Tag Archives: autistic spectrum disorder

Pick of the Week: The Language of Perspective Taking

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Work on social language and help your students feel more comfortable in social situations as they learn to see things from someone else’s point of view with The Language of Perspective Taking. An important milestone in a child’s development is seeing things from the perspective of someone else. The ability to understand another’s point of view contributes to the development of pragmatic language and communication and is a cornerstone of literacy as well.  
This interactive workbook has pages for both students to work on and guides for teachers that explore emotions, empathy, and how feelings are affected by various factors and experiences.

This week only, save 15% on The Language of Perspective Taking by entering the promo code BLOGLPA at checkout.

*Offer expires on March 20, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

Sensory-Friendly Showings of The Lorax, Mirror, Mirror and more at AMC

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AMC and Autism Society of America have teamed up once again to bring sensory-friendly special screenings of current, hit movies to families. The auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and audience members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing.

March 10 – Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax

April 7 – Mirror Mirror

May 5 – Pirates! Band of Misfits

June 2 – Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

All shows are at 10:00 am local time.

Click here for a complete list of participating theatres.

Pick of the Week: Teaching Language to Children with Autism

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Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities is the foundation for anyone looking to implement a Verbal Behavior program. Based on B.F. Skinners behavioral analysis of language, this manual presents a concrete language assessment and intervention program. Relying on the notion of errorless teaching, the authors explain the theory and methodology behind the Verbal Behavior approach to teaching children language.

The book provides information on preparation for language intervention, including a brief language assessment with interpretive guide in order to determine the best place to start intervention according to an individual child’s needs. There is also information on augmentative communication and how to assess it’s importance and necessity, as well as the form it should take. It also addresses the development of initial communication skills for nonverbal children and teaching more advanced language and social skills.

This week only, save 15% on Teaching Language to Children with Autism and Other Developmental Delays by entering the Promo Code BLOGTLA at checkout.

*Offer expires on March 13, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

New App for Teaching Language to Children with Autism is Now Available!

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 New York, NY, March 5, 2012 – Different Roads to Learning, Inc., a global retailer of educational products for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disabilities, today announced the launch of Tell Me About It! Learning Language by Receptive Function, Feature & Category, an iPhone/iPad app for developing early language skills.

This app uses Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a systematic teaching approach that involves breaking down skills into small, easy-to-learn steps. ABA is the only evidence-based effective intervention treatment for Autism endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United States Surgeon General.  The Tell Me About It! App is now available for $9.99 at itunes.

“A new wave of educational apps has been on the rise since the iPad first launched; now, they are more efficient and visually stimulating than ever. These apps are especially pertinent in the early education of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. We are pleased to develop the Tell Me About It! App, which covers the basic foundations of language for children diagnosed with Autism. Our Tell Me About It! App for the iPhone and iPad allows parents and professionals to apply ABA in any setting,” said Julie Azuma, CEO of Different Roads to Learning, Inc., which she founded in 1995 after her daughter was diagnosed with Autism.

“Mimicking an actual one-on-one instructional session with a therapist, the app utilizes Discrete Trial Teaching, a method of teaching students with Autism and other language or developmental delays by breaking skills into the smallest possible steps, teaching each step intensively until its mastered, providing repetition, prompting incorrect responses, and using positive reinforcement. It’s like having a personal tutor at your fingertips,” said Abigail Schlaifer, VP Sales & Marketing.  She added, “Teachers, parents, and psychologists can delve into the Teacher’s Console to control the difficulty settings for each student, and will appreciate the Student Report Card, which displays data for each student with an option to email results.”

About the Development of the Tell Me About It! App

The concept for this app was developed by Stacy Asay, LMSW, and Abigail Schlaifer for Different Roads to Learning and created by Infusion, which combines expert software engineering with appealing user experiences.

Different Roads to Learning was one of ten small businesses selected for the CEO-UBS Small Business Advisory Program, a philanthropic partnership between UBS Wealth Management Americas and the William J. Clinton Foundation. As a participant in the Program’s New York Metro Area pilot, Different Roads to Learning received six months of pro-bono strategic financial and business advice from a UBS Financial Advisor and a dedicated client. The app is a product of this mentorship program. For more information, visit itunes.

Here are the reviews on the app:

 

About Different Roads to Learning

Founded 17 years ago by the mother of a child diagnosed with Autism, Different Roads to Learning understands and embraces the unique needs of every child on the spectrum and strives to enable parents and professionals to help children grow to their full potential by offering over 500 of the most progressive and carefully researched quality products in support of the Autism Community. Visit www.difflearn.com. Read our blog.  Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

For more information, please contact:

Product: Abigail Schlaifer, (212) 604-9637 or abigail@difflearn.com

Media: Julie Huang, Kaimen Company for Different Roads to Learning, (888) 989-8808 x703 or (917) 807-0718 or julie@kaimenco.com

Call for Conferences & Workshops

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We strive to help our readers be informed about upcoming conferences, workshops, and trainings on ABA, Verbal Behavior and Speech-Language Therapy. If you know of an event that will help parents and educators of children with autism or other developmental delays, please let us know about it! No matter how big or how small. You can email info about your event to abigail@difflearn.com.

We’re always happy to send catalogs or a door prize for your attendees so don’t hesitate to contact us. Help us help our parents and teachers educate and inspire!

We’ll let our readers know about your event on our Facebook and Twitter pages as well as on our site where we keep a running list of upcoming conferences at https://www.difflearn.com/events.

