Savannah-area families with children with special needs are invited to a enjoy a Sensory Friendly Santa Experience 9-11:30 AM Sat. Dec. 4, 2010 at Guyton Christian Church, 301 Pine Street (Corner of Third street and Pine in Guyton)

Have your family visit Santa in a sensory friendly environment. Santa has experience with children with special needs and is patient, friendly and kind. Have your picture taken with Santa. Enjoy a Christmas activity and snack. Feel free to bring your own GFCF snack as well. Minimal decorations and low-level Christmas music.

Hosted by the Guyton Christian Church Youth Group. Event is FREE, however, please RSVP by Dec. 1.

Vicki at 661-1418 themimiv@aol.com or Jennifer @ 355-9098 or email jennifermcgee4@comcast.net

Making Melodies Music Therapy is now in Savannah and surrounding areas.

Making Melodies offers quality individual music therapy sessions, as well as adaptive piano and guitar lessons, for children ages newborn to 18 years.

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.

Music Therapy can address the following developmental domains:

• communication skills
• academics
• motor skills
• emotional/behavioral development skills
• social skills
• adaptive skills

Making Melodies also offers adaptive guitar and piano lessons, which are tailored to meet the needs of specialized population including children with:

• developmental disabilities
• physical disabilities
• learning disabilities

These lessons use a therapeutic approach in teaching the skills needed to play the piano and guitar, while increasing self discipline, increasing all motor domains, and improving self esteem through accomplishment.

Sessions are offered in your home, making it extremely convenient and comfortable for you and your child! For more information on how your child can benefit from music therapy, visit www.makingmelodiesmt.com For more info, contact Caitlin Whitaker, MT-BC, via email at makingmelodiesmt@gmail.com or call (912) 293-1161

A new yoga class is being taught in Savannah that is geared toward children with special needs.

The Special Needs Yoga Class will be 4:15-5 PM Thursdays for six weeks at Yoga Me Fit, 7208 Hodgson Memorial Dr. Cost is $120

The class is for children ages 4 – 8 year olds. For more info, contact Lynn Geddes, 912-308-3410 or email yogamelynn@comcast.net.

A new autism program for children starts in the Ridgeland/Okatie/Beaufort area of South Carolina.

This program is not a school, but will host language learning groups for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. There  will also be social skills groups conducted by a licensed psychiologist. 

For more info, contact Marva Knight at 843-338-2447.

For more autism resources in the Lowcountry and Savannah, visit the SouthernMamas Autism/Asperger’s Resources in the Savannah/Bluffton area by clicking here. 

Parents and teachers are invited to an Autism 101 full-day conference featuring seven speakers who will provide information that educates, enables and empowers families and professionals caring for children on the spectrum

The Autism 101 Conference will be 8:30 AM-4:30 PM Fri. April 30 at Armstrong Center for Professional & Continuing Education, 13040 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31409 (across the street from the Savannah Mall)

Speakers include Dr. Renee Tocco, coordinator of Hope for Autism. She promotes a vitalistic healthcare approach and is dedicated to educating the public about non-invasive, natural healthcare.
Other speakers will be:
-Dr. Stephen A. Ranicki of Ranicki Chiropractic and The Mindspring Center
-Parent to Parent of Georgia to provide an overview of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Special Education process. Both parents and professionals will learn great tips and rules of this process during the presentation.
-Samual Crossley of Mass Mutual Financial Group about the financial implications of raising a child on the spectrum.
-Dana Lee on the benefits of music therapy
-Lynn Adams, Author of “Parenting on the Spectrum: A Survival Guide”
-LeAnne Geoghagen, a 19-year old student, will give her personal perspective of dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome

For questions about the conference, contact Jennifer McGee at The Matthew Reardon Center jennifermcgee4@comcast.net, (912) 355-9098

For more info on local autism resources, visit the SouthernMamas Autism/Asperger’s Resource Guide for Savannah/Bluffton by clicking here.

Among the top most common questions we receive at SouthernMamas are “Are there any local support groups for parents with a child who has autism? and “Are there any local resources for children with autism?”  The answers to both is “Absolutely!”

