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Imagine this: You’re six years old, and for the next 10 years or so, a sizable portion of your mental and emotional fuel tank will be used up from avoiding humiliation, developing feelings of not being good enough, being behind in assignments, getting teased, being misunderstood, and struggling way more in basic skills like reading writing than some kids who don’t seem to work as hard or care as much. You begin to dislike or hate reading and want to avoid the whole issue of school and homework altogether.

Who am I? Easy – my name is Evan, that's who I am and that's what I'm called. And yet, for some of my friends, there are still people who would identify them by saying, “Oh, him? He's a “special needs” kid, “a SPED,” – a “retard.” Why are some of my best friends, people who just happen to have intellectual disabilities, identified not by their names, but by their disability? Is it out of ignorance? Is it because people feel some unwarranted and overwhelming desire to label others? Or is the sad truth that these friends of mine are not called by name, because their names are not known?

As Skyping becomes part of our daily vocabulary — like “googling” and “friending,” it’s also being used more in schools. As a way to connect students to valuable resources across the world, schools are embracing Skype, WebEx, Google video chat, and other tools as an alternative the chalkboard generation could only dream of: conversations with astronauts, field trips to the zoo, and connecting with kids across the globe, for instance — all from the comfort of their own classrooms.

Most children in the United States get recommended vaccines on schedule, but some parents still have misgivings about the shots, questioning whether they are safe or even necessary, U.S. government researchers said on Thursday.

Click here download the full informational brochure (PDF) Click here to download the registration form (PDF) What: MSDB 11th Annual Family Learning Weekend for the Blind and Visually Impaired Where: MSDB Campus in Great Falls When: June 3‐5, 2011 Who: Families of Blind and Visually Impaired Children living in Montana! Why: The Learning Weekend is a creative program that provides opportunities for families of sensory impaired children to learn about blindness and visual impairment, share their experiences with other families, and learn how to communicate more fully with one another in a warm, caring atmosphere. The focus of the weekend is to enhance each individual's personal knowledge of blindness and how it relates to the education and development of their child. Information in the form of informal workshops, group discussions (parent groups, kids groups, siblings groups, etc.) and hands‐on activities will be offered. Child care and recreation for the children (siblings included) will also be available at no charge. Families will be reimbursed for mileage at the current state rate.

Click here to visit the Fringe Films website for more information on this program What: Fringe Films of Missoula is offering summer acting acting class that will encourage kids on the spectrum to explore the skill of acting, reacting and self-expression. Where: Downtown Dance Collective Missoula, MT When: June 13 through July 27, 2011 Programs: Program A: Ages 5 - 8; Tuesdays- 1- 2 p.m. Program B: Ages 9 - 12; Mon & Wed - 1-2 p.m. Program C: Ages 13 -19; Mon & Wed - 2:10 - 3:40 p.m. Fees: $80.00 for Program A. $140.00 for Program B. $180.00 for Program C. $40 dollar deposit due by May 15th. Balance due by June 7th. Please contact us for scholarship information: fringe@fringefilms.org | 406.531.3841

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

Pre-Registration required. To register call the Salvation Army at 245- 4659 What: A lot of times parents need help, but don't feel comfortable asking for help! That's why Drs Les & Leslie Parott have created this new video-driven study. their teaching take a faith-based approach into the traits parents want their children to have, and the traits they want to learn to model for their children. Captured on these DVD are real-life parenting moments taken inside the home of 20 real families who are trying to raise their kids in the best way possible. When: Thursdays, October 6 - November 10, at 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. While children are in the Billy Booth Fine Arts Program. Babysitting will be provided for preschoolers.

SNApps4Kids is a community of parents, therapists, doctors, and teachers who share information on how we are using the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android devices with children who have special needs.  We have found these mobile devices to provide accessibility for children who may have been previously disengaged from the world because of challenging language, motor, or other developmental delays.  Given the rising number of apps on the market and the diverse skills of children with special needs, parents have found each other to be one of the best resources for choosing apps to enhance everyday life for our children.  While our group is primarily parent-driven, our efforts are naturally collaborative with the people who help our children develop particular skills — therapists and educators.