Pick of the Week: The ABA Graphing CD

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ABA, Discrete Trial Teaching, Verbal Behavior Analysis, Natural Environment Teaching, and Incidental Teaching Programs share one necessary common feature: Data collection and analysis! The process of translating collected data to interpretable, organized, meaningful visual displays can be a daunting, time consuming task for behavior analysts, parents, and teachers. The ABA Graphing CD will help you save time while making professional behavioral graphs. It contains a preformatted Excel™ spreadsheet for 30 ABA programs; a step-by-step guide describing and showing screen shots; a daily Data Sheet; Monthly Data Sheet; and ASAP™ Preference Assessment Form.
The preformatted spreadsheet allows you to enter data for up to 30 different ABA programs. Entered data automatically updates an individualized graph for that program and instantly produces high quality behavioral graphs. Each program is preformatted for three different steps. The CD is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

This week only, save 15% on the ABA Graphing CD by entering the Promo Code BLOGABAG at checkout.

*Offer expires on March 6, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

AUTISM PARTNERSHIP’S LATEST STUDY PROVES SUCCESS OF INTENSIVE THERAPY

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AUTISM PARTNERSHIP’S LATEST STUDY REVEALS PROMISING TREATMENT RESULTS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Historically considered a lifelong disorder, a new study published in “Education and Treatment of Children,” reveals that intensive behavioral treatment can have life-changing results for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. (www.autismpartnership.com)

 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been regarded as an extremely serious disorder that severely impacts the lives of children and their families.  The prognosis has been bleak at best and the future was one of restricted opportunities. Although treatment based upon Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has provided strong evidence as to its effectiveness, many of these studies fell under harsh scrutiny and were considered controversial across the field. However, a new study conducted by Autism Partnership to be published in Education and Treatment of Children answers many of these critiques and criticisms.

The study, which tracked 64 students ranging from age 1.5 to 8 years, spanned four countries – the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Australia. Each child underwent an average of 22.5 hours of ABA treatment weekly (provided in schools, homes and clinics) for roughly 3.5 years. The results demonstrated that 45 out of the 64 children’s IQ’s increased an average of 22.5 points.  Such a significant increase demonstrates not only the effectiveness of intervention but is predictive of future success in school.  Moreover, these children were able to successfully participate in general education classrooms.

                “It is so gratifying to be part of life changing treatment which will enhance the quality of children and families lives,” says Dr. Ronald Leaf, lead author of this study.  “But parents should understand that this treatment is not a miracle nor is it easy.  It is a long journey, with ups and downs and numerous challenges to overcome. It requires everyone who touches the child’s life to work together in partnership.”

                Autism Partnership is one of the nation’s premier agencies dedicated to providing intensive behavior intervention for children with autism and their families. Established in 1994 by world-renowned psychologists Ron Leaf and John McEachin, Autism Partnership offers a comprehensive program and a variety of proven services, including in-home, in-classroom and one-on-one, as well as lectures and workshops. All programs are handled by expert staff and tailored to each individual child, family and caregiver, with the goal of helping that child achieve their best life. For more information, visit www.autismpartnership.com.

 

Tell Me About It! Sweepstakes – Win A Free Copy of Our New App!

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 Different Roads to Learning is thrilled to offer you the chance to win a free copy of our latest iPhone/iPad App for teaching language to students with Autism or speech and language delays: Tell Me About It! Learning Language by Receptive Function, Feature & Category. This special offer ends on February 17, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST.

 Tell Me About It! teaches the label, category, function, and features of more than 235 language targets over 6 levels of incremental difficulty with over 1000 unique testable attributes. The presentation of each language target conforms to an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) discrete trial program, with reinforcement provided by a token economy system. Once the user collects the given number of tokens, they are rewarded with an adorable 5-10 second animation clip of the token character.

 Tell Me About It! provides a self-contained discrete trial program that error corrects and provides direct reinforcement to the student while collecting and synthesizing data for up to 10 students. There is a Student Report Card in the format of a data sheet that displays data for each student, with an option to email the results.

For complete details on our sweepstakes and to enter, click here! 

Currently, our new app Tell Me About It!is being sold in the iTunes store for $9.99. You have the chance to win it for free by entering our Sweepstakes!

 To learn more about Tell Me About It!, visit the store in iTunes by clicking here! 

 

The Art of Alex Masket

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A friend of ours recently introduced us to the art of Alex Masket and we were so blown away by his talent and process, we wanted to share it with all of you. Alex is 24 years old and has severe autism, which greatly inhibits his ability to communicate verbally. According to his website, Alex is a “completely self-taught artist whose work is focused on the interaction of color and form. Utilizing various media in unorthodox ways to realize his vision, Alex has a wholly individualistic process, creating pieces that are intricately composed and beautifully balanced. Alex throws his whole body into his creations, using a highly kinetic process akin to drumming.”

 

The United Nations Postal Administration is issuing stamps in recognition of World Autism Day on April 2, 2012. The goal is for the stamps, and the artists who designed them, to raise awareness about what is now a global cause. has chosen Alex’s Lego® composition “Kinetic Blue” as one of eight images in its Autism Awareness commemorative stamp series. You can read more about all of the stamps and the artists in the UN Press release here.

In addition, Dennis Connors created a must-see award-winning short documentary about Alex and his work titled Breaking Boundaries: the Art of Alex Masket. You can see the trailer below and the full film on Alex’s website at alexmasket.com.


We hope you enjoy and are as moved by the art of Alex as we are.

Share Your Experience: Call for Photos

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Would you like to be featured in the next Different Roads catalog? We’d love to shine a spotlight on you and your child’s journey. Send us a photo of your students using your favorite product from Different Roads. Or send us one that captures your child’s triumphs, both large and small. We’ll be honoring your experience in our next issue.
 
If you’re interested in participating, send a photo with your name and contact information to abigail@difflearn.com with the subject line CATALOG PHOTO.