VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
KindTree - Autism
Rocks Camp / Retreat is still in need of more volunteers.
If you like to interact with families with autism, if
you like to work hard and share your strength with others,
if you enjoy camping in old trees with the deer, campfires,
good food, arts & crafts, swimming, laughing, mopping
floors and chopping veggies, then please give us a call.
Volunteer Coordinator Nel Applegate will find you a shift.
Be part of the magic! Call today! Retreat
info here.
Nel Applegate 541 521 7208 or nel@efn.org
Some
Legislators Heard Us!
This from the DD
Coalition GO! Bulletin:
On Thursday, July
22, the Emergency Board voted to restore some of the reductions
scheduled to occur in the Developmental Disabilities Program.
The restoration is coming from funding currently being
held in the Emergency Board Fund. Many self advocates,
families, service providers, and others wrote letters,
sent emails and talked with legislators and the press
about the devastating impact the reductions would have
on people with developmental disabilities and their families. Thank
you!!! Your voices were heard!!!
In a press release
from the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate:
“Some of the restorations will protect services through
the remainder of the biennium, ending June 30, 2011. Others
will be protected until March 1, 2011. For the latter,
restoring these services into next year will allow the
Legislature to get at least three more revenue forecasts,
determine the level of federal aid that may be available,
and immediately ensure the safety of thousands of Oregonians
receiving assistance.
“By restoring these
cuts now, we’re avoiding higher costs down the road and
retaining federal dollars. As we move ahead, we’ll continue
to look at these factors along with our priority of protecting
the most vulnerable amongst us,” said President Courtney.
“From the moment we
received the last forecast and learned of the $577 million
deficit, we said we would approach these cuts thoughtfully
and carefully; that we would act when we had plans in
place to protect Oregonians and that we would be guided
by a set of principles that protected the most vulnerable
Oregonians and protected our long term investments in
the future of Oregon. Thursday’s E-board action is the
next step along that path,” said Speaker Hunt.
Restorations
specific to developmental disabilities include:
*Medicaid Personal
Care 20 through June 2011
*In-Home Supports for Children / Long Term Care through
June 2011
*Case Management for Children through February 2011
*Targeted Case Management in counties and brokerages through
February 2011
*DD Family Support Program through February 2011
Reductions
that were not restored include:
*Reduce county DD
Program and brokerage administration by 10%
*Eliminate county and brokerage quality assurance staff
*Reduce comprehensive services rates by 6%
*Reduce DD special projects and training
*Reduce DD crisis diversion
*Reduce county Regional Programs by 10%
*Reduce housing extended maintenance
For a full listing
of the reductions and restorations please go to the DD
Coalition website at www.oregonddcoalition.org
WHAT DO WE DO NEXT?
THANK OUR FRIENDS!!! There were many legislators that
worked long hours to come up with a plan to restore some
of our most critical services. PLEASE thank them for all
the work they have done on behalf of people with developmental
disabilities and their families.
§ Senator Floyd Prozanski sen.floydprozanski@state.or.us
§
Senator Courtney sen.petercourtney@state.or.us
§
Representative Hunt rep.davehunt@state.or.us
§
Representative Buckley rep.peterbuckley@state.or.us
§
Representative Kotek rep.tinakotek@state.or.us
§ Representative Sara Gelser rep.saragelser@state.or.us
see related story below
KindTree
- Autism Rocks Camp / Retreat is almost FULL!
Thanks to over 50 volunteers,
dozens of donors and over 130 guests, our 15th Autism
Camp / Retreat promises to be a really fun one. While
we have reached capacity, we do maintain a waiting list
as cancelations frequently happen at the last minute.
Indeed, we already had 3 cabin spots open up. So you can
still send in a registration and be put on the waiting
list. Confused? Call 541 521 7208...
Tim Mueller
From Riley
Campbell's Blog:
Pictures
by: ryguyzcool
July 22nd, 14:35
I like to look at pictures of people. One type of
picture I like to look at is a magazine picture.
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I like to look at
pictures of strangers in magazines because it's fun. By
looking at their faces I learn about feelings. I also
like to look at pictures of family.
