The Key to Our Happy Life: Autism Acceptance

This Thursday 5/25 I'll be onstage in Oakland at the very worthy social justice storytelling event Listen for a Change, talking about why autism acceptance matters, from my (parent) perspective. If you're local, you should come! Tickets are free, donations are optional but appreciated, and it always reaches capacity. It's going to be an intense evening, as the other speakers will be talking about sexual assault and foster parenting and adoption. And I'll be doing it without any notes, eep, so if you want to see just how awkward I can be in person, this is your chance.

I'm also still coming down from IMFAR, the International Meeting For Autism Research: it is always a blast, in terms of seeing people I rarely get to see otherwise, and meeting new folks (the science being presented, that is always checkered). But as I told friends elsewhere, IMFAR is like childbirth: I forget how much it wrecks me and how much recovery time I need afterwards—until it happens again. (A roundup will go up on TPGA shortly; in the meantime, check out TPGA's coverage of the IMFAR press conference and several excellent panels, as well as our general Twitter coverage.)

IMFAR, which is changing its name to match its parent org INSAR for the 2018 meeting, is definitely getting better, in terms of incorporating the concerns of autistic people themselves. And as the #AutIMFAR chat TPGA cohosted, and which featured researchers and/or autistic community members illustrated. The value of acceptance was emphasized more than at any other IMFAR I've attended (and this was my sixth). e.g.:

According to Nikko Da Paz of UCSF her study shows the healthiest thing you can do is accept your child's autism #imfar2017

— John Elder Robison (@johnrobison) May 13, 2017

Acceptance is healthy for our family. It makes a huge difference in our overall quality of life, this going with and figuring out what Leo needs, rather than fixating on what he can't do (or what others assume he can't do). We are, of course, also lucky in other areas of life, which is an undeniable factor in our overall happiness. And acceptance is not a magic wand; parts of Leo's life are still very difficult and frustrating for him, and we're still working on helping him figure that out. But acceptance means giving ourselves permission to pursue joy, so let me show you how that looked for us during April.

First, let me tell you my very favorite moment: We are beach people, which in Northern California means staying on the beach itself and enjoying the critters and the plants and the views and the sand (I like sand; sand is squishy)—but not going anywhere near the waves, because, inescapable death (gnarly rip tides, reefs, rocks, sharks). I favor Gray Whale Cove, because it tends to be littered with mussel shells, and I like shells.

When we arrived at the cove during our last visit, I didn't see any shells. And I voiced my disappointment. Then a few beats later my eagle-eyed son, who, like his dad, notices things I don't, walked up to me and presented me with this shell, which I shall treasure always:

[image: pearly inside of a mussel shell]

[image: Leo chilling on a sandy ridge at Gray Whale Cove,
next to actual mostly decomposed gray whale.]

While J. had Spring Break, we shipped her down south for a week: first with her best bud, and then with my mom. Meanwhile, I got to go visit Iz at college for the first time. She is really enjoying being a freshman, and also loves living in a cool new city with lots of concerts. I don't blame her for loving the Pacific Northwest; plus where are the rockin' vegan tiki bars in our area?

Most cocktails are vegan (like Iz) by default: win!
[image: Me and Iz; I'm sipping a Mai Tai out of a bikini
babe glass, Iz is drinking lemonade, both glasses have
the requisite tiki bar tiny umbrellas.]

Her college also does Sakura (cherry blossom time) quite well, as indicated by the throngs of tourists like me taking pictures.

[image: selfie: Me and Iz and cherry trees]

Bonus: Iz and I got to visit with our beloved SJ and family, and even frolic in a burgeoning-with-buds botanical garden.

[image: Four wavy-haired brownish-red-headed white women & girls,
with Cavalier King Charles spaniels, in magnolia grove.]

I also got to witness Iz do her college radio DJ thing, which, for someone as focused on music and concerts as this girl has been for years, is nearly a waking dream.

[image: Iz at a college radio DJ station, with computer
terminal and microphone.]

Between spring breaks, J. finally fulfilled one of her own dreams, thanks to a birthday gift card from Ep, and started a small succulents garden on our back porch. She is determined to avoid being one of those people (like her mom) who drowns succulents by not believing how infrequently they need water.

[image: Jo holding two potted succulents: a barrel cactus,
and a purple-flowering ruschia.] 

