Learn more about individuals with Autism

Autism is a very difficult disability to understand. Usually, there are no outward signs pointing to an individual having the syndrome. Autism is also not a “one size fits all” syndrome, it is a spectrum of disorders that have to do with developmental, social and behavioral issues. An organization has put together some very useful tools to help others understand what you and you autistic loved one are going through.

English: A little autistic girl. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In an effort to ease the fears of and provide encouragement to all people with individuals with autism in their lives, Autism Speaks has created four support tool kits, each designed specifically for the following groups:

Parents | Siblings | Grandparents | Friends

The purpose of each kit is to help teach family members and friends more about autism and its effects on families, and provide resources and support to enable them to lead happy and successful lives with their loved ones with autism. 

This is just a starting point in helping others to understand the Autism Spectrum Disorder, I encourage you to use these resources and grow in your understanding of the disability.

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Photo by hepingting

Autism has become known as the “cute” syndrome

Thanks to #popular culture, #Autism has become the “cute” syndrome, but is this a true reflection of those on the spectrum?

 Autism and popular culture have had a complicated relationship for a long time. In 1988 the film Rain Man introduced the disorder to the general public. After its release diagnoses in the United States skyrocketed, and so did the presence of autistic characters in pop culture. In the 1980’s there were only two films starring autistic characters. In the next decade there were thirteen. The older the movie or book or show, the less autistic the characters often seem, some of them carry the label ‘autistic’ but with very few symptoms. Instead, the characters are inflicted with some generic mental disability, which when labeled as autism sells more tickets.

Rain Man, however, was nuanced. I’ve always appreciated the story, not just on a personal level, but also as a writer. It told a story set in a time when the common way to deal with a diagnosis was to send it away, to a mental institution. The filmmakers show the institution as a welcoming, safe, comfortable place for the character Ray, but in reality, these places were often run terribly, and kept up worse. A real life Ray would have found his handicap intensified by such a place. Many autistic children born in this era grew up to have severe mental deficiencies because so little of their nature was understood. Dustin Hoffman showed immense respect in his performance, painting a multifaceted character that felt human, but because of his place on the spectrum he is often a nuisance to the story, or worse, a vehicle solely there to move the plot forward. I don’t mean to bash Rain Man, which I consider a great first step, but it’s just that; the first step.

There is more to Autism than the savant and this should be seen more in popular culture.

Read more at The “Cute” Syndrome: A Survey Of Autism In Popular Culture « The “Cute” Syndrome: A Survey Of Autism In Popular Culture – Wrong Planet Wrong Planet.

 

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Social Thinking in the Infant Brain

TEHRAN (FNA)- An innovative collaboration between neuroscientists and developmental psychologists that investigated how infants’ brains process other people’s action provides the first evidence that directly links neural responses from the motor system to overt social behavior in infants. The research will be published April 12 in Psychological Science, the peer-reviewed journal of the Association for Psychological…

People are People

When it comes to all the #hate in the world, there is one song that always comes to mind for me. People Are People by Depeche Mode. To me, it spells out everything in one short, catchy tune.

Martin Gore penned lyrics that convey a message that people shouldn’t judge one another. The lyrics question and condemn unfound hate. The song asks that humans put an end to superficial differences and unjustified violence or prejudice. Gore touches upon racial discrimination, homophobia, and religious intolerance in simple, easy to understand words.

I have many friends who, by only being who they are, take the brunt of other people’s intolerance on a daily basis. It is time to end the hatred and learn to accept someone for who they are. Remember, people are people, and should be treated as such, no matter what.

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Put in Jail For Taking A Screenshot With Your Phone

Millions of people every day use SnapChat thinking what they are sharing will only live briefly on a server and go away quickly. They forget that the App is linked to the internet and what is shared there, stays there, no matter what. This has led to the UK to use their copyright laws to discourage people from saving what is shared on the service.

The UK is warning that taking a screenshot of explicit images on Snapchat could lead directly to jail.

Under the laws of the United Kingdom, use of an image someone else created (that selfie on SnapChat) without the consent of the creator is illegal. Even so, you should always think twice before sharing any pictures wit the App, ou never know where that compromising photo may end up.

H/T You Can Now Be Put in Jail For Taking A Screenshot With Your Phone

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Photo by AdamPrzezdziek

April is Autism Awareness Month

#Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, and occurs in about one out of every 68 births. Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries.

Take some time this month to learn more about Autism and what you can do to help someone you know affected by it.

Learn More About Autism

Kids Health: a website that explains autism in simple language for kids.

Growing Up Together: a printable 4 page brochure, explains autism and how to be friends with someone with autism,  from Autism Society

Growing Up Together: Teens with Autism: a printable brochure for Teens, from Autism Society

First 100 Days Kit: a printable tool kit to aid families in getting the critical information they needed in the first 100 days after an autism diagnosis from Autism Speaks.

Learn about autism with an online autism 101 course/tutorial from Autism Society

Printable Crafts, Bookmarks, Coloring Pages, and Activities for Children

Autism Awareness Ribbon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Autism Awareness Ribbon Symbol

Autism Awareness Bookmarks and Pencil Toppers

Autism Awareness Door Hangers

Autism Awareness Pinwheel

“I Love Someone with Autism” Paper Dog

“I Love Someone With Autism” Paper Car

Autism Awareness Symbol Coloring Page

Autism Awareness Word Search

Autism Awareness Crossword Puzzle

Puzzle Piece Butterfly

Games for Kids with Autism

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Jesus’ Teachings On Women

What were #Jesus‘ views on #women? The Bible certainly doesn’t say… not since the Church censors got through with it. But if you read between the lines, you get a hint of his respect for women.

