Podcasts about autism spectrum disorders asd

What happens when we break down communication barriers—especially for those who are speech-delayed or don't use words to speak? In this powerful episode, I'm joined by Dr. Sheryl Rosin, Speech-Language Pathologist, researcher, and passionate advocate for neurodivergent individuals. We explore how to unlock communication using a strengths-based, person-centered approach that empowers individuals across the spectrum. From augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to the importance of presuming competence, Dr. Rosin shares transformative insights for parents, professionals, and anyone who believes every voice deserves to be heard.About Dr. RosinSheryl Rosin Ph.D.,CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and Certified Autism Specialist with 28 years of experience in the field. Dr. Rosin has presented nationally and internationally on topics related to evidence-based practices in assessment and intervention for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). She has been published in both national and international research journals related to ASD assessment and intervention practices. She is the founder, owner and executive director of Palm Beach Speech & OT Specialists and Play Pals Early Learning Program for preschoolers in West Palm Beach, Florida and Boston Speech & OT Specialists in Wellesley, Massachusettes. Dr. Rosin serves as adjunct professors at: 1) University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and 2) Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She is a supervisor and master trainer for The Play Project, an evidence based early intervention program for children with autism. She is also the Founder and President of Star Foundation - a 501(c)3 supporting children with autism and other related disorders living in underserved and low-resourced areas of the world. She has developed an international autism program within the Caribbean and is the Founder and Consulting Director of The St. Kitts Spectrum Services Centre in St.Kitts, the first Autism assessment and intervention clinic in the Eastern Caribbean. Dr.Rosin is the winner of the 2016 Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists Clinician of the Year Award and the 2017 Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Recent Clinical Achievement from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.About TheresaA wife and a mother to two children and grandmother, Theresa Alexander Inman is a Parenting Coach, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and Infant Toddler Development Specialist. She was introduced to the field of behavior analysis in 2007 after working in many capacities in the juvenile justice system.Her goal is to improve the lives of children and families by helping them strategize child develop skills to prevent or reduce the effects of possible delays while having fun! She also served as a panelist on the first annual Autism World Summit.Theresa is also an author, having published ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“Pathways to Early Communication”⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in 2022.Connect with Theresa today!• Instagram | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theresa Inman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• LinkedIn | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theresa Inman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• BabyBoomer.org | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theresa Inman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• YouTube | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Parenting with Confidence⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Tiktok | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@parentcoachtheresa• Spotify via Anchor.fm | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Parenting with Confidence ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: https://www.theresaalexanderinman.com/About Parenting on the SpectrumRaising autistic children comes with unique joys, challenges, and learning moments. Join host Theresa as she explores the diverse experiences of parenting kids on the spectrum. Each episode features expert insights, real-life stories, and practical strategies to help you navigate this journey with understanding, compassion, and strength. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or ally, this podcast is your go-to resource for fostering connection and celebrating neurodiversity. Please share, comment, rate, and download! Be blissful! Theresa

Dr. Gwynette speaks with Dr. Jessica Hellings, recipient of the 2024 APA George Tarjan Award for Contributions in Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Hellings is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She earned her medical degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and completed a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Board-certified in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr. Hellings has developed specialty services for individuals with developmental disabilities at institutions like the University of Kansas Medical Center and The Ohio State Nisonger Center. With over 40 years of clinical and research experience, her work has focused on severe challenging behaviors in children, adolescents, and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD), addressing issues such as aggression, self-injury, and property destruction. Dr. Hellings has co-authored a book on the gut-brain axis, celiac disease, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity in neuropsychiatric illness. She also works to improve psychiatry training programs on ASD/IDD and serves on the Missouri board of ECHO Developmental Disabilities.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Autism Weekly Podcast. This week, our special guest is Paul Constable, an optometrist, autism researcher, and a father with a personal journey. From coping with his son's autism diagnosis to breaking new grounds in autism research, Paul's life has been an unexpected journey full of inspiring perseverance and groundbreaking work. Paul's pioneering research primarily focuses on exploring the potential of retina signals in autism diagnosis. He has utilized eye signals and artificial intelligence to develop more accurate and faster diagnostic processes. This episode dives deep into his fascinating work, exploring the potential of the retina, an extension of the brain, as a source of tangible physiological markers. Listen to his personal account of raising a son with autism and his ground-breaking strategies for testing children with poor communication skills. In this episode, we shed a light on the hopeful future of autism diagnostics, the potential treatment implications, and the groundbreaking research that links personal experiences with professional passion. Discover the potential of using an electroretinogram (ERG) in investigating Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Paul's research has found distinctive retinal signals in children with ASD vs. ADHD, and unique patterns in children diagnosed with both conditions. His work is guiding the development of a device that could help parents, teachers, and clinicians monitor and manage these conditions more efficiently. The episode closes with an examination of the ethical and practical implications of artificial intelligence in diagnosing ASD, as well as resources available for those interested in following this transformative work. Tune into this compelling episode for a look into the future of autism diagnosis and treatment. Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ Instagram: tlse33 My work webpage is: https://researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/persons/paul-constable-2 retinalbiomarkers | retinal biomarker research – join the mailing list for updates or to register for future trials – Main sites would be Connecticut, London and Adelaide Fernando's webpage: https://people.unisa.edu.au/Fernando.Marmolejo-Ramos His twitter/X handle is: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fmarmolejo_ramos ................................................................ Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, google podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.04.06.535850v1?rss=1 Authors: Giunti, S., Blanco, M. G., De Rosa, M. J., Rayes, D. Abstract: Increased Excitation/Inhibition (E/I) ratio in the brain is a hallmark of neurological disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Mutations in PTEN, the main PI3K/Akt pathway negative regulator, are strongly associated with ASD. It is unclear how PTEN deficiencies lead to E/I disequilibrium. Using C. elegans neuromuscular system as a model for studying E/I balance, we find that daf-18/PTEN mutations affect GABAergic (but not cholinergic) neurodevelopment, leading to behavioral phenotypes typical of an increased E/I ratio. The specific defects in GABAergic development in daf-18 mutants are due to the reduced activity of DAF-16/FOXO3A. Ketogenic diets (KGDs) are effective approaches for disorders associated with E/I imbalances. However, their mechanisms of action are not understood. We show, in daf-18 mutants, that a diet enriched with the ketone body hydroxybutyrate during early development improves GABAergic neurodevelopment and rescued behavioral defects in a DAF-16/FOXO-dependent manner. Our study offers universal insights into the proven link between PTEN mutations and neurodevelopmental defects and provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying KGDs' positive effects on neuronal disorders characterized by E/I imbalance. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel, a renowned expert in the field of autism and the Co-Director of the Koegel Autism Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr Koegel has had vast experience researching Autism Spectrum Disorders—ASD—and working with autistic people of all ages. We explore of the ways in which the intelligence and abilities of children and young adults with autism are often overlooked and misjudged, and discuss tried-and-true interventions that can be used to help them reach their full potential. Sponsored by Caraway: Visit Carawayhome.com/HUMANS10 for 10% off your next purchase! Thrive Market: Go to ThriveMarket.com/HUMANS for 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift! Produced by Dear Media This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.

