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The Autism Cookbook

  

 

I'd like to recommend a wonderful book that has just been published by SkyHorse Press. It's called "The Autism Cookbook: 101 Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes" and it was written by Susan K. Delaine. It is a great resource for anyone struggling to maintain a GFCF diet who also wants to eat great tasting food. I have personally found the recipes to be easy to follow and the results very satisfying!

 



Susan K. Delaine has struggled for years with her autistic son’s food sensitivities and health discomforts. After painstaking trial and error, she found that a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, combined with healing arts, positively affected his dietary health, as well as his emotional and mental health. In The Autism Cookbook: 101 Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes, Delaine offers to everyone a strong case for how a nutritious diet, free of dairy and gluten, combined with a spiritual living can enhance the health of an autistic child and adult.

 

According to The Autism Society of America, as many as 1.5 million Americans today live with the effects of autism spectrum disorder. Autism may manifest itself through diverse symptoms, commonly including a resistance to change, difficulty in expression, tantrums, obsessive attachment to objects, repetitive use of language, and unresponsiveness. It has been seen that a stable environment, one-on-one programs, speech, occupational, and physical therapies that help the child gain communication, social, and physical skills, and a nutritious, special diet can improve the health and symptoms of autistic children and adults.

 

Written by a passionate mother of a son with autism and numerous food allergies, The Autism Cookbook is a vivid, full-color cookbook determined to target the dietary needs and emotional, spiritual health of autistic children and adults. By combining healthy foods, with some fun, healthful activities that enhance the health of the whole individual, The Autism Cookbook features 101 gluten-free and casein-free recipes, and is a simple and easy guide to preparing family-friendly meals that can improve digestion and immunity. Recipes include:

 

• Blueberry banana sorbet

• Pumpkin bread

• Sesame ginger chicken

• Sweet potato casserole

• Cornbread muffins

• Vanilla cupcakes

• Chocolate frosting

• Twenty raw-food recipes

• And more 

 

The recipes featured are free from wheat, rice, barley, oat, egg, milk, soy, peanut, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Even more so, they are accompanied with an easy-to-use index, glossary, appendix, and a table of recommended food substitutes—alternatives to refined white sugar, such as agave nectar.

 

Having in mind the autistic child with food sensitivities—digestive discomfort, irritability, emotional stress and other health complications—The Autism Cookbook is a warm, loving, and practical cookbook that targets these needs. Most importantly, it brings to light the ability of families to aid autistic children in their path to becoming healthy and thriving individuals.

 

About the Author

Susan K. Delaine is the mother of an autistic child and a spokesperson for autism awareness. Her recipes and her story have been featured in Real Simple, Black Health, Fayette Woman, Fayette Neighbor, and appeared on local and national radio and television programs, including affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Her Web site is www.SusanDelaine.com.

I hope you give this book a try!
Blessings,
Mary
Mary E. Riposo, PhD
www.IntegratedEnergyHealing.com

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"Reiki Pure and Simple"


As a Reiki Master Teacher, I have had the opportunity to teach the healing skills of Reiki to many wonderful people. There are many manuals available for teaching Reiki, each offering a unique perspective. In fact, I have written my own manuals for use in mine, as well as other people's Reiki classes. In all of my time teaching this healing practice, I have come across only one or two  manuals specifically geared toward teaching Reiki to special populations. So when I developed a specialized class for teaching Reiki to adults who work with children, I ended up writing the manual for that class, entitled "Using Reiki with Children: A Guide for Parents and Professionals ". In this class, I teach parents of children with special needs, as well as service providers (doctors, nurses, teachers, speech, occupational, physical therapists, etc) how to incorporate Reiki into their interactions with children.

I have often toyed with the idea of deveoping a class and writing a manual to teach children or individuals with learning challenges the healing techniques of Reiki. And that's just what Jeanne Sands has done with her book, entitled "Reiki Pure and Simple". The book addresses many questions anout this beautiful healing modality, using an easy to learn format and simplified language. She even incorporates her own cartoon like illustrations to convey important information about Reiki. 