I like to do that
so I can remember things. My favorite picture was when
my mom and I went fishing at Scofield lake when we took
a trip to Moab Utah. In the picture you see mountains,
a lake, my mom and me. I remember feeling happy when this
photo was taken.
I also remember a
picture of my mom, me, and my dad camping in a tree at
redwood forest in California. In the picture I felt good
because we did a lot of fun stuff together.
Visit
Riley on Facebook here
Common Scents:
Adventures with Autism and Chemical Sensitivity
a memoir by Kate Goldfield
Growing up is hard for everyone. It’s
even harder for those with autism or Asperger’s
Syndrome (AS). Things that everyone else takes for granted
– social interactions, being able to navigate a
busy grocery store, making friends – are significant
challenges for people with AS. It’s harder still
when you have to deal with chemical sensitivity as well.
Suddenly, no place is safe anymore, because people’s
perfumes, lotions, and shampoos, as well as cleaning products
and fragrances in stores, make you so sick that the normal
activities of life become almost impossible.
So what happens
when a 22 year old with both autism and chemical
sensitivity leaves college and tries to make her
way in the world?
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“Common Scents: Adventures
with Autism and Chemical Sensitivity” is the
story of a young woman’s search for physical and
emotional safety as she journeys through the mountains
of the Cascades, small coastal towns on the Oregon coast,
and out-of the-way towns in upstate New York. Along the
way, she experiences things she would never have dreamed
possible had she stayed in her Maine hometown, and begins
to learn the power of human connection.
Read
More here...
Prescription:
More sun, more vitamin D
Research suggests
that a lack of sunlight could be tied to variety of illnesses
By peter korn, The Portland Tribune,
Jul 29, 2010
Gene Stubbs will admit
that just a few years ago he might have laughed at the
very research he’s now involved in. He might have
thought the theory he’s been testing would have
been better suited for zealots desperate for a simple
explanation where none existed.
Here’s the theory: Autism might
be caused by mothers not getting enough sunlight or Vitamin
D supplementation during their pregnancies.
Now, Stubbs isn’t a parent of an
autistic child grasping at straws. He’s a respected
associate professor emeritus of psychiatry and pediatrics
at Oregon Health & Science University who has turned
into a researcher in his retirement. And he’s well
aware that plenty of people have claimed to know why autism
rates have skyrocketed in recent years, and that most
of their explanations had little to do with hard science.
But if Stubbs is right about the autism/Vitamin
D link, he and a growing legion of scientists across the
country might also be right about their larger theory
– that lack of sun exposure and Vitamin D explains
Oregon’s high rates of depression, multiple sclerosis,
bone disease, cancers and dozens of other maladies, including
colds and flu.
In short, if sun exposure is necessary
for good health, Western Oregon residents are in a boatload
of trouble. Vitamin D pills may help, but nobody is certain
the pills are as effective as sun exposure.
Read
more here...
Oregon
takes a clear lead over Washington on health care
Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010, 4:27 PM oregonlive.com
By Brendan Williams
As cash-strapped states look to one another
for guidance, it's important those showing leadership
continue setting an aspirational standard – rather
than joining a race to the bottom.
As a Washington legislator, and native
Oregonian, I was heartened last week to see the Oregon
Legislature Emergency Board unanimously reject proposed
cuts to programs for seniors and those with disabilities.
Roughly three-fifths Washington's size,
Oregon, as of June, was providing medical insurance for
31,339 low-income Oregonians through the Oregon Health
Plan Standard – and adding another 20,000 enrollees
through a July 21 lottery.
That's proportionately higher than Washington,
whose Basic Health Plan, once trend-setting, now has 66,000
enrollees. In 2009, Washington almost subtracted 36,000
enrollees by lottery. Instead it drove them away through
higher rates.
While Washington is rhetorically committed
to children's health care, through a program called Apple
Health, it treats kids with disabilities like rotten apples.
Unlike Oregon, for example, Washington allows insurers
to discriminate against those – like my 8-year-old
nephew Mike – with autism.