When people hear ABA, they usually think of Autism. However, social skills training is a component of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy that can help students with social skills deficits. ABA social skills training offers a set of techniques designed to strengthen an individual's social skills. Neurological, emotional, and developmental disabilities are often marked by a lack of social intuition. Most people learn social rules and conventions naturally, but they are foreign to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. Some students find it impossible to master even seemingly simple social interactions. They are identifying social cues, understanding other people's intentions, and knowing when and how to respond and interact with others in social situations are not innate abilities. Individuals often referred to as 'socially blind' lack inherent skills in interacting with others in social situations. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT) joins me today to discuss social skills rooted in ABA. Justyna Balzar is the Co-Founder & CEO of The Hangout Spot (https://www.thehangoutspotllc.com), a center that offers specialized play and social skills instruction based on Applied Behavior Analysis. They offer thoughtfully structured, experiential small-group learning through on-site programs and remote teaching. Justyna has over 15 years of experience working with learners of varying profiles between the ages of 3 and 18 across multiple settings. She received her Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification in 2014 from the Florida Institute of Technology, her Master in Curriculum and Education in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University, and her BCBA certification in 2016. Her publications include Behavior Science of the 21st Century blog posts and articles for Autism Parenting Magazine. Driven by a passion for educating others about the wide-reaching applications of ABA, Justyna founded @Behaviorchik, an online persona intended to disseminate behavior analytic resources. She also created the @Theabaadvocacyproject, an initiative spearheaded by The Hangout Spot founders and a fellow BCBA that unifies the advocacy practices of parents and professionals using ABA. You can reach Justyna here: Justyna@thehangoutspotllc.com You can reach me here: Dana@SpecialEd.fm FLASHBACK: I've spoken with Justyna before! She and Hangout Spot Co-Founder, Meghan Cave, joined me previously to discuss the benefits of teaching social skills through the ABA lens. Check that episode out here! https://ntkwdj.libsyn.com/wanna-hangout-i-know-just-the-spot TRASCRIPT (not proofread) SUMMARY KEYWORDS child, skill, social skills, teaching, piece, social, behavior, peers, important, play, master, hangout, goal, tolerate, subjectivity, kids, developing, learner, aba, justina SPEAKERS Dana Jonson, Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), Dana Jonson 00:09 Okay, welcome back to Special Ed on special ed. I am your host Dana Jonson, thank you so much for joining me today we have a great episode ahead. I am here with Justina Balzar.Justina is a BCBA. And she's one of the cofounders of the hangout spot which we will explain all to you right after we play my disclaimer, which you all know has to go first. The information in this podcast is provided for general informational and entertainment purposes only, and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction at the time you're listening. Nothing in this episode create an attorney client relationship, nor is it legal advice. Do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included and accessible through this episode without seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice on particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer or service provider licensed in your state country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction. Okay. Hi, Justina, thank you so much for joining me. How are you doing today? I'm doing great. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 00:59 I'm very excited to be here. Thank you for having me. Thanks for coming. I think last time we spoke you and Megan a just opened the hangout spot in the middle of a pandemic, and global closings. And I predicted that you guys would be really, really successful because we needed it. And it turns out you were and you're opening another spot. So why I have you on today is I would love to talk about your approach to social skills as a as a BCBA, as a board certified behavior analyst. And I'll have you explain a little bit about what that is. But why you're doing social skills. And I should start by saying the hangout spot is a science back Social Skills Center. So that's what you get Development Center is that social skills development center. So you guys are working on social skills, and you've just opened a new practice called the play space for younger children for ages birth to four, so I want to talk about that. But from an attorney and a parent perspective, when I go into IEP meetings, and we talk about social skills, sometimes it's a speech and language person who's providing the services, sometimes it's a school psychologist, sometimes it's a special ed teacher. And when I hear BCBA, sometimes my head goes straight to autism. And that's just my background and training. And that's not accurate. So what I would love is for you to explain, for everyone listening, from a BCBAs perspective, what's the magic that you guys do? Because we are seeing that with these students who go in and out of your program. So let's talk about social skills development from a behavioral component, and go. So I'm not first of all, I'm not surprised that the first thing that comes into your mind, just as I've encountered it, it happens to go into other practitioners minds, and either even families minds who've been exposed to Ada, that it's really very narrow in terms of that exposure and understanding of that scope. And it primarily people associated, especially in the education system with behavior intervention plans, discrete trial instruction, and just a BCBA, supporting in the consultation model in a school, which certainly is one aspect of it. And also, like you said, pigeonholed to autism, but the science of ADA is really just the science of learning and behavior, and we all behave and we are all capable of learning. Therefore, you can really teach any skill using the science of ABA. Really what it is, is a series of teaching methodologies that you can utilize right in simple layman's terms, to meet someone where they're at, and to assist them with the learning process of whatever it is they need to learn. Typically, in our world in ABA, behavior, analysts shy away from social skills. And actually, quite frankly, lots of people shy away from social skills, because they're very nuanced. And they're very hard to objectively define and narrow down and really identify what's going to be the most meaningful thing that we could teach a learner or a child, a teenager or adult, what have you, that will really impact their world in a really positive way to help them develop those reciprocal relationships. And there's a lot of curriculum out there, right on social, yes, and a lot of it is very cookie cutter. So there's many many amazing aspects to all the curriculum that's out there. However, if you're just using a standard curriculum, you're not really looking at what those individual social needs are for a particular learner. And that's the first area where we can really miss the mark because we're if we're in not teaching what is impacting a child's inability to make relationships in the day to day, and we're just pulling bits and pieces from the curriculum, it's not meaningful, it's not helping them change those behaviors to help them improve those relationships. Right? So it's a boss. And then the other area where we find that thing we have a tendency to fall short is when people just teach kids the rules of what to dothe rules of what's right. And so kids become very, very good at memorizing the rules, talking about the rules, and maybe even applying them to hypothetical scenarios, right. But then when it comes to actually doing those things in the moment, they're not able to, to utilize those skills, right, that they quote, unquote, have. And the reasoning behind that is because knowing something and talking about it, and I'm using quotes, which no one will be able to see and do something, right, actually using a skill are actually two different skill sets. So I can be a little bit of French, right, and, but I have to think about it when I'm talking it. But if I were to talk with a fluent French speaker, I get really stuck, I can theoretically tell you how to ride a skateboard. But if I were to get on a skateboard, I would probably fall and break a bone. Right? So practice is key. And what we do at the hangout spot, and what we do at the play space is we look to meet children where they are. So we identify in real life, what is that thing that's keeping them from developing those relationships? That's the skill that we're going to teach. And how do we create opportunities for them to practice that, so they get really, really good at it, right? So practice is the missing link between knowing and doing you can't say that you know how to play the piano, if you can play Mary Had a Little Lamb. But if you know how to, you know, play something more complex, you're going to really have to practice repeatedly before you get really good at that. That's called fluency. So we teach through playing games. On the surface when kids come in here, and that's our goal is for them to come and have a place where they can have fun, they can meet other peers, and have their interests passions incorporated into the learning. Because when that happens, that's where the magic happens. That's more open to working on the hard stuff. Dana Jonson 07:33 I love that you say that you bring up a couple of things that I think are really important. First, the subjectivity of it, which I I love. When I was in graduate school, we had an exercise where they played a video of a student. And we were to take the data on, I'm gonna say vocalizations, I can't remember what the piece was, let's say vocalizations. And that was a description. Right? So after it, then we were asked to each say, what was our tally, and none of us had the same tally. And the reason was, as they explained to us, we all defined vocalization in our head differently. And so we were all looking for something different. And so on that level of subjectivity, you know, I go into meetings, and I'll see in the paperwork, you know, had a meltdown. And I'm saying, what does that look like? What's a meltdown for this kid, because I've got five children, and each of them have meltdowns, and they are all different, like all of them. So what does that look like? So I love that you brought up the subjectivity, because I find that, you know, that is a problem we run into with social skills a lot in my practice, and in my world, too, because I have a child with nonverbal learning disability, that is a key piece that that I think, is really important for us to remember that even if you think about going to a friend's house for dinner that just had a different family than yours, and the food was different, or the utensils were different, or whatever it was, that was unusual for you and you had to stop and think and navigate. That's like, you know, a kid who doesn't understand social cues. That's what they're doing all the time. Right. So, Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 09:12 yeah Dana Jonson 09:12 So how do you address that subjectivity? How do you guys in the hangout spot address it? I know what the other thing was, I wanted to ask you, though, before we move on to that, sorry, was you talked about meeting the child where they are at, and that's another piece, it's so important. And I think that with social skills, a lot of time we assume a certain level of knowledge before we start teaching them, you know, so we're expecting the student to understand certain things. So how do you as a practitioner, figure out where your child is at? Because if you figure out the wrong place, then whatever you're doing isn't going to be productive. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 09:51 Right. So I think a couple of things I think the process is fluid, right? It's a process of discovery so ever you as you get to know each time as you're learning more and more about them, right, I think the most powerful way to really find out what those most impactful barriers are, that serve as future learning opportunities is really just to observe, what is the child look like in a social setting, are they moving towards the group and maybe trying to initiate but they're being disruptive or rude or unkind, right? So then they don't know how to initiate attention for appropriately, they have social motivation, because they're going up to a group, but they're not successful. So you could potentially target that is a child playing games with a set of peers. And then anytime the child falls behind, or loses, they have a huge, huge meltdown, right. And then as a result of that kids don't want to play with them anymore, then there's the barrier that can be taught around. So how to tolerate losing How to Use good sportsmanship, you can objectively define a goal around those barriers that you observe. And I think in order to make it most meaningful, what you're looking for in your observation is what are the ones that are occurring most frequently, because those are the ones that are most impactful and need to be supported around. And then you start from there, right, then you create opportunities for practice through play. Dana Jonson 11:20 So you guys just seen a lot of success with this for your three to 22. population, I think it's three to 22, because that's what the IDEA says, provides special education for students between the ages of three and up to the age of 22. And that's in under the IDEA. But I believe, and I just want to point out that even if a child has graduated from high school, if they require social skills, you guys still take them, right? You don't have to be in high school in order to get them that is just a number of sort of arbitrary, but not arbitrarily, but chosen by the law that you guys are, are in a public school. So you're not saying okay, no, you've graduated from high school, you can't come, it goes through 22. Let's talk about that younger population, that birth to four. And what led you to decide to open that separate piece, because from three or four through 22, you're mostly school age for most of that time. So I would presume that the skill sets you're learning and working on would be different than as an infant to four, I'm just guessing. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 12:28 So they're, they're more scaled up and more complex. So the reason we ended up opening the play space was really from this desire and need to support learners before they hit that school age. So research indicates that kids between the ages of birth to three to five years old, are like sponges, and they are developing lots of new connections. And their brain is just developing really quickly, their bodies are developing really quickly as they're growing. And they're really able to pick up on a lot of skills, which serves as a great opportunity to lay that foundation or lead before kids hit school age. So they have some of those foundational skills going into kindergarten, and then are have a greater chance of being more successful socially. But then also academically, when we think about the jump from from preschool to kindergarten, the expectations of sitting at a table waiting for longer periods of time, more structured, academic based demands, they increased significantly. And if a child doesn't have or hasn't met certain milestones, and doesn't have certain foundational skills, what ends up happening because they enter kindergarten, and they're not ready, maybe they don't have emotional regulation skills, maybe they don't know how to tolerate no or waiting or transitions, what have you. And that then presents itself as behavioral challenges. And when that goes when those skills go on taught for a long period of time, and that child develops that history of responding with behavior with whatever problem behavior that they're trying to communicate their needs with, it become takes longer to then undo and teach. Dana Jonson 14:28 And that's an important piece is what you're saying is because that behavior is them communicating to you. That's the important piece, because I think a lot of times as adults, we get so irritated by the behavior or, you know, frustrated with the behavior that we forget, that's their form of communication, they are behaving that way because they don't have the language to express us or maybe they have expressed it to us and we've ignored them because we don't think it's important for whatever reason, and I'm guilty of that too. You know when you your child falls and you're like, it doesn't hurt. Well, maybe it does. Yeah. Oh, like I get that, you know, coming from that as as an adult. So yeah, that can be that's got to be overwhelming. And also, I think the anxiety around those social pieces would probably be even more so at a young age, because we're really all the skills we're looking for from them at that age are social, aren't they? Man, I'm just trying to think to what everything I thought I needed to look for in my children. And I mean, at no point it too, was I wondering, I wonder if she has pre reading skills like that was not what I was talking about. I was like, does she make eye contact? If she talked to people? Does she wave does she let you know? So those are all social pieces. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 15:47 They are their social and their communication pieces. And their foundational. So if you don't have those going into school is going to be very, very difficult, right? You don't have the foundational route the groundwork, right? Dana Jonson 16:00 And sitting in your seat is a social skill, right? I mean, isn't that to a degree, if if you're in a situation where sitting in your seat is appropriate, then that would be considered a social skill? Right? Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 16:11 That's the waiting would be a social skill. Right? Dana Jonson 16:14 That's a great Oh, that's a good way to put it. Okay. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 16:16 Wait, waiting, tolerating know, is a social skill, right? When you're interacting with peers? Sometimes here's how, you no, can you handle that peers are a lot more unpredictable than adults are. Adults are more understanding they're, they're more patient, they really try to figure out what your wants and needs are peers move very, very quickly, right. So kids who don't have those foundational skills, get into an environment with peers who do and those peers are moving very quickly. And, and they're not waiting for those kids to respond, right. They're not waiting for those kids to initiate, they're just moving on right to where they can be successful. And the reality is, we're all social beings, from the moment that we're born, right? I mean, a baby cries and that cry is a form of communication right? There. They're trying to communicate, they're hungry, they're trying to communicate, they need cuddles or a diaper change, whatever that is, and, and if we, as a child develops, from birth to one to two to three, right, there's certain communicative and social markers that need to be hit. And when those aren't hit, that's when those things will compound over time. If they're not taught explicitly, every child develops at a different rate, right? Some kids learn to read by the time they're two or three, well, two might be an exaggeration. Some children learn how to read does everybody need to learn by by the time they're three? No, right? There's exceptions to every single rule. But there are basic foundational markers that are really important to hit. And if we're noticing that they're not being that, then it's really a critical time to be able to intervene and to support and the way to do that. And the way to teach that is through play. Because that's how children learn, especially at those ages, children are exploring their environment through play, and we can embed lots of opportunities for practice that way and support them and model the skills they need, and to be able to use to succeed. So it's really something we're very passionate about. Because we've seen in working in public schools, we've often seen too many kids that come into kindergarten, from preschool, and who don't have the skills aren't, don't have things like tolerating, no accepting, waiting, transitioning, and how to get a peers attention to even recognize or show interest in peers. And then they're thrown into an environment that doesn't allow them to work on that, because that environment focuses on academics, and that it gets exacerbated further and further and further. And you, you potentially, you know, have a child who's in third or fourth grade, who has behavioral challenges and misunderstood and is lacking a lot of skills. And we're racking our brains trying to do every possible evaluation under the sun to try and figure out what's going on. Dana Jonson 16:16 But and I think that's a great one, because you'll hear I'll hear, you know, well, he's a little quirky, he likes to be by himself, he likes to, you know, whatever. And then suddenly, in third grade, the child's have behavior problem. And it doesn't dawn on anyone that maybe this child was being quiet and a loner, because they couldn't navigate right social environment, and at younger ages, kids are kinder and, you know, tolerate parallel play a lot longer. I think a lot of children who are not engaging in parallel play will tolerate parallel play. So it looks like they're interacting, right so your child who's not who's parallel playing the other kid doesn't mind right, they're doing their own thing that like you, do you it looks like a social interaction. But it's, it's not a social interaction. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 20:06 Totally hear you kids have to move through the different stages not only of communication, but also play. And, and in parallel play, you need to be able to tolerate having a peer in proximity, right. But you can be able to develop those skills to get into more complex forms of play, like associative and cooperative, where you're actually commenting and interacting more directly with your peers. Dana Jonson 20:28 And I could see somebody going straight from and skipping that tolerating the peers in your space part, because the kids having behaviors, and now we're teaching them to cooperate, but we never taught them to tolerate the people in it, right, Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 20:42 they're not ready for it. Dana Jonson 20:44 So they're not there yet. So that's where I see the skip sometimes when I get involved is, you know, I see that we're working on skills that aren't going anywhere, because they're like three steps ahead of where the child might be. And we have to break it down even farther. And that's where I find the challenges typically with parents when I'm when I'm representing a client, or even with my own children, where I see the goals and objectives. And while they're more on the student, sometimes, that's always difficult, because it's like the student will do this. But again, I've clearly not had enough coffee, because I totally lost my train of thought, again. Last night, I was presenting, and I lost my train of thought twice in the middle of a sentence, and I was live. And I was just like, so that's over. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 21:32 I think I know where you're going with the thing that I see as an indication that a goal is too high for a child, particularly in IEPs, when I'm looking at social goals, is when and this is rampid. Regardless of whether or not we're talking about social goals, academic speech, right? You have, I see it everywhere. But particularly since we're on the topic of social and social goals, when I see a goal phrased as the child will master this with X number of prompts, that raises a flag to me. And the reason that that raises a flag to me is for two reasons, actually. So the one being if someone has to follow you around and provide you a verbal prompt, you have not mastered that skill, you can only demonstrate that when you have a body cueing you on what to say and when to say it, which is concerning, because that's not the definition of mastery. And then why are we then taking that skill off the child's practice list when they don't actually have it? The second concern that I have is, if we have goals that have prompting built into it, and we get that, well, they're just not going to master it out in a year. The question I have is why, because if you can't make progress on a skill in a year, to me, that indicates that the skill we're targeting is either not meaningful, or it's too high for the learner. And we should be picking something that the child can actually master with over the course of a year to attendance, and not with someone verbally prompting them or visually cueing them, right. Unless the plan is for the child to have someone following them around for the rest of their lives. That's not really successful. Dana Jonson 23:26 I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna take that little piece of what you just said and play it at all my IEP meetings now if that's okay. Now, it just sounds so simple when you say it, it that it's ridiculous, we don't follow it. But it's absolutely true. If the child cannot master this in a year with independence, how is it a goal? How is it an objective, right? Because these are supposed to be annual goals. They're short term objectives. And I do understand learning certain levels of a skill first, but I liked the way you said that, you know, if they're not ready to learn this independently, the maybe there's a smaller piece of that skill that they can get independently that maybe we're trying to teach too many skills at the same time. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 24:13 Yeah. Dana Jonson 24:14 And I go back to like, way back when when I'd be teaching students how to, like brush their teeth or something. Maybe I'm just teaching them to pick up the toothbrush. Right? That might be the only thing I'm teaching them to do at the beginning. I'm not teaching them how to put toothpaste on it, you know. So I see that I'm just I'm processing it as you're saying it because it sounds like yeah, you're right. Absolutely. If they can't wait a year, it shouldn't be an objective. Why am I even contemplating this? Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 24:41 We don't want goals that are too easy that are going to be mastered on within a month, if we can openly say well, they're not going to master this in a year to independence. Why is that even being considered? Dana Jonson 24:52 So let me ask you a question because I have a question on this. So if you have a skill, let's say brushing teeth, okay. So let's say we're brushing teeth, and we're gonna break it down to picking up the toothbrush, right? That's the first step. And then the second step is going to be picking up the toothbrush and putting it under the water. Right. So the second step is to put it under the water. What's the objective? Do you have two separate objectives? Both of which would be masters, but you're only working on a second one after you've mastered the first one? Or is there a different way to write that so that it's longer? Did that make sense? Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 25:27 Yeah. So I think I understand what you're saying, I think what you can do is have an overarching goal, and then that goal, be separated out into objectives and each objective is a step, and you have to master step one, before you move on to teaching the second objective. And the third objective, what I think is important is that we only put in the number of objectives under an overarching goal that we feel a child can master out in a year. And what that's going to look like for each child is very different, right? I can't imagine a child wouldn't be able to master out brushing their teeth in a year. If they can't, then the question is, are they practicing? Is someone showing them how to do it? A year is a really long time to master a skill of brushing teeth? Or is there something else happening perhaps physiologically, where the child's doesn't have like the ability to pinch and grasp? You know, pinch it hold a toothbrush? Right? Like that's a whole separate skill if if a pinch, or do those like motor movements, then we shouldn't even be teaching skills that require that because that's a prerequisite skill to be able to do any of that. Right. So I think it really depends on the child. But I think the biggest point is to make sure we're we're picking a goal, right and get to independence and breaking down only the steps that we're going to be working on that we feel are doable within a year, and then working on one mastering it out moving on to the next on to the next and then the whole goal is mastered. Dana Jonson 26:52 Got it. Yeah. So that I mean, because sometimes I do see that where I see goals that are maybe really or objectives that are super short term. And so they master them really fast. They do see that sometimes where pieces are broken out, but they don't necessarily make sense, because they're just random pieces of the skill as opposed to going in a specific order. What do you feel a BCBA has that say, a school psychologist or special ed teacher does not have that makes them more equipped to design this kind of program for a child? Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 27:27 The great questions, so I think potentially, as long as there's a mechanism for collecting and monitoring data, other practitioners can be trained or can learn to support learners, effectively, I think the piece that's missing often is we don't have a way of regularly taking, collecting, measuring, and analyzing data on progress. And that can really skew our ability to really understand whether a child is making progress, being able to effectively look at our teaching methodologies and whether or not those are helpful or not, and they need to change. And that's what data helps us to do. You know, from a BCBA perspective as BCBAs we have the unique ability and understanding of of behavior and different teaching strategies and to be able to enhance motivation and really break thing. Dana Jonson 28:37 It's all scientifically backed, right? It's all scientifically backed, right. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 28:43 But there's, there's an immense amount of value from a multidisciplinary collaboration. There are so many things that as BCBA, we can learn from speech pathologists and OTs and psychologists. Right, I think the bottom line is all fields would benefit from adopting database tracking right on on those, that there? Dana Jonson 29:06 Well, yeah, my first my first job teaching was at the National Center for Children is all ABA and data driven and all of that. So it's a little baffling to me when I got out of there and went into a public school. And I was like, what you guys don't all do this, like, not everybody tracks data this way. What I don't understand. So I have that background, which has been very helpful for me. But yeah, that is what you're saying is what I see as well. And one of the challenges I have when we want to do any kind of behavior, social, whatever plan with someone who's not a BCBA is if you're a BCBA, I have confidence that you know exactly how to track this behavior and track the data. If you're not, I don't know that. That's just as a professional sitting across the table. I don't I have competence. I know that you as a principal might tell me that you have a great school psychologist. And they may be, but I don't know that and there's nothing in their training that tells me that they would be good at this. Whereas with a BCBA, if you are a board certified behavior analyst is, am I saying it right? I'm getting all my letters messed up today, it's awful. But if you are a BCBA, I know you've had that training. I've know you've taught that supervision, you know that that practicum time that you have learned how to take this data, and more so than just like one class in graduate school. And so that that, to me is what the big difference is. And in Connecticut anyway, I know that if we were doing a behavior plan for a child of functional behavioral analysis beforehand, if you have autism, it has to be a BCBA. I think right there, we're talking about how important it is to have that skill set behind you. So it's not to say this, you said like a multidisciplinary program could be great with the right training and supervision. And so I get that. So I guess, gosh, you've given me so much good information. And I'm so happy you guys have now opened another look, well, where are your locations? Let's go with that. Let's Where Where are you now? Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 31:11 We have one location. We're located in Norwalk, Connecticut, right off of Exit 16 on 95. So we're very, very close to the highway, which is very convenient. And hopefully in the future, we'll we'll have some some more location, 31:27 I'm, Dana Jonson 31:27 I'm, I would really appreciate it. If you could open a spot in Danbury, that'll be very helpful. Stacey, the advocate, my office asked me to make that request of you when we were chatting. So yeah, if you could bring your magic up here. That'd be great. So on it? Well, and I think it's also important to know you guys do do assessments, you do work with school districts, you do work with parents, you work with everybody, right? Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 31:54 We here Yes, we do support. We do a lot of collaborations with schools on social, our goal is really to help kids learn not only learn to use the skills that they're working on with us here, but but more importantly than that, being able to take them and use them everywhere else. Because if they can't do that, then we haven't been successful. So you know that our generalization is our ultimate mastery criteria. Dana Jonson 32:21 generalization is good, that's important. I always say that. I'm like, Well, I'm thrilled that they're doing this properly in the resource room, but they're not going to live there forever. So where else? Are they going to do it? So I think that's great. So for people listening, who are like, Oh, my God, how have I not found the hangout spot yet? Or the play space? Where can they find it? And where can they find you? Absolutely. So they can go to our website, www dot the hangout spot llc.com. And for anyone who's interested in learning more about our intake process, or about our programs, um, you can submit an inquiry there, you can also submit an application as well. Or we can also be reached via email at Hello at anything else that llc.com or by phone, our number here is 203-354-9257. That's amazing. And I will have all of that in the show notes. So if you're driving and you weren't able to commit all that to memory, just go back and check the show notes and they will all be there. Thank you, Justina so much for joining me today. I know that you will be back at another point. But thank you, and thank you for everything you're doing for our community because we really had a hole in in our need for this, this kind of social skills development programming. And so it's been really, really great in Connecticut. So thank you. Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT), 33:45 Thank you for having me. It's it's been such a privilege to be able to work with so many incredible families. Dana Jonson 33:52 Thank you so much for joining me today. Please don't forget to follow this podcast so you don't miss any new episodes and leave a review and you have a chance. If there's anything you want to hear about or comment on. Please go to my Facebook page special ed on special ed and find me there. I'll see you next time here on special ed on special ed. Have a fabulous day. The views expressed in this episode are those of the speakers at the time of the recording do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company or even that individual today.

