On July 15th in Washington, DC. AFAA held a Congressional briefing. The briefing brought together federal legislators, national policymakers and advocates for adults with autism – including individuals who have autism – to discuss priorities for action in the public and private sectors that address the increasing and unmet demand for effective services for adolescents and adults with the disorder.
Read More… http://www.afaa-us.org/site/c.llIYIkNZJuE/b.5064065/k.C8CE/AutismnbspCongress.htm
“A new automated vocal analysis technology could fundamentally change the study of language development as well as the screening for autism spectrum disorders and language delay, reports a study in the July 19 online Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The LENA™ (Language Environment Analysis) system automatically labeled infant and child vocalizations from recordings. 
Following that step, an automatic acoustic analysis designed by Dr. D. Kimbrough Oller, professor and chair of excellence in audiology and speech-language pathology at the University of Memphis, showed – with 86 percent accuracy – that pre-verbal vocalizations of very young children with autism are distinctly different from those of typically-developing children.”…
Read More… http://www.memphis.edu/releases/jul10/autism.htm
Federal Agencies need YOUR input! 
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are seeking comments to inform the annual update of the 2010 IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Research. Responses are accepted through July 30, 2010. For more information or to respond, visit the NIH Web site.
The full 2010 Startegeic Plan can be reviewed here: http://www.iacc.hhs.gov/strategic-plan/2010/index.shtml
Showing: “Toy Story 3″
Lights will be turned slightly up, the sound turned slightly down. Audience members are welcome to bring their own GFCF snacks, get up and dance, walk, shout or sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced.
Saturday, June 26th at 10am
To find participating locations near you, check out: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sensoryfilms
The Madison House Foundation would like to acknowledge the work of Dr. Hu, one of our presenters at the Autism Training Seminar.
A new discovery raises hope that autism may be more easily diagnosed and that its effects may be more reversible than previously thought. In a new study appearing online in The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), scientists have identified a way to detect the disorder using blood and have discovered that drugs which affect the methylation state (”DNA tagging”) of genes could reverse autism’s effects. This type of drug is already being used in some cancer treatments.
“As the mother of a now 22-year-old son with an autism spectrum disorder, I hope that our studies as well as those of others, will lead to therapies that are designed to address specific deficiencies that are caused by autism, thus improving the lives of affected individuals,” said Valerie W. Hu, Ph.D., one of the researchers involved in the work from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
To make their discovery, Hu and colleagues identified chemical changes in DNA taken from cells of identical twins and sibling pairs, in which only one of the twins or siblings was diagnosed with autism. The researchers then compared genes that showed changes in DNA tagging (methylation) with a list of genes that showed different levels of expression from these same individuals. Then the scientists studied the amount of protein product produced by two genes that appear on both lists in autistic and control regions of the cerebellum and frontal cortex of the brain. They found that both proteins, as predicted by the observed increase in DNA tagging, were reduced in the autistic brain. This suggests that blocking the chemical tagging of these genes may reverse symptoms of the disorder and demonstrates the feasibility of using more easily accessible cells from blood (or other non-brain tissues) for diagnostic screening.
Full Report and Details: AnhThu Nguyen, Tibor A. Rauch, Gerd P. Pfeifer, and Valerie W. Hu. Global methylation profiling of lymphoblastoid cell lines reveals epigenetic contributions to autism spectrum disorders and a novel autism candidate gene, RORA, whose protein product is reduced in autistic brain. FASEB J. doi:10.1096/fj.10-154484 ; http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/abstract/fj.10-154484v1
Title: Autism Training Seminar
Location: Montgomery College
Description: Autism Training Seminar
Sponsored by Madison House Foundation, Montgomery College and the Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Service Aging and Disability services
A 2-Day intensive training seminar designed to increase understanding and awareness among community members and families about autism and other developmental disabilities.
Who Should Attend:
Parents, Grandparents, Family Members
Educators
Direct Support Professionals
Medical Practitioners, Emergency Personnel
Community Leaders & Advocates
Speakers will include highly recognized leaders in the field of autism and other developmental disabilities: Dr. Valerie Hu from George Washington University; Susan Ingram from CSS; Dr. Gonzolo Laje, Associate Clinical Investigator at NIH; Dr. Faith Frankel, Clinical Instructor at Georgetown University; Dr. Daniel Fairbanks Associate Dean – College of Science/Health, Utah Valley University; and Ian Paregol Executive Director of CSAAC and other informative presentors.
Start Date: 2010-04-08
Start Time: 08:00AM
End Date: 2010-04-09
A 3-Day interactive training conference covering autism and other developmental disabilities designed to increase understanding and awareness among active community members.
