PLUK eNews May 06, 2005

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PLUK eNews May 06, 2005
http://www.pluk.org/eNews/May_06_05.htm
Volume 3 Issue 21

Welcome to PLUK's electronic newsletter!
(Download the printable pdf version at: http://www.pluk.org/eNews/May_06_05.pdf)

We are proud to present news of interest for Montana families of children with disabilities and special health care needs, and for the professionals and educators who serve them; however, it does not constitute an endorsement.

Highlights:

Kids at Heart Gala, May 13
The event will be held again at Sheraton Hotel in Billings and is set for Friday May 13th. The 2005 Kids at Heart Gala features the band The Midlife Chryslers (Billings' area doctors who participate in 4 or 5 performances a year for local nonprofits). The Committee is excited about this notable band's involvement and everyone is looking forward to the Gala. In addition to the Chrysler's performance, the event will include heavy hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, a live auction (featuring auctioneer Bill Holt), and much more. For information on sponsorships or tickets, call PLUK's office at 406 255-0540 or 800 222-7585. Visit the PLUK web site to see a list of auction items, http://www.pluk.org/.

Benefit Concert for PLUK-May 20, Kalispell
Flathead Valley PLUK presents:
Rob Quist and the Great Northern Band with Jack Gladstone in concert, present their newest collaboration May 20th at 7pm at the Kalispell Christian Center. Quist and Gladstone, two of the West's most celebrated entertainers and songwriters, have united in an unforgettable new show, Odyssey West, commemorating Lewis and Clark's epic journey into the western frontier.
Jack Gladstone and Rob Quist bring the West to life with the rich historical content of their original songs and narratives, presented with dramatic live footage, as well as haunting photographic and artistic images of the Old and New West.
Celebrate Our Heritage while supporting local children and adults with disabilities. Proceeds also benefit Special Friends Advocacy. Ticket purchases call 406 756-6159.
http://www.robquist.com/promopage.htm

Schweitzer signs Braille bill
By ROB CHANEY, Missoulian
MISSOULA - Kayla Legare's fingers could read what Gov. Brian Schweitzer's eyes couldn't see when he signed the Braille version of House Bill 438 into law Monday morning at Hellgate Elementary School.
The 17-year-old Helena student and business owner zipped through the legalese in the bill's introduction as quickly as any lawyer, feeling the bumps on the page just as a sighted person scans the ink on this page.
The new law will make it easier for students coming after her to reach the same proficiency in Braille reading through the public school system.
Read the article at: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/05/03/build/state/65-braille-bill.inc

OPI, MSDB, and MSDB-Foundation Team Up for Summer Programs
(Courtesy of MSDB)
The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI), Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind (MSDB), and the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation will co-sponsor summer programs at MSDB.
The programs will target: communication, social interaction, independent living skills, and use of technology for students between the ages of 9-14 (7 and 8 year olds will be considered on a case-by-case basis for the deaf camp only) who have hearing impairments or deafness, and the ages of 9-16 who have blindness or visual impairments. The weeklong programs are provided at no cost to the student for room, board and transportation. Transportation to and from the program will be reimbursed at state rates.
CRITERIA FOR PRIORITIZED SELECTION
1. Student identified as having blindness, deafness, visual or hearing impairments,
2. Student enrolled full time in a Montana public school,
3. Student has a current IEP that identifies skill development in one of the areas identified above.
If you have questions regarding summer programs, please call MSDB at 771-6000 and ask for information concerning the summer skills program.

Utah snubs 'No Child' act
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY - Gov. Jon Huntsman signed a measure Monday defying the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind Act despite a warning from the federal education secretary that it could cost $76 million in federal aid.
The bill represents the strongest stand against the federal law among 15 states considering anti-No Child Left Behind legislation. Utah is an overwhelmingly Republican state that strongly supported President Bush.
The legislation, passed during a special session of the Legislature last month, gives Utah's education standards priority over federal requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. It lets education officials ignore provisions of federal law that conflict with the state's program.
Read the complete article at: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/05/03/build/nation/80-utah-nochild.inc