Washington has also severely cut the
skilled nursing facility care of its elderly and frailest
citizens. Yet in Oregon the Emergency Board blocked a
Medicaid reduction from a rate almost $46 per patient,
per day higher than Washington's average. It makes one
wonder: What's the cultural difference between neighboring
states that accounts for one valuing each of its most
vulnerable citizens $16,746.20 more annually?
In Washington, 8,100 in-home clients
– whose caregivers make just $10.03 an hour –
saw service hours cut for incontinence and special meal
preparation.
In Oregon, in contrast, the Emergency
Board rejected a proposed cut to 10,500 clients –whose
caregivers receive $10.20 an hour – for assistance
with activities including meal preparation and medication
management.
A significant difference between the
states is that Oregon, in an action its voters affirmed,
raised taxes $733 million last year, while more far conservative
Washington waited until this year to raise taxes $759
million for a budget twice Oregon's size.
Matters could get worse in Washington.
While Oregon and Washington were both among 47 states
seeking a six-month extension in a higher federal Medicaid
assistance rate, Oregon did not budget for the extra money
while Washington did – like 29 other states. Fortuitously,
Oregon budgeted before the extension seemed possible.
Now Congress is unlikely to approve that
money. In other words, health care funding areas where
Washington already trails Oregon may see further cuts
as soon as August of this year.
That is why it is so important, especially
with the national health care debate, that Oregon maintained
its bi-partisan commitment to vital services in the face
of a shortfall. Some of us up North are watching.
Attorney Brendan Williams is a Democratic state representative
in Olympia, Washington.
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What's
New at KINDTREE.ORG
KindTree - Autism Rocks
at the
Brews & Blues Festival
Island Park, Springfield
THIS WEEKEND
Art for Sale!
The entertainment line up for the 2010
festival has been selected.
See you at the park!
Friday Main Stage
Headliner:
Curtis Salgado
2010 BMA "Male Blues Soul Performer of the Year
"The Original Blues Brother"w/special
guest Lloyd Jones
"Triple Trouble"
The Strange Tones
w/The Volcano Vixens
guest appearance by Deb Cleveland
JC Rico & Happy Backbone
"Powerful blues, R&B, soul & rock"
David Jacobs-Strain
"A 90 year old blues master disguised as a young,
passionate slide player"
Broh-Taylor Blues Band
"Broh is velvet dynamite"
Volifonix
"Young band on the fast track up"
Saturday Main Stage
Headliner:
Karen Lovely
"This band is on FIRE and back from
their 2010 International Blues Challenge 2nd place win"
With Special Guest Peter Damman, of the Paul deLay Band
Big Monti &
Henry Cooper
Legendary NW Guitar Monsters!
Jerry Zybach's
StageHog Reunion
"The Hogs are back"
guest appearance by Charley Snellings
Michael Tracey
& the Hi-Tones
w/ guest Paul J. Biondi
Blues & Brews Harmonica Showoff
special guest
Bill Rhoades
backed by the WVBBF Showoffs:
Bill Shreve, Skip Jones, Byron Case, Theo
Halpert, co-host Dino Allbaugh w/Scotty B, Lloyd Talbert,
T-Bone Stone and 2009 IBC 2nd place winner Hank Shreve
Rainy Day Blues Society presents
"Muddy Road to Memphis"
International Blues Challenge
Band: Vicki Stevens Band
Solo: Brian Chevalier
Youth: Po O'Hara
Lindy Gravelle
"Country Blues"
Steve Magnolia Band
"Greasy, speakeasy blues"
Eagle Park Slim
"Busker blues"
SaturdayPapa Soul
Acoustic
Stage
Adam Scramstad
"Country blues finger picking at it's finest"
Mudpuppy
"Raw, pure power"
Cigar Box Jerry & friends
"A Delta blues blast w/surprise guests"
Al Rivers Trio w/Gregg Biller & Johnny
Schiller
"Grumpy Old Man Blues"
The Blair Street Mugwumps
"Front porch roots"
Bajuana Tea
"Take a sip..."
Rob Tobias & NW Express
"Bagel Blues"
Saturday KidZONEKate Darden
KidZONE
Hawkeye Herman
"Winner of the prestigious W.C. Handy "Keepin'
the Blues Alive" award for his tireless work world
wide setting up Blues in the Schools programs"
AND MORE!!
