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AutismHearts.org was represented in the Christmas parade with a float created on a wagon loaned by the Romberger's. Those who attended passed out candy canes and information about early awareness of autism and about AutismHearts.org All had a lot of fun. Many residents of the valley braved the cold to watch the parade. It was a nice beginning to the Christmas season!

I have been invited to represent Autism Hearts at an Early Learning Conference being held in April at the Sayre theater. The organizers have asked that at least one session address Autism. I am delighted to be a part of this. I will keep you all updated with our progress.

Autism Hearts is also in the planning stages of sponsoring a conference for the public related to autism awareness, hopefully prior to our walk in the spring. Again I will keep you updated as more details develop. Sandy

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Heartstrings will be a feature each month for readers to share personal stories. If you would like to submit a story for the newsletter, please send it to me at
AutismHearts@stny.rr.com Please know that this newsletter is on the internet, so anything you say can be viewed by anyone. If you wish to submit a photo, attach it to the story. Also, I must be able to reserve the right to edit for space and content if necessary. Sandy

Reader's Reviews
Have you read a good book on Autism lately?
If you have and would like to share a title and make a comment about it, please email it to me at
AutismHearts@stny.rr.com
I will then place it here for all to share! Sandy

Note: The contents of this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the AutismHearts organization.

Animals in Translation
by Dr. Temple Grandin
Interesting story about autistic author's experience with animals and her theory that they think like those with autism.
Recommended by Sandy

Show your support for the ABLE Act. To find out more click here.
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What Does Happy Look Like? Find out here.

Early Intervention for Toddlers With Autism Highly Effective, Study Finds

So I thought, preschool may help this.. Well, naturally the preschool teacher had a very hard time with him as Ed threw chairs across the room.. Also, in the preschool years, Eddie escaped our home a few times, and I considered my self to be pretty diligent keeping our kids in tow. My husband put up a padlocked, wooden 6 foot fence around our backyard and put in extra locks with alarms. We couldn't take those chances again. I was in tears alot, trying to figure out what is causing all this that is happening to him. He couldn’t communicate it well, I couldn’t understand nor grasp what was going on. I always, in the back of my mind, thought about common autistic behaviors, but didn’t think he “could be that serious” with some denial mixed in. Meanwhile, someone did explain to me that Autism is a Spectrum, ranging from lower functioning children to higher functioning children.

Wow! I thought! In utero, this baby boy is very active! “All boys are active” I kept getting from everyone including my doctor, so I thought nothing of it.. When Edward (Eddie) Samuel Bard was born at Robert Packer Hospital on Mother's Day, May 11, 2003, 6:23 pm, there was a tornado watch in Bradford County, plus I had an emergency cesarean section due to his heart rate decreasing with every contraction I was having. It became very scary for both Tim (my husband) and I, yet we got through it and gave birth to a healthy 8 pound 7 ounce baby boy and baby brother to his, then, 22 month old big sister Christina Anne.
As a baby, Eddie was very sensitive to everything! He cried and woke up from naps very easily and I was very concerned. Again, I was told that boys are different, that they are more active and as they get older they test you and get physical, etc.. so I thought, okay,, Eddie will be quite the challenge as we raise him.
As he got older, he smiled and laughed constantly at times. When other parents were hearing from their kids, “momma” and “dadda”, we were getting laughs, smiles and consistent staring at our ceiling fans. I would call his name and he wouldn’t look. We would try to talk with him and he always would seem to be in another world. At this stage, he never talked, just stared a lot, smiled and laughed. Instead of attempting to ever talk, he would physically get me and pull me over to the refrigerator for juice or pull me into our toy room to engage in his play,which was lining up any toy he can find.   At this stage, I was told that boys typically take longer to develop and talk and not to worry. With all disciplinarian actions taken as well as monitoring him at playdates, Mommy instinct couldn’t help but find his overall behavior alittle odd.

So we had him evaluated and he qualified for early intervention services due to delayed speech and understanding, saying he is mildly learning disabled. Then we took him to a pediatric neurologist who diagnosed him with PDD-NOS which is Pervasive Developmental Disorder, non-specified. Then in order to receive services in the mainstream school setting, we had him evaluated by a psychologist who diagnosed him with Autism Spectrum Disorder-High Functioning.
Today, Eddie is 6 years old, mainstreamed in the 1st grade. Academically, he is quite intelligent, has a fabulous memory and can tell us things that happened maybe 3 years ago, but has a hard time comprehending what he reads and struggles with expressive as well as recessive language, voice intonation, some sounds, etc.. He also has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) that he was recently diagnosed with, and wears a medication patch that works for him quite successfully. He has his days of successes and days of challenges. His challenges with speech have definitely been over since the age of 4. He enjoys engaging in conversation even when it doesn't make sense, and has a fabulous sense of humor!
If it's one thing we've learned about being parents of autism, it's about being open to others ideas even if we think it may not work for our child and trying those ideas. I think it's cool too that we can accept each others techniques because what may work for your child, may not work for mine. There is no clear cut cure, but there is always HOPE, understanding and love!!.. Despite Eddie's difference, we always love and accept his uniqueness till the end of time. Thank You for letting us share our story : ) We love and respect Autism Hearts! Go Sandy!! God Bless to all that endure this.. We must never give up HOPE!!