And then it was Leo's turn for spring break. We headed north, to check out a train he'd never ridden: Fort Bragg's Skunk Train. On our way, we stopped at Muir Woods and wandered through the spectacular redwoods:

You say signage, Leo says benchage
[image: Leo sitting on a big bronze plaque,
on the main Muir Woods trail.]

We stayed at a hotel in Sebastopol, that town I have long adored for its high density of rare and unusual plant nurseries and unrepentant hippies. Though the latter group unfortunately tends to conflate natural living with anti-vaxxer BS, its pervasive laissez-faire attitude means Leo was openly welcomed everywhere we went as his own enthusiastic self, whether by the staff and patrons at a local Himalayan restaurant, or while playing on a playground meant for and populated by much younger kids and their parents. Spontaneous, natural acceptance makes me exhale from the very depths of my soul, as goofy as that metaphor may be, and Leo certainly appreciates being able to relax while out in public.

[image: Leo drinking a sweet lassi yogurt
beverage at an Indian/Nepalese restaurant.]

And then we went to Ft. Bragg! And rode the Skunk Train! It was awesome! Leo was blissfully happy, so I was too. Highly recommended for train nerds, though note it's best to order tickets ahead of time (which we did).

[image: Leo and me in the Skunk Train's antique passenger car]

Leo was also a good sport about me unlocking a life goal and going to nearby Glass Beach. Which, glassy! Observe:

[image: close up of my hand covered in colorful chunks
of beach glass and pebbles.]

Leo really was OK with going to Glass Beach, because it had lovely small smooth pebbles to swish his hands through and sort, much like our own local Pebble Beach.

[image: Delighted Leo sitting on Glass Beach itself, while rubbing
beach glass and pebbles in his hands]

Our Sebastopol hotel location was based on two factors: proximity to downtown noms, and hot tub access. The second was actually the more important, as, behold:

[image: Beaming Leo in a hotel in-ground hot tub.]

Leo and I also went hiking a lot during his break, since this year's post-super rains wildflower scene was epic.

[image: Selfie of me and Leo in front of a wildflower-
filled meadow]

[image: wildflower meadow without me and Leo]

J. also got some time just for her, as is healthy in any family: A friend invited us on a bio-nerdy critter-viewing trip at a local slough. We saw otters upon otters (literally: little baby otters snuggling with their moms). And so many baby harbor seals looking like fat footballs with big eyes. And Western Grebes doing their parallel mating takeoff from the water! We learned a LOT.

[image: What an actual sea otter cuddle party looks like.]

And we did full-family (minus Iz) events as well, like this hike through yet another wildflower-exploding park, with its bonus waterfall view. J enjoyed identifying different plants, though we're not sure whether this one is a wild carrot or a Queen Anne's Lace.

[image: J pointing to bountiful white-flowering bushes]

J also had a school orchestra concert, and asked to get fancified. This is her version of what that means, which I think is adorable:

[image: J wearing a short-sleeved white dress shirt,
red lipstick, and showing off red-painted nails]

And since it finally stopped raining (not that we're ungrateful for the rain after years of drought), we busted out the hammock Leo's grandmother gave him for Christmas. He approves.

[image: Leo lounging in a rainbow-striped hammock]

The month ended with an event Leo looks forward to all year long: Surfing with Ride-A-Wave. (Santa Cruz has non-inescapable-death beaches.) This all-volunteer-staffed event lets Leo actually go surfing, and boogie boarding too. The volunteers are mostly beatific, chill veteran surfers,. 

And yet this year's experience had a short sharp WTF as we were leaving, and our wonderful, supportive surfer dude aide told me he admired what I did, because I was dealing with such a blessing and a burden. Right in front of Leo. 

I was too stunned to say anything except "he is NOT a burden," and then later tell Leo it was not cool for people to talk about him like he's not there, because he's obviously always paying attention and listening even when he's not being spoken to directly (see mussel shell anecdote above).

[image: Leo doing a beach run and getting a high-five
from his surfing assistant.]

And that, once again, is the difference between awareness and acceptance. When a kind, thoughtful man who means well, did not mean to be patronizing, and who obviously thinks Leo is a cool dude because he has just spend the entire morning having a great time with him, nevertheless thinks that our life is pitiful—then we have to get beyond autism awareness. Way beyond. We have to keep pushing for acceptance and understanding.

Please help me share that message.

