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When: February 8, 2011 12:00 - 1:00pm Where: Mansfield Health Education Center Room 7 Billings, MT Target Audience: Primary Care Providers to include but not limited to Family Practice, Pediatrics, Emergency Department physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, and all other healthcare providers of pediatric/adolescent patients Lecture Specific Objectives: At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to: Discuss the pathophysiologic changes associated with brain trauma in children. Identify emotional and cognitive short and long term sequelae of brain trauma in children. List effective therapies for emotional and cognitive sequelae of mild brain injury in children. Series Objectives: At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to: Apply current medical guidelines in the treatment of pediatric/adolescent patients.  Utilize multidisciplinary approach to the management of complex pediatric patients. Recognize the need for consultation and/or referral to pediatric specialists/subspecialists in a timely manner. Discuss the diagnostic approach and treatment of variety of pediatric diseases. If you would like to attend via videoconference contact: St. Vincent Healthcare University at 406.237.3348 or email svhu@svh-mt.org.  Reservations for videoconferencing must be made at least 24 hours prior to live activity.

What: Our monthly Autism Support Group Meetings have been a success with parents coming out to share stories and ideas. Please join us at the next meeting and help us grow our network of parents and caregivers. Because there will be an open discussion between parents and caregivers about daily challenges of autism, we ask children not attend the meetings. Also, visit our website for great information about autism as it affects Montanans and find us on Facebook under the name “Montana ASA”. Where: Summit Medical Fitness Center, Meeting Room #3 205 Sunnyview Lane in Kalispell, MT When: Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 7-9pm Mountain Contact: Tim Tepas Founder, Autism Society of America – Northwest Montana Chapter www.MontanaASA.org Tim@montanaasa.org (406) 257-8758

Shortly after my daughter Campbell’s first medical emergency, I noticed that I was much more agitated, anxious and always on alert.  This caused me to suffer from insomnia, panic attacks and depression.  I began talking with other parents and did my own research, finding I was not alone.  

Click here to register for this event What: Dr. Grandin didn't talk until she was three and a half years old, communicating her frustration instead by screaming, peeping, and humming. In 1950, she was diagnosed with autism and her parents were told she should be institutionalized. www.templegrandin.com/ If you have seen the HBO movie "Temple Grandin" you know how important Eustacia Cutler, Dr. Grandin's mother, was to her success. Come and hear her first-hand account of raising Temple Grandin at a time when Autism barely had a name. As part of the conference, Ms. Cutler will be the featured guest at an evening reception for parents of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder. In addition to keynote presentations, multiple breakouts sessions each day will feature a choice of educational, medical, adolescent/adult, and family support strands. Lighting the Way welcomes family members, educators, social workers, childcare providers, support professionals and other community members to attend the event. CEUs and college credit hours will be available. A pre-conference session is scheduled for June 8th. Dr. Barry Grossman and Dr. Ruth Aspy, founders of the Ziggurat Model, A Framework for Designing Comprehensive Interventions for Individuals With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome, will present a day-long workshop. Full conference information and on-line registration available at: www.augie.edu/autism When: June 9 and 10, 2011 Where: Sioux Falls Register: A limited number of stipends are available to help SD families with a member with an autism spectrum disorder attend the conference.   Please contact SD Parent Connection at 1-800-640-4553 or sdpc@sdparent.org to request a stipend.

What: D.R.E.A.M. (Down syndrome research, education, advocacy in Montana) was started as a local support group for families of children with Down syndrome. The goal of D.R.E.A.M. is to provide financial grants to families in need of medical, educational and therapeutic assistance. It also helps to provide and distribute "New Parent Packets" to families with infants diagnosed with Down syndrome. The Bozeman Buddy Walk is the primary fundraiser for D.R.E.A.M. and a portion of the money raised will also go to the National Down Syndrome Society. The Buddy Walk® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. When: September 24, 2011 Registration begins at 10 AM.. The walk begins at 11 AM and will be followed by a complimentary lunch donated by many local businesses.  Contact: For more information, contact Ryan Robinson at dreambuddywalk@gmail.com

To reserve your Webinar seat, Click Here What: This presentation will discuss a program at Rush University Medical Center that can improve the hospital experience for those with I/DD. It includes a pre-hospital tour program, a telephone hot line for special needs accommodations, procedure specific information booklets, an addendum to the nursing admission form, and enhanced staff education. Attendees will be able to identify hospital services that may improve the hospital experience and outcomes for adults with I/DD. This presentation is appropriate for anyone who cares about those with I/DD and their well being. Please complete this health survey before the Webinar begins: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QYW6WHP When: Monday, July 25, 2011 at 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM Mountain

Click here to register for this webinar What: Come and learn about the many low ($1-15) and mid-priced ($20-60) iPad apps out there to meet the needs of people with communication difficulties. These apps range from simple to complex, from word-based to icon- or picture-based. They are designed to facilitate communication for users of various ages and in various settings, including home, school, the community, and medical settings. See them, hear them, and hear what we think of them so you can make more informed choices about which to try for your particular situation. Learning Objectives: Gain an understanding of current accessible technologies avialable for people using an iPad or iTouch Learn the features of several low- and mid-priced communication apps Understand different considerations to make informed purchasing decisions When: Monday, October 17, 2011 12:30pm - 1:30pm Mountain Audience: K-12 Teachers, Therapists, AT Specialists and Anyone working with individuals using alternative forms of communication.

