States Move Ahead with Preschool Push

Preschool is having its moment, as a favored cause for politicians and interest groups who ordinarily have trouble agreeing on the time of day. President Obama devoted part of his State of the Union address to it, while the deeply red states of Oklahoma and Georgia are being hailed as national models of preschool access and quality, with other states and cities also forging ahead on their own.

With a growing body of research pointing to the importance of early child development and its effect on later academic and social progress, enrollment in state-funded preschool has more than doubled since 2002, to about 30 percent of all 4-year-olds nationwide. In just the past year, Alabama, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and the city of San Antonio have enacted new or expanded programs, while in dozens of other places, mayors, governors and legislators are making a serious push for preschool.

Testing Robots to Aid Kids with Autism

WICHITA — For a group of elementary students at Heartspring, a center for children with autism, robots may be the key to better human interaction.

The students last week danced “Gangnam Style” with a robot, imitating its moves and getting used to its presence.

Teachers at Heartspring hope the benefits of working with the robot go far beyond dancing.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/11/11/3111526/heartspring-testing-robots-to.html#storylink=cpy

Dating and Autism; When 'a Big Smile Can Be Frightening'

The way to Paulette Penzvalto's heart is through her Outlook calendar. “Honestly, if you want to be romantic with me, send an email through Outlook and give me all the possible dates, locations, and times, so that I can prepare,” she said.

The former Miss America contestant and Juilliard-trained opera singer knew she had a different conception of romance than her previous boyfriends had and, for that matter, everyone else.

“People tend to think of romance as spur of the moment and exciting,” she told me. “I think of romance as things that make sense and are logical.” However, she didn't know why until this year when, at the age of 31, when she was diagnosed with autism.

Study: Overactive Brain Hinders Autistic Teens

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A new University of Michigan study finds that an overactive part of the brain hinders autistic teens from coping in unfamiliar social settings, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
Seeing the same faces repeatedly can negatively affect autistic children, especially in social situations. If a teen looks away or does not pay attention, this is often interpreted as someone who isn't interested in other people, says University of Michigan researcher Christopher Monk.

Adutls with Autism Need Help, Too

From the Toronto Star's recent series "The Autism Project."


They are called the lost generation, adults with autism who are heading inevitably toward the uncharted territory of old age.
It is a perilous destination. When they were children, no one knew how to treat autistic brains and now that they’re getting old, no one knows how autism and aging interact. Mostly abandoned by science, they are now being left behind by elderly parents who are dying or can no longer care for them.

Tour Guides with Autism Share Passion

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - A new program is helping young adults with autism land a job.

Erik's Minnesota Adventures just launched this summer and hires people with autism to be tour guides at different places across the Twin Cities. Canterbury Park and the Walker Art Center are just two of the places where tours are being offered.

New Pets May Help Autistic Kids Socially

Getting a pet may help children with autism to develop their social skills, if the furry friend is brought into the home when the child is about 5 years old, according to a new French study.
Researchers found that children with autism who got a pet after age 5 showed improvement in their abilities to share with others and to offer comfort, whereas those who had a pet since they were born, and those who never had a pet, showed no such improvement.

Adults Facing Challenge to Find Work, Home

ST. LOUIS -- Sam Lyss is an ideal employee.

Sam Lyss at his volunteer
job in a library.

He never misses a day at work, has an eye for detail, loves what he does and is easy to train.
“He’s a whiz at mailings,” said his mother, Jane. “If you lay it out for him and show him one time, he watches you do it once and then just turns around and starts working.”
Then there’s his work ethic.
If you give him too much work, he actually won’t leave,” she said. “They have to take half of it and hide it.”

Frustrated By Autism, Father Turns to Photos

SAN FRANCISCO -- "I don't care about autism," says San Francisco-based photographer Timothy Archibald, who has a way of being refreshingly candid about kids who have it.
"They can frustrate you to no end," he says.
Archibald's son, Eli, is autistic. And really, he clarifies on the phone, he doesn't care about the diagnosis. What matters, he says, is his relationship to Eli, however complicated it may be.