6:15 Hi from Australia. Up late with my son on the spectrum that refuses to sleep at night. Help He is 11 and nonverbal 16:49 we are try to work on elopement issues with my little. for some reason separation anxiety is very high . he has eloped with his support person while i am at work thank fully he only made it out the door and was caught before he made it to our drive way. 4 x last month scary 25:04 My 4.5 yo ASD son is making progress (esp. cog., lang.), but still struggles w attention. He often gets stuck in his own mind (thinking about things or whispering under his breath)& doesn't tune in. When he does tune in, he can answer questions (including some how and why) and do simple math/reading and talks mostly in full sentences with decent grammar. He doesn't really stim (other than a little vocal stimming), so I think he needs this “in his head” time to decompress. But he also needs attention for school. Will this improve in time? How do I help? I think he may have some slow processing speed, but the reason I don't think that is all of it is sometimes he answers pretty quick, and other times (when he's tuned out) its VERY slow (or not at all) 40:31 Do you recommend taking a break from therapy? Aiden has been in therapies. We're taking a break from OT. Aiden seems to be more frustrated lately. I don't want to take a break from ABA or speech. Since OT is only 30 minutes I feel like the therapist just wants to get things done Definitely not enough high reinforcement 47:45 There are children's hospitals that do this now. It's called “episodes of care”. I hate it. They force families to take breaks. 52:42 My son was diagnosed with Social Communication Disorders (SCD) at 2 years old and after that we begin therapy: sensory integration, speech therapy, occupational therapy, floor time, behavior therapy (not ABA), playgroup with shadow teacher (only 2 months). He can mention words, animal, vegetable, fruit (tach) at 2 years 9 months old. But, since he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) at 2 years 10 months old, we start begin with ABA therapy at 3 years old. For starter, 20 hours a week (home ABA), now we increase to 30 hours a week but with the different center ABA therapy (ABA verbal behavior) and we plan to increase the hours by joining the third center (in Jakarta there is a maximum hours per week therapy in one single center). Now at 3 years 3 months, he can mention more functional words, tach, and mand (he want milk, he want his mom accompany him, he want to sleep etc., not so much). No aggressive or challenging behavior problems. He is a sweet boy who can hug his dad or mom or grandpa, know his name and how old is he. Also, ABA therapy has increase his eye contact. We also done biomedical therapy: antifungal for his yeast overgrowth, planning diet, and MB12 shots. My questions are: is it right to join 3 centers therapy (one in home service ABA, and two in the centers with ABA/VB directed by BCBA) and what is your opinion about ABLLS and ABA/verbal behavior because the centers use these two methods for assessment and therapy? And last, the pediatrician gives my son risperidone (little dose daily) although he not shows any challenging or aggressive behavior, is it right? 57:01 Whenever I try to bring up medication, I feel like I get judged by doctors. What are your thoughts on adding vitamin b12, b6 to his diet? will this help? My child has been doing ABA for about 3 years now. He is 6 years old. He says BAH and papa which is great and I encourage him. But I wonder if medication can help him focus and encourage speech. 1:03:15 On the show this week #AskDrDoreen #Autism #AutismPodcast https://www.autismnetwork.com/category/ask-dr-doreen/ https://www.tiktok.com/@askdrdoreen? Link Tree https://linktr.ee/AutismLive Pre-Order the book written by the host of Autism Live, Shannon Penrod! https://www.amazon.com/Autism-Parent-Sanity-Saving-Spectrum/dp/1949177858  