Jeanne is a Reiki Master in the traditional lineage of Usui, Hayashi, Takata, Gray, and Rosenthal, who has had many years of experience teaching and working with children, as well as with individuals who have learning challenges.

"Reiki Pure and Simple" is a timely and necessary book that provides a simple and loving presentation of information about Reiki. If you are a Reiki Master who teaches Reiki to children or individuals with learning challenges, or would like to begin doing so, I highly recommend this book. "Reiki Pure and Simple" can be purchased through Jeanne's website
www.jmssecretgarden.com or at www.booksurge.com
. Jeanne can be contacted by email at jemsand@aol.com. Jeanne and her husband Jim operate "The Secret Garden Healing and Teaching Center", which is located in the beautiful Catskill Mountains of New York. 

Blessings,
Mary
Mary E. Riposo, PhD 
Alternative Autism Solutions
www.AlternativeAutismSolutions.com /> />/>/> 

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One Piece at a Time Autism Awareness Walk is April 25

 

The Fifth Annual “One Piece at a Time” Autism Awareness Walk will be held Sunday, April 25, 2010 at Longbranch Park in Liverpool, NY.  Registration begins at 9:15 a.m. with the walk to follow at 10 a.m. The event is sponsored by the CNY Autism Society of America and is supported by the Margaret L. Williams Developmental Evaluation Center (MLWDEC) at Upstate Medical University, Kohl’s Autism and Related Disorders Outreach Program and FEAT of CNY. To register, call 315-464-8668 or toll-free at 1-800-464-8668. For more information, visit www.cnyasa.org or e-mail cnyasa@yahoo.com. This has been a wonderful event since its inception and I highly recommend attending for anyone in the Central New York area.
Blessings,
Mary
Mary E. Riposo
www.AlternativeAutismSolutions.com

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Join me at the Jowonio School Community Wide Resource Fair

Please join me at the Jowonio School Community Wide Resource Fair!

When: Thursday, 4/8/10 from 6-8 pm


Where: Jowonio School, 3049 E. Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY, 13224

Information: (315) 445-4010 or
www.jowonio.org

The Jowonio School Community Wide Resource Fair is an event which brings together practitioners and vendors throughout the community who provide products and services for families and children with special needs. I will be offering FREE mini Reiki sessions and providing information on the benefits of energy healing for children with special needs, including children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. If you are in the area, make sure to stop by and see for yourself what Reiki is, or just say Hi!

Blessings,
Mary

Mary E. Riposo, PhD
www.AlternativeAutismSolutions.com  

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Join Me at the Utica Holistic Fair

You are invited to join me at the Utica Holistic Fair!

When: Saturday 3/20/10 10 am- 7 pm and Sunday 3/21/10 12 noon- 5 pm

Where: Holiday Inn, 1777 Burrstone Road, Utica/New Hartford, NY.

Admission: Adults $6/day, $9/both days, 16 & under FREE.

Information: (315) 737-7702

This is one of the oldest and most successful holistic fairs in the area. Offering psychic readings, mediumship, aura photography, Reiki, reflexology, energy healing, books, crystals, and more! I will be offering Reiki sessions at the fair. If you are in the area, stop by my booth and have a Reiki session or just say Hi- I'd love to see you!

Blessings,
Mary

Mary E. Riposo, PhD
www.IntegratedEnergyHealing.com

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CD Raises Awareness for Autism

 

I'm happy to share this product with you, as I believe it speaks to the heart of many parents who have a child diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. When I first heard "All He Has To Say", by aika, I was touched by the depth of emotion that is expressed through this song. If you or someone you know has a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, you will want to check out this CD.

