Katherine Galligan, co-founder of The Summer Bridge, and mother of two boys (Michael – 6, and Sean – 4), took some time to share some details with me about the exciting new program she and C’Airey Ashurst started this summer. When Katherine’s son, Michael, was diagnosed with autism and Katherine was thrust into seemingly endless hours of therapy, she met C’Airey, a Speech and Language Pathologist. Recently, they have worked together to create The Summer Bridge. Katherine says, C’Airey’s “role in planning and execution has been invaluable; undoubtedly attributable to her extensive experience and sincere dedication to helping children with learning differences.” Along with Katherine and C’Airey, there are two licensed teachers; one ABA therapist; a college student (pursuing a degree in psychology); and a woman who works as a SpEd aide in Michael’s school, working with the students at The Summer Bridge.

Last fall at the National Autism Association annual conference, I had the pleasure of hearing Michael Linden, PhD, of the Attention Learning Center in California speak on the topic of Neurofeedback (NF) in relation to the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Because there are not many doctors offering this kind of therapy for individuals on the spectrum, and because my son Ethan was undergoing an individualized Neurotherapy protocol with a local doctor at the time, I was very interested in what Dr. Linden had to share. He and his colleagues are making very interesting discoveries and improvements in the areas of diagnosis and treatment and I wanted to share some of that information here. Dr. Linden was gracious enough to answer some of my questions to share with you!

Over the past few months, I have been blessed to attend several conferences and workshops related to Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Asperger’s Syndrome. I’m always eager to learn more, meet new people and return home with a renewed sense of encouragement, stamina and hope.
Late last fall, I attended a tremendous event hosted by the NAA (National Autism Association). Holly Robinson Peete keynoted the conference and there were countless amazing speakers on hand to discuss treatment options for our kids. On Monday, I helped to organize a presentation and book signing with Mark Blaxill and Dan Olmsted, authors of THE AGE OF AUTISM. This week I am attending a local conference hosted by the FEAT-NT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment – North Texas).

Question of the Day: Can visuals act as a crutch for my child?