6:15 Hi from Australia. Up late with my son on the spectrum that refuses to sleep at night. Help He is 11 and nonverbal 16:49 we are try to work on elopement issues with my little. for some reason separation anxiety is very high . he has eloped with his support person while i am at work thank fully he only made it out the door and was caught before he made it to our drive way. 4 x last month scary 25:04 My 4.5 yo ASD son is making progress (esp. cog., lang.), but still struggles w attention. He often gets stuck in his own mind (thinking about things or whispering under his breath)& doesn't tune in. When he does tune in, he can answer questions (including some how and why) and do simple math/reading and talks mostly in full sentences with decent grammar. He doesn't really stim (other than a little vocal stimming), so I think he needs this “in his head” time to decompress. But he also needs attention for school. Will this improve in time? How do I help? I think he may have some slow processing speed, but the reason I don't think that is all of it is sometimes he answers pretty quick, and other times (when he's tuned out) its VERY slow (or not at all) 40:31 Do you recommend taking a break from therapy? Aiden has been in therapies. We're taking a break from OT. Aiden seems to be more frustrated lately. I don't want to take a break from ABA or speech. Since OT is only 30 minutes I feel like the therapist just wants to get things done Definitely not enough high reinforcement 47:45 There are children's hospitals that do this now. It's called “episodes of care”. I hate it. They force families to take breaks. 52:42 My son was diagnosed with Social Communication Disorders (SCD) at 2 years old and after that we begin therapy: sensory integration, speech therapy, occupational therapy, floor time, behavior therapy (not ABA), playgroup with shadow teacher (only 2 months). He can mention words, animal, vegetable, fruit (tach) at 2 years 9 months old. But, since he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) at 2 years 10 months old, we start begin with ABA therapy at 3 years old. For starter, 20 hours a week (home ABA), now we increase to 30 hours a week but with the different center ABA therapy (ABA verbal behavior) and we plan to increase the hours by joining the third center (in Jakarta there is a maximum hours per week therapy in one single center). Now at 3 years 3 months, he can mention more functional words, tach, and mand (he want milk, he want his mom accompany him, he want to sleep etc., not so much). No aggressive or challenging behavior problems. He is a sweet boy who can hug his dad or mom or grandpa, know his name and how old is he. Also, ABA therapy has increase his eye contact. We also done biomedical therapy: antifungal for his yeast overgrowth, planning diet, and MB12 shots. My questions are: is it right to join 3 centers therapy (one in home service ABA, and two in the centers with ABA/VB directed by BCBA) and what is your opinion about ABLLS and ABA/verbal behavior because the centers use these two methods for assessment and therapy? And last, the pediatrician gives my son risperidone (little dose daily) although he not shows any challenging or aggressive behavior, is it right? 57:01 Whenever I try to bring up medication, I feel like I get judged by doctors. What are your thoughts on adding vitamin b12, b6 to his diet? will this help? My child has been doing ABA for about 3 years now. He is 6 years old. He says BAH and papa which is great and I encourage him. But I wonder if medication can help him focus and encourage speech. 1:03:15 On the show this week #AskDrDoreen #Autism #AutismPodcast https://www.autismnetwork.com/category/ask-dr-doreen/ https://www.tiktok.com/@askdrdoreen? Link Tree https://linktr.ee/AutismLive Pre-Order the book written by the host of Autism Live, Shannon Penrod! https://www.amazon.com/Autism-Parent-Sanity-Saving-Spectrum/dp/1949177858  

