Tag Archives: Autism Society

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

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From the Autism Society

Bullying PreventionToday, bullying is a national epidemic causing significant concern for parents and caregivers. Approximately one in three kids are bullied in hallways, classrooms and during school related activities each year. Media reports show widespread examples of victimization suffered by kids of all ages and ability levels. More troubling – students living with autism spectrum disorder are 63 percent more likely to be recipients of bullying behavior than typically developing peers. All children, regardless of ability, deserve to learn in a safe and nurturing environment where positive relationships are cultivated. Kids have a right to feel cared for and protected in school.

Adults are in no way immune to the problem. One in six has experienced bullying behavior in the workplace according to one report. Fear of income loss discourages individuals from reporting incidences or intervening on behalf of victims. With employment opportunities at a premium in the disability community, people with special needs are more susceptible to on the job bullying behavior with little to any recourse. Effects are far reaching; violence and intimidation cause harm to victims leaving support systems to cope with the aftermath.

Furthermore, increased social media, cell phone and email use continue to alter the bullying landscape. The National Crime Prevention Council reports 43 percent of teens have been cyberbullied by text messaging and social media. Incidents are now documented as they happen. Easy access to cell phones and social media platforms has resulted in viral video clips of horrific bullying incidents. The issue can no longer go ignored. No matter how benign the intent – it is the responsibility of every individual to reject bullying in all its forms.

The Autism Society is here to empower individuals on the spectrum, support providers and allies to take a stand against bullying. The 3 R’s for Bullying Prevention: Recognize, Respond and Report and Healing from Bullying for the individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder are two useful resources available to provide insight into the implications of bullying and its residual impact on victims. We are committed to promoting awareness and understanding about the dangers of bullying and helping all affected by autism to combat its existence once and for all.

To connect with the organization at the pulse of bullying research and prevention – PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center – go to pacer.org/bullying. People in need of immediate support and healing from bullying behavior can call our Autism Source Contact Center at 1- 800-3-AUTISM or visit autismsource.org.

Source: http://www.autism-society.org/living-with-autism/how-the-autism-society-can-help/safe-and-sound/bullying-prevention/

Related Online CEU Courses:

Bullying Prevention: Raising Strong Kids by Responding to Hurtful & Harmful Behavior is a 3-hour video-based continuing education (CE/CEU) course that teaches healthcare professionals how to handle and treat bullying behavior.

Electronic Media and Youth Violence is a 1-hour online CEU course that summarizes what is known about young people and electronic aggression, provides strategies for addressing the issue with young people, and discusses the implications for school staff, mental health professionals, parents and caregivers.

Building Resilience in your Young Client is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that offers a wide variety of resilience interventions that can be used in therapy, school, and home settings.

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Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for all programs and content. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology & School Psychology, Dietetics & Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board and Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; and by the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social Worker Examiners.

Professional Development Resources is a Proud Member of the Autism Society

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Via Scoop.it – Healthcare Continuing Education

The Autism Society membership encompasses many professionals from various disciplines—medical practitioners (including pediatricians, developmental pediatricians, neurologists and pediatric neurologists, among others), educators and paraeducators, therapists (speech, physical, occupational and others), behavioral analysts, social workers and more. Professionals serve on our board of directors and advisory boards, contribute to our quarterly magazine and present at and attend our national conference. Our national conference includes many offerings geared toward professionals, a number of which offer continuing education credits, and also provides professionals many opportunities to share ideas and knowledge.

It is important that professionals work together with parents for the individual’s benefit. While professionals will use their experience and training to make recommendations about a person’s treatment options, you also need to listen to parents and caregivers who have unique knowledge about the individual’s needs and abilities that should be taken into account for a more individualized course of action. As a professional, you are in a unique position to impart valuable, validated information about the individual’s diagnosis and recommended course of treatment to their family that can make a measurable difference in their lives.

Professional Development Resources is a proud member of the Autism Society.
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Autism Awareness Month

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April is Autism Awareness Month

PDResources has pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds from every autism course sold during the month of April to the Autism Society of America. Click on image to view all seven of our autism CE courses - now on sale!

