Information, Resources and Articles of interest

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Dear Friend of ASO:

Information, resources and articles of interest. FYI - Please share:

- Information on the expanded Homestead Exemption

- Social skills programs more effective in General Ed. Classrooms

- TFH USA - Products for Children and Adults with Disabilities

- Survey for Clinicians

- Model Me Kids® social skills training DVDs

- Walgreens Recruits Employees With Disabilities Through New, Highly Accessible Web Site

- ASA National Conference a Big Success! Next year's conference is in Orlando

- Moving New Book Describes Relationship Between Father and Son

- New Book Helps Parents Work With Children on the Spectrum

- Developing a Great IEP" Video Now Available

- Device helps parents track children

Have you purchased your Ohio Autism Awareness License Plate yet? To purchase yours, visit www.oplates.com and click on "Specialty Plates" or visit our website at www.autismohio.org for more information. Part of the proceeds of plates purchased in the next three months will benefit your local ASA chapter!Sincerely,Barbara C. YavorcikPresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.org Please note: This is provided for information purposes only. The ASO does not endorse or recommend any providers, methodologies or services. Providing this information should not be construed as an endorsement by the ASO, either explicit or impiled.

Expanded Homestead program

For more information, please contact your local county auditor. This applies only to Ohio residents. Unsubscribe instructions are at the very end of this email.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is the new Homestead Exemption?

A: It allows qualifying homeowners to reduce their property taxes by exempting $25,000 of the market value of their homes. For example, a home with a market value of $100,000 would be billed as if it were worth $75,000.

Q: Who is eligible?

A: Any Ohio resident homeowner who is at least 65 years old during 2007; or is totally and permanently disabled as of Jan. 1, 2007, as certified by a licensed physician or psychologist or a state or federal agency; or is the surviving spouse of a person who was receiving a Homestead Exemption at the time of death and where the surviving spouse was at least 59 years old on the date of death.

Q: When does the new Homestead Exemption start?

A: With tax bills payable in 2008. For real property, bills paid in 2008 cover the 2007 tax year. For manufactured or mobile homes, bills paid in 2008 cover the 2008 tax year.

Q: How do I apply?

A: Complete the application form, DTE 105A-Temporary, Homestead Exemption Application Form for Senior Citizens, Disabled Persons, and Surviving Spouses for the Extended Filing Period in 2007, and file it with your local county auditor. The form is available from county auditors and from the Ohio Department of Taxation's Web site at www.tax.ohio.gov.

Q: What's the deadline to apply?

A: Applications must be received by county auditor offices no later than Oct. 1. Applications postmarked on Oct. 1 but received after that date will be denied.

Q: Where do I apply?

A: The application must be filed with the county auditor of the county in which the property is located.

Q: I already receive the Homestead Exemption. Do I have to reapply to receive benefits under the new program?

A: If you received the Homestead Exemption credit on the tax bill you paid in 2007, you do not need to file a new application. You will automatically receive the new Homestead Exemption for the next tax year if you otherwise qualify.

Q: I'm 65 but my spouse is younger than I am. Are we eligible?

A: If one of the principal owners of the property is 65 (or disabled) and the home is that person's principal place of residence, the household is eligible. An eligible owner's surviving spouse may continue to receive the Homestead Exemption if the eligible spouse dies and the spouse is at least 59 on the date of death.

Q: What if I received a larger tax credit under the old version of the Homestead Exemption? Will I lose out?

A: Taxpayers will automatically receive whichever credit is larger, and the amount of the credit received in the future cannot be decreased below the amount of savings credited on tax bills paid during 2007.

Q: What if I believe my application was improperly denied?

A: You may appeal the auditor's decision to the county Board of Revision. The complaint form is available from the county auditor or at the Ohio Department of Taxation's Web site at www.tax.ohio.gov.