For:
For Registration Information Contact: Megan K. Farrelly at (301) 330-8532 or info@madisonhousefoundation.org
Brought to you by The Madison House Foundation, Montgomery College, and Montgomery County Health and Human Service Aging and Disability Services
Imagination Stage has designed a class specifically for students with autism!
This 10-week class for children grades 2-5 incorporates drama, music, movement and art to help students expand social skills and self-esteem while fostering creativity.
REGISTER ASAP because class starts this Sunday, Jan. 17!
Call 301-280-1660 or visit www.imaginationstage.org
1.) TUES: Workshop-Navigating the Financial World of the Special Needs Family- Bringing simplicity and understanding to a very complex and overwhelming topic. 7:30-9pm
2.)WEDS: Men’s Social Skills Group - Focus on increasing independence, adult friendships, career decisions, relating to family as a young adult, dating, etc. 6:15-7pm
3.)THURS: Parent Support Group- Informal meeting to drop in and share your story, concern, and/or questions. 7:30-9pm
4.)THURS: Seminar- Neurofeedback for Asperger’s & ADHD 12:30-2pm
5.) SAT: Sensory Friendly Movie - ‘The Princess and the Frog’ @ select AMC theaters. 10am
*** Full details for all Top 5 in our ‘Calendar’ under the ‘Events’ tab or call MHF at 301-330-8532
Parent 2 Parent
Providing emotional support and practical advice by matching parents in need with volunteer parent mentors!
P2P is a free and confidential service, open to parents who are looking for support and guidance for day-to-day challenges and during transitional times with their children.
The program is now recruiting parent mentors and will soon begin its outreach to families in need!
For more information please contact Wendy Baumert:
(301) 576-9000 x259 or at wbaumert@seeconline.org
Sponsored by SEEC- Seeking Equality, Empowerment, and Community for People With Developmental Disabilities
Kennedy Krieger’s Festival of Trees is a three-day extravaganza of fairyland forests, gingerbread towns and toy train gardens, complimented by over 100 craft boutiques, holiday goodies and activities for kids of all ages. You can also enjoy a special line-up of nightly entertainment for the whole family!
Friday & Saturday:10am-9pm, Sunday:10am-6pm @ Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium
$10 for adults and $5 for seniors and kids aged 5-12
Save $2 per ticket by buying online: http://festivaloftrees.kennedykrieger.org/
1.)TUES: Social Skills: Cool, Calm and Collected - Ages 20-29. Participants learn & practice skills for making friends, initiating conversation, making decisions, expressing feelings, understanding non-verbal cues and managing disappointment. 5:30-6:30pm Meets WEEKLY!
2.) WEDS: Workshop: Exploring Guardianship Issues- For Parents concerning options for 18+ adults. 7:00-9pm
3.)FRI: Studio 3F- A Friday night social club! Come dance, shoot hoops, do art, play board games, and hang with friends. 7-10pm
4.)SAT: Career and College Forum- For students with disabilities, parents and professionals. Learn about options after high school, the college application process, admission testing, career planning and career/technical schools. 8:30am-2:30pm
5.) SAT: Sensory Friendly Film - “A Christmas Carol” Participating AMC movie auditoriums: lights brought up, sound turned down, BYO snacks, and no previews or advertisements! AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced. 10am-Noon
*** Full details for all Top 5 in our ‘Calendar’ under the ‘Events’ tab or call MHF at 301-330-8532
Join over 1,000 Thought Leaders Assembling Across the Country
To Articulate a National Autism Agenda
AFAA was created by a consortium of partner organizations which have a deep commitment
to helping people on the spectrum and are particularly concerned about the absence of
services for adults.
Registration is still open for the November 13 event. Space is limited to 50 participants an filling up quickly.
1.) TUES: Seminar on Estate Planning for the Special Needs Family- Offered by M & L Special Needs Planning, LLC 7-8:30pm
2.)WEDS: Transition Support Group- A MONTHLY group for parents of individuals transitioning to adult life: Networking, Support for families, SSI, DDA, DORS, DHHS, Medicaid, HOC, Sexuality, Residential and vocational options and issues, Record-keeping strategies and suggestions, Peer relationship issues, Estate and long term planning, and more… 7:30-9pm
3.) THURS: Sing Along- A WEEKLY group for those who want to sing with friends. Learn a wide range of musical styles in a relaxed, upbeat atmosphere. No music skills required except a love of singing! 6:15-7pm
4.)FRI & SAT: OAR Conference- Two-day forum on current autism research and evidence-based intervention with autism spectrum disorders. www.researchautism.org
5.) SUN: Halloween with the Ponies! - Personal Ponies provides ponies to children with disabilities at absolutely no charge! The open house features pony grooming, brunch, DJ, face painting, and Halloween fun. 11am-2pm
*** Full details for all Top 5 in our ‘Calendar’ under the ‘Events’ tab or call MHF at 301-330-8532
Washington, DC — Last Wednesday, President Obama visited the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to announce the single biggest investment in biomedical research in American history. Among the $5 billion in grants he announced are new explorations of longtime research targets from cancer to heart disease. But the grants also include the largest-ever investment in an Obama administration priority that has so far gone mostly unnoticed: autism research.
