MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'idea?'. Tue, 04 May 2010 18:25:56 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3108514&cid=t_304982_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FUYqddaIpkVM%2Flooking-for-a-last-minute-holiday-gift.php Then look no further!  I recently received my first shipment of wine from the Wall Street Journal Wine club and I have to say that I'm impressed!  My parents ordered a case of wine from them, and spoke very highly of them.  I'm no wine expert by any means, but a case of wine for $69.95 is an excellent deal.  Plus, the wines are all excellent quality.  Well, at least the one that I tried is!I ordered a case for my sister-in-law for the holidays, and I hope that she enjoys hers as much as we've been enjoying ours.  If you need to get a last minute gift for someone, I'd recommend them.  (And no, they haven't given me a dime to say this, either.)We received the reds case, but you can get a mixed one, or a case of whites if that's what you prefer.  There ... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3108514 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0100 3108514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096830&cid=t_304982_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FervoE_9HwTI%2F By David BoazThe city of Alexandria, Virginia, passed a law in 2005 to require that each cab respond to two dispatch calls every day. WAMU reports on the results: Says [driver Chaudhry] Ahmed, “If they’re going to do this kind of stuff, then for sure we’ll be out of business and standing in line at the unemployment office.” Alexandria created the rule back in 2005 to prevent taxi drivers from spending all their time picking up fares at hotels and the airport. Since that time, one company has closed because it couldn’t meet the requirement and another has been put on probation. But Transportation Chief Bob Garback says the city doesn’t want to shut anybody down: “Our objective is just to make sure that we have reasonable taxi service here. Shutting companies down doesn�... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096830 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:59:57 +0100 3096830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037105&cid=t_304982_180_f&fid=38608&url=%2F%3Fp%3D1007 Photo by zanzibar This is the first in a series of posts that showcase things I’ve learned during my recent honeymoon travels. My new wife and I decided to go on a Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon, and with the help of the most knowledgeable traveler I know, we booked an amazing week-long cruise. Lynn made me promise to leave my laptop at home, and we decided both of our phones were going to remain off for the entire trip. (Little did we know that it costs a ton to have wifi connection and even phone service on a cruise.) We wanted to spend time with each other, without worrying about the outside world. And then a funny thing happened. I had an absolute deluge of creativity. Aside from hanging out with the most beautiful woman in the world for a week, I managed to: write 5 posts ... LifeDev blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037105 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:42:24 +0100 3037105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386953&cid=t_304982_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F03%2F6-ways-to-prepare-for-withdrawal-from-an-antidepressant%2F This year, I celebrated my 2nd anniversary of being Paxil-free. (The “hurray!” I feel compelled to type here is a complete understatement of my joy.) Back in 2004, I started taking the drug under the advice of my primary care physician for panic attacks and anxiety. After growing (very) disenchanted with its frustrating side effects, I decided to quit. A row of split and shaved Paxil fragments, lined up in descending size, that I took near the end of my taper. Here’s the CliffsNotes version of my withdrawal attempts. First attempt: Cold turkey. (Bad idea.) Second attempt: Wean by 50% each week by splitting pills into halves and quarters until I’m down to zero within a month or two. (Also a bad idea.) Third attempt: Wean at 10%-25% dosage by splitting/shaving pills ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386953 Sun, 03 May 2009 16:03:09 +0100 2386953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2168411&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FrbwY6uRMG4A%2F The stimulus package currently in congress is set to double spending on special education, and as someone who went to one special education school that was overcrowded to the point they were renting classroom space and another school that could barley pay for new lightbulbs I’m against the stimulus package - heres why. We have one [...] This is an excerpt from an article on AspieWeb.net, A blog writen by an Autistic Blogger. (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2168411 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:22:10 +0100 2168411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1952957&cid=t_304982_105_f&fid=36987&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FIvorKovicMd%2F%7E3%2F449620703%2F TIME magazine picked top 50 innovations of 2008. Among them there are some related to medicine. 