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You'll notice that most of these pics represent events in which either Seymour or I were present, not both. That's part of autism acceptance: we don't always get to travel together as a family, and that's OK. I think for many contemporary two-parent families (those for whom travel in itself is  not already a stretch), this kind of compromise seems unbearable or unreasonable—but for us, and for any family whose circumstances limit choices, compromise (which is what accommodations often are, after all) is what you do. 

Reminder: Vaccines have nothing to do with autism. Not a single f***ng thing.

A friend recently asked me to join a discussion on autism and vaccines, in which an acquaintance was parroting, much like our ignorant PEOTUS, the misinformation that vaccines are linked to autism -- and also that anyone who says otherwise has been bought by Big Pharma. Here is my response:

Perhaps a personal story might help.

My high-support autistic son is now a teenager. I initially bought into the message that vaccines caused autism, because in the early 2000s it was not easy for laypeople to get past the media hype on the topic, and find reliable mainstream information.

Post-MIND Institute Session
[image: Leo, a preschool-age white boy,
next to an outdoor picnic table set.]

I enrolled my son in a study on autism and regression at the UC Davis MIND Institute, which was founded by parents who sought cures and believed in a vaccine link. The researchers' conclusion, after reviewing my son's infant, toddler, and preschool-age videos, was that he did not regress or react to vaccines, but rather that he followed a typical autistic path of gaining skills and abilities unevenly, and in some cases more slowly than his peers.

In the meantime, researchers have reviewed data involving millions -- literally -- of kids, and found no link between vaccines and autism. Because there is no link in research, only in anecdotes and testimonials that have never once stood up to scrutiny. Not once.

And even the MIND Institute has shifted its focus to understanding and support, and away from its cure-oriented roots, because the founders' theories turned out to be scientifically implausible.

I've since spend much of my time working with autism scientists and researchers as the senior editor of Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, in order to disseminate the most useful autism information possible. I attend International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) every year, and can happily report that, after years of autism-vaccine papers waning in number, the 2016 conference featured only a single poster on how lingering hoax-based vaccine-autism fears affect the immunization status of autistic kids' younger siblings.

So, no. Vaccines have nothing to do with autism. Not a single fucking thing.

P.S. My son is now fully vaccinated.

Happy! Because of IMFAR & Despite Trial By Fire (Yes, Literally)

Image: Selfie of me & Leo. We are a pale-
skinned, dark-eyed duo. His hair is curly &
brown, mine is short & red.

April's autism awareness/acceptance marathon wore me out, as it does most people involved in autism-centric advocacy. Plus the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) came right on April's heels, and also wore me out. In a (mostly) worthwhile way. And all by choice.

But, both sappily & sincerely, any fatigue vaporizes when I spend my first day home from IMFAR driving around with Leo, and he turns to me with a big smile and declares, "Happy!"

Dude, me too. I'm glad to be back with you and back to our regularly scheduled program. I'm glad that your AAC trial period was a success. I'm glad that the pool is now lovely and warm and swim-ready and we've entered the insta-bliss period of the year.

(...and I'm glad you and your sisters were deeply asleep the night after I got home from IMFAR and woke at 4:30 AM to the smell of smoke. I thought perhaps you or your sisters had decided to experiment with matches or candles (scary but it happens), but quickly realized you were all asleep. Then I followed the smell out the front door, looked across the street -- and saw a wall of flame and smoke, complete with extra-loud crackling campfire noises. I am glad you all stayed asleep while I called 911 and your dad ran across the street to discover that the fire was actually the front patio furniture and built-in benches [BBQ mishap] and that the residents were all OK if, initially, deeply asleep. You might have enjoyed watching him put out most of the fire by himself until the residents and then firefighters pitched in. And I hope you were listening later on when I lectured you about fire safety and keeping the damn long dry grass cut short -- wildfire safety is no joke in these hills, especially not during this super-dry season. We are all spectacularly lucky the entire neighborhood didn't go up. I think I'll continue sleeping with at least one window open until we get some rain.)

But back to IMFAR. Carol Greenburg and I provided live coverage on Thinking Person's Guide to Autism Twitter and Facebook, and you can do a keyword search of the abstracts to see what researchers were presenting. I was pleasantly surprised by conference's progress in terms of minimized pseudoscience (Arthur "scope 'em" Krigsman's "autism is GI immunoinflammawhatzit" poster was a quackery holdout, and was adjacent to an NIH/Hopkins poster stating that immunological abnormalities in autistic kids were "unrelated to autistic symptomatology"). Another surprise: The emphasis, front-and-center acknowlegment that autistic people grow up and age, and that perhaps we need a whole hell of a lot more research into what autistic people who are not kids need?