'Friending' with Autism

From SFGate Blogger Laura Shumaker.

My husband and I went to a graduation party over the weekend, and while he went to get us something to drink, I was greeted by a very friendly man wearing white jeans and a Tommy Bahama shirt who acted like we were long lost friends. I had no idea who he was but played along for a bit (“Hey … you, how’s  the family?”) hoping that eventually a light would go on. Just as he was filling me in on  his shoulder surgery, it hit me. This man was a Facebook friend, one who I hadn’t actually talked to in person since were were chaperones on a kindergarten field trip two decades ago.
The encounter reminded me  of a recent conversation that I have had with Matthew about Facebook. He’d “friended” a guy-I’ll call him Joe-that he knew remotely in middle school. He noticed that Joe lived near him in Santa Cruz. “Do you want to hang out sometime?” Matthew wrote on Joe’s wall. “Yeah, we’ll have to do that one of these days,” Joe replied. Encouraged, Matthew tried to nail down a date, sent way too many messages until Joe defriended him. The incident was one of many disappointing interactions for Matthew on Facebook.

Salon Turns Away Child with Autism

VESTAL, N.Y. -- Sebastian Walker-Sklanka seems like an average 4-year-old boy, but its what cant be seen that makes him different.
Any little change in his pattern will set him off, said Sebastian's mother, Cindy Walker-Sklanka.
Walker-Sklanka knew for the past few years that something was wrong with Sebastian, but it wasn't until last May that she found out he had autism, a developmental disorder that affects his social and communication skills.

A Place Where Children Can Be Themselves

GLEN ELLYN, Il. -- As the mother of a daughter with autism, Lisa Kelly was tired of going to play centers where other kids stared or were pulled away by their parents.
She's had plenty of days where she's been in a foul mood, her daughter's cranky and she's wanted to get out of the house.
Kelly wanted a place where her daughter could be around other kids just like her and she could find support from other parents — so she created that place herself.

Adaptive Rec Program Boosts Self-Esteem

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- When Northwest resident Renee Shoemaker went to jot down an upcoming dance on her calendar, she was met with a conflict -- a family vacation to Nebraska the same day.
The 32-year-old woman chose to cancel vacation in lieu of the New A.G.E. after-work recreation program for adults with developmental disabilities , social night, said her dad, Dale Shoemaker.

Children with Autism Hit the Surf

Happy Easter, Happy Passover . . . hope I haven't missed anything. This is a wonderful story from Juno Beach, Fla., a town I covered many moons ago as a reporter for the Palm Beach Post. Wish they had this back then; would have been a great assignment. Though I do remember covering a sunrise Easter service on the beach in Jupiter, not far from Juno Beach. Be sure to watch the video. Enjoy.

JUNO BEACH, Fla. -- The smiles say it all, 200 autistic children experienced the joys of surfing with the help of volunteer surfers.
The kids say that it's, "so fun. It's like a party."
Each year Surfers for Autism puts on events along the coast of Florida and Georgia to help kids with autism. The goal is to change their lives simply by teaching them to catch a wave.

Eagle Scout With Autism Forges Forward

ALLEGAN, MIch. -- Jeremy Combs has autism but he hasn't let that prevent him from earning the rank of Eagle Scout.
The rigorous requirements to become an Eagle Scout include tough tests, and the majority of scouts do not make the grade.
"It's the hugest thing he's done in his life so far," said his mother, Marie Combs, a substitute teacher in Otsego, Allegan and Hopkins.
His autism symptoms include anger outbursts, problems socializing and loud speaking. Not only do these prove to be challenges in everyday life, they also added an extra degree of difficulty as Jeremy made the 10-year trek to Eagle Scout.
"Sometimes I get upset, and sometimes I get real mad," he said. "I try to control it, but it gets pretty hard."
Jeremy realizes there is something different about him. He spends a lot of time by himself. He has never been invited to a birthday party. He understands he doesn't quite fit in, according to his mother, but he forges ahead.