Click here to download the flyer for this event (PDF) What: Each session will include an interactive opportunity as well as an opportunity for questions and answers with open table discussions. This training provides a time for you to learn and ask your questions about: Working, job choices Driving Going to college Friends When: September 13, 2011 7:00pm - 8:00pm Mountain Where: Mansfield Health Education Center 1145 North 30th | Billings MT Located in the Lower Level of the Yellowstone Medical Building West To reserve your spot or find the videoconferencing location in your area, contact: St. Vincent University at 406-237-ED4U (406-237-3348) or email svhu@svh-mt.org

Influenza is a contagious, upper-respiratory disease caused by many different strains of influenza viruses. While many people use the imprecise term “flu” to describe 24- or 48-hour bouts of illness, real influenza can interfere with normal daily activities for as long as a week. Influenza is not a minor inconvenience. As many as 200,000 Americans are hospitalized because of it each year, and as many as 36,000 die of the disease or complications associated with it. Children under age 1, people 65 or older, and people suffering from underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of serious complications.

As of January 2008, Montana screens all newborns with: (1) a metabolic screen (bloodspot test) for the 28 conditions recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Medical Genetics; and (2) a hearing screen (the 29th screened condition).

30-second TV spot

Our society is confronting many serious, chronic medical issues, including AIDS, diabetes, obesity, cancer, Alzheimer's, MS, heart disease, and autism. What do all those conditions have in common? Every one is something you live with for a long period of time; in some cases all your life. Furthermore, every one has one or more strong advocacy organizations who speak for people affected by the condition.

The drug, currently called STX107, targets altered brain connections that appear in individuals with fragile X. Researchers hope that the drug will force the brain to make normal connections therefore improving learning capabilities in those with the disorder.

no sooner has Asperger consciousness awakened than the disorder seems headed for psychiatric obsolescence. Though it became an official part of the medical lexicon only in 1994, the experts who are revising psychiatry’s diagnostic manual have proposed to eliminate it from the new edition, due out in 2012. If these experts have their way, Asperger’s syndrome and another mild form of autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (P.D.D.-N.O.S. for short), will be folded into a single broad diagnosis, autism spectrum disorder — a category that encompasses autism’s entire range, or spectrum, from high-functioning to profoundly disabling.

Much of the growing prevalence of autism, which now affects about 1 percent of American children, according to federal data, can be attributed to Asperger’s and other mild forms of the disorder. And Asperger’s has exploded into popular culture through books and films depicting it as the realm of brilliant nerds and savantlike geniuses. But no sooner has Asperger consciousness awakened than the disorder seems headed for psychiatric obsolescence. Though it became an official part of the medical lexicon only in 1994, the experts who are revising psychiatry’s diagnostic manual have proposed to eliminate it from the new edition, due out in 2012.

Our mission is to to empower all Children & Young Adults with Chronic Medical Conditions and Disabilities, and their families, to obtain Quality Health Care by building on the unique perspectives of Physician-Parents.

the myth that vaccines cause autism has led to ideas. Dangerous ideas, and not because they “challenge” medical orthodoxy. These ideas are dangerous because they have direct consequences for children with autism. These consequences take the form of subjecting children to unscientific treatments that are ineffective at best and harmful at worst, sometimes even life-threatening.

The drug Abilify has received federal approval for treatment of irritability and aggression in children with autism, the drug’s makers say.

The Children's Clinic mission for the past 60 years has been to provide quality medical care and promote the well-being of infants, children and young adults. The providers at the clinic are excited about opening a second Westend location on June 6, 2011 at 3401 Avenue E. Check out http://www.childrensclinicofbillings.com for more information.

Because of stigma, lack of awareness about mental health and poor medical infrastructure, few autism prevalence studies exist outside of the U.S., Canada and the U.K. "Even though it seems like anybody and everybody has heard of autism, in many places in the world it's still sort of a new topic," says Charles Zaroff, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Macau in China. Zaroff and Grinker are part of a small but growing group of researchers charting autism in new territories. Rigorous autism screening studies are underway not only in South Korea, but in Mexico, India and South Africa. In the past year, prevalence estimates from Brazil1, Oman2 and Western Australia3 have been published in mainstream journals for the first time.

In honor of World Autism Awareness Day, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has released its Summary of Advances for 2010. Twenty articles that were published in 2010 were selected across each of the five areas of focus on the IACC strategic plan. Autism Speaks’ Chief Science Officer, Geri Dawson, Ph.D.,  is a member of the committee and was pleased to see advances across the range of autism research and said, “It is encouraging to see the diversity of scientific advances that were made in 2010.“ Dawson noted, “studies that were deemed especially noteworthy included environmental research, genetic discoveries, new early intervention approaches, and assessment of medical conditions such as GI problems and mitochondrial dysfunction.”