Image: A swirling, blurry multi-colored carpet
seen from overhead, with a leg & shoe
coming in from the right.

IMFAR as an four day immersive experience was of course very very overwhelming, with all the info and social firehosings. My brain is still rebooting. I found this photo of the conference hotel carpet on my phone amidst the other IMFAR pics -- and, yeah, that's what it felt like. Especially since my computer's trackpad gave out, giving me a 35% chance of being able to click on objects at any time, coupled with flashing and dancing screens, and constant attempts to auto-define words anywhere near my cursor. Really fun, that, especially during live-tweet sessions. (Perhaps Stephen Shore, who was sorely missed this year, could use a similar experience as one of his sensory/disability simulations.) The real-world effects of my computer still being f'd up is that my IMFAR reporting is coming out in trickle rather than traditional firehose mode. But it's coming, so stay tuned.

Thankfully I was able to focus my mindpowers and force my computer to mostly cooperate during the SFARI-hosted IMFARchat TweetChat, during which science communicators, reporters, and autism org reps chatted about autism science & research topics & priorities. And we met so, so many wonderful people during IMFAR and learned, so, so many wonderful things. Carol and I also stayed with my wonderful best friend from high school and ate wonderful food and saw wonderful whale sharks. I am glad I went.

Video description: Whale Sharks! In an Aquarium! With people walking around underneath them!

That gladness was not confined to The Peach State: IMFAR inspired me to take immediate advocacy action in the real world. Right before I left for Atlanta, Leo needed a blood draw. He doesn't like them, but he's usually a sport. His phlebotomist was not; despite my attempts to advise about Leo's needs and concerns and to please not objectify my son, that phlebotomist was vocally less than respectful about Leo in front of Leo. And here's where I will admit to one of my personal failings: I shrink from confronting hostile people IRL. Especially when Leo needs all of my attention, and is extremely distressed. Which means, furious as I was, the phlebotomist got no blowback from me beyond WTF face.

Image: Academic Presentation Poster: "Autism Comes to the
Hospital: Perspectives of Child Life Specialists."
Blue bar on top, three columns of text paragraphs
superimposed on a gray caduceus.

I ruminated and fretted about the incident and my being a goddamn wimp throughout IMFAR. Until I came across the IMFAR poster Autism Comes to the Hospital: Perspectives of Child Life Specialists, which describes tools and strategies for helping de-stress autistic kids in medical situations, and emphasizes the need to train medical staff about autistic needs. So when I got home, I contacted Leo's medical office, let them know who the offender was, let them know what had happened -- and sent them the poster abstract so they could start working on making autism-accommodating tool kits of their own. They took my concerns very seriously and are talking with the phlebotomist.

Just so glad to be home. (And that I had a home to come back to.)

ASF IMFAR Travel Grants - Applications Due Feb 29th!

I was the lucky recipient of an Autism Science Foundation travel grant to IMFAR 2011 -- the International Meeting for Autism Research. The application process was straightforward, and the experience life-changing -- I saw science in action, asked researchers questions in person, reported on multiple studies/presentations for Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, hung out with several incredibly cool people, and was even featured in a local San Diego news segment about the conference.

Lunchmates at IMFAR 2011. Can you identify any?

This year IMFAR is in Toronto, Canada. If you think the $1000 grant could make the difference between attending and not attending, then I encourage you to apply.


 
Details from the ASF website below; the deadline is this Tuesday, February 29th.

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Apply for IMFAR Travel Grant

We are now accepting applications for travel grants to send a limited number of parents of children with autism, individuals with autism, special education teachers, and other stakeholders to attend the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR). This year the conference will be held in Toronto, Canada from May 17-19.

The awards cover up to $1,000 of expenses to be used for registration, travel, accommodations, meals and other directly related expenses, including childcare or special accommodations to enable individuals with autism to participate. Grantees are responsible for obtaining international travel documents.
Applications must be received by February 29, 2012.
Grant Requirements:

• Grantees must submit the original receipts for reimbursement and are expected to submit completed travel expense forms within 15 days of return from IMFAR.
• Grantees are asked to participate in ASF related activities at IMFAR including a group photo and social media promotion. Full details will be shared closer to the event.
• After attending the conference, grantees are asked to share what they learned in their own communities to further spread the knowledge gained within 6 months of attending IMFAR. Grantees are asked to send a short write-up plus photos or a video of their activity for use by ASF.