Follow link below to read full article:
On Monday the Journal of Pediatrics reported that about 1 percent of children, ranging from ages 3-17, have autism or a related disorder. These new findings mark a definite increase over previous findings released by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Follow link below to read full article in CNNhealth.com:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/05/autism.study/index.html
Follow link below to read updated statement by CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html
Women who tend to teens, young adults with autism at home display unusually low levels of critical stress hormone.
By Bruce Bower
PARK CITY, Utah — Mothers with teenagers or young adults living at home face plenty of stress. If the young home-dwellers have been diagnosed with autism, the emotional intensity of caregiving surges dramatically in the mothers and may undermine the functioning of a critical stress hormone, a long-term study suggests.
To read the full article in ScienceNews visit: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/44407/title/Autism_care_takes_biological_toll_on_mothers
Learn about how you can share your family’s experiences with autism and become part of the largest online research effort in the United States. Anyone impacted by an ASD can become part of IAN’s online community to stay informed about autism research and make their voices heard.
Visit: http://www.ianproject.org/
Ask Ashley Thompson why she should be hired by Montgomery County schools and she gives a simple answer:
“Because I’m talented, smart and funny — and a good person.”
The Germantown 22-year-old, trained by Montgomery County Public Schools, is finding that policies directed toward developmentally disabled students are preventing them from working there.
Thompson, who has a developmental delay that her doctors attribute to a rare metabolic disorder, received a “certificate of attendance” in 2008, the diploma awarded students when they reach 21.
Click below for full article:
http://www.gazette.net/stories/06242009/potonew210045_32521.shtml
Folk Music Party Success in Bringing Community Together to Open Dialogue About Helping Individuals Age with Autism
You can see more information about the event by clicking here.
Autism Training Institute (ATI) for 2010 announced. The 2010 ATI to be broadened and expanded- look for details coming soon.
Madison House Foundation Teams with Montgomery College to Deliver a Two-Day Training Institute for Parent, Educator, Caregivers, Direct Care Professional, and Para-Educators
Preparations are underway for the first Autism Training Institute in Montgomery County, Maryland. Co-sponsors of the Training Institute for parents and educators are Montgomery College and Madison House Foundation (MHF). The two-day conference will address many needs of families and professionals that work with individuals and families with autism through the lifespan. The conference is scheduled for April 24 & 25, 2009 and is held in conjunction with Autism Awareness Month. Karla Nabors, Director of Developmental Education for Montgomery College states with excitement, “We will be filling an urgent need in Montgomery County that has not been filled before”.
The Assistant Executive Director of MHF, Megan Farrelly, is using her expertise with autism to formulate the intensive two-day program. Local and nationally recognized leaders in the field of autism will be key participants in this coming event.
Madison House Foundation Appoints Director: On September 23, 2008, JaLynn Prince, President – Madison House Foundation (MHF) announced the appointment of Dr. Allen W. Rothenberg as Executive Director. MHF has been established to help families and educators negotiate the complex nature of autism. The Executive Director role will include educating parents and working with educators, advocacy and furnishing information on resources and places where families can receive assistance. The emphasis will be on a group that has been significantly underserved, those that are transitioning into adulthood and navigating through adult life. Dr. Rothenberg was selected for this position because of his vast experience in education and in the mental health arena.
With autism affecting 1 out of 150 births, the Prince family has seen this reality first hand. Madison Prince, age 19, has autism. Because of Madison’s autism his family has become very familiar with the complex issues surrounding autism.
Dr. Gregory A. Prince, a noted scientist, largely responsible for the treatment of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and JaLynn Prince who has represented Maryland and the United States as Mother of the Year stepped forward in September 2008 to develop the Madison House Foundation (MHF). The foundation focuses on helping individuals, like Madison, and their families navigate the unique and difficult issues surrounding autism throughout their lifespan.