National Council on Disability Seeks Americans with Disabilities Act Impact Testimony By May 15, 2005
(From NCD)
WASHINGTON The National Council on Disability (NCD) is collecting written testimony from people with disabilities, their families, and their advocates on the impact the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 has had on their lives.
NCD is an independent federal agency charged with making recommendations to the President and Congress to enhance the quality of life for all Americans with disabilities and their families. In 1986, NCD first proposed and then drafted the original Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was hailed as a major civil rights law guaranteeing equal opportunity for Americans with disabilities to participate more fully in their communities, to have greater access to goods and services, and to enjoy more employment opportunities. Testimony is sought regarding the extent to which the ADA has achieved its goals of equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living,and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.
The information received will be added to a body of data currently being assembled from a variety of sources to be analyzed and transmitted to the President and Congress in a report to be published in fall 2005.
Testimony is needed regarding:
· Telecommunications: Has the ADA had an impact on the ability of people who have hearing and/or speech impairments to communicate by telephone?
· Employment: Has the ADA improved employment opportunities and job retention for people with disabilities?
· Public Services: Are goods and services provided by local and state agencies more accessible to people with disabilities because of the ADA?
· Public Accommodations Operated by Private Entities: Are goods and services provided by businesses more accessible to people with disabilities because of the ADA?
· General comments on the ADA
Please send written comments on or before May 15, 2005, to Julie Carroll, National Council on Disability, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20004 or jcarroll@ncd.gov. For more information, contact Mark Quigley or Julie Carroll at 202-272-2004.

Adaptive Art Tools From Dick Blick Art Materials
(Courtesy of Dick Blick Art Materials)
Since 1911, Dick Blick has been the premier art supply company for millions of professionals, teachers, and students. Visit the website and check out some of the best adaptive art supplies for artists with disabilities at http://www.dickblick.com/categories/specialneeds/.

True Accessibility: Ubuntu Linux Open Source Software Shatters Preconceived Notions
(Courtesy of Canonical Ltd.)
"Ubuntu" is an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others." Ubuntu also means "I am what I am because of who we all are." The Ubuntu Linux distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.
Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support.
The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Manifesto: that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customise and alter their software in whatever way they see fit.
These freedoms make Ubuntu fundamentally different from traditional proprietary software: not only are the tools you need available free of charge, you have the right to modify your software until it works the way you want it to.
The team behind Ubuntu makes the following public commitment to its users:
· Ubuntu will always be free of charge, and there is no extra fee for the "enterprise edition," we make our very best work available to everyone on the same Free terms.
· Ubuntu includes the very best in translations and accessibility infrastructure that the Free Software community has to offer, to make Ubuntu usable by as many people as possible.
· Ubuntu is released regularly and predictably; a new release is made every six months. You can use the current stable release or the current development release. Each release is supported with security updates for at least 18 months.
· Ubuntu is entirely committed to the principles of free and open source software development; we encourage people to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on.
Ubuntu is suitable for both desktop and server use. The current Ubuntu release supports Intel x86 (IBM-compatible PC), AMD64 (Hammer) and PowerPC (Apple iBook and Powerbook, G4 and G5) architectures.
Ubuntu includes more than 1,000 pieces of software, starting with the Linux kernel version 2.6 and Gnome 2.10, and covering every standard desktop application from word processing and spreadsheet applications to internet access applications, web server software, email software, programming languages and tools and of course several games.
Learn more about the revolutionary Unbunto Linux software at http://www.ubuntulinux.org/.

Specific Behaviors Seen In Infants Can Predict Autism, New Research Shows
(From Pregnancy & Baby Magazine)
Canadian researchers have become the first to pinpoint specific behavioral signs in infants as young as 12 months that can predict, with remarkable accuracy, whether a child will develop autism.
The preliminary findings, published this month in the International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, were taken from an ongoing study of 200 Canadian infants, the largest study of its kind in the world. The infants, many of whom have been followed from birth to 24 months, are younger siblings of children who have been diagnosed with autism.
Read about the study at http://pregnancyandbaby.com/read/articles/5443.htm.