 

Here are the lyrics:

 

When I walked into his room

He was sitting on the floor

Last night I prayed that he would

Wake up to something more

When I reached for his hand

He tightly held to mine

I looked him in the eyes and smiled

Told him everything was fine, child

 

I wonder what he’s thinking

When he's starin' off in space

His eyes filled with emotion

an innocent look on his face

As the silence filled the room

I wished for just one day

I could give him a voice

And hear all he has to say

all he has to say

all he has to say…

 

Where’s the link we need

That piece to make it whole

I need my little boy back

I need what autism stole

 

Before I put him to bed

I kneel beside and pray

One day he'll speak again

One day he'll speak again

 

All He Has To Say was written by Boston songwriter Will Carr (www.WillCarrMusic.com) after reading a poem written by Lea Bishop about Autism. Lea Bishop, a teacher's assistant at the May Center for Child Development in Randolph, MA, who is devoting her higher education to bettering herself in order to change the lives of those on the Autism Spectrum. The inspiration for the song came as one of Ms. Bishop’s colleagues in the classroom was leaving the school to join another division of May Institute. “There is an inextricable bond between teacher and students with autism,” Ms. Bishop explains. “We were talking to the kids about their teacher leaving. Some of them are non-verbal or have difficulty with communication. We weren’t sure whether all of them understood that the teacher wouldn’t be coming back. But then one child got up from the circle and walked over to give her a big hug. For me, that moment captured the connection that exists between the child with autism and the world around him or her,” Ms. Bishop said.

 

All He Has To Say features award wining singer/songwriter aika (Aika Hirahara) on vocals (www.aikahirahara.com), with music by Music Producer/songwriter Nicolas Farmakalidis (www.Neilaproductions.com). The song, which was released in 2009, is available for purchase through www.allhehastosay.com, iTunes, and www.cdbaby.com. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the song will be donated to the May Center for Child Development in Randolph, MA, a full-day, year-round school for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum and related disorders. For more information on the May Center, go to www.MayInstitute.org. For more information on the song, go to www.AllHeHasToSay.com.

Blessings,
Mary
Mary E. Riposo, PhD
www.AlternativeAutismSolutions.com 

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Picture Card Communication

Marion Pusey is a woman who would likely agree with the old adage; "necessity is the mother of invention". She has created personalized and individualized visual resources and educational materials for people affected by Autism and/or other disabilities where communication is affected. These materials can be used by families, teachers, therapists, and care givers to more effectively communicate with the individual. 

Marion is the creator of Picture Card Communication (www.picturecardcommunication.com). Her creation was born out of a deep love for her family. You see, Marion has a 25 year old son with Autism and a 22 year old son with ADHD. In addition, her mother is 86 years old and suffers from Parkinsons and Dementia. Marion's love for her family inspired her to create the Picture Card Communication System in order to maintain communication despite all of the challenges that life often brings.

About five years ago, Marion met with a Speech Pathologist who was a member of the Autism Team for the local school board, and his enthusiasm for her work spurred her on to offer her products to a wider audience. Now she offers her products to others via her website (www.picturecardcommunication.com). She creates picture cards, puzzles, visual schedules, key chains, matching materials, visual step-by-step materials and more. She uses the child or individual's personal pictures to create the materials, and can further personalize them to the needs of the individual.  

The Picture Communication Card products include:

1.  Toileting, hand washing, bedtime sequence

2. Choice boards:

        - outings  eg.  McDonald`s, Canadian Tire,  Toys R Us,

                              Loblaws, Wal-Mart, Zellers

        - park, bicycle, trampoline

        - snacks, food and drinks

        - pre-school and school activities

        - Emotions  (no thermometer) - "I feel .."

