Having used the autism ribbon for several years, I'm curious as to how this will play out - and if it will go to court. Not that I have any ill will against the Autism Society of America (ASA), but I think this move is most disgusting and I am really hoping that there is an attorney out there that can help other organizations that have been using the puzzle ribbons or pins fight the ASA on this "trademark."
Yes, the ASA really is an organization that wants to work with other autism organizations. Not.
It seems Australia has much of the same problems that we do here in the US. I would be a rich person if I got a quarter for each time the school system took credit for what we did in our home program.
You know kids with autism are in trouble when the Special Olympics World Games doesn't even recognize the disability. Here are a couple quotes from the article that puts my hairs on end:
" 'The athletes signed a code of conduct ... They are like any other human being; they are responsible for their actions,' Schmutz said."
[even with autism, you are expected to not have autism]
Read the quote below. The same could be said of developmental disabilities - ESPECIALLY autism. It will be interesting to find out where future adults with autism will live, in homes with parents, group homes, or prisons. Will our prison system become the new mental health hospital like California?
Issue:
The US House passed H.R. 1350, the Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities Act of 2003, which reauthorizes the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) The provisions in H.R. 1350 and in its companion bill, H.R. 1373, the IDEA Parental Choice Act of 2003, jeopardize educational quality for the most vulnerable children in our public schools. In this era of "Leave No Child Behind," the House is proposing to do just that: to leave behind children with disabilities.
Starting on the February 24th strip at Doonsbury Online, you will find various pokes at Oregon schools. An interesting read and definitely some truth to it.
"Reading Is Fundamental," says the bumper sticker. "If you can read this, thank a teacher," says another. Whom do you thank, or blame, if you can't read — or read well?
A very interesting article from a teacher who claims schools and districts can hold a child in the special ed system due to labels and funding. Also of interest is her description of the need for good reading programs and proper teaching procedures:
An excellent article in Exceptional Parent Magazine/September 2002 by Patricia H. Mueller, EdD.
Somewhere along the line something went wrong. Special education has become a system that depends heavily on relatively untrained, underpaid, and devalued staff members to provide instruction to our most challenging students. That is what I call the "paraeducator paradox."
I normally don't pursue these articles but this one sums up the issues very nicely.
New York Times: November 25, 2002 By BOB HERBERT
Thimerosal is a preservative that contains mercury and was used for many years as an additive in some routinely administered children's vaccines.
Fears developed a few years ago that the additive might have been causing dangerously elevated levels of mercury in infants, resulting in neurological
impairment and, in some cases, autism.
By Steven R. Shaw, NCSP, Oct. 2002 Article found here
Anyone who works with children with autism, learning disabilities, or mental retardation has observed the child who craves being held tightly, the child with high pain tolerance, the child with tactile defensiveness, the child who is clumsy, and the child who cannot tolerate tags on the inside of
A very interesting compilation (with cited references) as to why the education system doesn't serve our children, listen to research, and just do their own "thing."
I happen to agree with all points Dr. Kozloff makes. Brilliant man.
If you want to know my "beef" with the educational system - this is the exact reason. He makes all the points I could ever dream of.
Talk about hanging your dirty laundry out for everyone to see. This article is not for the faint of heart. If regular education is that bad, what is special education like in the state of Oregon?
Eclecticism is such a popular term in the field of education. It has such a worldly cosmopolitan ring, doesn't it? When I hear someone say they have an "eclectic" approach to a problem they either (a) do not understand the problem, (b) do not have a solution, or (c) both.
