I'm back!

The day we've been dreading has arrived.
Each morning for the past 5 days, Baby S has been asking, "Is today Monday?"
Today, it was.

ZD is still in country. He's hanging in "Adlanna" awaiting his ride back. If we had known he would have so much time to kill we would have taken him up there.
(sigh)
Instead we took him to the local tiny but quite hoity-toity airport. The ticket TSA guy gave us a security clearance pass so we could all hang out in the terminal and wait for ZD's ride. That gave us and extra hour and a half with our guy.

We had a great two weeks. We jammed it packed with as much as possible.
The short list with more explanations in the near future:
A trip to the Aquarium
ZD taught 3 co-op classes
A trip down to the farm
The "Baby's" first time shooting a gun (Now that is a story!)
Replacing and placing new sprinklers
A long nature walk
A TV interview
A newspaper interview
A lot of filming
2 baseball practices
2 sets of baseball games
A lot of shopping
2 shaved dogs
A birthday party
Some fishing
badminton
A visit from a favorite Uncle
A home run
hospitalization of another favorite Uncle
Bad news about my eyes
Good news about the rest of me.
A computer rescue attempt
Lots, and lots, and lots of hugs.
4 pampered and spoiled boys
and 1,000,000 trips to the snack hut at baseball.

But right now, I'm a little tired and quite a bit sad. I've gotten a bit spoiled myself...having ZD around 24 hours for 16 days. It surprised me how easily we all just fell back into our normal life.

Now, we're back to waiting again.

just checking in

Zoodad is all comfy and happy here at home. Only a few more days until he leaves again. We've had a simultaneous busy and laid back 10 days here at the Zoo.

We got lots of smiles in the airport when ZD arrived. We got a few handshakes and "thank yous" too.

I have lots to blog about after I get the big guy back on a plane to places hot and sandy.

Until then....

Hours to go...

Hours...as in less than one day.

The whole crew will wake up bright an early in the morning. We'll all pile into the van and head out as the sun rises so we can get to the airport as ZD is coming in.

Our other option is to wait until the local airport can bring him home at dinner time. (We aren't doing that option.)

I doubt the boys will even sleep tonight. They are so excited.
Yesterday, we stocked the fridge and pantry with favorite foods.
The van is already clean and all tuned up.
We'll spend the rest of the evening getting the house all tidied up.

All to welcome home our own personal hero.

It's spring break for the Zoo. We'll be out visiting and vacationing. The boys have a multitude of plans including seeing the pandas, going to the aquarium, and possibly heading down to the beach.
A summer's worth of fun all stuffed into 2 weeks.

Sweetest (and saddest) thing ever

S has one of the Leap Pad talking Frog toys. It looks like this.

He's never really played with it other than to listen to the stories it tells. Anyway...you have to customize it. You add names of family members and you can record messages.

I had forgotten about the messages.

Today, S turned it on and pushed the yellow "paw" instead of the red one. Suddenly, we hear ZooDad's voices saying "Don't forget...Daddy loves you."

S stopped dead in his tracks and looooooooked at that frog. After a long pause, he looked up and started yelling, "Daddy loves me. Daddy loves meeeeeeee!"

He pressed that button over and over again. Every time it would play ZooDad's voice he would reply, "Daddy loves me" and then laugh and laugh.

It was an unexpected surprise. The boys sure misses his daddy.

I'll give him a 8.

We've been watching a little too much "Dancing with the Stars" here at Casa De Zoo.
How do I know?

Not-so-baby S, who will be four in a few short months, upon hearing a lovely lilting waltz on a TV commercial...proceeded to put his arms out wide and began taking long graceful spinning steps around the room.
It just seemed to him like a totally natural thing to do.

I just stared at him.
Dumbfounded and then tried not to laugh.

You know that I am not telling ZooDad about this incident. No way! Not there is anything wrong with pint-sized ball room dancers. But daddy's don't always feel that way. Plus, I don't want ZooDad to get the idea to change the parental lock codes.

Helpfull Homeschool Mom

Are you studying Genghis Khan this year?

If so...check out the LA county Museum of Art and the Legacy of Genghis Khan.

What a cool site! Great music too.

It even includes a free resource guide for teachers.

