 |
|
|
Lifeline Online Spring 2009 Issue 102  FEATURED A recent study by two LSI investigators in the journal Development Psychobiology recently reported that pupil size in the eyes of children may be used to identify those with Autism Spectrum Disorders earlier than the typical three years of age. Read the full story. A new scientific society devoted to oromotor development in premature infants was officially created at a recent meeting at KU under the leadership of LSI investigator Steven Barlow. Read the full story. The new three-story 72,000-square foot Children’s Campus in Kansas City, Kan., is starting to take shape on the corner of 5th and Minnesota Avenue. Read the full story. RESEARCH IN ACTION Judy Carta and Charles Greenwood, Juniper Gardens Children’s Project, are collaborating with colleagues in Australia on the use of a website measurement tool developed by JGCP researchers. Read the full story. LSI at Parsons helped organize an electronic recycling event for residents of a five-county area that saved tons of stuff from going to landfills. Read the full story. ADMINISTRATIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS LSI centers may now have their own “signatures” for stationery, websites and print materials. Read the full story. HONORS Two former KU doctoral students who worked with LSI-affiliated scientists received top honors at the annual meeting of the Council for Exceptional Children. Read the full story. MILESTONES Long-time Parsons Jill-of-all Trades Pat White was among the recent retirees honored by KU. Read the full story. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT NEWS Six recent awards and 52 proposals submitted in the last few months explain, in part, why LSI researchers and central office staff have been burning the midnight oil. See the complete list. |
IN THE NEWS  John Colombo Colombo explains baby brains "But children, it turns out, are much better at picking up on all the extraneous stuff that's going on . . . And this makes sense: If you don't know how the world works, then how do you know what to focus on? You should try to take everything in." – John Colombo on infant cognition in Inside the baby mind, Boston Globe online.
Wendy Parent Parent makes case for employment of people with cognitive disabilities Wendy Parent, expert on employment of people with cognitive and other disabilities, was tapped by U.S. News and World Report series on autism in Teenagers with Autism, Want a Job? "It's always framed in a business sense. We're not asking for charity. We're saying this person can work for you." Brady, Bashinski show intervention for deaf-blind communication successful “Many deaf-blind children barely communicate until they are old enough to start learning sign language. But they often struggle with that because they didn’t learn the gestures and noises that are the foundation for communication in normally developing infants.” : Nancy Brady. Brady’s and Susan Bashinski’s five-year study of a new intervention to help children with deaf-blindness build communicatation was featured in an Associated Press story that appeared in the Kansas City Star, Lawrence Journal World, Wichita Eagle and others. K-CART researchers featured in Fox 4 segment 
Screen Capture from Debra Kamps and Matthew Reece, director and co-director of the Kansas Center on Autism Research and Training (K-CART), respectively, were interviewed by FOX 4-WDAF TV in Kansas City, Mo., for a story that aired on World Autism Awareness Day (April 2). The segment focused on the importance of early diagnosis and discussed early warning signs not only in children as young as 18 months but also in infancy. "As soon as a parent has any indication that there's a problem, they should start seeking out information immediately," Kamps said. Community Tool Box central to Kansas City peace effort The science of helping communities prevent violence and other formidable social problems is the focus of the Work Group on Community Health and Development. “It’s wonderful to be engaged and on the ground, and to be able to work with your community partners and see the differences they are making.” - Jomella Watson-Thompson, director for community research. White helps Peru launch first independent living movement The independent living (IL) movement has helped Americans with disabilities live fuller lives, but people in other countries have fewer opportunities. “Since my first to visit to Peru in 1998, I’ve had a vision of bringing a ‘Dream Team’ from the U.S. to help establish an IL movement there.” Glen White, director of the Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTCIL). Howland underscores disease and disaster prevention |