Source: Ohio Department of Taxation

Social Skills Programs More Effective in General Ed Classrooms

Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:08 pm (PST)

Social Skills Programs For Children With Autism Are Largely Ineffective, Study SuggestsScience Daily — A meta-analysis of 55 published research studies reveals programs designed to teach social skills to children with autism are failing to meet their goals. The study, conducted at Indiana University, found that outcomes for social skills training were poor overall, but programs held in normal classroom settings were more likely to result in positive changes than programs held in other environments."The results of the meta-analysis are certainly hard to swallow, but they do shed some light on factors that lead to more beneficial social outcomes for children with autism," said lead researcher Bellini, assistant director of IU's Indiana Resource Center for Autism and assistant professor in the School of Education. "These results underscore the critical need for researchers and practitioners to develop more effective social skills programming. " The reviewed studies included a total of 147 students with an autism spectrum disorder, with students ranging in age from preschool to secondary school. The programs aimed to address skills such as group play, joint attention and language usage, or to improve performance of social behaviors, such as initiating interactions, responding to communication and maintaining interactions. Overall, the programs resulted in little change in the targeted behaviors, and students did not apply the skills outside the programs. However, students receiving social skills programming in their usual classrooms had substantially more favorable outcomes than students who received services in a pull-out setting. Students in classroom-based programs were more likely to engage the targeted skills during the program, and showed a greater tendency to maintain changes in behaviors and to utilize these skills in other settings. "This finding has important implications for school-based social skill interventions. Teachers and other school personnel should place a premium on selecting social skill interventions that can be reasonably implemented within naturalistic settings," Bellini said. The study revealed additional potential improvements in the design and implementation of the programs: Increase dosage. The programs in the studies failed to provide sufficient amounts of programming, based on current research recommendations. Implementing services more intensely and frequently may lead to better outcomes, Bellini said. Match programs to skill deficits. All but one of the 55 studies failed to distinguish between "performance deficits," which refer to skills that are present but not performed, and "skill acquisition deficits," which refer to the absence of a skill or behavior. Targeting the types of skill deficits exhibited by the participants could lead to more successful programs, Bellini said. Ensure proper implementation. Only 14 of the studies in the meta-analysis measured whether the program was implemented as designed. "This makes it extremely difficult to conclude whether a social skills program was ineffective because of an ineffectual strategy or because the strategy was implemented poorly," Bellini said. The study, "A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Social Skills Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders," was published in this month's Journal of Remedial and Special Education.

TFH USA - Products for Children and Adults with Disabilities.

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Survey for Clinicians

From: sarah_gates@...Date: 17 Jul 2007 07:00:44 -0700Subject: Home-based clinicianMy name is Gates and I have worked with children with autism for 9 years. I recently decided to continue studying clinical psychology in order to better serve and help other children and families. I am now in a doctoral program at Antioch University New England. For my dissertation, I am studying home-based clinicians, like myself, who work with children diagnosed with various developmental, emotional, behavioral, or other needs. I am looking for other clinicians to answer some questions about their experiences. I designed an anonymous online survey that accesses what is working for clinicians and what is not working as well for them. I am particularly interested in how their clinical supervisors support their work. Would you be so kind as to forward the following online survey link to those who may be working as home-based clinicians? Some of the ASA chapters I have contacted offered to include this link in their next ASA newsletter. Could you do this? Certainly any way to help me reach home-based clinicians who work with children would be wonderful! I am also happy to send you a copy of my approved IRB application if you wish. Clinicians can learn more about this project and take the survey by following this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=dPPXe5DS3Yieo27hecjHDA_3d_3d Thank you, Gates, M.A., M.S. Antioch University New England _Gates@...

Model Me Kids® Presents:Children With Autism: One Teacher's ExperienceShot on Location at the Kennedy Krieger InstituteGreetings, Model Me Kids® is pleased to announce the release of its documentary Children With Autism: One Teacher's Experience. This documentary focuses on a wonderful classroom of children with autism at the Kennedy Krieger Institute's Lower/Middle School in Baltimore, land. The children and their teacher welcomed us warmly, and we were given a birdseye view of their unique experiences. We are happy to share this with you, and think that you will be as moved in watching the video as we were in making it. It's free! Check it Out

