FOCUS Bikes the valley. Can you help?

More details of Bike The Valley have come out. They're looking for riders. So are we.

Bike the Valley is a new event for family riders and serious riders. The registration prices make this an affordable event that benefits the Y and several charities including FOCUS Center for Autism.

The registration goes to the Y to cover the costs. Additional gifts can be designated to the charities co-sponsoring the event. You can support FOCUS by riding and by giving an additional amount over an above the registration. So far, I'm the only rider in support of FOCUS. To help augment donations to FOCUS, I'm seeking riders and sponsors. Seven have stepped forward so far donating one or two dollars a mile for the ten miles I'll be riding.

FOCUS Center for Autism: helping children, adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders reach their full potential by providing clinical programs, community education and family support.

 If you would like to support my ride, let me know. Contact me at kim.grehn@focuscenterforautism.org.  You can also pledge to FOCUS on-line at http://www.focuscenterforautism.org/supporting-focus


Here are more details:

This is for families & serious riders!!   Register by this Wednesday, 6/12  & get a free T-Shirt!!

HELP OTHERS BY RIDING IN OUR EVENT – BIKE, 5 OR 10 MILES ON RAILS TO TRAILS, ALONG THE BEAUTIFUL FARMINGTON RIVER!

BIKE 25, 50 OR 100 MILES  - ALL RIDES HAVE REST-STOPS (with food and snacks), SAG-WAGONS, marked routes, etc. = FULL SUPPORT!!

All at YMCA CAMP CHASE on RT 4 in Burlington, 15 Canton Rd. between Unionville & Collinsville – The Camp will have "an open house" for all – come and enjoy the Pool, kids water pad, bike rodeo for kids, picnic (under cover; food from Max's and First & Last), showers for all riders, arts & crafts, wellness activities & more - - Including give-aways & raffles -

Join in on THE BAKE-OFF!! WIN A BIG PRIZE!! Open to all – Bake your favorite dessert – cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, cheese-cake, etc. Bring as much as you like & the riders will judge your entry!!  Final vote goes to Stacia (a Y employee).  No cost to you, open to kids & adults!! Just show up with your Dessert by 12:30!!

REGISTER:

Farmington Valley YMCA Home Page - Greater Hartford YMCA ...<http://ghymca.org/farmington/>  (find member, if you are a member) or

BY CALLING THE Y  860-653-5524   Ask for Sam or just ask to register for the Y Bike the Valley Ride - or

ON ACTIVE: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=2091182  (find bike the valley)

Who do you "HELP" when you Ride?  Register for our RIDE & make a donation to us:

FOCUS CENTER FOR AUTISM.

Register (see above) or donate $25.00, $50 or $100 now – mail donations to:

FOCUS

Checks payable to:

FOCUS Center for Autism or on-line at http://www.focuscenterforautism.org/supporting-focus

THIS EVENT IS GOING TO BE BIG – BE A PART OF IT – HELP OTHERS WHILE YOU RIDE – PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY – BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION -

5 & 10 mile rides start at 11:30 am  basically a flat route – all Paved!!          ALL WITH FULLY SUPPLIED REST-STOPS!!!!

25 at 10:00 am         1,800 ft of climbing

50 at 8:30 am           4,200 ft of climbing

100 at 7:00 am         8,500 ft of climbing  100 mi check-in 6:15 am to 6:50 but Register now! Other distances, check in 45 to 10 minutes prior to their start 

Lunch at about noon

Activities 10:30 to 3:30; Open House all day - -

FOCUS Shots

Some selected pix from the FOCUS Festival for Autism today.

Riding for FOCUS - You can help

I'm gearing up for Bike the Valley on the 22nd. First ride in years. The last time I raced was in the late 60's. The last serious ride was in the 80's. I'm hoping to raise funds for FOCUS Center for Autism. I'm looking for sponsors. All funds will go to FOCUS. May I suggest a pledge of $1 per mile? (I'm only riding ten). All you have to do is pledge. I trust you.

FOCUS Center for Autism: helping children, adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders reach their full potential by providing clinical programs, community education and family support.


I guess this makes me a spokes-person.


You can reply privately at kim.grehn@focuscenterforautism.org or through the link provided with this blog.

If you would like to ride, check out the event page at www.ghymca.org or on www.active.com.

The registration fee goes toward the cost of the event. You can designate any contribution over and above to the charities listed.

I'm raising money for FOCUS by asking for sponsors. You can contribute directly to FOCUS on-line if you wish.

http://www.focuscenterforautism.org/supporting-focus

Autism Billboards Go Viral

But not in a good way
Sometimes putting messages out there to provoke a conversation can have negative consequences. With social media in play the consequences can have far reaching and negative consequences.