From there is a link to the Met and an exhibit on Marco Polo.

Killing time

The bad thing about having a deployed spouse is that you live your life in a "waiting" sort of mode.
We wait for phone calls.
We wait for them to come home to visit.
We waiting for them to come home for good.

All the other things that we do in between the waiting, are just the stuff we do to pass the time.
And all those "other things" are the things that our deployed family members miss the most.

The people at home are waiting for the big things....homecomings.
The people deployed are waiting to enjoy the little things...all that other stuff.

So I'm killing time. Days to go. One hands worth. And the world just keeps on spinning around me.
(Which reminds me of the joke: God planned for Autistic children....that's why he made the world spin around, and around, and around.)

Tiny things fill the day. Mini crises and little moments of joy. In the middle of a time out for downright awful behavior, baby S asked me to sit beside and "sing to me, Momma."
And I sang until he calmed himself down enough to function with his brothers again.

A...always so happy and kind of oblivious... broke down in tears when I explained that the cat ran from him our of fear and not in form game of tag. He doesn't understand the body language in people or animals and is heartbroken to find out that he was scaring his pets. As cruel irony, cats don't understand his tear filled apologies.

M who I usually have to force to read, forgot the clock and read an extra 15 minutes while engrossed in a story. Then he excitedly told me the details that he liked the best. I fought to urge to ask questions and just let him tell me what he thought was important. (He said that if he and his brothers were only 3 inches tall, I wouldn't have to cook as much food, the dishes would be quick to wash, and I could do all the laundry in just one load.)

And the oldest one, J, just came downstairs for a glass of water...an hour after lights out. I noticed that he had his book light in his hand.
"Were you up this late reading?" I asked.
An embarrassed smile was answer enough.
"The chapter ended in suspense, so I had to read the next one just to get to a good stopping point."

The little things.
But the little things are everything.

Flight plans have been made

We're down in the single digits until ZooDad comes to home for R&R. Blogging will be more sporadic than usual until the end of the month. So don't worry about me.
I have a lot of preparations and big plans to finish up before the big guy comes home.

But I'll be pack with Part II of our day. Some video about Asperger's. Our plans for next school year. And pictures from our adventures.

Y'all behave.

A Movie Meme

I'm not tagging anyone but I kind of liked this meme. ZooDad and I are movie people. We'll watch just about anything...except really gory stuff.

1. Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times.
Kelly Heroes
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?" I love Donald Southerland

2. Name a movie you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show

3. Name an actor who would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Hugh Grant and Bruce Willis (Odd, I know.)

4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to see a movie.
Tom Cruise

5. Name a movie you can and do quote from.
Monty Python: Holy Grail and Snatch. ("You're not much use to me alive are you, Turkish?" is a common phrase used here.)

6. Name a movie musical in which you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Mary Poppins. (And Rocky Horror....but we won't count that one.)

7. Name a movie you have been known to sing along with.
The Wedding Singer

8. Name a movie you would recommend everyone see.
About a Boy. Good movie about "growing up."

9. Name a movie you own.
Um....a lot. All M. Night Shyamalan's movies.

10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Hmmmm....I don't know. Gene Kelly? Frank Sinatra? Donald O'Connor?
None of the current singer/actors do it nearly as well as the old ones did.

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
Nope....never been to one

13. Name a movie you keep meaning to see but you just haven’t gotten around to yet.
Anything up for Best Picture at the last academy Awards. I've seen none of them.

14. Ever walked out of a movie? Which one?
Yes....D.O.A. A long movie that never started.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
I cry at all of them. I cry when I've seen them half a dozen time. Best one: Where the Heart Is.

16. Popcorn?
Large with lots of butter.

17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
So seldom. (sigh) Maybe one every few months.

18. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
X-men 3? (I know...I know.)

19. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Comedy and Sci-fi

20. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Star Wars or The Muppet Movie. I can't remember which came out first.

21. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Saw

22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. (Did you know that was Hugo Weaving in that one? The same guy in LOTR and The Matrix.)

23. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
Saw

24. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
I don't have an answer...but ZooDad loves those Ernest movies.

Woohee....