Click here to register for this webinar -- $39 What: Switch Blitz v.2011 is an idea generating session, a blitz of many items and strategies yet in a step by step format that will help you get started with switch use, motivate the stagnate switch user and progress the present switch user to higher levels. Switch Blitz v.2011 is a session with plenty of demonstrations and information that will take you from assessment to implementation. First we will touch on basics, and then progress to assessments, tools, strategies and resources. You will see demonstrations of switch software as well as FREE online switch resources. Participants will enjoy seeing video case examples of successful kids using their switches at the computer and for powered mobility. When: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time Presenter: Cindy Nankee, OTR/L, ATP, Universal Technology for Learning & Living (UTLL) Full Abstract – Including speaker biography and learning points

Imagine being almost 30 and not able to read or write. That’s what happened to Nelson Lauver, author of the memoir “Most Unlikely to Succeed, The Trials, Travels and Ultimate Triumphs of a ‘Throwaway’ Kid.” In 1969, Lauver was a fun-loving first-grader, curious about school and eager to learn. His enthusiasm came to a halt the following year when dyslexia — a broad term used to define reading and writing disabilities — went undiagnosed, not unusual in the educational system of that time.

More than 30 years after passage of the Individuals With Disabilities

Education Act, schools are still working on including students with disabilities in all facets of public school. And in many places, they remain segregated for at least part of the day, says Wayne Sailor. "This has been a major uphill battle," Mr. Sailor, a professor of special education at the University of Kansas, told a group gathered in Arlington, Va., this week during a conference hosted by the U.S. Department of Education's office of special education programs.

Click here to register for this free webinar What: Evidence-based prevention programs are attractive because research shows they can produce good results. The challenge is getting similar results when they are put into practice. Experts on two childhood programs will explain the keys to implementing evidence-based programs and achieving expected outcomes. Peggy Hill, Chief Strategic Relations Officer at the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, will introduce Nurse-Family Partnership as an example of an effective home-based health promotion program during pregnancy and infancy that has been developed through rigorous research and taken to broader scale nationally. She will describe what makes an “evidence-based” program unique, what supports for implementation are crucial for assuring that research-proven outcomes can be replicated in community settings, and how policy and administrative practice can foster success. Kristy Johnson, Director of Special Projects with Invest in Kids will describe The Incredible Years program as another proven early childhood program that supports child development in classroom settings. Kristy was responsible for creating needed supports for broader scale implementation of Incredible Years throughout Colorado, and will share lessons learned from the process of working with a researcher to make a strong program accessible and available to local schools interested in improving outcomes for young children. When: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Mountain Contact: For questions, email rbridge@mentalhealthamerica.net or call 703-684-7722.

Q. IS IT TRUE THAT YOU WERE DOING LAUNDRY WHEN YOU GOT THAT EARLY MORNING CALL FROM STOCKHOLM?

A. Yes. I don’t usually do the laundry so early in the morning, but I was already up, and there was all this laundry staring at me.

Q. DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A BIOLOGIST?

For most of his life, music critic Tim Page felt like an outsider. Restless and isolated, he was overstimulated and uneasy around others. Finally, when he was 45, Page was diagnosed with Asperger's, a syndrome that falls within the autism spectrum. As Page explains in the prologue of his new memoir, Parallel Play: Life As An Outsider, the diagnosis came as a relief: "Here, finally, was an objective explanation for some of my strengths and weaknesses," he writes.People with Asperger's often struggle to interact with groups and understand social norms. Page describes himself growing up as a "very lost little kid" who acted out in school by making faces at teachers and being aggressive with the other students. His ability to connect to others didn't improve with age.

Mooney, who has written two books about the world of so-called “special education” students, told the audience of more than 100 parents, students and educators who had gathered at the Cowlitz PUD building in Longview that the education system broke him down. He simply couldn’t fit in. And before long he was convinced he was “stupid, crazy and lazy.”

Christopher Rodriguez should have started kindergarten last year at PS 28 in the Bronx, but he's starting a year late.

The ability to self-advocate is important for kids to learn in order to be successful at all stages of their lives. In the past, self-advocacy was a term applied mostly to adults with disabilities, but recently more focus has been placed on teaching this skill to preteens and teenagers.

If you read here, or write here, you know the challenges, in a way outsiders don't, of raising a child who is different from other kids. Some differences are more subtle than others, but the differences are there. Some people get it, others don't.

Nominations are now open for the seventh annual Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities Youth Achievement Award. This $1,000 award recognizing the strengths and accomplishments of young people with learning disabilities and ADHD will be given to a student 19 or younger who has demonstrated initiative, talent, and determination resulting in a notable accomplishment in any field—including art, music, science, math, athletics or community service. Honorable Mentions will also be awarded.