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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Facts, diagnosis, treatment, questions and answers, data and statistics, research, screening tools, training and education resources, and free materials for consumers and health professionals. Includes materials in Spanish and Russian. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic & Prevention Network Screening, diagnostic, surveillance, intervention, prevention, and training tools for health professionals, social service providers, and researchers. Includes diagnostic software, instructions on using a four-digit diagnostic code, and photographs to use in diagnosis. Medline Plus: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Information for consumers including overviews, news, research tools, reference material, and links to additional information sources. National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) An online information packet, electronic newsletters, public service announcements, a national and state-by-state resource directory, a list of NOFAS state affiliates, and tools for educators, including a school-based FASD education and prevention curriculum http://www.nofas.org/about/K-12Curriculum.htm> developed in partnership with CDC. PubMed Over 18 million citations and abstracts from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles indexed by the National Library of Medicine back to the 1950s, with links to full text articles when available. Search tips: Enter the term “fetal alcohol syndrome” or the term “fetal alcohol spectrum” in the Search box. Click the Limits tab, and choose the box for Humans and the box for English (or other desired language). Limit the search by date to retrieve only more recent items. SAMHSA Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Center for Excellence Downloadable fact sheets and brochures, links to state resources and legislations, model programs, a publications database, and training courses. University of Wisconsin, Madison: Pregnancy and Alcohol Information on alcohol and pregnancy and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, including fact sheets, self-help guides, research findings, and answers to frequently asked questions. Expert advice offered via e-mail or toll-free information line (800) 752-3157.

Innovations in computer technology in the last 20 years have changed the way most people live, work, shop and communicate. Education has changed, too. Now students can upload assignments to a class website, email questions to their teachers, and work on assignments with distant peers using instant messaging, online discussion forums and wikis.

Twenty years ago, a simple, standardized way to link together pages of text via the Internet was invented, and the World Wide Web was born.  Perhaps equally amazing as this innovation are all of the commercial communications advances that were either nascent or not even invented then  – email, Smartphones, GPS, and the rechargeable batteries that power laptops, cell phones, and cameras to name a few.   For as powerful as these inventions were in changing the lives of so many Americans, we recognize that technology has the power not just to entertain but to enhance our work-life experience and connect us to our families and communities. This is particularly true for the approximately 54 million Americans with disabilities.

When: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 Time: 1p.m. - 5 p.m. EST Location: State Capitol Building, Room 303 Participants will acquire the following skills in just four hours: Produce and recognize the hand shapes of the Manual Alphabet; Knowledge of the rules of ASL Produce and recognize 24 ASL phrases Produce and recognize signed numbers Awareness of ASL resources

an encyclopedia on assistive technology that anyone can edit.Articles contributed to this site will be viewable from the assistivetech.net website.

Inexpensive and Easily Available Toys That Work for Children with Special NeedsWhen a birthday or holiday rolls around, I can usually get a nice assortment of age-appropriate toys for my typically-developing children for less than $100.  But just one adapted toy for my child with cerebral palsy can be anywhere from $50 to $200.   In an attempt to find some alternatives, I asked a group of moms what off-the-shelf toys worked well for their children, who have a wide range of disabilities, including physical, behavioral, developmental, and sensory disabilities.  I've included a variety of their favorites in this article.

In a much anticipated release, at this year’s Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference HumanWare and Code Factory debuted Oratio for the BlackBerry, the first-ever screen reader for the visually impaired using this smart phone. Oratio uses text-to-speech technology to convert the visual information displayed on the BlackBerry screen into audio output. Finally, visually impaired persons who don’t have an iPhone can have an accessible experience (the iPhone uses Apple’s proprietary VoiceOver screen reader.)

Another view: MMR vaccination vindication By The Associated Press - 02/10/2010 It has been obvious for years that a British study positing a possible link between a common vaccine combination and autism failed the physician's injunction to "do no harm." Still, it's significant that the influential medical journal that published Dr. Andrew Wakefield's discredited study in 1998 finally has retracted it.The decision by the Lancet won't change the minds of some parents. It will not entirely dispel the conspiracy theories about how the medical establishment covered up a connection between autism and the MMR vaccine, which protects infants against measles, mumps and rubella. Still, the conclusive repudiation of what has been a sacred text for the anti-vaccination movement should reassure at least some of the families that have refused to accept an overwhelming medical consensus that MMR was safe as well as effective.

For complete information on the Call for Proposal requirements and submission process, click here: 2010 Call for Proposals This year's conference will highlight the elements of the first TASH National Agenda: Inclusive Education Community Living Employment Human Rights People of Color The 2010 conference will focus on innovative practices to promote inclusion and reduce the disparities experienced by individuals with significant disabilities in schools, community living, and employment. The conference will also address human rights concerns and issues often faced by people of color. All people have the right to lead dignified lives where personal choices are honored and cherished. Who Should Attend? Adult Service Providers  Advocates/Self-Advocates Early Interventionists Educators/Special Educators Family Support Professionals Legal/Public Policy Parents/Family Members Professors/Researchers

Thousands of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries have learned how to stay in control of their benefits while enriching their lives through employment. You can too. Join us for a FREE Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE) Webinar

There is a wide range of assistive technology (AT) tools available to help individuals who struggle with reading. While each type of tool works a little differently, all of these tools help by presenting text as speech. These tools help facilitate decoding, reading fluency, and comprehension.

Book publishers have some Harry Potter-like magic in store for books that will debut on Apple’s new iPad platform. Live glossaries, audio and video notes users can create right in the text, taking live quizzes and having them scored in the book—all these details are expected to go live, according to Josh Koppel (pictured), chief creative officer and cofounder of ScrollMotion, which develops iPhone and ebook applications for book publishers.

For most blind computer users, surfing the internet or catching up on e-mail means reading just one line at a time, because commercially available braille displays can’t show full pages of text. Researchers from North Carolina State University now say they have devised a display that would allow visually challenged users to read a full page at a time — and at a much lower cost than existing displays.

Lit2Go is a free online collection of stories and poems in Mp3 (audiobook) format. You can: Download the files to your Mp3 player and listen on the go, Listen to the Mp3 files on your computer, View the text on a webpage and read along as you listen, Print out the stories and poems to make your own book.