VALERIESLIST SPONSORS
Exciting Opportunity! Positive Action Community Theatre (PACT) is looking for teens and young adults with autism who have never participated in our programs and would like to receive a scholarship for our upcoming theatre and/or performing arts workshops in exchange for participating in a new study. We will be videoing the first, fourth, and seventh workshops of an 8-week series to measure our effectiveness in improving the participation, communication, and social skills of teens and young adults with autism. This will be a confidential study and no names will be used in the reports.
The workshop series will begin on Saturday, January 27, 2018 and conclude on March 24th, with no workshops on February 17th. Improvisational theatre workshops are from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., and our performing arts (dance and group singing) workshops are from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Workshops are located at Dance North County, 535 Encinitas Blvd., Ste. 101, Encinitas, CA 92024.
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| Big changes in requirements to become a special education teacher in California |
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The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is making big changes in how special education teachers will be trained, adding core courses and an assessment already mandated for general classroom teachers.
Commissioners view the overhaul of preparation requirements as critical to improve the education of the state's roughly 740,000 students with disabilities and predict the changes could be transformative: More students with disabilities will be identified and served earlier, taught more effectively and "mainstreamed" more often in classrooms serving all students.
Though four years, several reports and iterations in the making, the commission's most recent decision came one day after the state released data showing that students with disabilities did worse than other student groups in California on multiple indicators of achievement. Two-thirds of the 228 districts that will receive assistance from county offices of education were designated because of the poor performance of students receiving special education services. Read on... |
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| Trump Administration Weighs In On FAPE, IEPs |
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Nine months after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the right of students with disabilities to a free appropriate public education, the U.S. Department of Education is shedding light on the decision's implications.
In a new nine-page question and answer document addressing the high court's opinion in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, federal education officials are offering up their take on how educators, parents and other stakeholders should apply the ruling in real-world situations.
The Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in the case in March finding that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides students with disabilities the right to more than minimal progress from one year to the next. Read on... |
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| New global diagnostic manual mirrors U.S. autism criteria |
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Starting next year, clinicians worldwide may be using a new, streamlined set of criteria to diagnose autism.
The criteria are part of a highly anticipated update to the "International Classification of Diseases," a diagnostic manual produced by the World Health Organization (WHO). The latest draft of the manual, dubbed ICD-11, collapses autism, Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) into a single diagnosis of 'autism spectrum disorder.'
This change mirrors the criteria in the ICD's U.S. counterpart, the fifth edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-5), released in 2013. Read on... |
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| How family perspectives could improve clinical trials |
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Whether a potential treatment for autism works in a clinical trial depends on how the trial measures success. There are several ways to gauge a person's response to a treatment - from interviews with parents to questionnaires filled out by teachers, clinicians and caregivers. It is unclear which of these 'outcome measures' reflects improvements that are important to people with autism.
To help identify the best measures, Thomas Willgoss and his colleagues asked people on the spectrum and their families to describe their autism features and the impact of those features. The researchers plan to use the insights from these interviews to evaluate how well existing outcome measures reflect the features that are important to people with autism. They also hope to identify challenges, such as sensory sensitivities and difficulties with daily living, that trials should track and potentially treat. They published their findings in September in Autism Research. Read on... |
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| Parents and Others Looking for Help!!! |
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We are the family of an adult with intellectual disabilities and medical complexities. We are seeking others' experiences with Home Health Care agencies hoping to find one that is honorable, trustworthy and reputable. Is there any such thing? Positive and negative experiences are welcome. Thank you.
[email protected]
I would appreciate any insights into the Winston School, not just for academic support but also behavioral support. My child would be starting mid-year seventh grade. If you have any feedback, please email me at [email protected]. Thank you!