April is Autism Awareness Month, and in this episode of According to RP, our fabulous attorney Dianne Samu-Graves is back to drop some knowledge, but this time, she is wearing the hat of administrative director of her family-owned business Samatrem Group. Samatrem Group provides a range of services to address the needs of children, young adults, and families facing challenges related to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Tune in as Dianne and RP raise awareness of autism through meaningful discussion on what autism is, what services are available and necessary for individuals with autism, the disparities that exist for Black and Brown individuals with autism, and how we can raise awareness, etc. Let's get social! follow us on Instagram! @accordingtorp @Blackivymedia @WJMSMedia @Mintwaveradio

Mandi Freger is a professional counselor, consultant, and author of the upcoming book From Exhausted to Energized: The Autism Spectrum Disorder Caregiver's Guide. Mandi is not your typical counselor.  Being in a rare position of gaining experience early on with the first generation of Energy Psychology leaders in the field, Mandi has over 20 years of experience making her a master in the art of using energy therapeutic techniques with her clients. Mandi's counseling approach is truly individualized, typically blending energy therapeutic techniques and principals of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) to treat a rainbow of issues including but not limited to: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) through the lifespan, peak performance, general fatigue, anxiety, depression, trauma, cognitive disorders and managing pain. Her upcoming book From Exhausted to Energized supplies rapid relief tools that are the perfect solution for ASD caregivers! It is the first book to illustrate what hasn't been talked about – the psychoenergetic dynamics that cause and sustain the emotional, mental, and physical drain on family members and guardians. Freger further provides readers with quick energy psychology tools that address trauma, anxiety, depression, and burnout. In our conversation, Mandi shares with me: Why traditional stress management strategies for ASD caregivers don't always work and why her techniques do Specific Energy Psychology breathing techniques caregivers can use to help them manage stress How she combines Energy Psychology and Applied Behavioral Analysis in her counseling and consulting work How to better communicate and understand people who have ASD How she works as a peak performance consultant to help people maintain mind-body wellness and increase performance For more information on Mandi, you can visit her website at: https://mandifreger.com/

With regards to cognitive health many of us focus on nutrition and supplements, even though physical exercise is the foundation for preventing cognitive decline. On today's episode my guest Ryan Glatt will explain how we can use exercise for optimizing our brain health. Ryan is a psychometrist and brain-health coach with more than a decade of experience in the health and fitness industry. He presently works alongside clinicians and researchers at the Pacific Brain Health Center in the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California, to study the effects of cognitively-enhanced and comprehensive exercise plans on the brain. With a strong background in exercise science and human health, Ryan develops curricula specifically targeted towards those with dementia, Parkinson's disease, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and traumatic brain injury, coaching individuals towards optimal brain health. On top of developing programs for the health and fitness industry on health neuroscience, Ryan also consults for brain-based technology companies like SMARTFit. He has completed brain health programs from the Amen Clinics, the NeuroCoaching Institute, the Neuroscience Academy, the NeuroLeadership Institute, Neuroscience for Coaches, and others on the topics of brain health, sleep, and mindfulness. Ryan's mission is to solve the problems associated with neurodegeneration and its effects on health and wellness. In this episode, you will learn... -Ryan's journey to neurology and corrective exercise…02:45 -Motivation to take a preventative, rather than fear or frustration based, approach to brain health…07:15 -Baseline for good brain health…11:00 -There are normal and abnormal cognitive changes as part of aging…14:00 -Empowered, proactive brain health; there is much you can do for your brain!…15:40 -Exercise is at the top of the list for brain health (over supplements and brain training) Here is why…18:00 -Ryan's specific exercises for brain health; aerobic exercise and resistance training work different parts of the brain…22:15 -It's important to enjoy your exercise for mood benefits and to encourage regular exercise…26:12 -Specific statistics: how much exercise can decrease your chances of cognitive decline…29:30 -Cognitively challenging physical exercises; thinking incorporated with movement…30:50 -The 3 macronutrients in a brain healthy diet…34:15.  -Cognitive reserve: your brain's mental gas tank and how to go the distance…36:30 -Ryan's favorite personal practice…37:55 GUEST WEBSITES: https://www.instagram.com/ryanglatt/?hl=en (Instagram) brainhealthtrainer.com http://ryanglatt.com (Ryan's website) https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org (Pacific Neuroscience Institute site) Resources mentioned in this episode: www.pingpongforgood.org

Language sampling is perhaps the most effective means of evaluating the language development of preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, there are many variables to consider in ensuring that the sample is a reliable and valid measure. This episode covers my top five hacks to making language sampling as reliable, valid, and viable as possible. To learn more about how effectively treat preschoolers with ASD, check out my book 'Speech Sound Disorders: Comprehensive Evaluation and Treatment.' This book includes downloadable, ready-for-use, materials, digital therapy clips, and step-by-step guides to empower the reader to create change today.

Brain Health Trainer - Ryan Glatt Art of Living Healthy Aging Month interview series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show.  Today's show is brought to you by NORD VPN, and Inside Tracker.   As part of our Art of Living Healthy Aging Month interview series, we have a great interview with Ryan Glatt.   Ryan Glatt is a psychometrist and Brain Health Coach at the Brain Health Center in the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. With a strong background in exercise science and human health, Ryan Glatt develops curricula specifically targeted towards those with dementia, Parkinson's disease, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and traumatic brain injury, coaching individuals towards optimal brain health. We will be discussing brain health, cognitive decline, specific exercises to prevent cognitive decline, including what Ryan Glatt refers to as ‘exer-gaming,' and the modern solutions that come from video game playing! Please join me in welcoming to The Not Old Better Show, Brain Health Director from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Ryan Glatt. My thanks to NORD VPN and Inside Tracker for sponsoring today's show.  Please check out our show notes for details on both sponsors, and please support our show sponsors.  My thanks to Ryan Glatt for his generous time, expertise, and depth of preparation today.  Of course, my thanks to you, my wonderful Not Old Better Show audience.  Please be safe, stay well, politely promote vaccinations to those not yet vaccinated and talk about better.  The Not Old Better Show.  Thanks, everybody.

