Talking with Temple: Part I

By Shannon Penrod | Published: January 25, 2013

She walked into the hotel lobby wearing a black cowboy shirt with a colorful design splashed across the upper chest.  I was completely and unashamedly star struck.  I had been talking with the director of the upcoming documentary, “Autism in Love” when I saw her walk in.  I stopped speaking midsentence and my mouth hung open.  “There she is…” I finally said out loud. “It’s Temple Grandin.”  Read More »

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The A-Word, Part 48: Happy Points, Social Story, and Problem Behaviors

By Cheryl and Mike | Published: January 24, 2013

Jack Riley has been having a hard time being nice to his little sister Lainey. In reaction to that, his parents are trying out some positive reinforcement to get him to behave nicer. They started a system called ‘happy points’ where every time Jack Riley is nice to his sister, they give him a ‘happy point’, and once he gets enough happy points he is able to get a fun prize. Simultaneously, with his therapist Jessica, they work on writing a social story about ways in which he should interact with his sister. Hopefully, with enough reminders he will be nice to his little sister all the time. Read More »

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Autism Research Group Workshop

By Tyler Bridges | Published: January 22, 2013

Last Thursday, the Autism Research Group (ARG) hosted a 1-day workshop covering 5 topics:

  •      “Teaching Safety Skills to Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities” addressed a wide array of safety skills, including fire safety and stranger abduction.
  •      “Addressing ‘Theory of Mind’/Perspective-Taking Deficits in Treatment Planning” reviewed the social cognitive deficits associated with autism and when and how to incorporate perspective-taking interventions into a treatment program.  Read More »
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Ethan – Mission Possible – Portrait of Hope

By Matthew Scheller | Published: January 21, 2013

This is the story of Ethan and his journey through autism with the help of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). Read More »

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Employing A Workforce

By Robert Thornton | Published: January 18, 2013

Here at Paper Clouds Apparel we take enormous pride in the fact that we hire individuals with special needs to package all of our bamboo shirts. 93% of all individuals with special needs that are of working age are unemployed. People with autism, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and other disorders have an extremely hard time finding gainful employment for various reasons. Our goal at Paper Clouds Apparel is to keep growing at a staggering rate so we can put a dent in these numbers in our home of Phoenix, Arizona. Read More »

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Award-winning “The Story of Luke” Has Orange County Premiere At Irvine International Film Festival

By Tyler Bridges | Published: January 15, 2013

Fluid Film is pleased to announce the Orange County Premiere of “The Story of Luke”, an award-winning film written and directed by Alonso Mayo and starring Lou Taylor Pucci, Seth Green, Cary Elwes and Kristin Bauer, at the Irvine International Film Festival on Sunday, January 20th at 6:30pm (Edwards Westpark 8 in Irvine). There will be a Q&A after the screening with the filmmakers. Read More »

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January 2013 Smarty

By Ali Aguilar | Published: January 11, 2013

It’s a new month and that means a new Smarty Video!

Just in time for the New Year, January’s Smart Art is a calendar project!  This time mom or dad gets to do the crafting and the kids get to do the playing (and learning).  Click HERE for the link. Read More »

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The A-Word, Part 47: 4th Birthday, Scripting, and Echolalia

By Cheryl and Mike | Published: January 9, 2013

Jack Riley is now 4 years old. A lot has changed in the last few years. He’s a lot more verbal than he used to be, but occasionally his language isn’t functional. Today he keeps scripting the same phrase while he’s doing tasks like unwrapping his birthday present, or playing with his toys. Echolalia is fairly common with kids with autism spectrum disorder because it’s a self-stimulatory behavior and is intrinsically reinforcing. Read More »

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Autism Awareness Never Looked So Good

By Robert Thornton | Published: January 8, 2013

Paper Clouds Apparel is very excited to announce that from January 7th until January 21st we’ll be teaming up with the Center for Autism & Related Disorders (CARD) on a brand new line of bamboo shirts, prints, and greeting cards.  All of the artwork being used on CARD’s merchandise was created by individuals with special needs from within CARD’s organization.  Fifty percent of everything raised during CARD’s two-week block (Jan 7th – Jan 21st) will be donated directly to CARD.  Read More »

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Weighing In On The Connecticut Tragedy

By Jonathan Tarbox | Published: December 19, 2012

Following the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, there has been much talk on the Internet and social media about possible connections between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and planned violence. In particular, many have discussed the unconfirmed rumor that the individual who perpetrated the tragedy may have been diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder. We feel it is important to weigh in on this topic because the vast majority of the chatter on this subject is based on misinformation, rumor, and fear. The plain and simple fact is that individuals with ASD are not a danger to their community. Read More »

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