Has your child attended TERI's Country School? If so, please email me - I'd like to get your feedback. Thank you! Michelle Ohnstad: [email protected]
Our daughter is 17 (she turns 18 in June) and is in an out of state residential program. She needs to a different program soon, as she can't stay where she is beyond 18. We are planning to apply for conservatorship/guardianship. Do we apply in California since we live here? Do we apply in Florida where she is now? Should we apply in the state where she goes next (which we don't know yet)? Any help you can give or advice (if you have gone through the process of conservatorship) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Mo Ruchhoeft ([email protected])
If you have a question or request for this newsletter group, please send your email request to [email protected]. People who can help you will email you directly with their responses. |
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| San Diego's Map of Christmas Lights!! |
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San Diego Family Magazine (the original creators of San Diego's popular Map of Christmas Lights) is excited to present the 2017 list of neighborhood holiday lights, commercial light shows and glittering festivities.
Click here for all the info!!! |
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| Exciting Opportunity! |
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Positive Action Community Theatre (PACT) is looking for teens and young adults with autism who have never participated in our programs and would like to receive a scholarship for our upcoming theatre and/or performing arts workshops in exchange for participating in a new study. We will be videoing the first, fourth, and seventh workshops of an 8-week series to measure our effectiveness in improving the participation, communication, and social skills of teens and young adults with autism. This will be a confidential study and no names will be used in the reports.
The workshop series will begin on Saturday, January 27, 2018 and conclude on March 24th, with no workshops on February 17th. Improvisational theatre workshops are from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., and our performing arts (dance and group singing) workshops are from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Workshops are located at Dance North County, 535 Encinitas Blvd., Ste. 101, Encinitas, CA 92024.
PACT is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our mission is to empower individuals with unique needs and create community through the performing arts. We have been offering workshops since 2008. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Kathryn Campion, 760-815-8512, [email protected], www.pacthouse.org. |
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| Parents Advocating Together, PAT San Diego, 2018 Meetings Schedule |
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Please RSVP to Raylene Dickinson at [email protected] or leave a message at 858-213-8005.
Please visit our website: http://www.patsd.org |
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| NFAR's Race for Autism - Family Friendly Pricing Thru Dec 31st! |
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You can be a SUPERHERO for Autism! Sign up for the Race for Autism by December 31st to get the LOWEST prices of the season.
Registration includes a Race T-shirt and this year's beautiful commemorative medal. Children 12 years and under receive a SUPERHERO cape instead of a T-shirt.
Don't Miss Out! Enjoy your holidays and sign up before the year is over!
REGISTER TODAY! |
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| Belardo Lights |
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"This year marks the 12th year that the Tierrasanta-based Belardo Lights Christmas / Holiday Lighting display will be providing lifetime memories for visitors in San Diego. It started 13 years ago when homeowner Randy Schimka was trying to find activities to connect with his young son Brandon, who has autism and was prone to tantrums during outings with the family. But all that changed when Randy took him to see some local Christmas Light displays. Brandon loved it, and even asked to visit a second time, which was unheard of.
Delighted with his son's newfound interest, Randy and Brandon started working on a Holiday lighting display of their own at their home in Tierrasanta at 5306 Belardo Drive. It started off small, but over the years the display has grown to well over 100,000 lights, with mostly home-built decorations, and the whole display is computer controlled, synchronized to music, and broadcast on FM 106.1 for visitors to hear while in their cars at the display.
Randy designs the display decorations, and many of them are built by Brandon and Grandpa Joe Schimka in his woodshop / metal shop, and then Randy does the electrical work to bring them to life. They have even built full-size animated Snowman and Snow woman characters that move and talk.
For the last few years, Randy and Brandon have been raising funds at the display to help benefit the non-profit Stein Education Center in Mission Valley. Stein helps families and kids with Autism and other disabilities. Belardo Lights is planning to fund their entire set of Winter Camp activities this year, as well as outfit their campus with much needed therapeutic toys, games, and activities for the kids at Stein. 100% of the Belardo Lights proceeds raised goes to Stein, and they use all of the funds provided for their activities and kids.