1. The Retail DNA Test 14. The Bionic Hand 21. The Synthetic Organism 24. Bionic Contacts 33. Biomechanical Energy Harvester 50. A Camera For the Blind (Source: Ivor Kovic, M.D.) Ivor Kovic, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1952957 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:04:41 +0100 1952957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1889058&cid=t_304982_140_f&fid=35448&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseemedlikeagoodideathetime.com%2F2008%2F10%2F20%2Fseroquel-scoring-snorting-for-science%2F I’m finally doing a followup series to “Seroquel Snorters, My New Best Friends” with the help of a guest reporter who chooses to be know as: SWIM (someone who isn’t me) *** Here’s my line of thinking: Seroquel, an atypical antipsychotic comes with some very serious side effects (diabetes, high blood pressure, liver problems, tardive dyskinesia, neuroleptic [...] (Source: bipolar chicks blogging) bipolar chicks blogging blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1889058 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:38:28 +0100 1889058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825672&cid=t_304982_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadultaddstrengths.com%2F2008%2F09%2F24%2F25-idea-capturing-tools%2F Most people have 2-3 times as many ideas than they can do in a day but adults with ADHD often have 5-10 times as many. What’s worse is that ADHD adults usually have problems with working memory, distraction, impulsivity and disorganization so it’s easier for us to have those ideas to slip away. If an ADDers writes their ideas down on random scraps of paper, they might as well toss em out the window. Better chance of finding them. Glen at LifeDev has a good post on 25 tools to capture those fleeting ideas, divided into analog tools, web, mac, windows and phone based tools. I like the Recording MP3 watch, and have recently been using one of the small moleskin notebooks which I wish I got years ago. Different tools work for different people and most need more than one tool. One th... Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825672 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:47:56 +0100 1825672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809835&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FGQkDOYKaDiw%2F The September 18th New York Times reports that Congress has passed the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act, a “major civil rights bill” that expands protections for disabled individuals and makes it easier for workers to prove discrimination. The bill also expands the definition of disability and restores the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act: The bill declares that the court went wrong by “eliminating protection for many individuals whom Congress intended to protect” under the 1990 law. “The Supreme Court misconstrued our intent,” said Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the House Democratic leader. “Our intent was to be inclusive.” In an effort to clarify the intent of Congress, the bill says, “The definition of disability in this act ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809835 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:17:22 +0100 1809835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775746&cid=t_304982_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2FpHSd1-Z2cmw%2F Micky of the breastfeeding blog Mocha Milk started a thriving business called 9 Months and Beyond, LLC. It offers childbirth and breastfeeding support. She wants to grow the business even more, and has entered the Ideablob $10,000 contest. Here’s what her entry says: 9 Months & Beyond, LLC offers a full doula services, lactation support and parenting education. We combine the best resources of a doula agency and pregnancy/ parenting boutique with a respectful, supportive community. From conception through the first years of parenting, we help birthing families through a range of counseling and educational services and products designed for their special circumstances. Specialties include: birth/labor doula services childbirth education birth tub rental breast-pump rental lactati... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775746 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:49:18 +0100 1775746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1723507&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fuhh98bV9Ni0%2F According to the August 20th Amity Observer, families of special education students in Orange, Connecticut, are starting the school year with more than a few concerns about their children’s placements and the “dismissive attitude” of school administrators. One family also describes their experience with the use of restraints on their children—what I’d call a punitive, and certainly not, an educational measure. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, Education, idea, schools, special educationShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1723507 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:33:20 +0100 1723507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1536714&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F317326614%2F An Oklahoma judge has ruled in favor of the Cashion School District against a family seeking appropriate educational services for their twin autistic daughters, 7-year-old Kaitlyn and Kayleigh Berry. From the June 21st Hays Daily News: “Obviously, I’m very pleased with the outcome,” said Cashion Superintendent Todd Garrison. Barry wrote in an e-mail Friday to The Oklahoman that he will review the decision and pertinent case law before deciding his next step. The family has the option to appeal the decision to a second hearing officer from the Oklahoma Special Education Resolution Center, which handles due process complaints for the state Education Department. Any party can appeal to district or federal court after that. Barry’s daughters were diagnosed with autism i... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1536714 Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:30:43 +0100 1536714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1463860&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F295948444%2F We’ve had our problems with school districts and at (low) one point took Charlie out of school and homeschooled him for a month back in the fall of 2005. But things were always pretty local. In Louisiana, the St. Landry School Board is being investigated by the US Department of Education. According to WDSU news: According to a letter from the office of civil rights, the department is investigating whether the board failed to identify Port Barre Elementary School students who need special education services, failed to evaluate students who qualified for services and failed to provide services for the students once they had been identified. Concerns about the services provided for students with special needs have crossed into the district’s 43-year-old desegregation case. The com... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1463860 Thu, 22 May 2008 16:48:22 +0100 1463860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1414964&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F281856555%2F What gets “disclosed” and what does not was the issue at the center of the recently released document concerning Hannah Poling. I have “disclosure” and “transparency” of a slightly different sort on my mind right now. Charlie’s IEP meeting is today and, amid reading over documents and evaluations and forms, reading up on IDEA at Wrightslaw, writing up some things, reviewing the draft IEP, I’ve been thinking about how key good, honest, and trusting communication is not only in creating Charlie’s IEP, but for his education as a whole. Charlie’s speech is very limited and—aside from what I observe in his behavior—we rely completely on the reports from his teacher to find out how his day at school went. In Charlie’s ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1414964 Fri, 02 May 2008 08:06:34 +0100 1414964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1331441&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F259255051%2F We’re still going back and forth with Charlie’s case manager about a time for his IEP and annual review—-the district seems to want to have students’ meeting by the end of April (although it is possible for any member of the Child Study Team (CST) to call an IEP when that member wishes to; I understand there is a need for districts to get the meetings done to plan ahead for personnel and other administrative reasons). There are some dates and times that Jim and I just cannot make a meeting as (1) we both have classes to teach ourselves; (2) where we both work—-Manhattan for Jim and Jersey City for me—is nowhere near where we live. At first it was proposed that Jim “attend” the meeting via a conference call but there’s nothing like face-... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1331441 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:00:46 +0100 1331441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1319397&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F255661361%2F Just emailed our school district about Charlie’s upcoming IEP meeting—for the past two years, the district has been sending us a letter with the time, without first asking us when we can meet. My husband Jim and I are both college professors and teach classes throughout the week—Monday April 7th at 11.30, when the district informed me our meeting will be, I’ll be teaching my students about the many types of participles in ancient Greek. I’m hoping that this question of the time of the IEP is the main and even the only conflict—since we first met with a Child Study Team in St. Paul in the spring of 1999, we’ve had our full share of contentious, unproductive, and depressing meetings. In preparation, I always review the Individuals with Disabilities E... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1319397 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:08:45 +0100 1319397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1311118&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F253743793%2F The first thing to keep in mind is that “classification” is not the same thing as a diagnosis. So writes Andrew Tirrell, a lawyer with the nonprofit organization Advocates for Children of New York, in City Room on the New York Times website (March 17). Tirrell took questions from parents and readers about the rights of students in New York City public schools; two parents asked about how getting an autism diagnosis for their children might affect the services and programs that might be received (I have italicized some sentences in the excerpts below): My son has been medically diagnosed by Blythedale Children’s Hospital with PDD-NOS and more recently with Asperger’s Syndrome by a private psychologist. We want our son classified as autistic because his disruptive educational behavio... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1311118 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:00:15 +0100 1311118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1304978&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F251690785%2F “I don’t understand why it has to be so adversarial…..”Why can’t they listen to these parents and get a clue that maybe they have some merit?” So Melissa Van Hook, who has two boys on the autism spectrum, says about the Gilbert School District in today’s Arizona Republic. Van Hook and a former special education teacher, Holly Reycraft, who has a 10-year-old son, have filed formal complaints against the district. State officials have found “no violations.” Van Hook says that she and her husband were not given “given the opportunity to provide input on their son’s plan,” while Reycraft states that “school district failed to ensure she and her ex-husband were both present at the planning meeting.” Other parent... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1304978 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:51:56 +0100 1304978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1207470&cid=t_304982_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F229979960%2Ffollowing-up-banning-food-for-obese.html Yesterday I wrote about the Good Idea/Bad Idea legislation Mississippi was considering that would make it illegal to serve obese people food. Since I wrote about it, the news wires have been flooded... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1207470 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:56:27 +0100 1207470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1204682&cid=t_304982_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F229327269%2Fgood-idea-bad-idea-ban-serving-obese.html In today's edition of Good Idea/Bad Idea: Good Idea: Educating people about healthy eating and activity, and why it's necessary for body health to be active in a variety of ways (cardio, strength... