Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts

Friday, February 13, 2009

Special Offer for Valentine's Day!


To celebrate Valentine's Day the Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore is pleased to offer it's blog and facebook readers 10% off books purchased through our website: www.autismbookstore.com . Just use the coupon code VAL2009 during check out to recieve 10% off your entire order starting today, Feb 13th. This promotion runs until Saturday Feb. 21st 2009. Happy Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week is October 5th-11th, 2008

In honor of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week, running from October 5th – October 11th, we are spotlighting those books that we carry on the important topic of bullying prevention. All of the books featured in this blog posting will be on sale at a discount of 10% for the whole month of October. Please make your purchase through our secure website:www.autismbookstore.com to take advantage of the discount.

As always, full descriptions of these titles can be found on our website. You can find them all easily by visiting our Education/Bullying Page!

Three informative books on bullying prevention:

Asperger Syndrome and Bullying: Strategies and Solutions

Nick Dubin is able to do what many authors are not able to do when writing about bullying; he is able to bring a lifetime of personal experiences to the reader. Dubin was not diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) until he was an adult, but he knew his differences made him stand out and made him a target for bullies throughout his childhood not just by other children, but by adults as well. He discloses reasons why individuals with AS become victims, and how to understand the motives of a bully. Dubin takes a pro-active role in bullying prevention by teaching how to empower not only victims, but teachers and bystanders as well. Dubin’s plan of attack does not stop there, however; he also writes about empowering parents and entire schools by creating a system of support that helps protect all individuals. The reader will find strategies for persons with AS, as well as programs for classrooms and schools.

Gray’s Guide to Bullying

The author, an internationally known educator and the creator of the Social Stories™ method, published a series of three articles in response to numerous questions she received about helping children with ASD who are bullied in various situations. This issue combines those articles on ASD and bullying into one useful guide that can be used by adults who live and work with children who have ASD. Article I provides the basics about bullying, ranging from the current definition to roles of participants and categories of bullying. Article II describes ten practical solutions that have been developed to effectively decrease bullying. Article III is a guide and student workbook on how to handle a bullying attempt. All three articles provide valuable strategies and resources to help parents, teachers, and caregivers decrease bullying in the life of the child with ASD.

Perfect Targets: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying

As the author notes, children and adolescents with Asperger Syndrome (AS) have a lack of social understanding that can lead to bullying by their classmates. These children are not only hurt emotionally and sometimes physically, but they are also deeply confused because they cannot make the distinction between manipulation and friendliness. This practical resource examines the social phenomenon of bullying and the social challenges and needs of children with AS. The author provides many insights and effective strategies for creating a bullying prevention program, and she also discusses specific environmental factors that foster bullying behaviors. The book also includes a chapter that offers a variety of personal perspectives on the subject. Written for parents and professionals, this book focuses on a whole-school approach to bullying prevention that involves administrators, teachers, parents, and students.

A DVD on bullying prevention:

Being Bullied: Strategies and Solutions for People with Asperger's Syndrome

This DVD is based on a presentation by Nick Dubin on the effects of bullying in school on children with Asperger Syndrome (AS). His presentation is primarily aimed at teachers and administrators, in order to give them ideas on the steps they can take to minimize the incidence of bullying in their schools. He provides sobering statistics on the number of children bullied each year, and he also offers constructive, encouraging advice on how to break down the culture of "bystander apathy." In addition, he introduces strategies for empowering the bullied child as well as the bully, so they can utilize their energy for more constructive purposes. His presentation is interspersed with clips of people with AS giving their thoughts on how bullying has affected their lives.

And a children’s book about bullying:

Nobody Knew What to Do: A Story About Bullying

This beautifully illustrated children’s book tells the story of how one student gained the courage to deal with bullying. The classmate of a boy named Ray narrates the story. Ray is frequently the target of bullying. The other students don’t like it, but they are afraid to inform their teachers. One day, after having been beaten up the day before, Ray does not come back to school. The classmate hears the bullies talking about their future plans for Ray, and he gains the courage to tell his teacher. When Ray returns to school, the teacher and principal intervene, and the classmate tells of his pride in learning to stop bullies by working together with others.

If you’d like to know more about National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week click here.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

News: May TEACCH Conference

The bookstore will have shortened hours for the rest of the week (5/14-5/16) due to attending the May TEACCH Conference in Chapel Hill, NC.

Our hours will be:
Wednesday, May 14th - 8:00am to 11:00am
Thursday, May 15th - CLOSED ALL DAY
Friday, May 16th - 8:00am to 12:30pm

If you'd like to learn more about TEACCH or the TEACCH May Conference please follow this link: TEACCH

Thursday, April 24, 2008

ASNC Annual Conference 2008

It's that time of year again! The bookstore will be traveling to the ASNC Annual Conference, being held this year at the Radisson Hotel in High Point, NC. The bookstore will be open Friday 4/25 at the High Point Theater for pre-conference attendees from 9:00 a.m.-3:10 p.m., and then we will be moving to the Victorian room at the Radisson from 6:00 p.m-8:00 p.m. that evening. On Saturday 4/26 we will be open from 7:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. in the Victorian room.