John Slattery, CEO of BioROSA Technologies, shares the story of why he is developing a highly accurate blood test that will detect Autism Spectrum disorder in children as young as 18 months.Listen to John's inspiring story of how finding a sense of purpose built the foundations, vision and passion that led to him creating a business that is positively impacting a large amount of change in the ASD population. Over 30M children and over 100M+ people around the world are suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  Back in the 70s and 80s, it was believed that autism affected 1 in 10,000 children in the US. Now the current estimate is 1 in 54 children in the US. A snippet of what John shares in this episode: “You can't help but not want to do something once you've been exposed to this community”“I'm very much a fighter and survivor”“Covid exposed all the holes in the current medical system”“You have to have that introspective look and be able to listen to others”“Active listening without any doing is empty”“The future looks unbelievably bright not only for early detection but for early intervention”Click here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

Logical Fallacies are errors in reasoning from which the conclusions we arrive at don't follow the thought process that got us there.  As human beings tend to be more rationalizing than rational, logical fallacies are more common than we think.  In this episode we discuss common logical fallacies and what gives rise to them.  Equally important, some “experts” in their field understand how to use our irrationality to their advantages.  How do we know when this is happening?  What can we do about it?  When someone cites “research” to support their point of view, what does that mean exactly?  And how can we develop our critical thinking skills to help prevent us from falling prey to these tactics, while allowing us to be more effective in our growth and development?  We acknowledge that not everyone who uses logical fallacies in their teaching does so deliberately.  Many individuals who employ logical fallacies in their thinking as well as teaching, have good intentions.  Yet, it benefits us to be able to identify logical fallacies in our thinking, especially in instances where our own biases may be used against us.  We will discuss all these topics in this episode.  Ryan Glatt is a psychometrist and Brain Health Coach, with a Master's of Applied Neuroscience at King's College of London. With a strong background in exercise science and human health, Ryan develops curricula specifically targeted towards those with dementia, Parkinson's disease, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and traumatic brain injury, coaching individuals towards optimal brain health.As well as developing programs for the health and fitness industry on health neuroscience, Ryan actively consults for brain-based technology companies like SMARTFit. He has completed brain health programs from the Amen Clinics, the NeuroCoaching Institute, the Neuroscience Academy, the NeuroLeadership Institute, Neuroscience for Coaches, and others on the topics of brain health, sleep, and mindfulness. He is the founder of SOMATIQ and a Brain Health Coach at the Pacific Brain Health Center in Santa Monica, California.  Ryan pursues continued education in exercise programs and works with subject matter experts and leading-edge technologies in the fields of neurorehabilitation, neurorestoration, and cognitive enhancement in hopes of bringing them to communities in need. He is dedicated to solving the problems associated with neurodegeneration and its effects on health and wellness.  

Dr Caz and Dr Boo discuss Rainman and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We look at whether this film helped or damaged people's understanding of ASD, and look at whether the presentation of ASD in the film was accurate.

Check out this week's podcast episode featuring Ryan Glatt. Ryan is a psychometrist and brain health coach at the Brain Health Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. With a strong background in exercise science and human health, he coaches individuals towards optimal brain health. Ryan develops curricula specifically targeted towards those with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and traumatic brain injury. He focuses his practice and research towards slowing cognitive decline for those with cognitive complaint and those who want to prevent neurodegenerative conditions. Ryan also develops programs for the health and fitness industry on health and neuroscience. He actively consults for brain-based technology companies like SMARTFit. He has completed brain health programs from the Amen Clinics, the NeuroCoaching Institute, the Neuroscience Academy, the NeuroLeadership Institute, Neuroscience for Coaches, and others on the topics of brain health, sleep, and mindfulness. Recently, Ryan has released the Brain Health Trainer course, which is the first comprehensive course to be released on the topic of brain health and exercise.   In this podcast we discuss: 00:00 - Intro 10:45 - Training brain health across age demographics 13:02 - Exercise and brain health benefits 17:47 - The FITT principal 20:15 - The goals of brain training 26:00 - Exercise prescriptions 30:58 - Rock climbing - The single best training modality for the brain? 34:41 - The removal of recess in schools and child cognition 39:55 - Cross lateralization movements 43:03 - Intentional understanding of movement training 48:09 - Stick Mobility and the Optimal Theory of Motor Learning 49:53 - Stick Mobility for brain health   More from Ryan: https://www.instagram.com/glatt.brainhealth/ https://www.brainhealthtrainer.com  https://www.acefitness.org 

Exercise affects the brain in many ways. It increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It aids the release of hormones which provide an excellent environment for the growth of brain cells. Exercise also promotes brain plasticity by stimulating growth of new connections between cells in many important cortical areas of the brain. Research from UCLA even demonstrated that exercise increased growth factors in the brain which makes it easier for the brain to grow new neuronal connections.Ryan Glatt is a psychometrist and Brain Health Coach at the Brain Health Center in the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. With a strong background in exercise science and human health, Ryan develops curricula specifically targeted towards those with dementia, Parkinson's disease, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and traumatic brain injury, coaching individuals towards optimal brain health.The episode touches on the following points: What is the benefits of exercise on the brain - brain functionality and blood flow  FITLIGHT trainer- science behind the light. How do we get better cognitively by using reaction training software  What does science tell us in terms of what exercises to do for brain health Literature of athletes and brain health - transferable skills for cognitionPrecision medicine and brain health - functional medicine approachesThe disconnect between nutrition and exercise Nootropics I hope you all enjoy this episode!REVIEW/SHARE:If you enjoyed the episode and have a spare 1-2 minutes please leave a review on iTunes so the Neuro Experience podcast ranks higher and becomes more discoverable for other listeners.  Sign up to Louisa's email newsletter: https://bit.ly/37bR58XConnect with Louisa on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2SXPA5MFind Ryan here: https://bit.ly/3q3p9dE

Dr. Huda Zoghbi's work has provided insight into Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by focusing on Rett Syndrome, a postnatal progressive neurological disorder. By studying the genetics of Rett Syndrome, her group made the seminal discovery of X-linked Methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) as the gene that causes Rett Syndrome. Zoghbi's group showed that the severity of the disease was highly dependent on the amount of functional MeCP2 protein expressed. Females, who carry one normal and mutant MECP2 allele typically suffer from Rett syndrome, but the amount of functional protein is influenced by X-chromosome inactivation, and girls with more cells expressing normal allele have milder features. Surprisingly, they also showed that duplications spanning MECP2 can cause a Rett-like progressive neurological disease, highlighting the importance of MeCP2 levels for neural functions. Zoghbi describes how these findings have spurred new research into how MeCP2 affects postnatal development and brain function.

Dr. Huda Zoghbi’s work has provided insight into Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by focusing on Rett Syndrome, a postnatal progressive neurological disorder. By studying the genetics of Rett Syndrome, her group made the seminal discovery of X-linked Methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) as the gene that causes Rett Syndrome. Zoghbi’s group showed that the severity of the disease was highly dependent on the amount of functional MeCP2 protein expressed. Females, who carry one normal and mutant MECP2 allele typically suffer from Rett syndrome, but the amount of functional protein is influenced by X-chromosome inactivation, and girls with more cells expressing normal allele have milder features. Surprisingly, they also showed that duplications spanning MECP2 can cause a Rett-like progressive neurological disease, highlighting the importance of MeCP2 levels for neural functions. Zoghbi describes how these findings have spurred new research into how MeCP2 affects postnatal development and brain function.

Bradley is the Director of the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. This program began in 2008 to meet the unique needs of the growing population of college students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  Tune in to learn more about Bradley & the AIM program!

Join us on Women Lead Radio as Michelle Bergquist, your host of Women Leading the Way, has a conversation with LaKeysha Cobbs-Hayes BCBA of Key Essentials to Behavior Management, on what applied behavior analysis is and how LaKeysha started and built one incredible organization focused on services for children 2-18 years old, adults 18 years or older diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Intellectual Disability (ID) and other related disabilities.   Interested in Learning More About Connected Women of Influence? Click Here to Be Invited as Our Special VIP & Guest to a Future Event! Interested in Becoming a Member of Our Professional Community!? Click Here to Apply for Membership!