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1204682 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:43:39 +0100 1204682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1126230&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F209975169%2F I’ve referred more than once to Charlie’s liking for all things polarfleece, and soft, and fast-drying, and machine-washable. (Well, the last two refer to my preferences for his clothes and numerous blankets.) Soft (clothing for all children) is a new line of “inclusive clothing” to be launched in December 2008; it is “designed with the needs of all children in mind, including those with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, and a range of sensory sensitivity.” The company uses “flat seaming for extra comfort, 100% of the softest combed cotton, wide collars, printed labels, custom fits, and much much more.” Soft (clothing for all children) is a start-up company founded by a Brooklyn educator, Jessica Elsas: Go here to read About.com’s po... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1126230 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:30:02 +0100 1126230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1088749&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F199005059%2F Senator Barack Obama has unveiled his plan to empower Americans with Disabilities: This is an overview of the full plan (PDF file) and a short video message can be heard here in which Obama says “we must build a world free of unnecessary barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination……..policies must be developed, attitudes must be shaped, and buildings and organizations must be designed to ensure that everyone has a chance to get the education they need and live independently as full citizens in their communities.” Obama’s plan has four parts: (1) providing Americans with disabilities with the educational opportunities that they need to succeed; (2) ending discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity for persons with disabilities; (3) increasing the emp... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1088749 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:00:59 +0100 1088749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1081610&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F197220644%2F I live in the New Jersey suburbs precisely because it’s here that we’ve found the right kind of autism school program for Charlie. I work in Jersey City, which is an Abbott District, meaning that—-due to its socio-economic classification and other factors–it is considered a “special needs” school district, receives supplemental funding from the state, and is overseen by the state. It would be nice to live in Jersey City, much closer to my job, but it’s a suburban school district that can provide the sort of education and supports that Charlie needs; I’ve enough of a sense of the other problems in Jersey City schools from students who have student-taught in a local high school, and from a friend who teaches middle-school science. The Governor... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1081610 Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:00:21 +0100 1081610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=974713&cid=t_304982_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2F23%2Fvial_thirtythree_and_more.php My apologies for no post today - home events kept me away from the computer for a while, but everything's settled back down now. I've had several e-mails the last couple of months asking about "Vial Thirty-Three", the saga of which can be found (in reverse chronological order) here. (More specifically, the first time that particular experiment worked was the May 18, 2006 entry, and you can scroll up from there if you wish). When last heard from, I was cranking away on a batch of experiments to finish before the Wonder Drug Factory closed its doors at the end of January. The last ones got run just before they pulled the electrical plugs out of the walls, and a lot of interesting things came out of them. They were interesting enough, in fact, that they suggested a whole new series of ideas... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=974713 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:45:44 +0100 974713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=941873&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F168026210%2F The Supreme Court has ruled that New York City schools must reimburse former Viacom executive Tom Freston for private special education for his son, who has learning disabilities. The Supreme Court voted 4-4, with Justice Anthony Kennedy not participating, and thus upheld a lower court ruling that sided with Freston. According to that ruling, even though the student was enrolled in a private school and his learning disabilities were diagnosed after he was enrolled in it, the city had to pay for the student From today’s Associated Press: The New York City board of education had asked the justices to take the case after a lower court said that tuition reimbursement is available to the parents under the Individuals With Disabilities Act. Lawyers for the boy’s parents said the spec... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=941873 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:28:43 +0100 941873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=645216&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F120280040%2F How often do you observe your child in his or her classroom? What is the school’s attitude about your visiting? Are you told you can only observe for a set period of time? only during certain times of the year? Are you able to talk with your child’s teacher in advance of your visit about how your child will handle your presence in the classroom, and also your leaving? Are you able to send in one of your child’s home therapists or consultant to observe? And what happens when you see something that you feel attention needs to be called to? A family from Verona in upstate New York, the Knights, was “systematically kept away from their autistic son Kyle’s classroom because they spent “too much time in the classroom,” according to Kyle’s mother Tammie Kni... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=645216 Mon, 28 May 2007 15:31:20 +0100 645216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=564709&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fieps-and-non-academic-goals.html Photo credit- kirkland73Somewhere this last week, on someone's blog, I read about a person's son having services dropped at school because he was doing well academically. I've been looking all day, and now can't find whose blog it was on. I like to link to the original sources of the ideas I get, but can't find it now.As I recall, the blogger in question raised the quite legitimate questions of what about preparing their child for "real world" skills. Things like communication, independent transportation, doing laundry, etc.Indeed, the closer one's child gets to "aging out" of the educational system and the few supports it provides, the more one's mind turns to the question of "What's next?" and "Is he prepared?". Susan Senator, on her blog, has recently been advocating forming a new organ... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=564709 Tue, 24 Apr 2007 04:42:00 +0100 564709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=524320&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Freal-men-go-to-ieps.html In the US, the central event in getting a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for your child is the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting. In theory, the meeting is a convocation of all the people that are involved in your child's education, including the parents as equal partners. Teachers, OT's, SLP's, the school principal, autism specialist, etc. are all to join together with you to come up with the most appropriate plan for the coming year(s). Unfortunately, in practice one often feels as if they were on trial in a courtroom in a dictatorship. Many things go on behind the scenes, many are pre-scripted, and it often feels futile to raise any objections to what the "court" has already decided. I've been thinking about these meetings while reading some of the things one of my ... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=524320 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:04:00 +0100 524320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=490151&cid=t_304982_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadultaddstrengths.com%2F2007%2F03%2F21%2Fbeing-super-charged-all-the-time%2F Senatorsmith blogs about what his experiences with ADHD are like. A really good post on what’s it like to have ADHD He blogs about some of the negatives in other ways it’s like being super-charged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, what do you know, but you’ve got another idea before you’ve finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, but of course a third idea intercepts the second, and you just have to follow that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of impolite words that miss the point completely. - Unequivocally me… ever had a discussion with me where I ramble onto multiple tangents and also mentions our well known sense of time blindness. What is it like to ha... Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=490151 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 06:09:36 +0100 490151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=487195&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fwhat-difference-day-makes.html .It was only yesterday that I was flying high, rejoicing in the good news regarding an autistic young adult being accepted and honored in our department.This morning, right before going to work, I log on and peruse a couple of blogs, and what do I see but this story, quoted by MommyGuilt ....On Monday, February 26, a 6-year-old autistic boy was read his rights and charged with Assault II for jumping on his special education teacher. This arrest was made when he and his mother went to pick up some files at the Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Police Department ...I think that the reason that this case struck me so hard was that many of the facts of this case seemed to parallel what had happened to our son a year and a half ago....Prior to jumping on his teacher, he was removed from his current classroom... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=487195 Sat, 03 Mar 2007 02:23:00 +0100 487195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=487198&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fand-justice-for-all.html Tomorrow (Tuesday, 27th of February, 2007) the Winkelman case is scheduled for oral arguments before the Supreme Court of the United States.I know this may be boring to those outside of the US, but this is something that is important to all parents of special needs kids in this country. Basically, the question at hand is whether parents can be allowed to represent their children before a Federal court when cases under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are tried. Generally speaking, only a lawyer can practice law, and one must be hired to represent you before the court. And, in an ideal world, we all would like an attorney to represent us and our child's interest when appearing in court. There are only two problems with that. First of all is the shortage of lawyers trai... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=487198 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 04:08:00 +0100 487198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=487005&cid=t_304982_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F08%2Fbig-idea-neurodiversity.html A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Soulard Idea Market here in St. Louis. As part of the event, our host Matt Homann posed a few topics for discussion in a session he dubbed 'idea speed dating.' One of the topics was, “What is the most compelling idea you’ve heard in the last year?” My response: Neurodiversity. You can read my post about this on my other blog, No Straight Lines. I don't say much, except to throw the idea out there for people who don't live in Autismland to consider. Obviously, comments are welcome here or there.tagged as: Autism, Soulard Idea Market, Neurodiversity. (c) by Brett Miller 2005-2007 Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License . (Source: 29 Marbles) 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=487005 Fri, 25 Aug 2006 22:27:00 +0100 487005