Efforts to get South Africa talking about Autism by Autism SA (ASA) backfired. ASA erected a series of billboards with statements meant to be conversation starter to help break down stereotypes. The billboards read, “Autism is for black people”, “Autism is for white people”, “Autism is for possessed people” and “Autism is for violent people”. ASA's Facebook page became inundated with negative comments.

The messages were presented with no context. They promoted stereotypes rather than starting and advancing the conversation. ASA lost control of the conversation from the beginning. Social media worked against them.

The billboards were pulled down. Click on the billboard below to read more.






http://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/family/kids/autism-billboards-removed-after-outcry-1.1524373#.UaorXkCTiSo

Research and Caveats

There are always caveats when it comes to medical research. New research published in WebMD suggests that word games may predict gains for kids with autism.  Study co-author Geraldine Dawson says,

"Essentially, children who showed a different brain response from the left hemisphere to a known versus unknown word made better progress by age 6," Dawson said. "This measure may help us identify early on which children could benefit from extra help, such as an alternative communication device, so that they can have the best possible long-term outcome."

Dawson is the chief science officer for Autism Speaks.

The study's lead author, Patricia Kuhl, of the University of Washington in Seattle, said in a university news release: "We think this measure signals that the 2-year-old's brain has reorganized itself to process words.

There's a caveat: 

"The authors describe their findings as having only 'theoretical implications' at this time," said Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, in New Hyde Park. "Although this study may be of some interest to parents and clinicians who care for children with an autism spectrum disorder, there is no clinical justification for parents to pursue any specialized [brain] testing at this time," he said.

Caveats are important and should have a place of prominence in reporting. Recall the research link between childhood vaccines and autism. The research was faulty. Medical officials in Great Britain are reporting increases in cases of the Measles about a decade after the link was implied. ABC News is reporting a large increase more than a decade after false research caused parent to refuse a vaccine that would have prevented the disease.

The caveat in this article well placed well below the fold. So many parents with children on the spectrum are looking for hope. We need to make sure the balance of the reporting goes beyond. It can be a matter of placement.

A setback for an autism treatment drug

Key trial of Seaside autism drug fails to show benefit

Reuters is reporting that Arbaclofen, a drug that would treat symptoms of social withdrawal, failed to show a benefit in a mid-stage trial.  Based on the results Roche Holding AG, has decided to pass on a partnership to develop Arbaclofen.  The maker of the drug, Seaside Therapeutics, says it will seek new partners to test the drug further.

People With Guns

The NRA and other gun advocates like to say, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people."
They are partially right. More accurately people with guns kill people.

I read an article this morning about an accidental shooting in Virginia.

Va. 3-sport star shot dead after drunkenly sneaking into neighbor’s house thinking it was his own

A teenager was dropped off at a home by his friends after a night of partying. He was drunk and impaired. He entered the wrong house. The owner of the home mistook the boy for an intruder and after a warning, shot the boy killing him. A tragic accident, right?

Consider these three questions. What if the home owner had called and waited for the police? What of the homeowner had been better trained in the use of his weapon? What if the home owner did not have a gun? Instead of a tragic and senseless death, the boy would still be alive.

I pulled this off The Children's Defense Fund website.

Between 2000 and 2010, a total of 332,014 people of all ages died from guns, more than the population of St. Louis, MO (318,069), Pittsburgh, PA (307,484), Cincinnati, OH (296,223), Newark, NJ (277,540), Orlando, FL (243,195), or Richmond, VA (205,533).

 31,328 people of all ages died from guns in 2010.
 1 person died every 17 minutes 
 85 people died every day
 602 people died every week
Join us to #ProtectChildrenNotGuns, sign our petition to the President and members of
Congress bit.ly/R9mNas

In a section on the childrendefense.org website titled The Truth About Guns...

1. A gun in the home increases the risk of homicide, suicide, and accidental death.
2. Many children live in homes with loaded and unlocked guns. 
3. Guns make violence more deadly.
4. Virtually anyone can buy a gun without a background check.
5. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is forbidden from regulating the sale and manufacture of guns.
6. Common sense gun safety laws help reduce gun violence while protecting the legal use of guns.
7. Loopholes in prior gun safety laws prevented them from being as effective as necessary.
8. Common sense gun safety regulations protect lawful ownership and use of guns.
9. The majority of Americans, including gun owners and NRA members, support common sense gun safety regulation.
10. Armed school guards and teachers will not necessarily make children safer but will jeopardize the futures of some children. 

To find the sources for this information, please go to the Children's Defense Fund site.
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
Click on Programs and Campaigns. The go to Protect Children, not Guns.