In the last episodes, I have talked with investors and decision-makers of the pharmaceutical industry about the importance of having a vision and passion for the life science company.I want to explore this topic further and ask the life science entrepreneur Christof Goetz to chat with me about finding your vision and passion for your company.Christof is a Serial Entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience managing complex business, software, and hardware development projects. MyMind is a life science company based in Vienna. MyMinds vision is to help people with neurological impairments to live towards their full brain potential with affordable and easy to use brain training and assessment technology. MyMind currently focuses on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), whether comorbid with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Intellectual Disability (low IQ), Epilepsy, and Anxiety. Subsequently, MyMind will extend to other neurological issues such as dementia or stroke recovery.Speaker:Christof Goetz (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christofgoetz/)Christian Soschner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiansoschner/)Organizations:CS Life Science Invest (https://lnkd.in/eyhWK7H)My Mind GmbH (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mymindvienna/)Be part of our Network:Subscribe here: https://mailchi.mp/e2467061ef75/lsg2gThe LSG2G Partners Experts in Life ScienceSupport the show (https://www.lifescienceget2gether.com/registration-membersclub/)

On this episode VSC Education Coordinator Emilie Mitchell sat down with Dr. Kimberly Spence from the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at UCF and VSC Programs Director JoEllen Revell to talk about Autism and Relationships. Come learn about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), relationship challenges those with ASD can face, and how we can help those with ASD if they are victimized. Dr. Kim Spence has served as the Coordinator of Educational and Training Programs for the Center of Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) since 1999 and as the Clinical Director of Autism Support Services for Specialized Treatment & Assessment Resources, a private forensic practice, since 2017. She has lectured nationally and internationally regarding treatment, specialized therapeutic intervention, and the creation of specialized sexuality education programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for over 20 years. JoEllen Revell is the Victim Service Center Program Director who oversees the Advocacy, Therapy, and Forensic Nursing Department. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years’ experience in clinical and administrative oversight. You can also listen to this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nLAQBxSusas ------------------------------------------------------------------- Trigger Warning: In this podcast we will be discussing sensitive topics such as Sexual Assault. It's important to take care of yourself while listening. Some suggestions are listening while you're in a healthy head space or knowing who you can reach out to if you become upset. Our 24/7 helpline for crisis calls based out of Central Florida is 407 500 HEAL. By contacting the National Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 you can get support and learn about your local resources. There is always someone ready to help.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.05.24.112052v1?rss=1 Authors: olde Heuvel, F., Ouali-Alami, N., Wilhelm, H., Deshpande, D., Khatamsaz, E., Catanese, A., Woelfle, S., Schoen, M., Jain, S., Grabrucker, S., Ludolph, A. C., Verpelli, C., Michaelis, J., Boeckers, T., Roselli, F. Abstract: Patients suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience disturbed nociception in form of either hyposensitivity to pain or hypersensitivity and allodynia. We have determined that Shank2-KO mice, which recapitulate the genetic and behavioural disturbances of ASD, display increased sensitivity to formalin pain and thermal, but not mechanical allodynia. We demonstrate that high levels of Shank2 expression identifies a subpopulation of neurons in murine and human dorsal spinal cord, composed mainly by glycinergic interneurons and that loss of Shank2 causes the decrease in NMDAR in excitatory synapses on these inhibitory interneurons. In fact, in the subacute phase of the formalin test, glycinergic interneurons are strongly activated in WT mice but not in Shank2-KO mice. As consequence, nociception projection neurons in lamina I are activated in larger numbers in Shank2-KO mice. Our findings prove that Shank2 expression identifies a new subset of inhibitory interneurons involved in reducing the transmission of nociceptive stimuli and whose unchecked activation is associated with pain hypersensitivity. Thus, we provide evidence that dysfunction of spinal cord pain processing circuits may underlie the nociceptive phenotypes in ASD patients and mouse models. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Jude Morrow was born in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1990. Jude currently works as a social worker and is a specialist in the care of older people and Dementia care. Jude was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at 11 although lived many years in denial of his diagnosis. Jude is now a campaigner and advocate for those living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Jude has one son Ethan who was born in 2013. Jude's debut book Why Does Daddy Always Look So Sad? is an account of Jude's early life growing up with Asperger's and the journey from denial to acceptance in adulthood. https://www.judemorrow.com

Credits: 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ Claim CME/CE credit: https://www.pri-med.com/online-education/podcast/frankly-speaking-cme-148 Overview: Universal screening of young children is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), as early intervention leads to improvements in function. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), however, has concluded there isn't enough evidence about the efficacy of universal screening to recommend it. To assess the effectiveness of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers with Follow-Up (M-CHAT/F), a study of 26,000 children was completed at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. This episode will review the current guidelines for ASD screening and the results of this study—which revealed significant shortcomings in current screening tools—as well as discuss how to counsel concerned parents. Guest: Robert Baldor, MD, FAAFP Music Credit: Richard Onorato

Credits: 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ Claim CME/CE credit: https://www.pri-med.com/online-education/podcast/frankly-speaking-cme-148 Overview: Universal screening of young children is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), as early intervention leads to improvements in function. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), however, has concluded there isn't enough evidence about the efficacy of universal screening to recommend it. To assess the effectiveness of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers with Follow-Up (M-CHAT/F), a study of 26,000 children was completed at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. This episode will review the current guidelines for ASD screening and the results of this study—which revealed significant shortcomings in current screening tools—as well as discuss how to counsel concerned parents. Guest: Robert Baldor, MD, FAAFP Music Credit: Richard Onorato

This week we hear from Dr. Verity Rodrigues, a specialist in mental health and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) who is working towards a more accessible and inclusive mental health field. She talks to us about her work with children with ASD and their families, across school and clinical settings. Dr. Rodrigues works directly with educators across Tennessee to help them better understand the signs, symptoms, and opportunities to support individuals with ASD and co-occurring mental health concerns. She also works directly with children and families with disabilities and/or mental health concerns. In addition, Dr. Rodrigues is interested in developing manualized approaches to building and sustaining best-practice classrooms and supporting other system-wide changes to improve access to quality mental health care for individuals with developmental disabilities. The links we mentioned in this week’s episode: Transcript of this episode: Dr. Verity Rodrigues TranscriptTranscripts and past episodes of our podcast: https://mhddcenter.org/voices/TRIAD at Vanderbilt: https://triad.vkclearning.org/ Dr. Rodrigues received her master’s in special education and her doctorate in school psychology, both from the University of Oregon, where she focused on systems consultation and mental health in schools. As an educational consultant and psychologist at TRIAD, she works across TRIAD’s school-based professional development team and runs her own integrated behavioral-health clinic within the Division of Developmental Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. *Music Credit: Music for our podcast is licensed from Marmoset Music. Artist: Johnny Clay; Song "Looking Down the Road"

Why You Should Listen: In this episode, you will learn about Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and steps that may lead to its resolution. About My Guest: My guest for this episode is Dr. Raj Patel. Raj Patel. MD received his Master’s degree in Physiology from Rutgers University and his medical degree from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. Dr. Patel is trained to work with people of all ages with his education in Family Medicine. He has extensive experience with various natural therapies including nutritional medicine, homeopathy, herbs, and mind-body medicine. Integrating these diverse therapies with allopathic or Western medicine has enabled Dr. Patel to offer a highly refined approach to healthcare that produces lasting results. Over the years, Dr. Patel has specialized in treating patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Lyme and tick-borne diseases, and mold illness (or “Sick Building Syndrome”) from exposure to water-damaged buildings. While these conditions seem separate and unrelated, they share many common underlying characteristics and frequently coexist. Dr. Patel’s interest in Lyme disease started in 2004 when he was diagnosed with it after having suffered from numerous seemingly unrelated symptoms for several years. Having successfully gone through his own journey with chronic Lyme disease utilizing a variety of treatment modalities, Dr. Patel has been able to refine his approach to treating chronic Lyme sufferers with incredible success. Dr. Patel is an active member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). He has also completed advanced training in pediatric Lyme disease and is a frequent speaker at Lyme conferences. Dr. Patel deeply explores the impact of exposure to mold from water-damaged buildings and finds this is key to recovering many of his patients dealing with chronic Lyme disease. Today, Dr. Patel, as the founder of Medical Options for Wellness, sees primarily severe chronically ill patients who have not been able to recover in spite of working with numerous other doctors. Key Takeaways: - What is MCAS? - What are the symptoms of MCAS? - How is treatment of MCAS approached? - What are the key triggers of MCAS? - What are the symptoms of EMF sensitivity? - What role does EMF exposure play in MCAS and in chronic illness in general? - How important is rewiring the limbic system in MCAS? - What role does mold illness play in MCAS? - Why is the microbial support focus later in the overall approach? - How might the immune response to normal flora be a trigger for MCAS? - How can vaccine residues be a contributor to MCAS in some patients? Connect With My Guest: http://MedicalOptionsForWellness.net Related Resources: Treatment of MCAS (including food list) Tips on How to Implement a Low Histamine Diet Generation Zapped BioInitiative.org Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons Interview Date: June 11, 2019 Additional Information: To learn more, visit http://BetterHealthGuy.com. Disclaimer: The content of this show is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness or medical condition. Nothing in today's discussion is meant to serve as medical advice or as information to facilitate self-treatment. As always, please discuss any potential health-related decisions with your own personal medical authority.