Randy and Brandon have a website (www.BelardoLights.com), and a Facebook Group (Belardo Lights), and they post photos, guestbook entries, and other heart-warming information about the display and what it means to their family as well as the community.
Randy Schimka welcomes all San Diego residents and their families to come out and visit the display this year, but particularly those with a family member affected by Autism, to experience some of the special Belardo Lights magic. As a special treat, Mrs. Claus will be dressed up and visiting the display on weekends leading up to Christmas. She'll be handing out candy canes and special Belardo Lights bracelets for the kids!
Belardo Lights is located in San Diego at 5306 Belardo Drive and will be operational this year through December 27th from 6 to 10pm nightly. |
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| Enjoy the Farmers Insurance Open, Help Autism and Save! |
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Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to the Farmer's Insurance Open! Great gift for the golf lover!!
Tickets purchased by Jan 20 will be mailed to the billing address. Tickets purchased after January 20 will be available for pick up at the NFAR office in Scripps Ranch.
Tickets are valid any day of the Farmers Insurance Open Wednesday, January 24 (Preview/Pro-Am Day), through Sunday, January 28, 2018. Tickets provide the exact same access as general admission tickets purchased directly through the Tournament and do not include parking. Multiple parking options available.
Please contact NFAR for your ticket purchase or if you have any questions at 858-679-8800 or [email protected] subject: Farmer's Insurance Open. www.nfar.org |
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| Conference: Teaching Social Competencies-More Than Social Skills |
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Our mission is to help people develop social competencies to better connect with others and live happier, more meaningful lives. We do this by creating concepts, curricula, and materials that help professionals and parents teach social competencies and help individuals as young as four and across the lifespan meet their personal, academic, and professional goals.
Join us in San Diego! March 12-15, 2018
Learn practical strategies for self-regulation, executive functioning, perspective taking, and more at the four-day conference. Learn More & Register! |
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| Sorrento Valley Private therapy office available with Separate Entrance $495 |
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Club Xcite, a company providing innovative educational services to schools and families, is looking to sublease a unique private office space with a separate entrance in a great Sorrento Valley location for $495 per month. Ideally we are looking for someone who we could collaborate with such as a Speech Therapist, OT, PT, Psychologist, LMFT, or other related therapists.
Contact me if you have any questions. Lease start date would be around January 15th. Contact [email protected]. Pictures are available in the link below.
https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/off/d/sorrento-valley-private/6383069877.html |
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| Parents and Caregivers Needed for Online Survey |
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I am Arek Yetenekian, and as part of my doctoral research at Alliant International University I require the participation of parents or primary caregivers of non-communicative children with autism. Participants are requested to complete the survey packet via the provided URL, within a web browser. The study consists of several measures of mostly multiple-choice responses related to a child's quality of life, as well as related areas of interest such as familial quality of life and parenting stress. Demographic information will also be collected. Participants with at least a fifth grade reading level, residing in the US, with at least one minor child with autism who is unable to communicate through oral and written means, are required. Thank you very much for your consideration.
Survey URL: https://newqtrial2015az1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bq1Ye1UEEfFAuz3
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at: 818-406-5199 [email protected]
IRB #1607037250 |
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| Autism Accessibility Morning at the Fleet! |
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The third Saturday of every month, Fleet invites the Autism Spectrum Community to enjoy our museum through this special opportunity. Adults and families with children with autism can enjoy the Fleet's exhibit galleries in a quieter setting, an hour before regular open hours to the general public and with access to a special cool-off space. Visitors are welcome to stay and enjoy the museum all day. Admission includes a special IMAX film screening at 10 a.m. with the house lights on and a lower soundtrack volume.
Upcoming dates:
- November 18, 2017
- December 16, 2018
- January 20, 2018
- February 17, 2018
- March 17, 2018
For more information, visit www.fleetscience.org/events/autism-accessibility-mornings.