In many of Jesus’ illustrations, women are presented as positive role models of faith, which men should follow. For example:

• The Queen of the south, who was wiser than the first-century Jews (Matt 12:42)
• The woman mixing yeast into dough (Matt. 13:33), who is presented as an illustration of the way that the kingdom of God works
• Women working when Christ returns, some of who are ready and others are not (Matt. 24:41)
• Ten virgins, of whom five were prepared and five were not (Matt 25:1-13)
• The widow of Zarephath, whom Jesus used as an example of a Gentile that God favored (Luke 4:26)
• The woman who found the coin she had lost (Luke 15:8-10). In this parable the woman plays the role of God, just as the shepherd did in the preceding parable and the father does in the following parable.
• A persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), a model for disciples to imitate in prayer
• A widow who gave everything she had (Luke 21:1-4).

In Luke 11, an anonymous woman called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you” (v. 27). Jesus did not deny that his own mother was blessed, but he said that the real blessing is given to “those who hear the word of God and obey it” (v. 28). A woman’s spiritual worth is based on her response to God, not in performing biological functions. Women are saved by faith, not by bearing children.

Jesus did two important things for this woman, He gave her His undivided attention by listening to her comment, and He mildly corrected her and pointed her toward further spiritual understanding. Jesus does not deny His mother’s place of importance, but goes beyond it to a wider spiritual truth.

Conservative and liberal commentators are generally agreed on this: Jesus treated women well—despite the male-dominated culture in which he lived. He treated them respectfully, was sensitive to their needs, used them as good examples of faith, and included them in his ministry in several important ways.

 

H/T

Women in the Teachings of Jesus | Grace Communion International

And if you read the Gospels that were cut out of the Bible, you get a startling view of his love and admiration for his most enlightened disciple, Mary. There are even indications that he considered Mary more spiritually advanced than he was. To explore this further, consider reading The Gospel of Mary.

 

H/T Jesus’ Teachings On Women * Wicca-Spirituality.com

 

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NASA: There is No Asteroid Threatening Earth

Worried about an #asteroid impacting the earth some time between Sept 15 and 28, 2015? #NASA doesn’t think you have anything to worry about.

“There is no scientific basis — not one shred of evidence — that an asteroid or any other celestial object will impact Earth on those dates,” said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s #Near-Earth Object office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

See full story on News | NASA: There is No Asteroid Threatening Earth

[contentcards url=”http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4692″%5D

Apparently, the fear mongers and End Times people just want to get your dander, compelling your to change your ways or buy “prepper” stuff.

 

Oh, sure, you are going to see lots of people saying that NASA is just covering it up so their isn’t a panic or some other related nonsense.

 

What do you think? Do we need to fear death from above this month or is it just a lot of hot air?

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Retired CIA Agent: “We Run the Afghan Opium Trade”

 

A retired CIA agent recently convicted of possession of child pornography accuses the US government of trying to frame him as he is about to release a book that will “blow the lid off the CIA’s drug smuggling operations in Afghanistan” reveals the Cheyenne Herald this morning.

John F. Abbotsford, a 38-year old Afghan war veteran, that has also served his country as a CIA analyst, has recently been convicted of possession of child pornography, accusations he claims “have been made up” by the US government to stop the publication of his upcoming book, the CIA in Afghanistan: 30 years of drug smuggling.

 

“This is a desperate attempt by the US government to shut me up” he said in court. “If I’m going to face jail time, I want the truth to be known before they try to get rid of me in prison” he told the judge. “I’m not scared of their threats, whatever happens, I will never shut up” he cried out in the courtroom.

See full story on Retired CIA Agent: “We Run the Afghan Opium Trade” World News Daily Report

This wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened and it won’t be the last. The difficulty is proving that someone else put the files on his computer. If you want to know more about this type of thing, just tune into CSI: Cyber, they show this kind of thing all the time.

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Fukushima dumps first batch of once-radioactive water…

Fukushima dumps first batch of “once-radioactive” water into sea, says it’s filtered and safe.

Tokyo – Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant Monday began releasing previously contaminated water into the sea, but the man tasked with preventing another meltdown warned other highly radioactive fluid still stored on site could pose a major threat.

Tokyo Electric Power Co, which operates the plant in eastern Japan, discharged 850 tons of formerly contaminated water it had extracted from the ground near the plant into the sea, saying a filtration process had now made it safe.

The chairman of a committee created to ensure the #nuclear meltdown is never repeated, said other highly radioactive water used to cool the reactors four years ago and which is still kept in tanks in the plant could be dangerous.

“The longer you store the water, the more likely you are going to have uncontrolled release,” he said, adding that he would like to see the supplies released from storage in the next three years.

TEPCO has faced criticism for its handling of the meltdown, which saw thousands of people evacuated as radiation poisoned the air, land and water and has already cost some $57 billion in compensation for residents.

Four years later it is still extracting some 300 tons of contaminated water from the ground every day, which had been stored in tanks before TEPCO started releasing it into the sea after purification on Monday.

The move is a milestone for the company, which said its Advanced Liquid Processing System, which removes highly radioactive substances like strontium and caesium, meant the ground water was now safe to release into the natural environment.

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Submitted September 14, 2015 at 07:48AM by ballyhoo9
via reddit

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