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The concepts are simple: Don't bully, help those who are being bullied and tell an adult what's going on. Pearre tries to reinforce the idea that the bully doesn't act alone. The community can take away the bully's power by refusing to cheer him on, by telling an adult, or perhaps the ultimate step: stepping in to help the victim.

Behind Cornell University’s successful run to the Sweet 16 this week is the inspiration of a couple of young people with autism. And the team’s coach would have it no other way. As the Cornell basketball team tore through Temple and Wisconsin and gets ready to face Kentucky, coach Steve Donahue has been getting coaching advice from an unexpected source — Jason McElwain, or J-Mac, who became a national sensation four years back when he scored 20 points during the last four minutes of his high school basketball game.

With a little research, an assertive attitude and an adventurous spirit, backed up with knowledge of personal rights for the disabled, travel is becoming accessible to everyone.

You and your husband are the people primarily responsible for your son's health care and education, so do not ever feel that you must turn this decision making process over to someone else. This may be a source of your confusion and anger. If things feel out of control, then take your control back.

When Kristi Cardwell was found to have dyslexia back in the early 1970s, her parents told the second-grader to let her teachers know so they could make accommodations for the extra help she might need.

Michael Boll , is the father of an eight -year old boy on the autism spectrum.  A twelve-year, certified classroom teacher, Michael decided to take some time off from his career to create and implement a home program that compliments his son’s school program.  After two enjoyable years, Michael is back in the classroom. He teaches fifth grade at Concordia International School, Shanghai, China.  His son is now attending a school for kids with special needs in Shanghai.  Michael’s wife, Lori, works at that school. He interviews parents, therapists, and other experts about the latest trends and methodologies for working with kids on the autism spectrum.

A few weeks ago, I announced that I've decided to help my 23 year old son, who has autism,cultivate friendships (or more) with the opposite sex. Today,let me back up and describe the incident that inspired me to tackle this gargantuan task.

Summer is always an exciting time to kick back, have fun, and spend quality time with the family. In between family vacations, trips to the zoo, playing video games, and sitting around the house bored, many parents are also searching for activities that are not only fun, but also constructive. Look no further.

A look back at the most-read blog entries from 2010 reveals that my readership has a wide-ranging set of interests.

There’s a vast difference between goals and outcomes: a goal (whether it’s a written goal in a “program” or an unwritten goal of therapy, an activity, or service) is something we hope will occur, and an outcome is what really does occur. And while no one has an infallible crystal ball, it seems we can be more thoughtful and question, wonder, and/or do whatever it takes to anticipate outcomes before going too far down a path. And, as an old Turkish proverb advises, “No matter how far you have gone on a wrong road, turn back.”

It looks like all the school districts that have cut back or eliminated recess and physical education classes in order to spend more time on test prep are on the wrong track. According to results from a 3,000 student high school out in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois, putting students who struggle in reading and math into physical education classes can shrink waistlines and boost academic performance.

Background: In a recent study, 77% of students said they had been bullied mentally, verbally, and physically. 32% of parents fear for their childs physical safety at school. 282,000 students in America are physically attacked each month. The effects of Bullying often have devastating effects on a childs life. Now we can stop Bullies and we can do it FAST. FAST Defense teaches Award Winning assertiveness and self protection skills to effectively protect our children from Bullies. Using simple and effective non-violent conflict resolution skills, FAST Defense playfully gives children ages 6-12 the tools to stop bullies in their tracks. And the confidence gained from the experience empowers them in all other facets of their lives. In a fun and safe environment, this dynamic one hour program effectively teaches our children how to skillfully deal with bullies: Avoiding common playground altercations How to handle name calling and teasing Protecting personal space and possessions Assessing appropriate defense and how NOT to start a fight Verbal skills to back off a Bully Team strategies to work together to stop Bullying Physical escapes from grabs or pushes Confidence and Assertiveness Training for all walks of life. What: A 1.5 hr Assertiveness and Confidence Training for Kids ages 9-14 Where: Billings Sportsplex 5000 Southgate Blvd. (406) 839-9080 When: Saturday, May 21, 2011 10:00am Mountain Cost: Free Contact: Keri or Jamie at (406) 839-9080 Brought to you by FAST Montana, Billings Chi-Tu Do, www.billingschitudo.com & the Billings Sportsplex, www.billingsplex.com

What: Fred Fay's life proves that one man can change the world, even though he has to lie flat on his back just to stay alive. LIVES WORTH LIVING looks at Fay's struggle to survive after a spinal cord injury and the small group of dedicated activists who formed the Disability Rights Movement to drive the nation towards equal rights. When: Thursday, October 27, 2011 10:00pm on local PBS affiliate

As a child, Philip Schultz didn't understand why he couldn't learn. He was held back twice and both his classmates and teachers ignored him. When he revealed that he wanted to be a writer, he was ridiculed. Schultz went on to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet. But it wasn't until his young son was diagnosed with dyslexia that Schultz, then 58, had a name for the disorder that had plagued him his entire life.