Go Wickman! What a closer! Yeah Thorman. Even though you were just glad to get a piece of it. It was a beuatiful HR.
Go Braves!
Y'all take all the innings you need to get the win.

And....as a bonus my beloved Gamecocks beat Furman. Now to do the same to Florida.

It was a good night for baseball.

Things that have made me laugh recently

214 days on my own....
I have to get my jollies in any way I can.
So I present to you a list of things that I have found darn funny this past few weeks.

1. Comment by a friend who is coaching a t-ball team called the Marlins.
Instead of getting the teal shirts that the Marlins traditionally wear, they got green jerseys.
Really green jerseys. "How green?" I asked.
Friend responded..."We're the O'Marlins."

I'm still snickering about that one. Every time I see those green shirts. O'Marlins.


2. Joke from my 11 -year-old.
If H2O is on the inside of a fire hydrant...what's on the outside of a fire hydrant?
*
*
*
*
K9P
Bad, bad....funny but bad.


3. Same son carrying his littlest brother's mini astronaut rescue hero. (Littlest brother had his hands filled with the space ship and moon buggy.)
Oldest child landed the tiny explorer on M's head and said.....

"I have landed on the planet M....a gaseous planet...barren of all forms of life."

The doctor walking behind us cracked up laughing. I did too.


4. Same kid is so full of snark. I don't know what I'm going to do with him. After being hit twice by his baseball coach, (both by accident but one was hard enough to knock the breath out of him.)
J announced, "Ok...one more hit, Coach, and you'll win a prize."

I should punish the snarkiness...but I'd have to stop laughing first.

A Question Answered

Mere asks: Our ped. neurologist has told us that unless he has intensive ST twice a week he may NEVER talk (he has about thirty words, half of which he says backwards or only partially), so it seems pretty necessary to me. Does this sound familiar to you?

First of all...how old is your child. 30 words for a just turned 2 year old is not so bad but something to look into. 30 words for a three year old is a big concern.

But yes...it does sound familiar.

My 8 year old had a language explosion at 2 years and 3 months. It didn't concern me because, at the time, we thought he was a neurotypical child. But apparently we missed a whole lot of stuff. I also didn't notice that his eyes crossed until he was over three years old. Looking back at pictures, it's obvious. But at the time, I just thought I was imagining things. His speech progressed well but he had articulation problems. He sounded like Jar-Jar Binks. One of our favorite phrases was, "Please-ah, givey me dat." He also had terrible syntax. He could not pick up verb tenses. he had trouble getting words in the right order. He fronted, he lisped, and he had no r sound or r controlled vowels. At 5 he started speech at school and also private speech. At 6, he started OT.

Our third child, A is now 5. I'll describe he school day in my part two post.
He started speech therapy at 2 years, 4 months. At two we knew that he was waaaaaaay behind where his brothers had been. (Even the one with the speech problem.) He had about 10 "words" and most of those we only understandable to us. He was diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech and Dysarthria. Days before starting ST, he said "Dada" for the first time. A couple of months later, he said "Mama."
When he started speech...we had no idea how they were going to work with him. He made no sounds on command and usually just nodding and grunted. Every now and then he would point in some general direction and grunt.
He started out having private speech therapy twice a week. After a few months...he OT once a week. When he turned four, we discovered that he could qualify for school therapy also. He began speech at the school twice a week. (on top of private ST and OT) We also do a lot of extra work at home. A LOT!

Would he have learned to speak if we had not done this intensive therapy? I don't think so. Apraxia is motor-planning disorder and people with Apraxia don't just figure it out. He was untestable when we first started speech. Six months later, he was at the 1st percentile.
I do know that he has made extraordinary progress. He speaks very well but he still doesn't have normal speech. He's currently right over the 30th percentile.
However, now that he's learning to read...we see the same problems with decoding that we saw with his speech.
He read words backwards. (He used to say words backwards. ) He drops ending sounds. He substitutes letters. And he still has trouble with words that begin and end with the same sound. (pop)
It's like starting over and it's frustrating.

Remember them all.

Remember

This link is one I hope goes viral. It's a wonderful reminder to think about our soldiers (which include my darling hubby and my nephew among many, many others) who are deployed to combat areas.

be warned that this link does contain pictures of funerals. If you are sensitive to these sort of pictures, do not visit this link.

