks of that technique. Your son/daughter may be referred to a hospital for extensive procedures to be done under stronger sedation or general anesthesia.

If you have any dietary or chemical restrictions that you are following for your child, be sure to make your dentist aware of these before the appointment begins. They need to know up front what your expectations are so that they can attempt to work within your guidelines.

Conclusion
Taking your son/daughter to the dentist presents challenges for both the parent/caregiver and the dental office staff. By working together, challenges and anxiety can be reduced.Using ideas presented in this article, the child with ASD may have a better understanding of what to expect when he/she visits the dentist for the first time and may have a greater chance of experiencing a successful dental visit.

References
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (n.d.)Sedation. From http://www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/sedation.asp

Read more: http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/taking-your-sondaughter-autism-spectrum-disorder-dentist-22783922#ixzz1b5phNM38

For 12-year old astrophysics prodigy, the sky’s the limit

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/12-old-astrophysics-prodigy-sky-limit-20110329-095543-252.html

In some ways, Jacob Barnett is just like any other 12-year-old kid. He plays Guitar Hero, shoots hoops with his friends, and has a platonic girlfriend.

But in other ways, he's a little different. Jake, who has an IQ of 170, began solving 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzles at the age of 3, not long after he'd been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism. A few years later, he taught himself calculus, algebra, and geometry in two weeks. By 8, he had left high school, and is currently taking college-level advanced astrophysics classes—while tutoring his older classmates. And he's being recruited for a paid researcher job by Indiana University.

Now, he's at work on a theory that challenges the Big Bang—the prevailing explanation among scientists for how the universe came about. It's not clear how developed it is, but experts say he's asking the right questions.

"The theory that he's working on involves several of the toughest problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics," Scott Tremaine of Princeton University's Institute for Advanced Studies—where Einstein (pictured) himself worked—wrote in an email to Jake's family. "Anyone who solves these will be in line for a Nobel Prize."

It's not clear where Jake got his gifts from. "Whenever I try talking about math with anyone in my family," he told the Indianapolis Star, "they just stare blankly."

But his parents encouraged his interests from the start. Once, they took him to the planetarium at Butler University. "We were in the crowd, just sitting, listening to this guy ask the crowd if anyone knew why the moons going around Mars were potato-shaped and not round," Jake's mother, Kristine Barnett, told the Star. "Jacob raised his hand and said, 'Excuse me, but what are the sizes of the moons around Mars?' "

After the lecturer answered, said Kristine, "Jacob looked at him and said the gravity of the planet ... is so large that (the moon's) gravity would not be able to pull it into a round shape."

"That entire building ... everyone was just looking at him, like, 'Who is this 3-year-old?'"

LoJack highlights its technology for tracking autistic kids

LoJack highlights its technology for tracking autistic kids 

http://www.patriotledger.com/business/x719609837/LoJack-highlights-its-technology-for-tracking-autistic-kids

WESTWOOD —

After becoming a household name for its vehicle-tracking technology, LoJack Corp. is now trying to draw attention to how its technology can be used to track autistic children.

The Westwood company is highlighting the fact April has been designated National Autism Awareness Month by sending representatives to a number of autism-awareness events in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. LoJack staffers who attend the events are demonstrating how the company’s SafetyNet products work. The program uses radio frequency transmitters to track down adults – such as those with Alzheimer’s, and children who are at risk of wandering.

LoJack has been trying to capitalize on its $1 million purchase of Locator Systems in 2008 by marketing its SafetyNet program. The acquisition was an example of how LoJack is trying to expand its business beyond the tracking of stolen cars.

LoJack spokesman Jeremy Warnick said there are nearly 50 public safety departments – including police, fire and sheriff’s departments – in Massachusetts that currently use the SafetyNet system. He said the company doesn’t provide specific enrollment figures.

To draw attention to Autism Awareness Month, the company is waiving its $99 enrollment fee for customers who sign up this month. But LoJack’s primary revenue source from this program is its monthly subscription fee, which is currently $30.

A local public safety agency also has to be equipped and trained to track the device if the person who is wearing the transmitter goes missing. More than a dozen agencies on the South Shore use the SafetyNet system.