Such questions usually come from parents who have a child recently diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s, a high-functioning form of autism.

So we have created a special SouthernMamas Autism/Asperger’s Resource Page. Click here to read it and feel free to make suggestions. Email suggested additions to anne@southernmamas.com.

The Coastal Autism Resource & Support Group resumes regular meetings Feb. 22 from 6:30-7:30 PM at the Kicklighter Resource Center, 7219 Seawright Drive in Midtown Savannah.

Meetings will be held regularly on the last Monday of every month. For more info, email coastalautismsupportgroup@gmail.com.

The new facilitators and organizers of the group are Ann Shipley, behavior consultant and Linda Fruin, Occupational Therapist and owner of Live Oak Children’s Therapy. The group’s goal is to provide resources and support for those whose lives are affected by autism and work together in the quest toward autonomy for those with autism spectrum disorders.

Local autism expert Lynn Adams will host a workshop this month in Savannah:  “Autism: Behavioral and Sensory Needs Through the Lifespan.”

Her books are available for purchase after the workshop or through www.pluralpublishing.com.

Early registration is recommended; $50 for professionals, $30 for parents and students. Some scholarships available for parents.

The autism workshop will be 9 AM-12:30 PM Sat. Jan. 23 @ The Armstrong Center for Professional and Continuing Education, 11935 Abercorn St.

For information and to register: Call Jennifer McGee at 912-355-9098, e-mail jennifermcgee@matthewreardon.org or click here.

Heated discussions about childhood vaccines are seen on national news channels and are being talked about more openly among parents.

To help sort through the confusion of safety, rights and choices, the following topics will be discussed during an upcoming vaccine seminar hosted by the Savannah Autism Support Group Meeting at the pediatrician office of Dr. Ramon Ramos, 313 Eisenhower Dr.:

• Vaccine laws, recommendations and exemptions
• Mercury/ thermarosal and other additives in vaccines
• Questions to ask your physician or pediatrician: informed consent
• Predisposition to vaccine reactions
• Strategies to increase immune function if you choose not to vaccinate

The meeting will be 6:30-8 PM Tues. Nov. 10. Attendees will go home with a packet of information of guidance and support materials to help you make an informed decision for your child. The presenter is chiropractor Steve Ranicki of Pooler.

For more info, call 912-748-1506 or email Jennifer@ranickichiropractic.com. RSVP requested: Jessica at SavannahGAandAutism@yahoo.com or call: 667-9060.

A new group called Spectrum and More Support (SAMS) in Effingham County is for those diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, anyone experiencing social difficulties – with or without a clinical diagnosis – and for their family and friends. The goal is to provide an informal social and inter-personal networking opportunity.

The next group’s meeting will be 3-5 PM Sun., Nov. 8, at the Holiday Inn Express, 7210 Hwy 21 at I-95 N, Exit 109 in Port Wentworth. The guest speaker will be: Ruthie-Marie Beckwith, Ph.D., Executive Director of
Tennessee Microboards Association.

Ruthie-Marie Beckwith, Ph.D. a consultant with Employment First Georgia will show ways that individuals can turn the need for a product or service in their local communities into their own self-employment opportunities. Basic tips on how to get started will be provided along with info on where to obtain additional support in Georgia.

For more info., contact: Vicki Wilkerson at 912-661-1418 or Janet Corbett at 912-728-4616

Help is available for Chatham County parents of children who wander due to autism.

At this month’s Autism Support Group Meeting, representatives from the Chatham County Sheriff ’s office
will demonstrate how Project Lifesaver works, give you information on how to enroll your child or loved
one in the program and answer any other questions about the Project Lifesaver Program.

The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, and other related disorders.

Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small LoJack® SafetyNet™ personal transmitter around the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. Most who wander are found within a few miles from home. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes.

The Project Lifesaver demo is 6:30 PM Tues. Oct. 13 at Kicklighter Academy, 7219 Seawright Dr., Savannah. Childcare will be provided on a fi rst come first serve RSVP basis. RSVP for childcare to Jessica Allshouse at 912-667-9060 or by email at savannahgaandautism@yahoo.com.

Here’s yet another reason to love Savannah Celtic soccer league.