To apply:

• Open to autism stakeholders: individuals with autism, parents of children with autism, special education teachers, graduate and undergraduate students, journalists, and others.   
• Grants are awarded to US residents only, over 18 years of age.
• Applicants should send a letter to grants@autismsciencefoundation.org describing why they want to attend IMFAR and explaining how they would share what they learned with the broader autism community.  
• Letters should be sent as Microsoft Word attachments of no more than 2 pages, 12-point type, "Arial" font, with standard margins.  
• In the email subject line please write: IMFAR Grant.  
• Letters must be received by February 29, 2012.

Recipients will be announced in late March.

• 2011 IMFAR Travel Grant recipients:
• Geraldine Bliss, Parent
• Matthew Carey,  Parent/Blogger
• Shannon Des Roches Rosa, Parent/Blogger
• Mark Fornefeld, Self Identified Individual with Autism
• Abby Hare, Graduate Student
• Erin Lopes, Parent
• Molly McGrath, Self Identified Individual with Autism/MIT Media Lab
• Brianna Miller, Special Ed Teacher, Newark Public Schools
• Sharman Ober-Reynolds, Parent/Senior Research Coordinator, SARRC
• Megan O’Boyle,  Parent
• Max Rolison, Undergraduate Student

IMFAR 2011: Hat Tips & Memories

I had the best time ever at IMFAR 2011. Apparently people with autism and people who are related to or interested in people with autism are ... my people. Apparently I like nothing more than being freed from the tyranny of small talk while surrounded by unabashed, voluble enthusiasts. Though the frenetic information download pace of the conference itself had me cycling into euphoria then crashing from overwhelm several times each day, these folks made the experience more than worthwhile. (My IMFAR conference and session dispatches can be found at the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism.)

Alison Singer and the Autism Science Foundation provided the travel grant that allowed me to go to IMFAR in the first place, plus an extra-comfy ASF t-shirt that my husband openly covets. It was great to finally meet Alison in person, and staffers Jonathan Carter, Dawn Crawford, and Max Rolison were helpful and cheerful company. I'm additionally grateful to the ASF for facilitating the press pass that gave me leave to hide in the Press Room whenever IMFAR overload shut me down.

Due to a series of coincidences, Matt Carey was my mostly conference companion. He was kind, wry, and every bit as smart in person as he is online. Those who know him from his serious LBRB writings may be surprised to read that I had to beg him to stop making me laugh so much, as one of my sensory issues is a marked aversion to snorting food or liquids out of my nose.

Our ASF Travel Grant compatriot M. C. (Shidash) was also the kind of company I enjoy -- not just smart, not just enthusiastic, but with a marked sense of purpose and community. Plus an appreciation for cheesy toast and cool hats. And hermit crab rights. And service dogs. And app development.

Steve Silberman was the source of many intense, intense, rewarding conversations and ever so many great stories. He's really f***ng cool. I believe I still owe him a round of drinks.

Stephen Shore was only onsite for part of the conference, but radiated pure kindness. It was great fun to watch him tickle the digital ivories on Leo's iPad piano, and I do so wish we lived within driving range so he could help us suss out a way to tap into Leo's musical talents.

John Elder Robison is one of the most effusively inclusive people I've ever met, and was the catalyst behind many impromptu IMFAR social events. Conversations with him about the complexities of motivation, agenda, and community (and also about the Morganza spillway) were enlightening. Did you know his legs are twice as long as mine plus he has twice as much energy? I found this out when a group of us scoured downtown San Diego on a dinner quest.

Alex Plank is as charming as you might suspect from his WrongPlanet.net interview series with John Robison's son Jack. He also had the most deadpan sense of humor onsite. He and his WrongPlanet crew AJ and Noah plus Susan Levy (a force in her own right as well as a compelling conversationalist) were busy busy busy throughout the conference, shooting and editing IMFAR video highlights and interviews.

As I wrote on Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, I was pleased to witness Autism Speaks funding so much of the promising research presented at IMFAR. AS spokespersons Ali Dyer and Peter Bell made real efforts to reach out to stakeholders, which was appreciated.