Tip of the Month

Twelve Tips for Helping People with Autism and Their Families Have a Happy Holiday While many happily anticipate the coming holiday season, families of people on the autism spectrum also understand the special challenges that may occur when schedules are disrupted and routines broken. Our hope is that by following these few helpful tips, families may lessen the stress of the holiday season and make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved. The following tips were developed with input from the Autism Society, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, Easter Seals Crossroads, the Sonya Ansari Center for Autism at Logan and the Indiana Autism Leadership Network.. 1. Preparation is crucial for many individuals. At the same time, it is important to determine how much preparation a specific person may need. For example, if your son or daughter has a tendency to become anxious when anticipating an event that is to occur in the future, you may want to adjust how many days in advance you prepare him or her. Preparation can occur in various ways by using a calendar and marking the dates of various holiday events, or by creating a social story that highlights what will happen at a given event. 2. Decorations around the house may be disruptive for some. It may be helpful to revisit pictures from previous holidays that show decorations in the house. If such a photo book does not exist, use this holiday season to create one. For some it may also be helpful to take them shopping with you for holiday decorations so that they are engaged in the process. Or involve them in the process of decorating the house. And once holiday decorations have been put up, you may need to create rules about those that can and cannot be touched. Be direct, specific and consistent. 3. If a person with autism has difficulty with change, you may want to gradually decorate the house. For example, on the first day, put up the Christmas tree, then on the next day, decorate the tree and so on. And again, engage them as much as possible in this process. It may be helpful to develop a visual schedule or calendar that shows what will be done on each day. 4. If a person with autism begins to obsess about a particular gift or item they want, it may be helpful to be specific and direct about the number of times they can mention the gift. One suggestion is to give them five chips. They are allowed to exchange one chip for five minutes of talking about the desired gift. Also, if you have no intention of purchasing a specific item, it serves no purpose to tell them that maybe they will get the gift. This will only lead to problems in the future. Always choose to be direct and specific about your intentions. 5. Teach them how to leave a situation and/or how to access support when an event becomes overwhelming. For example, if you are having visitors, have a space set aside for the child as his/her safe/calm space. The individual should be taught ahead of time that they should go to their space when feeling overwhelmed. This self-management tool will serve the individual into adulthood. For those who are not at that level of self-management, develop a signal or cue for them to show when they are getting anxious, and prompt them to use the space. For individuals with more significant challenges, practice using this space in a calm manner at various times prior to your guests' arrival. Take them into the room and engage them in calming activities (e.g., play soft music, rub his/her back, turn down the lights, etc.). Then when you notice the individual becoming anxious, calmly remove him/her from the anxiety-provoking setting immediately and take him/her into the calming environment. 6. If you are traveling for the holidays, make sure you have their favorite foods or items available. Having familiar items readily available can help to calm stressful situations. Also, prepare them via social stories or other communication systems for any unexpected delays in travel. If you are flying for the first time, it may be helpful to bring the individual to the airport in advance and help him/her to become accustomed to airports and planes. Use social stories and pictures to rehearse what will happen when boarding and flying. 7. Know your loved one with autism and how much noise and activity they can tolerate. If you detect that a situation may be becoming overwhelming, help them find a quiet area in which to regroup. And there may be some situations that you simply avoid (e.g., crowded shopping malls the day after Thanksgiving). 8. Prepare a photo album in advance of the relatives and other guests who will be visiting during the holidays. Allow the person with autism access to these photos at all times and also go through the photo album with him/her while talking briefly about each family member. 9. Practice opening gifts, taking turns and waiting for others, and giving gifts. Role play scenarios with your child in preparation for him/her getting a gift they do not want. Talk through this process to avoid embarrassing moments with family members. You might also choose to practice certain religious rituals. Work with a speech language pathologist to construct pages of vocabulary or topic boards that relate to the holidays and family traditions. 10. Prepare family members for strategies to use to minimize anxiety or behavioral incidents, and to enhance participation. Help them to understand if the person with autism prefers to be hugged or not, needs calm discussions or provide other suggestions that will facilitate a smoother holiday season. 11. If the person with autism is on special diet, make sure there is food available that he/she can eat. And even if they are not on a special diet, be cautious of the amount of sugar consumed. And try to maintain a sleep and meal routine. 12. Above all, know your loved one with autism. Know how much noise and other sensory input they can take. Know their level of anxiety and the amount of preparation it may take. Know their fears and those things that will make the season more enjoyable for them. Don’t stress. Plan in advance. And most of all have a wonderful holiday season!
(tips from Autism Society of America)

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