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2008 ASI Spring Symposium
Andy Bondy, Ph.D. will present at ASI Spring Symposium In Memory of Mary Pat Ross

Andy Bondy, Ph.D., is the president and co-founder of Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc. Along with Speech Language Pathologist Lori Frost, he developed the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), which many children and adults on the autism spectrum use. He helped design the Pyramid Approach to Education, which is a combination of behavior analysis, and functional communication strategies that help organize effective educational environments. Dr. Bondy is a well-respected clinician, presenter, researcher, and program developer. We are very fortunate to have Dr. Bondy with us for this very special conference.

This conference will be in memory of Mary Pat Ross, a past Executive Director of the Autism Society of Iowa, who passed away in 2007. Mary Pat was also an autism educator and autism strategist in the Des Moines Public Schools, and had a nephew with autism, which began her journey in helping those with autism spectrum disorders.

Dr. Bondy will speak on “Learning to Use the Language of Emotions” and will describe effective lessons to help those with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and related disabilities learn how to describe their emotions. This presentation will also outline supports for the population to better respond to the emotional language of others. Common strategies currently in use to teach these complex skills will be reviewed.

The second topic of the day, “Can PECS Help with Challenging Behaviors?” will review contextually inappropriate behaviors (CIB) which we commonly refer to as challenging behavior. Dr. Bondy will discuss communication strategies that are useful in school, learning, and work settings to address each function in designing effective intervention packages.

First Vice President's Report

“Wow!”

Last spring I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was holding on to a string that was attached to a helium balloon. All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying.

But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, “Wow!” I didn’t realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something. Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem. I felt like responding with “Oh no, what should we do” but remembering that little girl, I found myself saying, “Wow, that’s interesting! How can I help you?”

One thing’s for sure - life is always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems. That’s a given. What’s not preordained is our response. We can choose to be frustrated or fascinated. No matter what the situation, a fascinated “Wow!” will always beat a frustrated “Oh, no.” So the next time you experience one of life’s unexpected gusts, remember that little girl and make it a “Wow!” experience. The “Wow!” response always works.”

From archives; Shared on Text Mail http://pravstalk.com/2007/12/02/textmail-wow/ I thought this story was fitting for a variety of reasons. First, several of our Link subscribers just recently survived icy roads, fallen trees, and power outages ranging from hours to days. Wow! Also, families caring for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder face unexpectedness EVERY day! Wow! And lastly, ASI just lost Sonya Wills as President due to very unexpected health issues which forced her immediate resignation. Wow!

We on the Board of ASI will deeply miss Sonya’s leadership and our thoughts and prayers are with her as she wrestles with how to best care for herself as well as her three boys with Autism. Upon Board approval, as 1st Vice President, I will step into the position as Interim President until our Annual Election in April. Wow! ?

Michelle Hicks

When my daughter, who is autistic, was two years old, she could read and spell many words, but communicate she could not. Her brother is 20 months younger than she is, and he often interpreted what she was trying to say or needed and spoke for her.

Sometime during fifth grade, she started to answer the “who”, “what”, and “where” questions and finally was able to communicate some. Then, this year at the age of 19, she has started to communicate. She can tell us what she wants, if she doesn’t feel well, and also sometimes what her thoughts are, whether we want to know or not! For instance, one evening she was mad at me, so she said, “Why don’t you go to a meeting!” It was her unique way of telling me to leave the house and her alone.

Throughout years of speech therapy, the one constant since she was four years old was the PECS System and structured teaching, so I was thrilled when Andy Bondy agreed to be our speaker for the Spring Symposium. I am especially interested in hearing what he has to say about teaching emotions with the PECS System and how it can assist with behaviors. I hope you will join us on April 4, 2008, as we welcome Andy to Iowa and try to assist those on the autism spectrum with communication.

February 6, 2008
Ralph Savarese, author of “Reasonable People: A Memoir of Autism and Adoption” and his wife, Emily, and their son D.J. who has autism and graduated last spring from Grinnell Middle School will speak and answer questions. Ralph’s book will also be available. This event will be held at Adventureland Inn in Altoona, Iowa and is sponsored by East Polk Interagency Association. To register, please contact beckc@se-polk.k12.ia.us by 2/1/08.