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| San Diego Sibshop |
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October 2017 - August 2018
WANTED: Siblings who have a brother/sister with special needs
AGES: 7 - 12 years old
Older siblings are welcome to attend as "Junior Leaders"
WHAT: A fun-filled opportunity geared to the specific needs of siblings with brothers/sisters with special needs. Join us for games, crafts, hikes, cooking, and art. Meet other sibs - lunch provided
TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
DATES:
Dec. 10: Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center
Feb. 25: Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center
March 25: Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center
May 20: Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center
August 19: Santee Lakes, 9310 Fanita Pkwy, Santee, CA 92071**
DONATION: $5.00 - $10.00 per meeting per family for craft materials, supplies and lunch for the kids
REGISTRATION: Pre-registration requested by email (if possible) the Thursday before the event.
CONTACT: Email [email protected] for a Sibshop registration form and / or additional information.
Sibshop Leaders:
Jody BonDurant-Strong, Administrator
Ndoto BonDurant-Strong - adult sibling & CSUSM student
Gina Clifton, ECSE Medically-Fragile Teacher, Special Education
Pat Moulton, Retired
Directions for Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor's Center (MTRP):
1 Father Juniper Serra Trail (92119). Interstate 8 to 15 North / East on Friars Road.
Stay to left - turns into Mission Gorge Road / Turn left on 1 Father Juniper Serra.
https://www.facebook.com/sandiegosibshop/
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| Therapeutic Recreation Services, Winter 2017-2018 Calendar |
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The City of San Diego Park & Recreation Therapeutic Recreation Services program provides sports, recreation, leisure and outreach services to people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities.
Services include therapeutic recreation programs and adaptive sports opportunities. These address the special needs of individuals with disabilities who have difficulty accessing and participating in recreation opportunities offered to the general public.
Under the direction of Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists, activities and services are designed to maintain or improve the physical, cognitive and social functioning of those who have limitations. The target population is children and adults, ages 3 and up, with any type of disability.
Click here to view the Winter Calendar!!
Click here to register!!
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| Participate in Research: Attention Differences in Persons with ASD and their Family Members |
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Verbally fluent children with ASD between the ages of 8 and 16 and both of their biological parents are invited to participate in a new study examining attention skills. This study will follow recently published work that showed both the male sibling of a child with ASD and the child with ASD demonstrated similar attention abnormalities. This provides an important clue to the development of a better understanding of the genetic basis of ASD. This new study will examine trios, the child with ASD, and the mother and father. If one or both parents shows evidence of the attention difference we observed in children with ASD, we will have one of the first clear examples of a non-ASD core deficit that is experienced in first degree family members. Following with genetic analyses could potentially lead to a better understanding about the basic etiology of ASD. Families of a child with ASD are invited to participate in this research taking place at the Neuroscience Center of Alliant International University under the supervision of Alan Lincoln, Ph.D., MSCP, BCBA-D and Shamayne Brown, M.A.
Study Requirements
To participate in this study, both biological parents and your son must participate. Your family must be able to come to the Neuroscience Center at Alliant International University in San Diego, California. Participation for you and your son's other parent involves:
- Completing questionnaires about yourself. This should take about 25 minutes.
- Completing a brief standard cognitive measure. This should take about 30 minutes.
- Completing a computer task. This should take about 30 minutes.
Participation for your son:
- Will require your child to complete the brief standard intelligence measure. This should take your child about 30 minutes.
- You will be asked some background questions about your child and will be asked to complete forms related to your child's skills, abilities, and behaviors. This should take you about 25 minutes.
- Your child will then be shown how to play the same computer games you will be shown and asked to play them as best he can. This should take about 30 minutes.
