What better time to teach social skills to children with ASD than at Christmas!

Santa would so approve. 

            I believe that all children with autism want to please their parents, teachers, friends, speech therapist, and yes, Santa. I believe they don’t always know how. In fact, I know they don’t know how to make the right social choices. Many people without ASD don’t make good social choices either.

          Christmas is a perfect time to make comparison lists of right vs. wrong, good compared to bad, and in Santa terms, between naughty and nice. Start making your lists of naughty and nice things to do for the holidays and compare them. Talk about them. Do the nice ones – together.

          Acts of “niceness” at Christmas

encourage good social choices year round.

Dan Wheldon was killed right before our eyes last week, 10-16-11, at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS).

My husband, Tim, and I were in the grandstands on that day, at that time.  Tim is an avid race fan and never misses a main even at the LVMS.  We were in the Neon Garage (pits) that day to see the drivers, crews, cars, and awesome events that took place before the race began. 

U.S. Airforce planes zoomed overhead from Nellis AFB as 34 drivers started their engines. Nineteen cars circled five memorial laps to the tunes of Danny Boy and Amazing Grace in honor of Dan Wheldon only two short hours later. The race was not resumed.

The LVMS is offering a full refund on any tickets that were scanned for the race that day. Tim and I decided to take that refund and when we receive it, we will send it to a charity sponsored for the Wheldon children, Sebastian, 2, and Oliver, 8 months. There is also an online sports auction to take place for Dan’s wife Susie, and children.

Editorial Without Words

That’s the title of this picture, statue, monument, symbol

of Shriners everywhere.

Today, the famous photo is an integral part of the Shriners Hospitals logo, and has been reproduced on stained-glass windows, mosaics, tie tacs, pins, and in statues. A larger-than-life replica of the “Editorial Without Words” stands outside the International Shrine Headquarters building in Tampa. Photographer Randy Dieter presently serves as graphics editor for the Kentucky Post.

Noble Albert Lanier Hortman, the man in the photo carrying Bobbi Jo, passed away on December 6, 2009, two months shy of his 81st birthday. He lived a full life and was one of the fortunate ones to make a place in history that will live in time immemorial.

 Click to see more images of Editorial Without Words

Need I say more ~ sign up today!

The Snowy Day

On October 7th, read Ezra Keat’s The Snowy Day and help set a record for the most people reading the same book on the same day.

WHY – For every free online copy read, the Jumpstart organization and We Give Books will donate a book to a child in need.

Do it now ~ you’ll help ~ you’ll feel good.

Buddy Walk friends

The tenth annual Las Vegas Buddy Walk for the Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada (DSOSN) was held on Sept. 18, 2010, at Kellogg-Zaher Park. What a show ~ What an event ~ What a day!

Congratulations to Sara Beldy as the official ambassador. Sara gave an inspirational speech followed by a song that brought tears to the entire audience of seveal hundred.

So many local sponsors helped support this wonderful event for children and adults with Down syndrome. DSOSN is there for families in every aspect.

As a speech/language pathologist, it is my priviledge to work with many of the DSOSN families. As my business and Good Speech therapists help them, we find that they inspire us. Working together, being buddies, sharing talents, smiles, and sometimes even tears just means that our lives have touched and our hearts walk in sync.

Thank you, Lori, for inviting me to part of Team Gigi. “She’s growing up before our very eyes.”

Ben, Humpty, Kathie

Iowa Falls Times Citizen readers, Welcome to Kathie’s World. Thank you, Eric Mandel for searching Kathie’s World out of the multitude of websites and selecting my site. This interview for the TC means a great deal to me.

Kathie’s World appears on the front page of the Times Citizen today, September 8, 2010 and part two is scheduled for Saturday, September 11. (9-11 is a special day, as that was my sister, Julie’s birthday)

Iowa Falls was, is, and will always be a special town to me. It is the shelter of my youth. It is where I learned my values from my family, my friends, my teachers, and all of those who surrounded me with love and grace. I have written about you Iowa Falls ~ the land, the people, the places, the emotions, and the fortitude you instilled in me. I have resilience because of you, Iowa Falls.

The roots of Iowa Falls collect the good and rich soil that it is built on, and those roots spread deep and wide. We don’t always know where our roots of life will reach, but they are there ~ waiting, yearning, to grow.

Is this a love letter to Iowa Falls? I guess so.

Love, Kathie

 We, as a writing group, cannot possibly fix all of his problems. But, we, as a writing group, could help Roger Jacobs. I challenge each writer in our group to reach into the kindness of their soul for a fellow writer ~ to put the words of their pages into action. 

There is a video report on Roger with more photos at lasvegassun.com  that is certainly worth five-minutes of your time. Contributions are welcomed at a special account for Roger Jacobs at any U.S. Bank branch. I would like to suggest that besides your contribution and name, you leave a message to him as to what writer’s group you represent.

Read the article, watch the video, search your heart ~ let’s all support a fellow writer in his time of need. Let’s show Roger and Las Vegas that our stories have wings and that our words are written with grace.

Kathie Harrington

Las Vegas Writer’s Group

Henderson’s Writer’s Group

Las Vegas Romance Writers

Guide Autism

This month, Guiding Eyes for the Blind’s Heeling Autism program is in the running for a $250,000 grant from Pepsi’s Refresh Project. We are currently ranked 7th out of 415 – we need to be in first or second place to receive funding.

Heeling Autism dogs change the lives of children in almost miraculous ways. The dogs elicit social skills and emotions that other therapies may not. They keep children safe so that trips with their families become more enjoyable, and less stressful. Our dogs are provided absolutely free of charge and provide infinite hope in their new homes. Unfortunately, there is a two year waiting list for a Heeling Autism dog.

Can you help us encourage more votes? You can post this link – http://www.refresheverything.com/autismdogsforchildren – to your blog / FB page / etc. Your supporters have the potential to make a huge difference.

Thank you for your consideration; please let me know if you have any questions or if you’d like more information.

Warmest wishes,

Michelle

Michelle Brier

Events and Marketing Manager

Guiding Eyes for the Blind

611 Granite Springs Road

Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

Jackie Knechtel, M.A., CCC-SLP

Jackie specializes in working with children with autism in her practice, Self Expressions.

I salute you, Jackie, and hope it is easy coming down the mountain.

To date, $7221.00 has been donated.

Why not you?