ANACONDA — As they do in words, apostrophes can become wedged in people’s lives. Can’t. Don’t. Shouldn’t. Couldn’t. A simple apostrophe marks the end of what can, should and could be done. The Anaconda Work and Residential Enterprises, or AWARE, recently launched a quarterly magazine dedicated to deleting these apostrophes, targeted especially to those with developmental disabilities.

In combination with your iPhone’s built-in camera, ZoomReader lets you magnify and read printed text by first taking a picture of an object like a book or menu, then converts the image into text using state-of-the-art Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. ZoomReader will then read the text back to you using a natural-sounding voice.

What drew him back for the autism reports was a personal tie; his 6-year-old grandson Nick has autism, “NewsHour” said in a release, adding that it was the first time in Mr. MacNeil’s five decades as a journalist that he has chosen to bring his own family into a story.

Autism treatments range from medications to behavioral therapies to alternative medical practices. But too few treatments are backed by solid evidence, according to a series of studies released Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Webinar - All About Apps for Education: Just the Apps and Nothing but the Apps Thursday, May 5, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Mountain – Web-Based Training, register Discover the wonderful world of apps for education. This webinar will help you navigate and maximize your use of the iPod/iPad. The presenters will take you on an app adventure and share a variety of apps in such categories as early childhood, literacy, autism, communication, organization, and more. Funding for this webinar is made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education. The source of funding is from federal award, Grants to States-Special Education CFDA 84.027, P.L. 108-446 Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Basic Vocabulary Organization in PRC Devices Monday, May 16, 2011, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mountain – PACER Center, Bloomington, MN, register This free workshop is for parents and professionals to learn more about Unity vocabulary organization included in all Prentke Romich Company PRC Communication or AAC Devices.  Participants will be introduced to the vocabulary options available.  This workshop will be held in the PACER computer lab where participants can bring their own device or use computer emulation software (Vantage Lite PASS software version 5.02).  The training will include hands-on experience to become familiar with how Unity supports creation of spontaneous novel communication, and to teach basic device operations such as customizing messages, changing icons, hiding keys, and backing up the device. The presenter is PRC Regional Consultant Helen Canfield.  The workshop is limited to 20 participants. Classroom Suite Version 4 Foundations Wednesday, May 18, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain - PACER Center, register This workshop is designed for educators, SLPs, OTs, AT specialists, paraprofessionals and parents who are new to (or have limited experience with) Classroom Suite V.4. The goal of the Foundation Workshop for Classroom Suite V.4 is to enable educators to use Classroom Suite to teach early concepts, reading, writing, and math to students struggling because of learning difficulties or access issues. This workshop is sponsored by Cambium Learning Technologies. Registration fee $225. Kurzweil 3000 Version 11 Foundations Thursday, May 19, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain - PACER Center, register This workshop is designed for educators, SLPs, OTs, AT specialists, paraprofessionals and parents who support students with learning disabilities and are new to (or have limited experience with) Kurzweil 3000. This workshop is sponsored by Cambium Learning Technologies. Registration fee $225.00. Putting LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning) to Work: AAC Strategies to Promote Communication Friday, May 20, 2011, 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain – PACER Center, Bloomington, MN, register Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) is a therapeutic approach based on neurological and motor learning principles.  The goal is to give individuals who are nonverbal or have limited verbal abilities or speech a method to independently and spontaneously express themselves.  This workshop is for parents, professionals, and SLPs and will give an overview of the LAMP treatment approach, discussion of the components of LAMP and how and why children with autism would benefit from using a voice output AAC device, and discussion of features that are beneficial for teaching language to children with autism and other disabilities.  Lunch will not be provided.  A one hour lunch break will be taken and maps to area restaurants will be provided.  This free workshop will offer 0.5 ASHA CEUs.

It's finally here! You have been hearing about ZoomReader for a couple of months now, and we are pleased to officially announce that our ZoomReader app is available for purchase in the iTunes App Store for just $19.99! So what exactly is ZoomReader? Using your built-in camera on the iPhone 4, you can zoom in on printed text or apply a color filter to make everything easier on your eyes. It's not just a video magnifier; you can also snap a picture of something and ZoomReader will convert it into text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology and then read the text back to you! Many of the features in ZoomReader are available via voice control, too - just say "take picture" and seconds later it'll appear on screen. Just think - now you can read the small print on a receipt, box, menu, or pill bottle. Whether you're on the go or using ZoomReader to help you read a newspaper in the comfort of your living room, this quick and powerful program does everything a dedicated video magnifier can do and then some - from the convenience of your iPhone and at a much lower price. Get your copy today in the iTunes App Store . If you'd like more information, you can visit our mobile website where you'll find a bunch of how-to videos.