We will try to accommodate your schedule as much as possible. Family members may come to the lab on different days if necessary. Some individuals may be excluded from participation in the study on-site. If your child is excluded, he will receive a $5.00 cash gift for his participation in the preliminary assessment. Upon the completion of participation in this study, each child will receive a $20.00 cash gift. Parents will each receive a $10 gift card upon completion of their participation. If a parent is excluded, he or she will be given a $5 gift card for participation in the preliminary assessment. You may also receive, upon request, results of your performance and/or your child's performance.
If you are interested in participating, please contact us at our confidential e-mail: 858-635-4068, or by email:
[email protected] or
[email protected]. Thank you in advance for your time and assistance. I look forward working with you and your family soon.
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| Participate in a Research Survey! |
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I am a graduate student of Communication Disorders at Eastern New Mexico University. The reason I'm reaching out is to see if ValeriesList can assist me with my graduate research. My focus is how applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques are viewed by parents of children with autism. To collect information for my research I have an online questionnaire with a 12 minute video on survey monkey. Would it be possible for you to put the survey link in a newsletter or email to reach your followers? This research is very exciting to me, as it will illuminate perceptions of an important strategy in improving the lives of children with autism.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VNYK8H6
Principal Investigator: Erin Bishop
Email: [email protected]
This project has been reviewed by the IRB of Eastern New Mexico University and approved as protocol # 1718006. Records pertaining to proposal review and approval are available upon request.
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| UCSD Autism Center of Excellence- SPARK |
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UCSD Autism Center of Excellence is working with the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) as part of an exciting research partnership called SPARK, and we would like to invite you and your family to take part. SPARK is an online, national genetics research partnership that seeks to improve the lives of people with autism. Through DNA analyses of saliva samples, the ultimate goal of SPARK is to gain a better understanding of causes and best treatments for autism. To get started, sign up and a saliva collection kit will be mailed to your home. A gift card totaling up to $50 will be sent to you once saliva samples from both parents and individual with ASD are received. We already have 1,991 participants registered on the website, help us reach our goal of 3,000 today!!!
To register for SPARK: go to www.sparkforautism.org/ucsd.sarrc
For additional information contact Hannah Kaplan at the UCSD ACE: [email protected] or 858- 534- 6906
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| Children with Autism and Their Mothers are Needed for Student Reseach |
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Ariane Myers-Turnbull, MA
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
California School of Professional Psychology
If interested please contact
[email protected] or call 858-414-1076!
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| BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IMAGING LABS - Recruiting Participants |
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If you are interested in participating in any of these studies, please call 619-594- 0176 or email
[email protected].
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| Join Our Study! Video Games to Train Attention and Eye Movement |
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| Parents and Children Needed for Student Research |
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My name is Shamayne Brown and I am a doctoral student at Alliant International University. This study is examining the attention abilities of kids with ASD and their parents. I am recruiting families with a child with ASD as well as families with typically developing children.
We are looking for boys, ages 8 to 16 years old, who have a diagnosis of ASD and their biological parents - both mother and father need to participate. We are also looking for boys, ages 8 to 16 years old, who are typically developing and both of their biological parents to serve as a control group.
If you and your family are eligible for participation, you will be asked to come to a lab at the Neuroscience Institute at Alliant International University. You and your child's other parent will be asked to complete consent forms and questionnaires about your own behaviors; this should take you each about 25 minutes. You will also be given questionnaires about your child's behaviors. Only one parent needs to fill out these questionnaires and should take about 25 minutes complete. You, your child, and your child's other parent will complete a cognitive test, which will take about 30 minutes. Each of you will then play some games on a computer. This will take each person about 30 minutes. Your child's participation will take approximately one hour. Your participation and that of your child's other parent will take approximately one and a half to two hours.
After your child completes his tasks, he will receive a $20 cash gift as an appreciation for his participation. Once you and your child's other parent have completed all tasks, you will each receive a $10 gift card as a token of appreciation for your participation. For further information, please contact Shamayne Brown at
[email protected] or 619-416-1799. Thank you for your time.
*Approved by Alliant IRB
IRB #1604025150
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