We will have a large selection of books available, and all of our staff* will be available to help you, so please, feel free to stop by!

*Since we will all be at the conference, the physical bookstore will be closed Thursday afternoon and all day Friday.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April is National Autism Awareness Month!

To celebrate autism awareness month the bookstore is offering a 10% discount on all online bookstore purchases* from April 1st to April 30th. To take advantage of this offer use the coupon code AAM2008 during checkout.

*Please note that this offer applies to online orders only.


Visit the Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore online at http://www.autismbookstore.com to find an amazing array of titles about autism spectrum disorder.

Monday, July 9, 2007

The Bookstore Goes to the ASA in AZ

The Bookstore is going on the road again! This Wednesday through Saturday (7/11-7/14) we will be in Scottsdale, AZ, at the Autism Society of America's 38th National Conference. We will be set up in booths #406/408, pretty much right in the middle, looking at that map, so please stop by and see us!

This will be an exciting year for us at ASA, because two of our favorite authors, ASNC's own Ann Palmer and Maureen Morrell, have won ASA's 2007 Literary Work of the Year award! See our announcement and special discount offer here. Ann and Maureen will be signing their book after the award ceremony on Friday, but if you miss that, they'll be signing again at our booth during the Saturday morning break, 9:30-10am.

Because Darla and I will be in Arizona, Hope will be (wo)manning the physical store, so please be aware that the hours later this week, W-F, will be abbreviated, 9am-1pm.

We hope to see some of you in AZ!

Monday, May 21, 2007

Bookstore Event News


The Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore staff will be attending the 28th Annual TEACCH Conference on Wednesday through Friday of this week (May 23rd-25th). The event is being held at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the topic of this year's conference is Current Research Advances in Autism.

This is one of our largest local bookstore events, and we bring a wide variety of titles to the conference each year. In conjunction with this conference, I would also like to announce a new book that features two Division TEACCH practitioners as chapter authors. The title is Growing Up With Autism: Working with School-Age Children and Adolescents, and it is edited by Robin L. Gabriels and Dina E. Hill.

This is a research-based volume that offers information and intervention strategies for professionals who work with older children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This work addresses numerous relevant issues that are divided into three thematic sections: the individual with ASD; families and caregivers of the individual with ASD; and the community aspects of intervention.

Gary B. Mesibov, Ph.D., Division TEACCH Director, has co-authored the chapter Translating Early Intervention Into Positive Outcomes. According to Dr. Mesibov and co-author Laurie Sperry, Ph.D., it is imperative for professionals working with individuals with ASD who have more severe cognitive and language impairments to build upon early intervention strategies in the areas of communication, social skills, behavior, and adaptive functioning. The authors explain that impairments in these areas may continue into adolescence and impact independent functioning and a successful transition to adulthood. Dr. Mesibov and Dr. Sperry emphasize several key points, including: the importance of teaching persons with ASD how to make choices; life-long access to typically developing peers is the most effective way to teach appropriate social behaviors to individuals with ASD; and structured environments are highly effective in reducing challenging behaviors and increasing independence.

Mary E. Van Bourgondien, Ph.D., Clinical Director of the Raleigh TEACCH Center, is co-author of the chapter Sexuality and Autism: Individual, Family, and Community Perspectives and Interventions. In this chapter, Dr. Van Bourgondien and co-author Robin L. Gabriels, PsyD, provide a general review of sexuality issues for those individuals with ASD who have more severe cognitive and language impairments. According to the authors, social and communication deficits, as well as behavior difficulties, can hinder the ability of older children with ASD to adequately meet the challenges of their developing sexuality. As a result, Dr. Van Bourgondien and Dr. Gabriels recommend the following strategies: identify sexuality needs and issues specific to the child and in reference to family values; proactively teach general issues related to appropriate social boundaries and hygiene before the child reaches puberty; and educate caregivers and other community providers about how to better understand and address the sexuality needs of adolescents with ASD.

Many individuals with ASD are currently making the transition to adulthood. We hope that those professionals working with older children and young adults with ASD will consider reading this important new work.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Autism Awareness Month 2007

April is Autism Awareness Month! Therefore, during the month of April, if you place an order through our website and use the promotion code AAM2007 during checkout, you will receive 10% off your purchase!

