Smarty – April 2013

There were a lot of ridiculous tutorials posted on my favorite crafting blogs on Monday…embellished disposable diapers, hand sewn ruffled toilet paper, meat disguised as cake and cake disguised as meat.  Even Google got in on the fun, promoting their newest product, “Google Nose Beta,” which allowed users to search their “Aromabase” and download “scentibytes.” Read More »

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Stand Up And Speak Out

What’s happening? Two things. First, on April 17th, there is an autism and disability rally at the Sacramento State Capitol! Second, CARD is co-sponsoring a bus to take advocates to Sacramento – if you want to come, let us know!

DETAILS:

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Institute For Behavioral Training Opens The Door To One-Stop Customized ABA Training For Practitioners & Parents

The Institute for Behavioral Training (IBT) launches its one-stop training site this week to provide parents and professionals who work with individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) customized training based on research-proven techniques using applied behavior analysis (ABA). IBT offers four types of training programs, including  eLearning, face-to-face training, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) supervision and continuing education.  Read More »

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Egg-citing ABA!

Spring is here and Easter is right around the corner!  We can’t go to Target without my daughter begging to walk through the Easter section.  During our last visit, I picked up a bag of small plastic eggs and a tube of larger glitter eggs (glitter is big at our house). The eggs were the best $7 I’ve spent in a long time.  My kids can’t get enough of them. Read More »

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California Autism Insurance Mandate Extension

Senator Darrell Steinberg has authored a bill, SB 126, to extend California’s autism insurance mandate until July 1, 2019.  Without this bill, the autism mandate will sunset in 2014.  The Senate Health Committee will hear this bill on April 10th, and your letters in support of the bill are vital to its passage. We encourage you to share your personal story with Senator Steinberg regarding the importance of the autism insurance mandate to you and your family.  All letters should be emailed to Louis.Vismara@sen.ca.gov or faxed to (916)327-8867.  Your support makes all the difference! Read More »

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Attention California Families: New Regulations

As you may have heard, California’s Department of Insurance filed emergency regulations last month which were made permanent this week.  These regulations reiterate existing law and target the delays and denials of insurance carriers who have sought to limit the application of California’s autism mandate.  This is a great victory for California’s autism community, as the permanent regulations represent another tool in the arsenal of families who have been struggling to get authorization for autism treatment or battling with insurance carriers to get sufficient hours and authorizations in a timely fashion. Read More »

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The A-Word, Part 51: Making Friends At The Park

Jack Riley, Jessica, and Mike are back at the park today so Jessica can observe Jack Riley play with his peers, and prompt him whenever he needs help finding the right words to say.

While on their outing, Mike meets a couple of parents and talks to them about his experiences with parenthood and autism. Read More »

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Leeza Gibbons Talks Happy Endings and New Beginnings Today on “Let’s Talk Autism with Shannon and Nancy”

Award-winning television and radio personality, author, and speaker Leeza Gibbons will appear on “Let’s Talk Autism with Shannon & Nancy” today at 11:00 am (PDT) on www.autism-live.com . She will appear on the highly popular, live web show to discuss her new book, Take 2: Your Guide to Creating Happy Endings and New Beginnings. Gibbons plans to open up about her personal and professional life and how she learned to overcome life’s obstacles and create her own happy endings and new beginnings.  Read More »

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Compassion In Action

Have you ever felt like you were alone and no one understood what you were going through?  I have to be honest, in the first year after my son was diagnosed with autism, I felt that way a great deal of the time.  For me that feeling of isolation got better over time.  I was lucky that some people reached out their hands and showed me that my family’s journey was a group marathon, not a solo sprint.  Those helping hands made all the difference and I am forever grateful to them. But if I’m completely honest there are still days, 7 years after we first got that diagnosis, that I marvel at the sometime complete lack of compassion for what my son has gone through, and what so many other families dealing with autism are going through.  “Where is the compassion, where is the perspective taking from people who are supposedly neuro-typical??!!!” I sometimes rage.  Those moments leave me feeling powerless and I’ve decided to do something about it. Read More »

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March 2013 Smarty

It’s raining…  Rain Sticks!

Yep, the Smarty for March is making rain sticks! 

My favorite things about this project?  It is SO easy and it is age appropriate for everyone! (Who hasn’t been mesmerized by the soothing sound of a rain stick?)   Children as young as two can help make a rain stick with adult assistance and older children can make their rain sticks independently.   Read More »

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