Part one of our day

In my comments last month, a fellow homeschool mom with SN children asked me to describe our day.

That's hard for two reasons. First, I make so many accommodations throughout the day that I don't really notice what I'm doing. So I have to stop and really think about what I do. That brings the second reason...when I stop and think, I'm forced to think what the future will hold for my boys. I'm not in denial about my children but I also try not to dwell on the "what if's" and the "maybe's." I don't have any control over that so I just put my energy on the stuff I can have some effect.

Now the disclaimer: I'm not doing this to elicit any sympathy. Honestly, it's not deserved. I'm doing this because it helps to know that you are not alone. If one person reads this and thinks, "Whew...I'm glad to know that my kid isn't the only one." then I have met my goal. But don't feel bad for me. I don't.

So here's part one of our day:
M is our second child. He's 8 years old and, according to the school system, he should be in second grade. M is however very tall and mature for his age and advanced academically. So when he was 4 (turning 5 after the school year started), he started "kindergarten."
Up until this year, he has had no problem with this accelerated grade. However,third grade has been a problem and he most likely will not move into fourth in the fall.

M also has Asperger's Syndrome, an articulation problem, Sensory Integration Disorder, fine and gross motor issues, and vision problems.
None of this has slowed him down much. He plays soccer, basketball, and baseball for Upward and the Family Y.
Though he will never be the star player, he is involved and enjoys the sports. Baseball is his best sport. Somehow, with no depth perception at all, he manages to get a hit at every at bat. His throwing is weak but the boy can catch.

Each morning, he wakes up last... and grumpy. M has difficulty going to sleep at night and the medication he is taking has stopped being effective. Earlier bedtime has helped a little. Now instead of laying in bed awake from 9pm to 10 pm, he lays in bed away from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.
He has breakfast, either eating something I have made or making waffles for himself. He enjoys the autonomy of making his own breakfast. Then I have to force him to shower, brush his teeth, and put on clean clothes. He his obsessive about his hair, so I never have to remind him to brush it. His clothes are on color-coded hangers and labeled drawers so he can find them easier. Before he gets dressed, I tell him what type of clothes to wear, i.e. shorts, jeans, long/short sleeves because he has trouble selecting appropriate clothes for the weather. He also will not wear a shirt with a collar under any circumstance other than Scouts, church, or a funeral. And even then, he is not happy about it and changes clothes as soon as possible.

Once he is dressed (with no collars) and fed, he starts his daily chores. Now this part sounds totalitarian of me but with four children and 2 with Asperger's we have to have a fairly regulated household. The boys thrive on order and predictability. They also love checklists.
Each boy has a list of chores on a weekly checklist. They have to complete 5 chores without me reminding them and all the rest of the list before they get to play any video games. The chores include putting their dirty dishes in the sink after each meal, getting dressed, brushing teeth, picking up toys. So it's nothing huge. M has to bring down all the boys' dirty clothes, put up his clean clothes, vacuum, empty the dishwasher, and empty all the bathroom trashcans. It takes him about 30 minutes to do everything. Once all the morning chores are done, it's either time for school, time for co-op, or time to go the speech therapy...depending on the day of the week. M has speech at school twice a week.

School day: I make a weekly assignment sheet for each child. My oldest is a very independent worker and M has to know just what is required for each day. He breaks down if he thinks there is is some unknown quantity of work he must finish. Everything is listed: Speech exercises, books to read, # of problems, daily activities. He has to know every detail of what is required and what will happen. The schedule keeps him calm. If anything changes...I have to addend the schedule. If for some reason, I don't have an assignment list, I have to spend a huge amount of time explaining and re-explaining the day.

M has writing problems so we avoid programs like Rod and Staff English, which require a lot of writing. Right now we are using Abeka Language but I am not happy with the directions in the workbook. Many times they are confusing and awkward. But I am happy with the scope and sequence so to accommodate, I highlight the important words and write in my own directions as needed. It is important to me that M learn to work on his own, so I do not sit with him as he works each assignment. We go over the assignment orally until I am confident that he understands the material. Then we go over the directions, making changes as needed, and M does the rest of the examples on his own. When he is finished, he brings his work to me and we go over the answers that he gave and then correct any mistakes.

