Improve The Life of A Loved One With Autism and interesting website

autism

 

autism

An interesting site on autism–>

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Continue reading to learn how others like you overcame confusion & uncertainty & discovered the “best” treatment options for their loved one with autism…


Rachel Evans

“Dear Rachel, Thank you for your continuous information regarding autism. The information is extremely informative and helpful.”

M Miller

From Rachel EvansRe: Improve The Life of A Loved One With Autism

Dear Parent or Caregiver

Hello, my name’s Rachel Evans…

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GIVING AUTISM A VOICE: Funding should be geared more for quality of life-Pahrump Valley times

GIVING AUTISM A VOICE: Funding should be geared more for quality of life
GIVING AUTISM A VOICE: Funding should be geared more for quality of life
GIVING AUTISM A VOICE: Funding should be geared more for quality of life

http://pvtimes.com/community/giving-autism-a-voice-funding-should-be-geared-more-for-quality-of-life/

We were in the Pahrumnp Valley Times news paper today, A mention on the front page as well as on the front of the community section as well.

Here is a copy of the article–>

By Kelsey Givens
One in every 88.
That’s the alarming rate in which children in the United States today are being diagnosed with autism, according to the National Autism Association.
People in every state, city and community are seeing the effects of this developmental disability.
Not everyone touched by it, however, has the financial ability to go out and purchase items to better the lives of individuals living with it.
Knowing the affects of the condition first-hand, one man is trying, with the help of investors, to get his nonprofit up and running in order to actively place technology and the arts in the hands of disadvantaged families with autistic children and young adults.
David Berkowitz, a Las Vegas native, has Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, and three children who have also been diagnosed with some degree of autism as well.
A retired veteran currently working in sales, he started his foundation, Autism Advocacy and Technology News Zone, last year with the hope of raising money to buy and donate technology, music and the arts to families and schools working to educate and better the lives of people with autism.
“As an individual with high-functioning Asperger syndrome and the father of three kids who are also on the spectrum for this disorder, I have always felt a need to make a difference for people with autism,” Berkowitz said in a statement.
“As we get funded we intend to help those on the autism spectrum by giving the gift of the arts and technology to make the lives of people with autism better, and to support their families and the educational facilities that serve them. We are determined to make a difference in the lives of people with autism and their families,” he said.
According to the National Autism Association, autism is a “bio-neurological developmental disability.”
Generally appearing before the age of 3, this condition generally affects the development of areas in the brain which control social interactions, communication and cognitive development.
The NAA states autism is four times as likely to affect males as females, and 40 percent of children diagnosed with the disability typically don’t speak.
Sadly, the association also reports that while autism has become one of the fastest growing developmental disorders in the nation, it is also one of the most severely underfunded.
While some organizations exist to raise funds for the study of how autism affects people, Berkowitz said he wants to focus more on helping enrich these individuals’ lives.
“Were trying to help create an autism foundation for quality of life and education because no one is really doing it,” he said.
Berkowitz explained items like iPads, other electronic tablets and musical instruments are very kinesthetic devices, which make learning much easier for those on the autism spectrum.
He hopes by being able to provide these types of learning tools to families and schools, he can help enrich the lives of those with autism, while also giving them another way to communicate and interact with the people and world around them.
“A lot of families with autistic kids aren’t rich, they can’t afford to just go out and buy these things,” Berkowitz said.
And by introducing more music and the arts to people with autism, Berkowitz said he believes it may be possible for these kids to find an easier way of expressing themselves or finding a talent they would have never known they had.
“Half the time you don’t even know if they could succeed in these areas and don’t have the money to even give them the chance,” he said.
By gaining funding through partnerships and donations, Berkowitz wants to not only purchase the tools but possibly sponsor activities such as artist meet and greets, free concert tickets or special events to help raise awareness for autism.
Lack of money is keeping the dream from becoming reality.
“The first help we need is funding for the 501(c)(3), as well as a lawyer or CPA to do the paperwork properly. We also need exposure such as TV, in the newspaper, magazines and web-based as well. We can not do it alone and need support to make a real difference,” Berkowitz writes on his website.
“What we really need is for some other organization or company to partner with us so we can get the accreditation. There’s not much we can do until we can get that and it’s expensive.”
Berkowitz said it can cost thousands to become an accredited organization.
“I’m not rich, I can’t just go out and pay for this myself,” he said. “We have to start somewhere, and maybe by reaching out to the community someone will be willing to help us.”
While the organization seems to be hitting a wall in the way of funding, it isn’t for lack of trying.
Berkowitz has gone on several news shows, Internet radio shows and use of social media in an attempt to get the word out about what he is trying to do.
“There are a lot of people spreading the word about us on Twitter, and we’ve been featured on SpecialNeeds.com,” he said.
While the name of the organization is continuously put out there, “it has been a struggle to reach people able to help,” Berkowitz said.
Currently Autism Advocacy and Technology News Zone have a board of only two people; Berkowitz and his wife Michele. But Berkowitz said he knows several people that have said they would join once the group is accredited.
The group is based out of Las Vegas, where Berkowitz lives, but he said he doesn’t want to be limited to helping only those in the city. He wants to reach out to all surrounding area families as well, areas like Pahrump, to be able to help families dealing with autism.
“Autism affects you socially, and my family understands that, we’re living those lives ourselves,” Berkowitz said.
“I am smart, different and am going about it on my own; I need support so that I can help other people with autism,” he said.
The foundation currently had its own website technewszone.com.
Anyone interested in donating to the organization or trying to help them reach their goal of becoming a certified 501(c)(3) can go there for more information.
Berkowitz can also be reached by email for more information on how you can help at davidb@technewszone.com.

