Web site brings moms coping with autism closer together to vent, cope and support.
Irvine CA (PRWEB) April 23, 2008 -- In honor of autism awareness month, an Orange County man launches a social network called Moms Fighting Autism (www.momsfightingautism.com). The social network aims to connect moms of children with autism.
Members of the Moms Fighting Autism social network can immediately setup journals, photo albums, interest profiles and friends lists. The social network allows users to comment on photos, journals and send notes of support to others coping with autism.
"The purpose of the Moms Fighting Autism social network is to provide a place for moms to cope, vent and support each other. Autism can be overwhelming and there needs to be a place to feel welcome. Fortunately other moms have gone through the same situation who are willing to help them," says Ernest Priestly.
Autism effects one out of 150 children in the United States and there is no known cause or cure for it. There are social networks such as Myspace and Facebook that are more general but MomsFightingAutism.com focuses on only autism.
"... Reading about moms who are going through some of the same challenges that I have with my son has lifted my spirits up. I'm not alone and that is the best feeling in the world. Even though they maybe miles away we all can reach out, share, talk and that's just great. It's worked for me so I just want to say thank you for this site," says member Keyanna Rogers.
For the past 4 months, the site has enrolled 1,500 beta test members evaluating the site features and performance. It was launched officially today.
About MomsFightingAutism.com
Moms Fighting Autism is a social network for moms of children with autism. This social network provides the tools and services that allow moms to vent, cope, support and learn from each other. According to Autism Speaks, autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 150 children in the United States.
For more information visit www.autismfightingautism.com
CONTACT:
Ernest Priestly
press@momsfightingautism.com
714-335-8176
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Autism Caught On Tape
Computer Scientists Use Technology To Help Children With Autism
Computer scientists have devised two tools to help people interact with autistic children. Videotaping interactions allows teachers or parents to replay situations and evaluate the cause of particularly good or bad behavior. Cataloging actual data, rather relying on memory or interpretation, proves to be a more accurate measure of a situation.
Autism affects one in every 165 children. For the parents and teachers of those boys and girls ... knowing what works and what doesn’t can be key to their development. Now, new technology is helping them help these kids.
From riding on dads back ... to bouncing around the kitchen. There's little down time in the Abowd home. Both of Gregory Abowd's sons have autism.
"With Aiden you have to work really hard to get him to say anything. With Blaise you have to stop him from what he wants to say, to get him to actually communicate with you," Abowd told Ivanhoe.
It’s his boys who gave this human computer interaction professor his next project at Georgia Tech.
"It was very disappointing for me to see how much people were relying on their memory to figure out what was going on," Abowd said.
CareLog allows parents and teachers to catch moments on tape.
"So what happens here there is a camera in the living room actually pointing down ... if something interesting happens ... I just press a button. When that behavior occurs ... sometime before and sometime after the incident is now saved to go over and take a look at," Abowd explained. This takes the memory out of the picture.
For example, often times when a child is trying to get the attention of his teacher it can get frustrating. When she doesn’t see him ... he may begin hitting himself. Now the teacher knows why.
"Someone can observe it and describe it to you, or you can see it," Abowd said.
Another tool called the Abaris also catches moments on tape. A teacher can compare video to her notes, taken down with a special pen and paper that automatically charts a child's progress on a computer. She may then realize a student is distracted. The teacher then can get more on his level to help him focus.
"They’d see themselves doing therapy and say oh my gosh, I didn’t even realize I was doing that," Julie Kientz, computing expert at Georgia Tech, told Ivanhoe.
Two ways technology is helping at home and in the classroom.
Computer scientists have devised two tools to help people interact with autistic children. Videotaping interactions allows teachers or parents to replay situations and evaluate the cause of particularly good or bad behavior. Cataloging actual data, rather relying on memory or interpretation, proves to be a more accurate measure of a situation.
Autism affects one in every 165 children. For the parents and teachers of those boys and girls ... knowing what works and what doesn’t can be key to their development. Now, new technology is helping them help these kids.
From riding on dads back ... to bouncing around the kitchen. There's little down time in the Abowd home. Both of Gregory Abowd's sons have autism.
"With Aiden you have to work really hard to get him to say anything. With Blaise you have to stop him from what he wants to say, to get him to actually communicate with you," Abowd told Ivanhoe.
It’s his boys who gave this human computer interaction professor his next project at Georgia Tech.
"It was very disappointing for me to see how much people were relying on their memory to figure out what was going on," Abowd said.
CareLog allows parents and teachers to catch moments on tape.
"So what happens here there is a camera in the living room actually pointing down ... if something interesting happens ... I just press a button. When that behavior occurs ... sometime before and sometime after the incident is now saved to go over and take a look at," Abowd explained. This takes the memory out of the picture.
For example, often times when a child is trying to get the attention of his teacher it can get frustrating. When she doesn’t see him ... he may begin hitting himself. Now the teacher knows why.
"Someone can observe it and describe it to you, or you can see it," Abowd said.
Another tool called the Abaris also catches moments on tape. A teacher can compare video to her notes, taken down with a special pen and paper that automatically charts a child's progress on a computer. She may then realize a student is distracted. The teacher then can get more on his level to help him focus.
"They’d see themselves doing therapy and say oh my gosh, I didn’t even realize I was doing that," Julie Kientz, computing expert at Georgia Tech, told Ivanhoe.
Two ways technology is helping at home and in the classroom.
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