Autism documentary on Tuesday, May 18 7:00 PM EST

[Guest guest]

Hello, although I seldom comment on this list, I am a frequent reader. I

wanted to let all of you know about a TV documentary on autism that will

feature two families. Ours is one of the families, and it will tell a bit

about how my son Conor has done in his ABA/Verbal Behavior program.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any thoughts, comments or

questions. People on the various autism lists have helped immeasurably

with our program.

Best,

scott

camazine@...

TAKE NOTE LIVE! EXAMINES GROWING PROBLEM OF AUTISM

WPSX-TV and WPSU-FM Present Documentary and Call-In Program May 18

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. (April 19, 2004) - It is rare these days not to know

someone with an autistic child. While scientists remain mystified about what

causes the complex neurological disorder, experts say that early diagnosis

and appropriate intervention are key to helping autistic children reach

their potential.

Penn State Public Broadcasting¹s monthly production Take Note LIVE! will

present a new documentary, Children and Autism: Time is Brain, inside the

hour-long call-in program, Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m., simulcast on

WPSX-TV, WPSU-FM and streamed live on wpsx.org. The first page of the Web

site should have button to click to get a web stream of the show if you are

not in the WPSX listening area.

The documentary, produced by Marie Hornbein, and Patty Satalia features two

families faced with the daunting challenge of raising a child with autism,

their therapists, and a board certified behavior analyst with more than 25

years of experience designing learning environments for people with autism

and developmental disabilities.

Trainor, the mother of an autistic child, is one of the family members

featured in the documentary. She implores parents who suspect their child

may be autistic not to Œwait and see.¹ " Time is brain, " Trainor says,

" Don¹t wait. Don¹t be afraid of that diagnosis. That diagnosis is a tool.

It¹s not a stigma. " Therapist Burk agrees. " The term Œtime is

brain¹ is absolutely accurate for children with autism, " she says, " because

the earlier we find them and the earlier we can get them good treatment, the

better off they¹ll be. "

Immediately following the documentary, viewers and listeners are invited to

call in to Take Note LIVE: Autism. Host Satalia and special guests will

answer calls about the signs and symptoms of autism and about Applied

Behavior Analysis, which is backed up by scientific evidence demonstrating

its effectiveness and is recognized by the Surgeon General as the only

treatment for autism. . Guests on the call-in show will be Burk,

Vince Carbone and Challman, M.D. Questions and feedback can be sent

to takenotelive@... during the call-in.

Classified as a spectrum disorder, the symptoms and characteristics of

autism can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild

to severe. Autistic children typically have deficits in the areas of social

interaction and communication skills. Parents often describe a child who

doesn¹t want to be cuddled and can¹t express his needs. They may say he

appears fascinated with spinning objects such as ceiling fans, or may have

odd repetitive movements like hand flapping.

As many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of the

complex neurological disorder and the number is on the rise. According to

the U.S. Department of Education, the incidence could reach 4 million

Americans within the next decade.

Take Note LIVE!, is part of Penn State Public Broadcasting¹s Talk Tuesdays

public affairs series, is co-produced by Satalia and Hornbein and simulcast

monthly, along with other call-in programs on WPSX-TV, WPSU-FM and the web.