I appreciate it a great deal!!!

A nice article from Autism Support Network–>Autism & living on purpose by Lena Rivkin

A link from Autism Support Network and the original article–>http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/autism-living-purpose-3789343

I never know when to stop saying Happy New Year. I strive to hold onto the feeling of renewal, hope and fresh starts that the New Year provides. But holidays quickly recede into the rear view mirror, since the business of living demands our full and present attention, until the next round of designated pre-programmed holiday landmarks sneak up on us. Of course we all endeavor to
live as if every day were a holiday or the first day of the rest of our lives, but that eventually becomes exhausting- usually around mid-January.
However, for those of us with special needs children or siblings, we consistently struggle with how to make the every day more meaningful and resonant for them. My brother, Phillip, is a severely autistic adult and lives in a group home administered by New Horizons. I feel a certain amount of self-imposed pressure to make each visit with my brother intently unique: for his wellbeing, his development, to bring some joy into his quiet little world.
This year I’m resolving to invent cost effective yet special monthly ‘holidays’ for Phillip. And I believe this is an idea we can all build upon and re-invent with our particular families in mind. Each family has a favorite activity- whether our monthly ‘holiday’ is organized around a favorite sport or place to go, making food, music or art together; it is within all of us to find creative ways to make family time together vivid, fun and commemorative.
In my brother’s home we celebrate everyone’s birthday, even if it’s staff or a family member. This creates a loving and fun-filled family-style environment where any seemingly ordinary day is special to someone and worthy of attention. And exposing our special needs family member to variety, to change and the world outside them is as important for them as it is for us. New Horizons places a special emphasis on frequent group outings, which many of the clients anticipate with glee.
As a child I would veer from being overly protective of my brother to being embarrassed by him. Once, when our parents took us to a restaurant Phillip casually helped himself to another diner’s french fries while we were walking to our table. He was ten and figured that since he loved french fries he was welcome to them, no matter whom they belonged to. Our parents had a great sense of humor about Phillip, but I was seven and wanted to crawl under the table. We both have grown up in our own ways- I’m no longer concerned about what the world thinks of my brother and he no longer helps himself to other people’s meals!
I know it’s crucial to take Phillip out into the community. Society needs to be exposed to every kind of person. We all need to swim together among our differences and commonalities. Hopefully bringing Phillip and his friends from New Horizons out shopping will promote education and understanding as to how other families cope with life’s challenges. Our special needs siblings and children have guided us to open our hearts to people with disabilities- and out in the world, Phillip sweetly wins the hearts and minds of people who once eyed him with apprehension.
One of the myths of individuals with special needs is that there is a lack of emotional sensitivity and limited interest in the outside world as compared to higher functioning people. When someone does not communicate verbally or with socially acceptable body language, it is easy to dismiss this person as being unworthy of our attention. Besides, we are all deeply consumed with making our lives tick like Swiss clocks; it’s increasingly difficult to make time we just don’t have for those of us with complicated needs.
A thoughtful and insightful friend recently asked if I shared information about my life with Phillip. I was stunned to consider the notion of my brother wanting to know about my life. I’ve usually been so consumed with caring for him, that the one person who has known me longer than anyone living- has a severely limited knowledge of me … because it never occurred to me that the details of my life would matter to him.
On my next visit I was taking Phillip to get his haircut. Phillip truly loves going anywhere but he especially loves getting his haircut because Catalina, his stylist, dotes on him and has one of his needlepoints framed on the wall of her Dominican Salon. It’s very moving to see people take time for Phillip and for them to create meaningful moments for him. Catalina is one of these people.
In the car ride over I knew Phillip was excited because he was humming. I decided to talk to him the way I would talk to a friend. I casually chatted to Phillip about my latest art project. As I was talking, my brother stopped humming, looked me straight in the eye and held my gaze. I could tell he was paying attention to me. This was a deeply teachable moment… for me. Believing that my life is as important to my brother as his life is to me is one of the light bulb moments that make regular, ordinary days anything but.
The bar has been raised. Here’s to a new year of discovering what tiny gestures can contribute meaning and love to our deeply special families. Having a monthly celebratory goal can keep the feeling of a new year with new hopes alive longer than the resolutions that dissolve somewhere around January 15th.
Lena Rivkin, M.F.A., is an artist and graphologist living in Los Angeles.

I was really impressed by the article, my 3 kids are on the spectrum as am I. One of my son’s is similar it seems to Phillip in many respects, he is 15 almost 16 but I unlikely to live on his own, we do not know for sure but it seems likely that he will not be able to handle himself.

Read more: http://www.autismsupportnetwork.com/news/autism-living-purpose-3789343#ixzz1mH7nICtl

Read our articles on tech and autism as well–>link

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