Model Me Kids® social skills training DVDs include: Time for School Time for a Playdate I Can Do It! Model Me Conversation Cues Model Me Kids® social skills training videos are geared toward children and teenagers with Autism, Asperger Syndrome, PDD-NOS, and Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Coming Next: Model Me FriendshipLearn More Documentary Press Release Model Me Kids, LLC is currently looking for educators, parents, and researchers in the field of Autism and Asperger Syndrome who would like to share, through video, their experience and expertise. Click here for more information.Model Me Kids®, LLC email: infomodelmekids (DOT) com phone: (888) 232-7715 web: http://www.modelmek ids.com Model Me Kids: Videos for Modeling Social Skills. For Children and Teenagers with Autism, Asperger Syndrome, PDD-NOS, and Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Model Me Kids is a registered trademark of Model Me Kids, LLC. Copyright 2004-07 Model Me Kids. . Join Mailing List

Walgreens Recruits Employees With Disabilities Through New, Highly Accessible Web Site July 7, 2006: Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain, has launched an innovative initiative to hire people with disabilities at its new distribution center in , SC and is recruiting through a new, specially-designed Web site. www.Walgreensoutreach.com describes jobs available at the Walgreens distribution center and is designed to be accessible by people with sensory, physical and cognitive disabilities.

http://www.walgreensoutreach.com/PressRelease.html

ASA National Conference a Big Success!Approximately 1,800 people attended the ASA 2007 National Conferenceon Autism Spectrum Disorders in sdale, Arizona. We want toespecially thank the nine national organizations that were representedat the conference and recognize the 113 companies that participated inthis year's ASA Exposition. We hope that everyone who attended enjoyedthemselves and learned a lot.ASA thanks the 2007 ASA national conference sponsors, including:* MetDesk* Easter Seals Disability Services* CVS/All Kids Can* Alan B. Slifka Foundation-Ritvo Research for ASD * The Eden Family of Services* Act Today!* Autism Spectrum Quarterly* s Publishing Co.* Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)* Convio* Elsevier* Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP* Greenberg Traurig* Mayer- LLC and DynaVox Technologies* New England Center* Oconomowoc Residential Programs Inc* Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP* COMTRANA special thanks also goes to The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa fortheir outstanding service and care for all conference attendees.At the conference, ASA announced new partnerships with Easter Seals toimprove services to those on the spectrum and with the Autism ResearchInstitute to look into biomedical treatments and causes of autism. ASAalso launched a major initiative the Treatment-Guided ResearchInitiative (TGRI) led by Harvard University neurologist MarthaHerbert, M.D., Ph.D. TGRI will bring together top medical researchersand doctors to determine the causes of chronic illnesses and findbetter treatments to improve the lives of individuals with autism.Opening keynote speaker, Carr, Ph.D., of SUNY-Stony Brook,called on professionals and researchers to include families intreatment plans for children with autism. Keynoter Winner stressed the importance of appropriate social skills tacticsfor teenagers with autism and encouraged the audience to treat teenswith autism as normal teenagers. Closing keynote speakers, Dr. HarlandWinter, MassGeneral Hospital and Harvard University, and Dr. Wakefield, Thoughtful House, discussed their findings on chronicgastrointestinal illnesses in children with autism and called uponprofessionals in the field to look into gastrointestinal treatmentsfor these patients. Dr. Winter was the winner of ASA's 2007Treatment-Guided Research Excellence Award.Also convening at the conference were the Network of Autism Trainingand Technical Assistance Programs (NATTAP) and National Association ofResidential Providers for Adults with Autism (NARPAA), and the firstmeeting of the Arizona Coalition on Autism. In addition, over 75adults with autism held a town meeting to share experiences anddevelop strategies for self-advocacy in their communities. Over 50percent of attendees were families who networked and attendedprofessional and family support sessions.Special attendees included Kerry Magro and Brunetti, winnersof the CVS All Kids Can Scholarships, and Parent, winner of theASA Individual of the Year Award. Their presence inspired families tostrive for success with their own children.For those of you who attended, it is not too late to give us feedbackon your conference experience at www.autism-society.org/conference. Wewelcome the input to help us provide an even better conference for allattendees in 2008. For those of you unable to join us this year, thinkabout participating in 2008!We still have a few copies of the 2007 ASA National ConferenceProceedings Book. These are available for $20 per copy (All thesessions at the conference are not included in this hard copy). Pleasecontact the ASA National Office to order your copy at 301.657.0881ext. 101 or conference@....Also, audio recordings (with PowerPoint presentations) will beavailable for most of the educational sessions at the nationalconference. The order form will be available two weeks following theconference online at www.autism-society.org/conference. (Singlesession & full conference recordings will be available forpurchase.)2008 ASA National Conference...Mark Your Calendars!Mark your calendars! Next year's conference will be in Orlando,Florida, at The Gaylord Palms on July 9 -12, 2008. Watch the ASAwebsite for more details at www.autism-society.org/conference. Callfor papers begins September 2007.