KindTree
Productions on Facebook
Visit our Page and become a Fan.
Keep up with KindTree activities and events. C-mon Down!
Have you thought about making
a donation to KindTree for 2010? Our Camp / Retreat,
our Newsletter, the Mask Party, all the art framimg -
this all takes money. Please help. Go here to donate today!
Community
Calendar
Brews
& Blues August 6-7. See above listings
and KindTree - Autism Rocks' Booth
NextStep
Recycling presents its 2nd annual ReArt Festival
in the Eugene Park Blocks, on Sun, Aug 8, 2010
from 10 AM to 6 PM.
The ReArt Festival supports NextStep’s mission to provide
access to technology and training to children and adults
who have barriers to employment and education, as well
as to increase awareness about the importance of reuse
and recycling within the community.
Pacific Northwest artists will showcase their work from
jewelry to furniture - all constructed from reused and
recycled materials.
For more information about the ReArt festival, please
visit http://www.reartfestival.org.
Dear Potential Volunteers
& People interested is Disc Golf,
On August 14th from
8:30 - 4 p.m. volunteers are needed to help with a Disc
Competition/Festival at Westmoreland Community Park. We
are asking people to commit to a 4 hour shift which will
involve helping measure and score the events. Free lunch
will be provided. If you are interested in being part
of this activity please email me, Molly
Elliot, so we can get you on the assignment list.
Thanks
Free Science
Days at OMSI
Through a generous grant from the Fred
Meyer Fund, OMSI will offer FREE general admission Thursday,
August 12- Sunday, August 15. OMSI hours will
be extended from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. during all four
days.
General admission to OMSI includes all
five of its main exhibit halls and such featured attractions
as Samson: The Colossal T. rex Discovery, Science On a
Sphere, and the new exhibit Einstein: The World Through
His Eyes. OMSI's separate ticketed attractions such as
the submarine, planetarium, and OMNIMAX Theater will remain
at their regular admission prices.
For more information about Free Science
Days at OMSI, please visit our website.
KindTree
Autism Camp / Retreat
August 27-29, 2010
The best autistic fun there is!
More info
here...
KindTree
Volunteer Potluck
September 18 4pm Tim's house
If you were lucky enough to be a KT volunteer, or want
to be one, come on out and have some fun with us. Tim@kindtree.org
for more info.
KindTree
- Autism Rocks Mask Making Party
Tentative Date, October 17.
October 1st conference
entitled
“Believe in Possibilities, Navigating Life
as an Adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder.”
ASO's fall Conference will be for adults with Autism Spectrum
Disorder, their parents/caregivers and professionals working
with the adult population.
The conference will be on Friday, October 1st at the Oregon
Convention Center, Portland, OR. There will be several
break out sessions on various topics and an exhibition
hall of agencies and non-profits who supports adults with
ASD. View
agenda. Download
flyer. Register
online.
MAJOR NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ABUSE OF
ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES
21st Annual NAPSA Conference
“Healing the Culture
of Abuse”
WHEN: November 8-10th,
2010
WHERE: Westin Gaslamp Quarter, San
Diego, CA
HOW: Click
here to register
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From: Partners
Forum: International Association of Assistance Dog
Partners
Volume sixteen - Number 3 Spring Issue 2010
A Miracle Worker Named
Budley
By Crystal Rich with
the assistance of Margie Grey
Last Monday was the culmination of a
3-year journey -- Last Monday a miracle happened at my
house -- Last Monday my 13 year old son said "I love
you mama!"
No one understands the impact of those
four words like the mother of an autistic child. And
while my son, Don, said those words for the first time,
a huge amount of the credit for that utterance goes to
the handsome black lab at his side, Budley. I never
could have imagined the huge change a dog could bring
to my autistic and Downs Syndrome child.
My husband, Jeff, and I first heard about
the use of skilled companion dogs to help disabled children
through an email group for parents of Downs Syndrome children. It
was a new idea to us, but we were intrigued and we started
investigating the possibilities. Some of the
stories sounded like exaggerations, but Don needed so
much help, we were willing to try anything.