The month of April is designated as National Autism Awareness Month and is intended as a time of learning for individuals with autism, their families, and the professionals who care for them. Professional Development Resources features specialized continuing education courses that offer diagnostic and treatment information on the various facets of Autism.

Professional Development Resources is a national provider of continuing education (CE) courses, offering training to the professionals who work together in interdisciplinary teams caring for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and their families. This challenging spectrum of disorders requires early and aggressive intervention in the areas of behavior, communication, social skills, parenting, and educational management.

Autism Spectrum Disorders – according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by atypical development in socialization, communication, and behavior. The symptoms of ASDs typically are present before age 3 and often are accompanied by abnormalities in cognitive functioning, learning, attention, and sensory processing. The term “spectrum disorders” is used to indicate that ASDs encompass a range of behaviorally defined conditions, which are diagnosed through clinical observation of development. These conditions include autistic disorder (i.e., autism), Asperger disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder–not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Persons with Asperger disorder or PDD-NOS have fewer diagnostic symptoms of ASDs compared with autism, and the symptoms often are indicative of more mild impairment.

According to the CDC, ASDs are reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. They are on average 4 to 5 times more likely to occur in boys than in girls. If 4 million children are born in the United States every year, approximately 36,500 children will eventually be diagnosed with an ASD. Assuming the prevalence rate has been constant over the past two decades, we can estimate that about 730,000 Americans between the ages of 0 and 21 have an ASD.

The Autism Society offers the following facts and statistics about ASD:

  • Nearly 1% of the children ages 3-17 in the U.S. have an autism spectrum disorder
  • Prevalence is estimated at 1 in 110 births
  • 1 to 1.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder
  • With 10 – 17 % annual growth, it is the fastest-growing developmental disability
  • The estimated annual cost is $60 billion
  • 60% of costs are in adult services
  • In 10 years, the total annual cost will be $200-400 billion
  • The cost of autism over the lifespan is $3.2 million per person
  • Cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention

“These disorders are extremely distressing to the parents of children who show symptoms, especially those who appeared to be developing normally,” says Leo Christie, PhD, CEO of Professional Development Resources. “Adding to their stress is the bewildering array of questionable information that is everywhere on the Internet and in other popular media. Parents truly do not know what to do. ASDs are treatable, but there are many unproven treatments that have not been tested by scientific methods to prove their effectiveness. Our commitment is to educate professionals in evidence-based practice, that is, the use of those treatments that have been subjected to rigorous scientific study.”

In honor of National Autism Awareness Month, Professional Development Resources is offering special discounts on all of its autism courses during the month of April. It has also pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds from every autism course purchased to the Autism Society of America. The company offers an online catalog of over 200 accredited healthcare and mental health CE courses. Within this catalog, seven courses relate to various aspects of ASD. They address the complexities of accurately diagnosing ASD and the many challenges of instituting successful intervention strategies, including parent education and involvement.

Professional Development Resources is a Florida nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1992 by licensed marriage and family therapist Leo Christie, PhD. The company, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) – as well as many other national and state boards – has focused its efforts on making online continuing education courses more efficient and widely accessible to health professionals by offering online home study coursework. Its current expanded curriculum includes a wide variety of clinical topics intended to equip health professionals to offer state-of-the art services to their clients.

Results of Autism Awareness Month Donation

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Back in March of this year we promised to donate 5% of the proceeds from all Autism courses sold during the month of April (Autism Awareness Month) to the Autism Society.

We offered 10% off all of our Autism courses to encourage sales for this important cause.

As a non-profit organization – it is important to us to support other non-profit organizations, especially those who work effortlessly to improve the lives of those affected by autism. Thanks to the support of our customers, we were able to donate $165 to the Autism Society.

The Autism Society is the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization that offers vital programs to improve the lives of those affected by autism. They do this by increasing public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum, advocating for appropriate services for individuals across the lifespan, and providing programs which support treatment, education, and research of autism.

As many as one out of every 110 children will be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The Autism Society estimates that 1.5 million Americans and their families are now affected, and autism is costing the U.S. at least $60 billion each year.

The Autism Society counts on their community of supporters to ensure that they can continue providing these services.

Thank you for your support!