Colorado-Blind Mom Sues Over Legal Roadblock
(From Rocky Mountain News)
Blind mom sues over legal roadblock
Daughter, 15, stuck in neutral due to law in driving case
By Hector Gutierrez, Rocky Mountain News, May 3, 2005
A 15-year-old girl who got her minor's instruction permit in October has yet to take to the road.
Juliana Barber's mother is blind and doesn't qualify to supervise her daughter when she drives because of her disability.
Marcia Barber, Juliana's mom, thought she had found a solution by asking her 80-year-old grandfather, who has a valid driver's license, to be in the car when her daughter drives.
The problem, Colorado motor vehicle officials told the Colorado Springs family, is that Juliana's grandfather is not a legal guardian, and state statute requires that a 15-year-old student with a permit be supervised by a licensed parent, stepparent or guardian.
Juliana's mother says she is being discriminated against because of her disability and has sued the Colorado Department of Revenue in U.S. District Court. The revenue department oversees the motor vehicles division.
Marcia Barber's 13-year-old daughter, Madeline, is named as a plaintiff because the family fears that when she turns 15 and obtains her minor's permit, she also will be restricted from driving.
Read the entire article at
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3747279,00.html.

Illness, disability affects entire family
PUBLISHED: April 24, 2005, By Linda May
Things can be tough for siblings of disabled children. In our mother's last days, my sister and I had a chance to have heart-to-heart talks, and she confessed how she felt about the issue of Mother and I always doing things together.
"Things?"
I remember getting polio, going to hospitals -- mostly with Mother -- having surgeries, getting casts cut off, getting fitted with braces, shopping for ugly high-top brown shoes and having them fitted with hardware for the braces, having x-rays and getting blood drawn.
Read the entire article at: http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/042405/loc_lindamay001.shtml.

Breakthrough For Kids With Epilepsy: Surgery Reduces Seizures And Increases IQ
A study on 50 preschool-aged children with epilepsy who underwent surgical treatment showed significant improvements on overall cognitive development and left many seizure-free. The article is published in the journal Epilepsia.
Read the article at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/04/050423190852.htm.

No Child Left Behind brings more testing, but not more money to Bozeman schools
By GAIL SCHONTZLER Chronicle Staff Writer
The joke used to be that Bozeman was like Lake Woebegone.
When school test scores came out each year, the former school superintendent liked to say that all the children were above average.
Times have changed. Since Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, above average isn't good enough.
Read the entire article at: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2005/04/24/news/01impact.txt

Promise of lowering costs for treating autism - Case Western Reserve University study
12 Apr 2005
Parents of autistic children can spend as much as $50,000 a year on therapies for their children. But a new research study from Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences shows promise of providing effective treatment for autism and other developmental disorders at a far lower cost.
Read the entire article at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=22709

Mediated Learning Curriculum for children 2-7 years old
The Mediated Learning Curriculum is a developmentally appropriate model designed specifically to support inclusive programs serving children with disabilities together with their typically developing peers.
o For children ages 2 years to 7 years-old
o 200 full days of activities
o Over 980 pages of ideas and activities on one CD
Visit their web site at: http://www.walearning.com/mediated.htm.

Schools To Appeal Autism Case To Supreme Court, But Also Work Toward Settlement
posted April 26, 2005
The County School Board voted Tuesday morning to appeals an autism lawsuit that has cost the schools some $2.3 million thus far on to the United States Supreme Court.
Read the entire article at: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_66001.asp

Parent Advocacy: What You Should Do . . . and Not Do , by Leslie Seid Margolis, Esq.
What Parents Should Do
1. Prepare for Meetings
You should treat the IEP meeting as if it is the first step towards a due process hearing by preparing for the meeting and building a record. If you do this, you make it less likely that you will end up at a due process hearing. If you do end up at a hearing, you will be in a stronger position.
To read the rest of Leslie's suggestions, go to: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/advo.do.dont.margolis.htm

When Parents & Schools Disagree , by Ruth Heitin
I often tell my clients that if my own parents were alive, they would never understand what I do for a living.
I am an independent educational consultant, and as a private professional I work for parents in seeking appropriate educational services for their children. Far more often than I prefer, I disagree with the schools - something my parents and their generation saw as heresy.
To read the rest of Ruth's article, go to: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/advo.disagree.heiten.htm.

