Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. I will be posting interesting facts, activities and tidbits throughout the month. I also have some previous posts in February and March 2007 tht you can review.

Here are a few home movies on the topic from You Tube;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKgU2okU8Wo

and some PSA's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QivPTrtu9_Q&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANoK3eGkUc4&mode=related&search=

and debate on potential legislation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLdXcb5Pc6Q&mode=related&search=

and cultural heroes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6laOv94VUU&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fw1CcxCUgg&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmhfm81Vxuo&mode=related&search=

and poetic expression

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUTFIuayPJY&mode=related&search=

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Here is some new research on the Autism front:

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Moms of autistic kids report close bond

Staff report

(May 9, 2007) — Rochester researchers found that mothers of children with autism were more likely to say they had a close relationship with their child and less anger than moms of children without autism.Guillermo Montes at the Children’s Institute in Rochester and Dr. Jill Halterman at Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong took data from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health, in which moms of kids ages 4 to 17 were surveyed. The study, published in the May edition of Pediatrics, said moms of kids with autism also were more likely to report that they had better coping skills.However, those same moms also said they had more stress and had poor or fair mental health when compared with mothers of non-autistic children.“This is good news for mothers of children with autism,” said Montes in a press release. “These mothers show remarkable resilience in the context of high stress level and poorer mental health.”The national survey included 61,722 moms, 364 of which had autistic children.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. May 9, 2007
Retrieved from http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070509/NEWS01/70509034/-1/UPDATES