3. Picture key chains -  to attach to belt loops for easy and quick access.

4. Dressing Program: for Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, rain and bed-time.

5. Puzzles - farm animals (full colour cartoon)

                - "5 Little Monkies"

6. Visual Schedules:  hand washing, brushing teeth, toileting, dressing,

                     bedtime, pre-school and school

7. Emotions -  choice board with "I feel."

                   - emotion thermometers

                   - calming sequence

8. Visual materials to support ABA/IBI programs:

                 -  numbers, colours, shapes, alphabet

9. Visuals to support "Social Stories": eg.

                 -  birth of a sibling

                 -  telephone etiquette

                 -  going to the movies

10. Visual materials to support Music programs

                 - pictures of instruments and activities

                 - puzzle - Old McDonald had a Farm

                 - puzzle - The Wheels on the Bus

11. Learning materials:

                 -  alphabets - block letters and cursive letters with upper

                     and lower case

                 -  alphabet letters are all single cards good for learning

                     the alphabet and pairing with pictures to learn

                     spelling.

                 -  clocks - to teach time with both regular and digital

                     clocks

                 -  Circle of Life

                 -  Community helpers

12.    Communication "PECS" books/binders


Marion's business is based in Canada. You can view her products by going to her website (www.picturecardcommunication.com). For more infrormation, you can contact Marion directly at ppusey@sympatico.ca.

Blessings,
Mary
Mary E. Riposo, PhD
www.AlternativeAutismSolutions.com

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Brenda Smith Myles Conference in Syracuse 2/26/10

Brenda Smith Myles, PhD will be presenting a conference in Syracuse, NY entitled "Autism Spectrum Disorders: Developing a Comprehensive Program for Young Students" on Friday 2/26/10 from 8:30-4:30 pm. The conference will be held at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center, 801 University Avenue, Syracuse, NY, 13210, ph (315) 475-3000. Registration deadline is 2/22/10. The cost of the conference is $85 for professionals and $55 for parents. For telephone reservations call (315)-464-8668 or toll free (800)-464-8668. To pay by mail, make checks payable to the MLW Developmental Evaluation Center, 215 Bassett Street, Syracuse, NY, 13210. For more information, go to www.cnypreschoolcoalition.org. Click here to download the conference brochure. 
 

Dr. Myles has made over 500 presentations all over the world, written more than 150 articles and
books on Autism and Asperger Syndrome, and served as the co-chair of the National ASD
Teacher Standards Committee. She is on the National Institute of Mental Health’s Interagency
Autism Coordinating Committee’s Strategic Planning Consortium and the Autism Society of
America’s Panel of Professional Advisors.

The conference will focus on a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use system that allows educators to understand how and when to implement an instructional program for young students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS) model answers the questions:

• What supports does my student/child need to be successful in school and home?

• What goals are my student/child working on?

• Is there a thoughtful sequence to the student’s/child’s day that matches his learning style.

The CAPS is a practical resource that addresses yearly progress, response to intervention (RTI) and positive behavior supports in a common-sense format. The CAPS process was developed to be used by the child's educational team consisting of parents, educators and therapists. The structure of CAPS ensures student success as well as data collection to measure that success. The CAPS program identifies supports for each of the student's daily activities focusing on the core deficits and strengths of autism. Specifically, the conference will discuss teaching social skills and social/emotional control.

At the end of the session, attendees will:

1. Identify evidence-based practices for young children with ASD.
2. Describe a structure to ensure that young children with ASD have their needs met throughout the day.
3. Identify the hidden curriculum and how it impacts young children with ASD.


The conference is being sponsored by the Central New York Coalition for Young Children with Special Needs, Kohl's Autism and Related Disorders/Margaret L. Williams Developmental Evaluation Center, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital, and Kohl's Cares for Kids.

This should be a great conference!
Blessings,
Mary
Mary E. Riposo, PhD
www.AlternativeAutismSolutions.com

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U.S. Autism Prevalence Rises 57% in 4 Years

Bethesda, MD (December 18, 2009) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released their national autism prevalence report today, confirming that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in the United States is 1 percent of the population, or one in 110 of children 8 years of age in 2006.

The long-awaited report was conducted by the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network in 11 sites in 2006 and tracks prevalence in children 8 years of age. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is a group of programs funded by CDC to determine the number of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in the United States. The ADDM sites all collect data using the same surveillance methods, which are modeled after CDC’s Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP).