Moving New Book Describes Relationship Between Father and SonWith great love and profound wonder, Halfdan W. Freihow describes hiscomplex relationship with his youngest son , diagnosed withautism at the age of three, in his book Dear . Though theirrelationship is sometimes fraught with frustration andmisunderstanding, it endures and flourishes with parental pride, andultimately, unconditional love.Taking the form of a personal letter, and set against the haunting yetbeautiful coastal landscape in which the family lives, Freihow'sintimate tale evokes a rich sense of childhood magic. A tender andbrutally honest testament to love and the power of family, Dear reaches out to all parents as they try to understand andnurture their children, regardless of any obstacles that may stand intheir way.To order this book, use this link:http://www.autism-society.org/site/R?i=6C596HjEnKrwEUupZw0xYQ..

New Book Helps Parents Work With Children on the SpectrumWhen a child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, parentsare often overwhelmed and confused and, most importantly, feel lostabout what they can do to help their child. What You Can Do Right Nowto Help Your Child With Autism by Levy (SourcebooksPublishing, 2007) offers parents 10 specific ways to help theirchildren with ASD interact better in the world. The techniques outlines in this book were developed by the Autism TreatmentCenter of America and have produced dramatic results with childrenwhose illnesses range from mild Asperger's Syndrome to severeautism. Even following only some of the 10 suggested methods canproduce positive changes in autistic children. Of the over 800families that has worked with in the past 12 years, only 3did not see differences in their children.To order this book, use this link:http://www.autism-society.org/site/R?i=hMqiihapgh9AEiGlJAeCZA..

Developing a Great IEP" Video Now Available Developing a Great IEP, with Mayerson, the latest in Autism Speaks' instructional video series, is now available at autismspeaks.org. The free 12- minute video provides important information for parents who are encountering the IEP process for the first time, as well as tips for parents who have been through the process before. Read more and watch the video here. http://www.autismspeaks.org/howtocope/iep_mayerson.php

Device Helps Parents Track Children

Jul 18 2007 7:00PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A new piece of technology is helping central Ohio parents know exactly where and how far their children are at all times.

Up to four children can be tracked per the device and newer versions will soon allow parents to track even more children, 10TV's An reported.

Galena resident Darrell Kem is able to keep track of his sons, Josh and Nate, with the device that links directly into watches that are worn by each of the boys.

Each watch requires a special lock so no one other than the owner can put it on or take it off, An reported.

The operator can set the distance of how far children are allowed to go. It could range from right next to the parent to as far away as 500 feet.

If they pass the boundary, the handheld device sets off an alarm along with one on the child's watch.

Darrell and Deanna Kem said that the device gives them extra peace of mind, especially since Nate, 6, is also autistic.

"With children with autism and other plain, normal children, they tend to run," Darrell Kem said.

Deb Schooley of Delaware County's Board of Developmental Disabilities said that her agency is the first to use the device.

"One of our children was at the Columbus Zoo and it was a little girl," Schooley said. "She strayed away from her parents and didn't know where she was right away and the tracking device was able to track her immediately to the men's restroom."

Darrell Kem said that the device is not meant as a replacement for a parent but rather a good tool to use to be a better parent.

For more information, contact Kids Safety First at 614-679-1865. Or e-mail kids1st@....

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