Advocate Pat Howey Talks about Reasonable Expectations, Power Struggles, and Perspectives
Why Can't We Trust the System To Do "What's Right"?
Parent: "We should be able to trust the system to do what's right for our kids."

Pat: In theory, this sounds good. But when you are dealing with a child with disabilities, there will always be disagreements. You simply will not get agreement from the number of participants who are required to be in these team meetings.
Schools are in the decision-making process for the short-term. As a parent, you are in it for the long-term.
TO read the rest of Pat's article, go to: http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/tips/howey_advice.htm

What You Need to Know Before Filing a Complaint , by Pat Howey, Advocate
I rarely file complaints and even more rarely advise parents to file complaints. Why?
Because in most cases, there is no real legitimate remedy, even when the school is found to be in violation.
Countless excited parents and advocates have called to tell me that they "won" a complaint. My usual response is, "What did you 'get'"?
After a few seconds of silence, they explain that the school was ordered to change what they were doing and must provide documentation to the state that they have completed the required changes.
Read the rest of Pat's article at: http://wrightslaw.com/info/advo.complaint.howey.htm

What is the Children's Legal Advocacy Program? of the AG Bell Foundation
The Children's Legal Advocacy Program (CLA Program) provides legal representation and technical assistance to families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing seeking early intervention services and appropriate educational placements. Launched in 2001, the CLA Program focuses on preserving the rights of children with hearing loss who use oral communication and auditory learning in their educational environment.
For more information, visit http://www.agbell.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?p=CLA_Program

"We're Going to Teach 'Em All", by Dr. Julie Elliot
Framed by federal disabilities legislation and thrust ahead by the imperatives of high stakes testing and No Child Left Behind, testing accommodations, including the use of assistive technology, have become an uneasy part of the American educational landscape. Recently the Department of Education increased to 3%, the percentage of special education students in a district who may be tested using alternate assessments, and have their scores counted toward meeting the federal mandate of showing "adequate yearly progress (AYP)."
Yet, a schism in approach exists among practitioners, between those who believe in a liberal granting of accommodations to parents who request them and others who grant them only after sound, research-based instructional alternatives have been adequately explored. This schism reflects an overarching philosophical conflict that strongly impacts special education students in an era when the achievement of AYP is the focus of general education strategy, a strategy that can frequently consign special education students to near invisibility when high stakes test scores are computed.
For more information, visit http://www.fctd.info/resources/newsletters/displayNewsletter.php?newsletterID=10019

Hearing disability no longer carries the stigma
Progress: A Utahn serves a role model for beating the handicap
By Julie DeHerrera, The Salt Lake Tribune
Jennifer Steiner can now add "communication ambassador" to a résumé that includes Miss Washington ('88-89), piano teacher, wife and mother.
Steiner, 35, was honored by the Utah Speech-Language-Hearing Association (USHA) for her perseverance in battling a progressive hearing loss, a condition that stems from her premature birth.
With that honor, she acted as a witness as Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. signed a proclamation Thursday declaring May as "Better Speech and Hearing Month" and told her that he was "inspired by her story."
Read the entire article at: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_2695100?rss

Meddling parents ruin own health
By Sue Shellenbarger, Wall Street Journal
The fact that overinvolved parents can cause problems for their kids is well-known. Now, new research shows they can drive themselves nuts, too.
In one of the first studies of this mental-health issue among parents, researchers found that parents who base their own self-worth on their children's accomplishments - as measured by their answers to such questions as, "My daughter's failure can make me feel ashamed" - have worse mental health than those who base their self-worth on other factors. Often called "helicopter parents" (they hover), these overinvolved moms and dads reported more sadness, crying and negative beliefs about themselves and less joy, contentment and life satisfaction, says the study of 408 parents, released April 7 at a conference of the Society for Research in Child Development in Atlanta.
Read the entire article at: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/living/11423870.htm

