The Department of Public Instruction is redefining the Standard Course of Study into the Essential Standards. The program is called ACRE, the Accountability and Curriculum Reform Effort. Additionally, it was determined that the Occupational Course of Study (OCS) was not rigorous enough. The OCS is also being aligned with the new Essential Standards. There have…
A Simple ‘Night Out’
A Simple ‘Night Out’ Memorable times often come as surprises. In the midst of an event, you get that feeling that you are lucky to be there. You look around and the moment is richer than everyday experience. And it grows in quality. For days, for weeks, often much longer, you feel that you were…
Statement By Secretary Sebelius on National Autism Awareness Month
During National Autism Awareness Month, we reflect on an urgent public health challenge and rededicate ourselves to addressing the complex needs of people with autism and their families. Over the last decade, we’ve learned that autism is far more prevalent than we had previously believed, affecting one out of every 110 American children. While we…
Residential Issues To Be Reviewed in the NC Legislature
The next meeting of the Joint Study Committee on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Law Enforcement, Public Safety, and First Responders will be Thursday, April 15 at 1:30 pm, in Room 643 Legislative Office Building. If you are not able to attend, you can listen to the proceedings; select Room 643 LOB. The Committee will be…
Local author has penned an amazing new memoir about her life with her son Chase
Local author has penned an amazing new memoir about her life and her son Chase, who is The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes.
SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD…
Please join the Autism Society of North Carolina and many other organizations in the campaign to eliminate the derogatory use of “retarded” in common usage. You might think that this isn’t very important, but consider this: words and how they are used can change attitudes, social policies and laws, and influence our feelings. The civil…
No Hitting! Just like we tell our kids…
Join the Autism Society of NC and others in a coalition to ban the use of corporal punishment (CP) on students with disabilities! Past attempts to ban CP for all students have not been successful on a statewide basis, but we hope to at least protect students with disabilities by this ban. At last week’s…
Good Excuses to Buy an iTouch or iPod…
First-Then Visual Schedules I bet Apple didn’t realize that their iTouch and iPod would be so popular with people with autism…but spending $500 for an iTouch with some helpful apps beats buying an augmentative communication device (aug comm.) for $1000 or more. You’ve probably seen the articles about young people with autism being able to…
Think spring, think surfing!
The annual Surfer’s Healing event will be held Thursday, August 19, 2010. Surfer’s Healing was founded by Israel and Danielle Paskowitz, parents of a child with autism. Their son, Isaiah, was able to enjoy relief from sensory overload while surfing with his dad, a former competitive surfer. Israel and Danielle decided to share this positive…