Ryan Glatt is a psychometrist and Brain Health Coach at the Brain Health Center in the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. With a strong background in exercise science and human health, Ryan develops curricula specifically targeted towards those with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and traumatic brain injury, coaching individuals towards optimal brain health. As well as developing programs for the health and fitness industry on health neuroscience, Ryan actively consults for brain-based technology companies like SMARTFit. He has completed brain health programs from the Amen Clinics, the NeuroCoaching Institute, the Neuroscience Academy, the NeuroLeadership Institute, Neuroscience for Coaches, and others on the topics of brain health, sleep, and mindfulness. Ryan pursues continued education in exercise programs and works with subject matter experts and leading edge technologies in the fields of neurorehabilitation, neurorestoration, and cognitive enhancement in hopes of bringing them to communities in need. He is dedicated to solving the problems associated with neurodegeneration and its effects on health and wellness. Find him at https://somatiq.co/ and https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/people/ryan-glatt/

On this week's episode we dysh on diseases, disorders, syndromes and conditions related to mental illness. Have you ever heard of Alice-in-Wonderland Syndrome or who it affects? We look into the difference between diseases, disorders, syndromes and conditions. We talk about the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) including Asperger's Syndrome and the difference between the two. We talk about the historical significance of the “sleep sickness.” Onika dyshes on the disorder that freaks her out the most. News Links Mental Health Video for New Canadians Big Sean and Mental Health Ontario Guidance Counsellors Seek More Resources Websites and Social Media DaintyDysh Website Onika Dainty Website Instagram @BestofOnika Twitter @OnikaDainty Email - Dysh@DaintyDysh.com

Caitlin Delfs Autism Spectrum Disorder The CDC estimates that the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in the US is approximately 1:68 children. ASD affects more males (1:42 ) than females (1:189). ASD is a class of neurodevelopmental conditions including: interaction difficulties, communication and language impairments, and repetitive behaviors. The average of at ASD diagnosis […] The post Autism Spectrum Disorder appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

Dr Marie Karakis is a Child and Adolescent Psychologist with experience working in schools, community and clinical settings. She is the owner and director of private practice Young Minds Psychology.  She has specialist training in assessment, counselling and behavior management for a range of developmental issues, such as: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), anxiety, depression, ADHD, behavioural difficulties, grief and learning issues. She has extensive experience working with young people diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including Asperger’s syndrome and has a special interest working in the area of early intervention and school readiness. In the interview Marie talks in depth about the complexities of such a diverse and large spectrum, and why each individual case, requires careful assessment, formulation and treatment planning.  She also discusses the critical role that families and schools, play in the treatment of children with Autism, and the challenges that this often presents. One of the most important tips Marie give those in this line of work is to be playful. During the interview, I could see in the background of her office a large castle filled with superheroes - so I guess she means literally, be playful. So, lets see how we all wear it differently, with Marie Karakis. For all the links Marie spoke about and her best self-care tip check out the website!

About the book: When you have attention-deficit disorder (ADD), you don’t spend money like most other people. Past-due bills and impulsive spending can throw your finances into turmoil, and because these financial pitfalls are directly related to your ADD symptoms, they can seem impossible to overcome.   The good news is that it is possible to get ADD-related financial disorganization under control and begin to enjoy a more stable relationship to your money. ADD and Your Money will show you how. This friendly guide, written with your ADD in mind, includes information on everything you need to know about managing your finances and staying in control.   With this book as your guide, you will learn to:   • Keep track of your bills• Create a budget that works• Get debt under control• Find ADD-friendly bank services• Plan around your splurges• Make time-management a priority   If you’re ready to start focusing on your future financial success, this book can help you start making lasting changes today.   About the author: Dr. Sarkis is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Boca Raton, Florida. She provides counseling and coaching to children and adults with ADHD/ADD. She is also an adjunct assistant professor in Counselor Education at Florida Atlantic University. She is internationally recognized for her work in treating ADHD/ADD, Autism, Aspergers, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Dr. Sarkis has won national awards for her research on ADHD and brain function.   Dr. Sarkis has been published in the Journal of Attention Disorders and she has been featured on CNN’s “Health Minute,” Fox News, ABC News, Sirius Satellite Radio, First Business Television, and numerous other networks and stations. She is featured in the book The Gift of Adult ADD by Lara Honos-Webb Ph.D.

In this recorded show I interview Sue Simmons about her enlightening and empowering perspective on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Sue Simmons, a parent of a child diagnosed with Asperger’s at 5, has used her own experience as well as her professional training to work with and inspire families affected with ASD since 2002. Since that time she has spent countless hours helping families in crisis, support, and in need of educational support and advocacy. To see Sue's many services go to her informative website, Find her on facebook, Read her informative blog, or contact her. Join Certified Holistic Life Strategies Coach Aleka Thorvalson for the Holistic Health Hour. This is a show that looks at health in a "whole" new way. What that means is we look at health and wellness from a Mind, body, spirit,  and soul perspective. It is my intention to create a new kind of dialog about your health, your body, and your life that empowers you to make real changes from the inside out.

In college, independence, fun activities, and new friendships abound. But if you have attention deficit disorder (ADD), these new opportunities also present new challenges. To adjust to college life, you’ll need to learn to harness your disorder in new ways in order to plan your time effectively, become a successful student, make friends, and take advantage of everything campus life has to offer. This easy-to-use guide will help you create study habits that work with your ADD in productive and positive ways. You’ll learn how to: • Set up a class schedule with your ADD in mind • Get along with roommates and establish a comfortable living situation • Stay focused, take notes, and study when surrounded by distractions • Get help at your campus health center when you need it • Make time for socializing and extracurricular activities Written by a licensed mental health counselor who has ADD herself, this guide will be a valuable resource through your college years and beyond. Visit the author at her web site: www.stephaniesarkis.com. About the author: Dr. Sarkis is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Boca Raton, Florida. She provides counseling and coaching to children and adults with ADHD/ADD. She is also an adjunct assistant professor in Counselor Education at Florida Atlantic University. She is internationally recognized for her work in treating ADHD/ADD, Autism, Aspergers, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Dr. Sarkis has won national awards for her research on ADHD and brain function. Dr. Sarkis has been published in the Journal of Attention Disorders and she has been featured on CNN’s “Health Minute,” Fox News, ABC News, Sirius Satellite Radio, First Business Television, and numerous other networks and stations. She is featured in the book The Gift of Adult ADD by Lara Honos-Webb Ph.D.

V.S. Ramachandran (UC San Diego) explains how his interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) stems from an earlier, and broader, interest in mirror neurons and their dysfunction (and restitution of function) in neurology. He begins with a brief survey of the mirror neuron system (MNS) and then makes specific predictions of what to expect from their dysfunction in neurological populations with stroke or phantom limbs, as well as neurotypical populations who overlap with ASD. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 24826]

V.S. Ramachandran (UC San Diego) explains how his interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) stems from an earlier, and broader, interest in mirror neurons and their dysfunction (and restitution of function) in neurology. He begins with a brief survey of the mirror neuron system (MNS) and then makes specific predictions of what to expect from their dysfunction in neurological populations with stroke or phantom limbs, as well as neurotypical populations who overlap with ASD. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 24826]

We are highlighting Resort communities in Tennessee where Mortgage Investors Group has offices. John Bruington, MIG's Branch manger of our Fairfield Glade office will be joining us to discuss the opportunities in today's market. John can be reached at : Phone 931-707-1314 or John.Bruington@migonline.com Our last segment we will be talking with Brook Dickerson with Autism Society of East Tennessee. Their mission: to provide support, services, advocacy, education, and public awareness for all individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and their families as well as educators and other professionals. 865-247-5082 info@asaetc.org

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) appear to be on the rise. Learn about the National Standards Project and how it is being used as a way to gather ASD data across the United States.

  Autism Movement Therapy is focused on serving the autism community by supporting autism research and through cognitive re-mapping, Joanne Lara's successful Autism Movement Therapy® is an interhemispheric SENSORY INTEGRATION technique incorporating movement and music in collaboration with Positive Behavior Support (PBS) strategies to assist individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in meeting and achieving their speech and language, social and academic IEP goals.   "Programs like Joanne's Autism Movement Therapy offer opportunities for our kids to develop the necessary and fundamental skills that benefit all our kids.  Art saved my life!" - Temple Grandin, PhD Joanne Lara seamlessly combines artistry with science as she takes the viewer through easy to understand, easy to implement movement exercises and activities for children with special needs. I highly recommend her aut-erobics DVD to any one who works with children on the autism spectrum." - Elaine Hall, Founder of The Miracle Project (Autism: The Musical), Author: Now I See the Moon: a mother, a son, a miracle

Dominick Purpura, M.D., dean emeritus and distinguished professor of neuroscience at Einstein, discusses the sweeping new theory on autism he developed with Mark F. Mehler, M.D., chairman of neurology and director of the Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration at Einstein. (April 1, 2009)

From the 2005/2006 Distinguished Lecturer Series. Abstract: Despite the very early onset of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), a delay between parents' first concerns and the psychiatric diagnosis still exists. Although more expertise and knowledge has led to earlier diagnosis in recent years, the diagnosis is still rarely made before 3 years of age. We set out to lower the diagnostic threshold of ASD as much as possible. To this end, we developed a screening instrument for ASD around age 14 months, and screened a large population of very young children. The main findings of our screening study, including development of the screening instrument and findings from nested studies on reliability and stability of psychiatric diagnoses, head size, attachment, and joint-attention, will be presented.