Study: Negativity Often Tied to Down Syndrome Diagnoses
By Jonathan Finer, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, April 29, 2005; Page A03
BOSTON -- When the technician examining an ultrasound image of her belly abruptly got up and walked out of the room during a prenatal appointment six years ago, Beth Allard told her husband she knew something was wrong.
Minutes later, an obstetrician at the Boston hospital confirmed the first-time mother's fears, explaining that the pictures showed signs of Down syndrome.
Then, Allard recalled, the doctor began to describe what to expect.
"It could just be hanging off of you, drooling," the physician said, contorting her face into a saggy, expressionless imitation of what a child might look like with the constellation of physical and mental symptoms that characterize the syndrome, which occurs in about one in 1,000 newborns.
"We felt hopeless and incredibly scared," Allard, 42, said in an interview. "We didn't know what this was or what to do. They told us we had a few weeks to decide whether to keep the baby."
Such negative depictions of Down syndrome by health professionals who do prenatal screening are common, according to a survey of nearly 3,000 parents of children with the condition, published last month in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A majority reported that the obstetricians who gave them the diagnosis had focused on the hardships ahead and ignored "the positive potential of people with Down syndrome."
Read the entire article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042801437.html

Educational Graphic Novels for all abilities
Gossamer Books develops educational graphic novels that help make learning history fun for all ages.
Gossamer Books' novels are written in an exciting graphic novel format helping students to learn about historical figures and events.
Each book has been carefully designed to meet the standards of the US Department of Education and makes for exceptional teaching aids for learners of all abilities.
This delightful series is written in a unique graphic book format that can be appreciated by people of all reading levels, ages and cultures.
For more information, visit: http://www.gossamerbooks.com/index.aspx

Gateway to Educational Materials
The Gateway to Educational Materials is a Consortium effort sponsored by the US Department of Educationto provide educators with quick and easy access to thousands of educational resources found on various federal, state, university, non-profit, and commercial Internet sites.
Visit the site at: http://thegateway.org/

Presidential Freedom Scholarships
The Presidential Freedom Scholarships promote student service and civic engagement. These scholarships, funded in part by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency, recognize high school students for outstanding leadership in service to their community and neighbors.
High school students across the nation are solving the problems in their communities, demonstrating compassion for others, and servicing those who need support. The President has called upon Americans to serve their communities and the nation. Many students have answered that call to service. Outstanding high school students are eligible for recognition through a Presidential Freedom Scholarship.
http://www.cns.gov/scholarships/

The blind leading the blind
With pressure and guidance from the visually impaired, web designers are slowly improving internet access, writes Alex James
Friday April 22, 2005
Next time you sit in front of a computer, think of all the things you can use it for: surfing the net, writing documents, finding information, chatting to people ... everything short of washing up. When you switch it on, try doing all this with your eyes shut.
Read the complete article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/news/0,12597,1466742,00.html

Tutoring Aid Is of Concern at Hearing
By SUSAN SAULNY, Published: April 27, 2005
WASHINGTON, April 26 - Lawmakers expressed concern on Tuesday over the lack of information by which to judge the effectiveness of a federally financed tutoring program that is experiencing explosive growth under the No Child Left Behind law.
At the first Congressional hearing on the three-year-old tutoring program, members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce peppered witnesses with questions about the program, known as supplemental educational services. But there is little data on the new industry.
Read the complete article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/27/politics/27tutor.html?ex=1272254400&en=10206e7e910d46e3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Brain Implant Offers Hope for Severely Depressed
by Michelle Trudeau
All Things Considered, May 2, 2005 · For about 10 percent of people with severe depression, no available treatments work -- not anti-depressant medicines, not psychotherapy, not even electroshock therapy. But now a revolutionary treatment that entails brain surgery shows preliminary promise in treating intractable depression.
Read the complete article at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4627438&sourceCode=RSS

Foundation helps fund hearing care
AUDIENT is a new program of Northwest Hearing care, an affiliate of the Northwest Lions Foundation for Sight & Hearing, (NLFSH). The AUDIENT program was established as a hearing care alliance bringing together suppliers, hearing health care professionals, and related groups with the common goal of providing access to quality hearing health care for persons currently without adequate financial resources.
http://www.audientalliance.org/index.htm