We do the same thing for math, a combination of Singapore math and MCP math, and all his other workbook-type subjects. Since M's handwriting is so tedious, I do copy his Review problems for him for Singapore Math. For me at this time, doing the math is more important than writing the problems. Spelling is done on his own using Spelling Workout. Last year, he had problems with spelling. This year has been a huge improvement. We follow the same schedule every week: Monday is alphabetizing, on Tuesday and Wednesday he writes all his words once, on Thursday he writes 7 sentences with list words of his choosing.

Spontaneous written language is very had for M. Writing assignments like writing a story or a poem are next to impossible for him. Just making a list of sentences about a picture is difficult. So I am working very slowly to make this easier for him. His speech therapist using computer programs and word cards. We buy the same items to use at home.

Winners so far: No-Glamour Grammar Sentence Structure (works for both my boys) and No-Glamour Language and Reasoning.
Both are available from Lingui-systems.
Home made cards that are based on the 1970's era Folk Sentence Builder. (I am awaiting a gift of a "real" set of these cards. But until then, I just keep plugging away with mine.)
Chewy Tubes from Super Duper...used to help build up his jaw muscles. M also has low muscle tone for his upper body...including his jaw and neck.
Say & Do Grammar Board Games and workbook...though M uses the worksheets more than the board games. His younger brother enjoys the board games.

For handwriting, we use Handwriting Without Tears with moderate success. M is not ready for cursive. He has no where near the control that is needed to make letters flow. So next year, I will continue to use my Startwrite software to make handwriting worksheets. As a tip....I make worksheets based on their science or history notes. It kills two birds with one stone. Why write a series of nonsense sentences when he could copy traits of Mammals or the conquests of Alexander the Great.

Then there is actually dealing with M and his need to know exactly what is going on. Sometimes it really can wear me down. I mean...there's only so many questions you can answer and sometimes you only know a limited amount of information. At one point Saturday, I had to say "Your cousin's party is tomorrow at Planet Extreme. We will leave the house at 3:30. The party is at 4:00. I already have his new video game and it is wrapped. We will have cake and pizza. You will get some number of tokens and get to play laser tag. That's all I know. If you have any other questions...I won't know the answer."To which he asked, "But they'll have bathrooms there, right?" (sigh)
He needs to have as much information as possible. It's how he controls his anxiety. If he knows what is going to happen, he can plan how to act and what to say. If he is unsure of how to react...he breaks down and shuts down.

The more unfamiliar the activity...the more questions he needs answered. But even familiar activities have questions. What game will we play at PE? I know so-and-so will be there...will his brother be there? Where will we go after PE? Can we play after PE? Do you think we will ever have PE outside? How many chances will I get to hit the ball? On and on and on.

One night, I had a nightmare in which the boys were lost. In my dream, a fireman had a child and was on the radio trying to confirm who he was. He said, "He wants to know if the hole will sink in again if it gets filled up." In my dream, I reacted by yelling, "That's my son....that's M!"

And he's literal. Very literal. He can not take one experience and apply it to another. An example which occurred as I was typing this.
Today is day 2 of a big local golf tournament. The news showed the traffic from outside one of the doughnut shops. It was bumper to bumper with very little movement. I commented that no one would get any doughnuts today. (Due to the traffic.) He replied, "But I did." He had those little cake doughnuts for breakfast. He could not see that I wasn't referring to the people in our house or to the type of doughnuts we had had.

"I think a cat's life is boring. They have nothing to do. They just eat, sleep, and drink." A random thought....sparked by fact that he'd rather stare at his sleeping cat than attempt to decode the contractions in is grammar assignment. I may even have been a statement of envy. Since cats don't have to study grammar either.

How you can Help

Events sponsored by Autism Speaks.


Toy's "R" Us Fundraising Campaign

March 18 - May 4
Toys "R" Us and the Toys “R” Us Children's Fund are holding a nationwide fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks. From March 18 through May 4, all 586 Toys “R” Us stores across the country will accept cash donations to support Autism Speaks in its efforts to help solve the puzzle of autism. Online shoppers can also contribute by visiting www.Toysrus.com/autismspeaks. The program coincides with Autism Awareness Month, which is officially designated as April each year.