“This report confirms what we at the Autism Society have been saying for years about the prevalence of autism in America and the critical importance of early identification and interventions. For the first time, we are hearing our government acknowledge the real increase in autism and validating the impact this condition has on individuals, families and their communities,” said Lee Grossman, Autism Society President and CEO. “The question still remains: How bad does it have to get before families receive appropriate lifespan services?”

This report presents a number of other important details, including:

  • The study suggests that while better diagnosis accounts for some of the prevalence, a true increase cannot be ruled out. The report also underscores that “efforts are needed to understand how complex genetic and environmental factors interact to result in symptoms which make up the autism spectrum.”
  • The report again highlights that delays in identification still persist. Children in 2006 were being diagnosed only five months earlier on average than those in 2002, thus still missing the critical years of early intervention. (In 2002, children were diagnosed at an average age of 53 – 66 months, and in 2006, the average age was 50 – 60 months.)  The report laudably notes that the continued lag in identification needs to be addressed as a public health concern so that this nation “can ensure that children in the U.S. receive optimal early intervention services.”
  • Increases in prevalence among minority population were significant, with a 91 percent increase in Hispanic children (with 144 percent increase in Arizona contributing to this) and 41 percent in black non-Hispanic. There was a 55 percent increase in White non-Hispanic.
  • Prevalence in boys was found to be 4.5 times higher in males than females. The report states one in 70 boys and one in 315 females have autism. 
  • This study gathered data on prevalence and cognitive impairment, showing a 90 percent increase in children with borderline intellectual functioning and a 72 percent increase among children with average to above average intelligence. As intelligence testing is unstable in the autism community, further analysis needs to be done to understand this change.
  • Overall prevalence was lower among the sites with access to health evaluations alone, so sites that did not include educational evaluations likely underestimated ASD prevalence for that site. The lack of educational data would have impacted the cognitive functioning analysis as well.

It is important to note the ADDM study does not cover adult prevalence or those children who receive diagnoses later than 8, which can be common in the Asperger’s community, where the average age of diagnosis is 11 years old.  

The ADDM report, which was conducted in the states of Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin, is consistent with the Department of Health and Human Services National Survey of Children’s Health, published last October.

I'd love to know what you think about this newest research. I invite you to post a comment to this blog with your thoughts and comments.

Blessings,
Mary
www.AlternativeAutismSolutions.com

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Support the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act, HR 4247

The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act, HR 4247 by Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) was introduced on December 9, 2009. A companion bill was also introduced in the Senate by Senator Chris Dodd and is numbered S 2860.

The legislation draws on a Government Accountability Office report on restraints and seclusions released last spring, which found “hundreds of cases of alleged abuse and death related to the use of these methods on school children during the past two decades,” with a majority involving students with disabilities. Still, investigators could not ascertain the full extent of this problem - cases often go unreported, with some states not even keeping track of incidents.The bills seek to establish the first federal standards to protect students from misuse of restraint and seclusion and ensure the safety of everyone in the classroom. It would apply to public schools, private schools and preschools receiving federal education support. Specifically the legislation would:

• Establish important minimum federal safety standards in schools, similar to the protections already in place in hospitals and other non-medical community based facilities;
• Limit physical restraint and locked seclusion, allowing these interventions only when there is imminent danger of injury, and only when imposed by trained staff;
• Outlaw mechanical restraints, such as strapping kids to chairs, and prohibit restraints that restrict breathing;
• Require schools to notify parents after incidents when restraint or seclusion was used;
• Call on states, within two years of enactment, to establish their own policies, procedures, monitoring and enforcement systems to meet these minimum standards;
• Encourage states to provide support and training to better protect students and prevent the need for emergency behavioral interventions; and
• Increase transparency, oversight and enforcement tools to prevent future abuse.

Please take the time to advocate for people affected by autism and ask your Representative and Senators to cosponsor this important legislation. Go to
https://secure2.convio.net/asa/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=349  and fill out a user friendly form today.

Blessings,
Mary
www.AlternativeAutismSolutions.com

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