February 12, 2008
“Beyond the Autism Diagnosis, How Professionals Can Help Parents” by Dr. Marion O’Brien from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro at the Sun Room at the Memorial Union on the Campus of Iowa State University at 7:00 p.m. karri@iastate.edu

March 22, 2008
“Bake Sale for Autism” at Valley Community School Building in Elgin, Iowa. crcinc@acrec.com

April 4, 2008
ASI Spring Symposium www.autismia.org

April 5, 2008
Sock Hop for Autism at the ICC Hall in Osage, Iowa at 5:30 p.m. Everyone invited to attend! Jaci VandenAvond at 641-732-4523

April 10, 2008
“Iowa Cares” Autism Society of Iowa Fundraiser in Iowa City. Live bands, silent auction, food, and more! lea-davis@uiowa.edu

April 19, 2008
1st Midwest Regional Conference on Autism Spectrums Disorders and Inclusion at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. www.autismqc.org Several nationally and regionally recognized speakers would be presenting on topics ranging from early childhood to support at the high school and college level

June 7, 2008
Walk Now For Autism at Grey’s Lake in Des Moines, Iowa. www.Autismwalk.org/Iowa Pre walk activities start at 9:00 and the walk begins at 10:00 a.m.

Rhonda Baker, special education teacher in the Jefferson-Scranton School District was awarded the Stephen Tsai Award for Excellence in Autism Education at the Autism Society of Iowa Fall Conference on Friday, October 19, 2007, at the Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines.

Drs. Luke and Merling Tsai of Michigan began this award as a way to recognize the wonderful teachers in Iowa, where their son Stephen, who is autistic and 34 years old, began his education while Dr. Luke Tsai was at the University of Iowa. The Autism Society of Iowa selects a recipient from letters received to nominate those educators who exemplify and demonstrate outstanding skills in educating those with autism.

This year’s recipient, Rhonda Baker, was nominated by Sonya Wills, the parent of three boys with autism: Connor, Christian, and Kevin. All three boys are in Mrs. Baker’s class in the Jefferson-Scranton School District.

Following is the letter that Sonya submitted:

Fall 2007 Stephen Tsai Award Nomination
Rhonda J. Baker By Sonya Wills

Rhonda is the type of teacher most parents only dream of… starting out educating special needs persons as a classroom associate while she obtained her teaching degree during nights. She is a special education teacher that should be cloned for every school district nationwide truly having the best interests of the children in her heart and going way above and beyond what is required of her.

Rhonda has become a role-model for other special education teachers in our district. She was the first teacher in our district to research and implement a sensory room. She has consulted and helped co-teach difficult students of other special education teachers. She creates and implements training sessions for students and school personnel each year regarding autism and what to expect from students in their building. Rhonda would do anything to improve understanding and awareness for autism.

My son Kevin falls among the most severe on the scale of autism with issues too numerous to list, but Rhonda has not shied away from the challenge of educating him and looks forward to working with him each day. During the past two school years, Kevin’s special education teacher was new to the field and tried diligently to teach Kevin and overcome his behaviors, but lost control of him over time until he began regressing. Rhonda agreed to consult with his teacher with noticeable results within hours of her joining the team. Both teachers did a “switch” and she was able to create a plan for his teacher to follow. Kevin blossomed. Kevin’s regression reversed and he began to learn again. At the end of the school year, Rhonda volunteered to take Kevin into her classroom. As a result, this school year has already shown such potential in Kevin that it brings tears to my eyes. Rhonda just has this “knack” and is creative in implementing methods. Kevin’s behaviors are minimized in her presence.

Rhonda’s professional goals include finishing her Strategist 2 BD/LD Endorsement as well as achieving her Masters Degree in Special Education. She intends to complete both in 2008. Through teaching and attending trainings, she has met several people struggling with curriculum and ways to instruct students with autism. Rhonda would love to one day work with others creating the curriculum necessary for individual students. She has found that she truly can help others and would love the opportunity to do so.

I asked Rhonda what her most significant contribution to autism education is and received the following response: “It is hard for me to say what my most significant contribution in the field of autism education is. I think because I don’t look at it as a contribution, and instead as an opportunity…the opportunity to work with others to find what really works in order to build upon a student’s strengths increasing opportunities for students to learn. If there is one opportunity that I feel the most blessed with it is the opportunity to work with amazing individuals with autism and their families. I have found that one never quite knows enough. It is a constant learning journey that once started, I never want to stop. I think the first step on the journey is making others aware of what autism is, how it affects the individual, and then to show that differences are only what you make them be. I will never forget the look of a mother whose son was being laughed at, not with, and at that moment I decided people need to know there is so much more than just that one moment. I don’t know how to explain what I do or how to tell someone else how to do it, but I have and do feel blessed with the gift I have been given in the work that I do with individuals with autism. I never look at the student and wonder what they need to do to change; I look at what I need to change in order for them to succeed.”