Modell's Dollar Donation Days

March 27 - April 28Through April 28
Customers at all of Modell's Sporting Goods 135 store locations throughout the Northeast will be able to purchase one-dollar Autism Speaks puzzle pieces at check-out, with all proceeds being directed towards autism research. This is the third consecutive year that Modell's has participated in the “Dollar Donation Days” campaign to benefit autism.

Build-a-Bear Fundraising Campaign

April 1 - April 30
Autism Speaks and Build-A-Bear Workshop, for the third consecutive year, are partnering to raise awareness and funds during Autism Awareness Month. Throughout April, visit Build-A-Bear Workshop at any of their 200+ stores in the United States and Canada to purchase a purple satin heart, and your $1 donation will be distributed through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation to Autism Speaks.

TJ Maxx Instore Fundraising Campaign

April 8 - April 28
Building on last year's successful campaign, Autism Speaks and retailer TJ Maxx will partner once again this April on a month-long fundraising and awareness program. From April 8 through April 28 at 800 TJ Maxx stores nationwide, customers will be invited to purchase an Autism Speaks puzzle piece at checkout for a donation of $1. No purchase is necessary to make a donation, and all proceeds will benefit Autism Speaks.

Concert for Autism Speaks Featuring Bill Cosby and Toni Braxton

April 9, 2007
Famed comedian Bill Cosby will headline the “Concert for Autism Speaks,” an unforgettable night of comedy and music in the Big Apple. Joining him will be six-time, Grammy-award-winning singer Toni Braxton. Tom Brokaw will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for this special night benefiting Autism Speaks. The “Concert for Autism Speaks” will be held on Monday, April 9, at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. Tickets are available through the Jazz at Lincoln Center box office, 212-721-6500, at the $100, $75 and $50 levels, or online by clicking here. For gala and VIP ticket packages, which include a reception, please call 212-245-6570, extension 12. Bill Cosby has requested that the proceeds of his performance be focused on environmental research for factors which may be identified with autism. (Tony Braxton has a son with Autism.)

We Are... Curing Autism Now 2007

April 14, 2007
Rally your friends, families, and coworkers to join us in downtown State College, Penn., in support of a common goal - to find the causes, effective treatments and a cure for autism. The 2nd annual “We Are…Curing Autism Now 5K Race/3K Walk,” presented by the Penn State Chapters of Beta Sigma Beta and Beta Phi, will take center stage. At last year's inaugural event, over 550 participants helped raise over $91,000, and this year's event promises to be even bigger. Click here to learn more and to register for the event today.

Cleveland Rocks Autism

April 21, 2007
This spectacular event benefiting autism will consist of 6 bands on two stages at the hip House of Blues in downtown Cleveland. The evening will feature the club's fine Southern Inspired cuisine and Grand River Cellars will unveil two wines created and produced to raise money and awareness for autism. Throughout the evening there will be music, food, and wine along with an amazing silent auction featuring numerous sports related gifts, rock-n-roll memorabilia, walk-ons to Hollywood shows, and much more. Tickets are $100 per person and include food, two drink tickets and two wine tasting tickets. Valet parking is available. Visit http://www.clevelandrocksautism.com/ for tickets and more information.

Autism Awareness Day with the New York Mets

April 22, 2007
Join Autism Speaks and other members of the autism community for a special Autism Awareness Month event as the New York Mets take on the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium. We have VIP tickets available that include an exclusive tent party, private outfield seating, and a chance to stand on the field with the Mets for pre-game ceremonies. General admission tickets can be purchased for the following amounts and include entry to the fan fest area; Upper Level tickets are $12, Upper Box tickets are $45 and Mezzanine Reserved tickets are $50. To order online through one of our event partners, click here. To order tickets by phone, call Autism Speaks at (914) 934-5138. Tickets will be mailed 1 week prior to the game.