I was also extremely grateful to my Thinking Person's Guide to Autism team members who couldn't come, for various reasons --  yet were present in spirit, via email, Twitter, text,  and phone. Jen Myers stayed on top of what became a rather frantic TPGA book cover design process -- it is so gorgeous, can't wait to show you all; Emily Willingham fielded my calls about approaching researchers who presented questionable poster material even though she was in the middle of moving; Liz Ditz monitored and reported on the five- or six-ply IMFAR information streams and tweeting topics I both did and did not get to; and Carol Greenburg propped me up and kept me going via email reassurances when that conference overwhelm spiraled from mildly amusing to legitimately distressing.

Final thanks to Seymour and the kids for the indulgence of five days away from home, and also to my mom for letting me stay with her during the conference. Not only was my mom the best company of all, but staying with her meant coming home to this view every night.

Grateful, grateful, grateful.

Proof I'm at IMFAR

San Diego's Fox 5 covered the IMFAR press conference, including an interview with me (and cute pix of Leo):

At IMFAR

The photo above was taken by a green hairy monster. How many folks can you identify?

I've written two IMFAR posts for TPGA already: one about yesterday's tapas-style press conference overview of IMFAR research and presentations, and also this morning's IACC overview by NIMH director Tom Insel.

More to come, head over to www.ThinkingAutismGuide.com and LeftBrain/RightBrain to stay updated.

Leo's iPad Raffle

photo (c) 2010 Kelly Nicolaisen

Leo just got an iPad 2. Since he won his original iPad -- you know, the one featured in Apple's iPad: Year One video on the left -- with a raffle ticket, we decided to raffle that iPad off to a new owner.

Congratulations to winner Megan Savage!

Update: The raffle is over, you helped us raise $890 for the Autism Science Foundation! Amazing.

Please go to Leo's iPad Raffle Crowdrise page to make your donation and buy your virtual ticket.

The winner will also receive the following free apps, courtesy of their developers:

• Dr. Seuss's ABC by Oceanhouse Media
• Bob Books by Learning Touch
• TouchTrainer by Orderd.com
• Turn Taker by Orderd.com
• Quibble Kids by Chess Pie Media
• Swapsies by Spinlight Studio
• TallyTots by Spinlight Studios
• Speech With Milo: Verbs by Doonan Speech Therapy
• Speech With Milo: Prepositions by Doonan Speech Therapy
• Speech With Milo: Sequencing by Doonan Speech Therapy
• All About Me by I Get It! LLC
• Color Mix for Kids by EightFold Education
• Be Confident by Electric Eggplant
• Zanny: Born to Run by Extra Special Kids LLC
• GraceApp by Steven Troughton-Smith *NEW* 
• The Three Little Pigs Interactive Storybook by Nosy Crow Apps *NEW*
• iCommunicate by Grembe *NEW*
• Yum Yum Yum by PicPocket Books *NEW*
• What A Pest! by PicPocket Books *NEW*
• Wednesday is Spaghetti Day by PicPocket Books *NEW*
• Tractor Mac Arrives by PicPocket Books *NEW*
• Snuggle Mountain  by PicPocket Books *NEW*

We're asking $10 for each virtual raffle ticket (since that's the minimum donation for Crowdrise, the fundraising org), but if you can, please donate more! All donations will go directly to the Autism Science Foundation, as a thank you for my IMFAR travel grant.


Raffle ends at noon PST on Friday, April 29th, the winner will be announced at 1 PM PST, and will be selected using Random.org.

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Fine print:

• Entrants are bound by the rules laid out on this page.
• iPad will arrive as is: one used 16 GB iPad 1 with case and charger, no warranty or Apple Care. We are not responsible for damage en route or technical problems upon receipt.
• The iPad will be restored to its original factory settings. The new owner must set up a an iTunes account, and install any apps.
• Entrants must be both (1) a legal resident of the United States and (2) at least eighteen (18) years old.
• Entrants are responsible for any federal, state, county or other local income taxes.
• Entrants agree to waive, discharge, release and hold harmless Shannon Des Roches Rosa from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, or damages of any kind arising from or in connection with this raffle.
• We cannot accept entries before or after the eligibility period. We are not responsible for lost or misdirected entries.
• Winners are responsible for confirming notification and providing a valid U.S. mailing address within 72 hours. If winners do not contact us within the 72 hour time frame, we will select an alternate winner. We are not responsible for winners' lost or misdirected emails, tweets, or Facebook messages.

Come to San Diego for IMFAR, Stay for the iPad Workshop

Are you going to IMFAR, the International Meeting for Autism Research? IMFAR's goal is "to provide ASD researchers from around the world with a focused opportunity to share the rapidly moving scientific investigation of ASD."