Savanah Celtic has a vision and that vision is for ALL to learn and love the game of soccer, no matter the age, gender, color, creed or ability. As part of their ‘Celtic in the Community’ program, Savannah Celtic is starting up something new: program for children with High-Functioning Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome.

This is a 6 week program where children with HFA/Asperger’s Syndrome have the opportunity to get involved in the worlds most popular sport. Coaches and volunteers will work with the children as they learn some of the basic’s of the game and do so in a fun and safe enviroment.

Let your child have the opportunity to be a part of something they can call their own. The current session is for children ages 8-14. The children should be able to work in small groups and be able to follow one-step directions.

Start Date: Fri. Oct. 16
End Date: Fri. Nov. 20
Time: 6-7 PM
Place: 3000 Bee Rd. At the rear of the Salvation Army, adjacent to Daffin Park, Savannah.
Cost: $50 (includes practice shirt), scholarships are available for suitable candidates.

Contact: David Laing, 912-247-8889, or email davidmlaing@gmail.com

Dyslexia is one of the most misunderstood learning difficulties.

But help is available. The Reading Quest Learning Center in Pooler – a new sponsor of SouthernMamas – specializes in dyslexia and non-medication programs for ADD/ADHD. Recently, Reading Quest also added a program for autism.

Lesa Hall, who holds a B.S. in Education and has 15 years of teaching experience, founded Reading Quest Learning Center in May 2006. She uses the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program that addresses the learning styles of children and adults with dyslexia and ADD/ADHD.

The center’s philosophy is that dyslexia is not a disease, defect, or malformation of the brain, but a highly creative thought process and a special way of reacting to confusion.

The goal of Reading Quest’s 5-day intensive/one-on-one dyslexia program – which is also open to adults – is for the student to acquire the basic tools of literacy including:
-The ability to recognize and correct disorientations at will
-The ability to focus attention
-The knowledge of how to eliminate confusions in words and symbols
-Increased self-confidence and ability in reading writing math or physical skills

Reading Quest is offering a free consultation and assessment with a 10 percent discount off the program fee.

Read more about Reading Quest’ s dyslexia sessions by clicking here; by calling 912.330.8577 or emailing lesa@readingquestga.com.

The center’s new autism program is for children 8 and older as well as adults. Non-verbal students are accepted. For more info on the one-on-one, 4 to 5 week autism sessions, click here. Call 912.330.8577 to schedule a free presentation of the program.

Does Sarah ‘Barracuda’ Palin make you marvel and wonder “How does the supermom do it all?”

If so, you’re not alone. Be sure to read my column “Pitbull in lipstick’ puts moms to the test” in today’s Savannah Morning News Accent section. Read the column by clicking here.

But a much better article is this one from the New York Times about parents of special-needs children being divided over Palin’s promise to help. Read it by clicking here. The question raised is what Palin, whose youngest son has Down syndrome, would seek to accomplish for disabled children as vice president.

Parents of special-needs children ask whether her promise to help in her nomination speech means she will improve services and financing for special-needs children; get rid of Medicaid wait lists to get kids services; quickly pass the American with Disabilities restoration act?

Would love to hear from any parents of special-needs kids about your take on Palin’s promise that you would “have a friend and advocate in the White House” in a McCain-Palin administration. As the NYT article points out:

“The last time a candidate explicitly appealed to families of the disabled at a national convention, advocates said, was 20 years ago, when the presidential nominee, George H.W. Bush, endorsed the Americans with Disabilities Act — and got a 10 percentage point bump among voters who identified themselves as having disabilities.”

Whether you buy the theory that hyperbaric therapy helps children with autism or not, you have to admit the following event is for a good cause.

Hyperbaric Therapy of the Lowcountry on Hilton Head Is. has joined forces with Michelin and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Department of Psychiatry to help sponsor South Carolina’s first international rugby match.

The match is this Sat. Aug. 9 @ Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston. The U.S. Eagles national team vs. the leading French rugby team will be televised live by ESPN Classic at 7 p.m.

Proceeds from the match will benefit MUSC’s autism research unit in the Department of Psychiatry.

Autism affects one in 150 children born today (and one in 94 boys).