2nd Annual International Forum Hosted by the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs

April 23-25
Autism Speaks Co-founder Suzanne Wright and Chief Science Officer Andy Shih, along with Priscilla Natkins, executive vice president at Ad Council, have been invited by the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nassar Al-Missnad, wife of His Highness the Emir of Qatar, to speak at the 2nd Annual International Forum in Doha, Qatar. The forum will bring together policymakers, educators, persons with disabilities, and leaders in the field to discuss how perceptions of disability are formed and transformed through media, creative arts, and education, and will spotlight Article 8 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which focuses on raising public awareness. Three documentaries, including Autism Every Day, will have screenings at the conference. To learn more about Shafallah and the forum, contact Jodi Bannerman at Brown Lloyd James: jodib@brownlloydjames.com or 212-486-7091.

5th Annual Early Childhood Conference

April 27, 2007
Autism Speaks is proud to help sponsor a conference this year focused on young children with autism. The conference is organized by Los Ninos services in New York and will be held on April 27 from 8 a.m.– 4 p.m. at Fordham University, Lincoln Center Campus. Internationally recognized expert speakers will present on diverse topics such as novel treatment approaches, innovative schools, sleep issues, nutrition, chiropractic, mental health, play, discipline, diagnosis, counseling, working with parents, fostering resilience. Professionals, students and parents are encouraged to attend. For more information, click here.
Pittsburgh Area Autism Speaks Golf Classic May 14th, 2007
The fifth annual Pittsburgh Area Autism Speaks Golf Classic will take place at the St. Clair Country Club in Pittsburgh, PA. Each year, this event has been a complete sell-out, and last year your generosity enabled us to raise over $80,000 for this important cause. To ensure an enjoyable round of golf, we will once again limit the size of the field. As always, friends, spouses and non-golfers are encouraged to attend dinner and the silent auction.

The Ninth Annual NY Celebrity Golf Challenge at Winged Foot

June 18, 2007
Enjoy a fun-filled round of golf at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, the site of the 2006 U.S. Open, while raising money for Autism Speaks! Don't miss a rare chance to play this championship course! You'll mingle with stars from the worlds of sports and entertainment while enjoying a million-dollar shootout, celebrity putting contest, great prizes, cocktails, dinner, and silent and live auctions during our evening reception! Last year's celebrity attendees included Dateline's Stone Phillips, the Giant's Howard Cross, CNBC news anchor Joe Kernen, and actor Aidan Quinn, among others. This will be a day of golf you won't want to miss! For more information please contact Cindy Brown at 914-935-1462 ext. 11 or cbrown@autismspeaks.org. Click here to register. Click here to view highlights from 2006.

Second Annual Autism Speaks Golf Classic at Deepdale

September 24, 2007
The Second Annual Autism Speaks Golf Classic will take place at the historic Deepdale Golf Club in Long Island, NY. This year's golf tournament will build on its inaugural year success of raising almost $700,000 to benefit children and adults with autism and will again be hosted by Matt Lauer. The tournament features foursomes, priced at $25,000, paired with a star from the sports or entertainment world for a fun filled day of golf and goodwill. The day concludes with an evening reception that includes dinner and an exciting live and silent auction. Last year's attendees witnessed sports star Mia Hamm hit a 340-yard drive. For more information, or to purchase your foursome, please contact Kevin Hill at 203-354-7564 or via email at kevin.hill@octagon.com.

April is Autism Awareness month

1 in 150 children are on the autism spectrum.

1 in 94 will be boys.

It is more common than MS, Cystic Fibrosis and Childhood Cancer combined. (Where's out Labor Day telethon?)

There is no cure.

NO cure. And there is no "proven" treatment.

I know I seldom write about the specific issues that come up with my sons on the spectrum. But this month...I will.

It's going to be a Zoofull of Boys (with Asperger's) for the next 29 days. Awareness is the key. Awareness will get people fired up top make a change.

Here's our first tidbit from the Zoo.

Tricare has decided that "Occupation therapy has no real benefit for children with Autism. It is not proven nor recommended. " How does that affect me? My 8-year-old has no more OT or ST except for the hour of speech he receives at school. Even though he is at the 38th percentile and has the capability to make progress. (He has made progress since we started.)
I am appealing...again. We've had two denials so far.
One more and they assume that I'll roll over and surrender.
They are wrong.
One more denial and I start my petition for a Congressional Hearing for my son.

Apropos that this will happen in April.