Summer Camp Funding for children with hearing impairments
Summer camp experiences rival school experiences for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Camps can encourage friendships, as well as self-discovery for children with hearing loss. Day or residential summer camps can provide children who are deaf and hard of hearing (ages 8 - 12) with new and exciting opportunities to socialize and learn new skills through interaction with other peers and mentors who are deaf and hard of hearing. AG Bell believes that the summer camp experience is important for the social and educational development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Through this belief, AG Bell is pleased to award opportunities for parents/guardians who are AG Bell members to apply for camp funding in the amount of $500.00 per child.
Find out more at: http://www.agbell.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?p=Parents_SC

The NWEA Research Report on NCLB
The Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act on Student Achievement and Growth: 2005 Edition is now ready for your review.
A national research project recently released by the Northwest Evaluation Association indicates that student achievement has improved since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was implemented, but student growth has declined slightly. If change in achievement of the magnitude seen so far continues, it won't bring schools close to the requirement of 100 percent proficiency by 2014. The study also evaluated achievement gaps among ethnic groups.
Access the report and executive summary at: http://www.nwea.org/research/nclbstudy.asp

Genetic counselor helps expectant parents face the unexpected
By: Linda Halstead-Acharya, Billings Gazette, Mont.
Feb. 27--Susan Landgren's job can be a roller coaster ride. On any given day, she could face tears of grief or tears of relief.
Landgren is a genetic counselor at the Fetal Diagnostic Center in the Yellowstone Medical Center. She's the person expectant parents turn to when abnormal test results threaten to turn their once-perfect pregnancy into any parent's nightmare.
"That's when I get them, in between, in a kind of shock," she said.
"You've not only lost what until today has been an easygoing pregnancy, but the whole future has suddenly changed. You can't go back. It's a kind of loss of innocence."
The low points in Landgren's day come when she has to tell a couple that their unborn child carries a genetic abnormality. The high points come when further testing disproves the first results or when a fetus thrives in spite of problems.
Read the article at: http://www.ndss.org/content.cfm?fuseaction=NwsEvt.Article&article=1143

Information from the National Mental Health Association on Children's Mental Health Issues
o Antidepressant Medication and Children: Tips for Parents
o Anxiety Disorders
o Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
o Autism
o Back to School
- Tips for Parents
- Tips for Kids
- Tips for Teens
- Is Your Child Ready
o Bipolar Disorder in Children
o Bullying & What To Do About It
o Bullying and Gay Youth
o Conduct Disorder
o Depression and Children
o Learning Disabilities
o Schizophrenia in Children
o Talking to Kids about Fear and Violence
o Talking to Kids about School Safety
o What Every Child Needs for Good Mental Health
View their fact sheets at: http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/index.cfm#top

Immune system, blood altered in autism -studies
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Children with autism show different immune system responses from children without the condition, and these might be measured in the blood for a possible screening test, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Two studies presented to a conference on autism help support other research that suggests subtle differences in the immune function of children with autism.
Read the article at: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050505/hl_nm/autism_dc

Newly Discovered Genetic Disease Sheds Light On Body's Water Balance
Two infant boys whose bodies were overloaded with excess fluid have led UCSF pediatricians to the discovery of a new genetic disease. In the process, they have discovered a rare type of mutation where different substitutions in a single amino acid cause two different, opposite genetic disorders.
The new disorder, called Nephrogenic Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuresis (NSIAD), is described in the May 5 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
"This discovery gives better insights into treating these patients and potentially many others," said Stephen Gitelman, MD, principal author of the study and professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. "It sheds new light on the mechanisms that the body uses to maintain fluid homeostasis -- the correct balance of fluids needed for health and life."
Read the article at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/05/050504225354.htm

Jeepers Creepers, Bionic Peepers
By Cyrus Farivar
Scientists are helping blind people see again, one pixel at a time. If all goes well, an artificial retina could be commercially available within three years.
Artificial retinas have been successfully implanted in six patients, allowing them to see light and detect motion, researchers announced at the 2005 annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Read the article at: http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,67429,00.html?tw=rss.TOP

Vacations for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
For 25 years, Sprout has provided adults with special needs exciting vacation opportunities throughout the world. From relaxing weekend escapes to week-long adventures of travel and discovery, Sprout has a vacation to please everyone.
For information, visit http://gosprout.org/001.html

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