Also, for AAM, the bookstore will be traveling to events. The soonest upcoming event is the Cabarrus County chapter of ASNC's 1st Annual Autism Awareness Fair, on Thursday, April 12, 6:30-8:30pm. It will be held at the NorthEast Medical Center (NEMC), in the Medical Arts Building, Hamrick Theater, in Concord, NC. If you're in the area, please stop by!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

ASNC Conference 2007 Report


We're back from the ASNC Annual Conference in High Point! As you can see, we took a few things with us. Actually, these pictures only show a fraction of what we took with us, and that in turn is only a fraction of what we have in the store! The conference was quite a success this year, the first year it's been in the western part of the state for quite some time. The pre-conference workshop on Friday had 182 attendees, and the conference itself on Saturday had 349!

Those of you who were at the conference know that our fabulous pre-conference workshop speaker was Dr. Jed Baker. He got rave reviews from all the attendees we overheard in the bookstore. For those of you who weren't able to attend, or who don't live anywhere near North Carolina, you can still buy Dr. Baker's fantastic books! His first two books, Social Skills Training and The Social Skills Picture Book, have long been bookstore favorites, and his two latest books, Preparing for Life and The Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond, continue this tradition. We highly recommend you take a look at these books:

Social Skills Training for Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome
This book contains 70 skill lessons that were created to help teach social skills to children and adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and social-communication problems. These skill lessons are grouped in the following categories: conversational skills; cooperative play skills; friendship management; self-regulation; empathy; and conflict management. It is Dr. Baker's view that intervention should not focus solely on the child with a social skills deficit. Rather, he believes that skills should also be taught to typical children who may be ignoring, teasing, or rejecting the child who has communication difficulties. As a result, the last chapter of the book is devoted to sensitivity training for typical peers and incentive programs to promote peer acceptance. This is an indispensable social skills curriculum for parents and professionals.

Social Skills Picture Book: Teaching Play, Emotion, and Communication to Children with Autism
In this book, Dr. Baker demonstrates approximately 30 social skills in the areas of communication, play, and emotion. Each social skill is formatted sequentially through photographs and conversation bubbles, similar to a comic strip. These picture stories show children exactly what to say and do in social situations, and they will be of particular value to those children who have difficulties with auditory and language processing, abstract thinking, and sustaining attention. This book is a dynamic teaching tool for educators and parents, and is appropriate for students ages 12 and under.

Preparing For Life: The Complete Guide to Transitioning to Adulthood for Those with Autism and AS
Dr. Baker has written this guide to help parents and professionals teach valuable social and life skills to adolescents and young adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger Syndrome. He focuses on the importance of allowing persons with HFA and AS to continue to be unique and accepted, rather than judged. However, he also recognizes the need to help adolescents build specific skills that they can utilize throughout their lives, and this book emphasizes adding to those skills rather than replacing behaviors, which can empower young adults to attain goals while still remaining true to themselves. Specific targeted skills include: respecting personal space; dealing with anger; conversation strategies; advocacy; conducting a job search; interview skills; managing money; and many more. The program encourages person-centered goal setting, as well as planning and training to help ensure a successful transition to adulthood.

Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond
Dr. Baker has created this picture book edition for adolescents and young adults. Part one describes how to implement and individualize this book, and it also focuses on the importance of visual aids. In addition, an emphasis is placed on helping students generalize the information provided. Part two of the book teaches specific social skills through conversation bubbles and photographs of teens interacting in real-life situations. These skills are illustrated with step-by-step instructions and examples of the right way and the wrong way to approach specific situations. The social skills featured range from greetings and interrupting a conversation to dealing with mistakes and interviewing for a job, and older students will learn expected behavior as well as how to make good social choices. This resource is especially helpful for individuals who have difficulty with abstract thinking, sustaining attention, and auditory processing.

Finally, our readers may be interested to know that Dr. Baker is also featured in the Asperger Syndrome: Success In the Mainstream Classroom DVD. Locally-owned Coulter Video, located in Winston Salem, does a fantastic job producing these videos, and they come highly recommended.

Please visit our website through any of these links to read more about the books or to place an order! Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

ASNC Annual Conference 2007

It's that time of year again! The bookstore will be traveling to the ASNC Annual Conference, being held this year at the Radisson Hotel in High Point, NC.

The bookstore will be open in the Kittinger Room:
Friday 3/23, 7:30am-9:00pm
Saturday 3/24, 7:00am-3:00pm

We will have a large selection of books available, and all of our staff* will be available to help you, so please, feel free to stop by!

*Since we will all be at the conference, the regular bookstore will be closed Thursday afternoon and all day Friday.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

TEACCH Winter Inservice 2007

The bookstore is traveling to an event for the rest of the week! We'll be at the TEACCH Winter Inservice in Chapel Hill, NC, from Wednesday-Friday, Feb. 7-9. If you're going to be there, stop in to say hi, and of course, to browse the fabulous books we'll have available there.