I was lucky enough to be awarded an Autism Science Foundation IMFAR Stakeholder travel grant, so I'll be in San Diego May 11 through the 15th, covering IMFAR for The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism. I'm looking forward to getting my head blown off by the flood of information on latest in autism science -- though admittedly my noggin's already been knocked partially askew just from looking over the preliminary conference schedule, which has attendees fully immersed from 8 AM to 8 PM the first two days, and 8 AM to 3 PM Saturday.

As I was already going to be in town, the Autism Society San Diego kindly invited me to do an iPad workshop on Sunday, May 15th from 11 AM to 3 PM. If you're interested and you're going to be around, come! It'll be fun, though, ahem, not free. Here's what we'll be doing (and I write "we" because Janine, the Good Karma Applications Inc. powerhouse who developed Leo's beloved First-Then Visual Schedule app will be on hand as well).

In this Hands-On Workshop you will learn: how to determine if the iPad is an appropriate fit for your child; a survey of helpful apps and how to use them, and resources for getting funding and justifying a school district/insurance iPad purchase. Shannon Des Roches Rosa will give an expert, parent perspective on her son Leo's iPad story. Shannon and Leo were featured in Apple's iPad: Year One Video. Participants are encouraged to bring their iPad or iTouch devices so you can check out features as we talk! Not required for participation.

And somewhere in there, I'll be hitting Rigoberto's Taqueria and getting a Biciclette cocktail at the La Valencia.

Very much looking forward to San Diego.

Vrrrrrooooom!

Here's Leo riding his first-ever go kart racer with his dad, while we were in Phoenix over the holidays. He had a great time!

This is also a good representation of the clip at which are days are going lately. Don't blink, is all I can say.

There are two massive top secret projects on the front burner, I'm hoping I can share the news about them eventually.  But even just living the lives we've arranged for ourselves is not an endeavor for the faint-hearted or the easily winded, not lately.

So I'll likely be re-evaluating participation in a number of those day-to-day things, mostly with an eye towards improving quality of life with my family by being less tired and therefore less grumpy and twitchy, and snagging more hours of sleep than I can count on one hand per night. Reasonable goals.

I have to say, I am really proud of The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, even though crafting the associated book in a manner than does its content justice has taken longer than we editors anticipated. But as for quality of content: In the last two weeks on TPGA I interviewed vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit about the most commonly held public myths about immunizations,  I interviewed investigative reporter and The Panic Virus author Seth Mnookin about why we need to hold the media resonsible for allowing vaccine fears and misinformation to proliferate, we featured Mark Osteen's powerful insights on his son's never-ending attempts to talk despite largely uncooperative wiring, and Jennyalice wrote a barnstormer, When Medication Is the Right Choice -- a post I think should be posted on every parenting forum in the country (or dropped on the head of every parent who has ever gone around proclaiming "I could never medicate MY child" because they've been fortunate enough to have a child who doesn't require medication just to get through five minutes of a day, let alone an entire day).

I'm also considering going to the IMFAR conference this year. Have any of you ever been? What did you think? From the INSAR website:

The International Meeting for Austism Research (IMFAR) is an annual scientific meeting, convened each spring, to exchange and disseminate new scientific progress among ASD scientists and their trainees from around the world. The first and primary aim of the meeting is to promote exchange and dissemination of the latest scientific findings and to stimulate research progress in understanding the nature, causes, and treatments for ASD.

Also, I'll be speaking on iPads for people with special needs at the UCSF Developmental Disabilities Conference on March 10th. Our key note speaker will be Surgeon General Regina Benjamin:

Dr. Regina Benjamin, [...] our major keynote speaker [will] address issues related to diversity among health care providers serving an increasingly diverse population of children and adults with autism and other disabilities.

Here's info about the conference itself:

This conference provides a practical and useful update for primary care and subspecialty health care professionals caring for children, youth and adults with complex health care needs and developmental disabilities. This year’s topics offer new perspectives, research findings and clinical guidelines, including an overview of relevant information for pediatricians, family physicians, internists, and nurse practitioners who are involved in the care of individuals with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities.

Even though the conference is geared towards health professionals, much of the information will be useful for families, too. I'd be so grateful to see familiar names and faces.

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By the way, it's Jennyalice's birthday today. Please go wish her joyeux anniversaire (she has a thing for French).