With some trepidation, I looked into
several agencies and then contacted Canine Companions
for Independence North Central Regional Center in Delaware,
Ohio, which was near our home in Beallsville. In
January, 2002, we started the application process and
spent a lot of time asking questions to see if this was
a good step for our family. When I spoke with Adrena
Wilhel, the Participant Coordinator, she answered
all our questions and quelled many of the doubts and fears
we had. There were reams of forms to fill out along
with personal and phone interviews to help them make a
decision about placing a dog with us. Because CCI
matches the dog with the applicant's special needs, they
require a lot of details about Don's life and disability. I
found out later how important that information is!
In July 2202, after completing the paperwork,
we had a mini-team training session at CCI. This
3-hour session included a personal interview, lectures
and demonstrations and we were put on the waiting list
for a dog!
It seemed like forever, but two years
later we received the exciting invitation to the February
2005 2-week team training class. But even when invited
to a training session, it is made clear that it is not
a guarantee we would go home with a dog.
There were plenty of handouts and booklets
to read before hand to deep our minds busy and to help
us know what to expect. It was an amazing and intense
two weeks, in class and training everyday from 9:00 to
5:00 and we realized how much there is to learn about
owning a service dog. The wait had been long, but
very much worth it!
The day we met the dogs at team training,
there were twelve dogs we were to work with over the next
few days. I wondered how Don would respond to the
dogs. I took him to each kennel and said each of
their names. Budley was the last name I said. Don
said "Budley." I was so excited! I
saw a glimmer of what this might mean to my son and my
family.
I was thrilled even more when Budley
was assigned to my son! We discovered that Budley
was incredibly calm and easygoing. He played for
short periods of time, but then was ready to go back to
Don. At the end of team training we went home with
public certification & Budley!
Don was nine when we got Budley and still
wasn't potty trained and was wearing diapers. We
had tried everything but nothing seemed to help him understand
what we wanted him to do. Within four months of getting
Budley, it was like a light switch turned on! Don
was saying "release" and "hurry" in
the house one Day (Budley's commands to go out to eliminate)
and I though he wanted to have Budley to eliminate in
the house. Then I realized it was Don who needed
to go and he was telling us! Off to the bathroom
we went for the very first time! My son was instantly
toilet trained and has had no accidents since and no more
need for diapers! What a blessing for us!
As Don was getting older we were worried
because he didn't sleep much and would get up all hours
of the night and roam around. Afraid that he would
get out of the house, we put extra locks and alarms on
the doors so we would know when he got up and tried to
go outside. A few months after we got Budley, we
were talking with Christina Canter, the Graduate Coordinator,
who helps out with questions after graduation. I
mentioned Don's non-sleeping habits and she suggested
we let Budley sleep in bed with him. Up until that
point Budley slept in his kennel, but from the first night
I let him on the bed Don began sleeping through the night! Sometimes
when we are up earlier we hear him singing or talking
to his furry friend, but he is content to stay there until
we get Budley for his morning feeding and elimination. I
am so grateful to all the staff at CCI for their patience
with all our questions and concerns and great suggestions
about bringing Budley home. What a wonderful experience
it was for all of us!
When we went to team training, Don was
virtually non-verbal. He has since learned all of
Budley's commands and many other words as well. Shortly
after we got Budley, Don shocked mu by announcing "Mama,
me go night-night." That was the first time
he ever said a complete sentence! And then the magic
words just this week "I love you, mama." What
music to a mother's ears! Don may never be a marathon
speaker, but he does talk when he needs or wants something. I
attribute that to Budley's positive impact on him.
We are all very blessed to get Budley
as our son's service dog. He helps keep Don focused
on the task at hand improving his concentration. Don
is always in constant motion (whether it be a hand movement
or rocking or jumping), but having Budley near helps him
stay in one place longer. When we tell Budley to
go get Don, he goes and lays down next to him with an
instant calming effect.
Needless to say, Budley goes everywhere
with us and his manners in public are impeccable while
his focus is always on Don. He has made such a huge
difference in all our lives! This wonderful 4-legged
magician has helped my son speak, sleep, stay calm and
use the toilet. Who knows what other miracles he
can perform in the years to come!
Roxie & Miley
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