HACKER ALERT!

Some jerk hacked into my email account today and sent out messages to people in my address book, saying that I was in London, had been robbed at gunpoint and needed money. PLEASE disregard that stupid email - I did NOT send it! I have anti-virus and anti-hacker software on my email account, but apparently it did not work. I heard it could have something to do with the fact that AOL and Facebook are now somehow connected, and that this is happening to alot of people.

Click here: Link to my new Autism inspirational quotes book on Kindle

Health Insurance Reform Legislation and Divorce

Does anyone actually understand how the new health insurance legislation will affect families with special needs children, when going through or after divorce? How should the issue of health insurance be handled in these cases, in light of the new legislation?

Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action conference

Last week I spoke at the national conference for the Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action, in Kansas City. I was quite impressed. There was a wealth of information presented. At the time slot during which I spoke, there were 15 sessions running.

I speak at many conferences. Seldom have I been as impressed by the organization and professionalism as I was at this conference. I recommend that you check out their future conferences.

New Autism Kindle Book

My new book has just launched on Amazon as a Kindle book! "Awesome Autism Quotes: Inspiration, Humor & Reflections."

Let's Change the Legal System for our Families!

I am finally seeing some other lawyers getting on board with helping families of special needs children when those families are going through divorce. Lawyers are beginning to see the vast numbers of people who need specialized help on these cases. These lawyers are educating themselves and becoming aware of the unique needs of these families. Slowly but surely, we will change the legal system.

Good Divorce Lawyers for Special Needs Cases

If you are going through divorce and someone in your family has a disability or special need, you need a lawyer who can understand those issues and how they should be taken care of in your divorce case. If you don't have a lawyer in your area who has experience in divorce and disabilities, look at your court's list of approved Guardian ad Litem attorneys for divorces and guardianships. These lawyers frequently handle cases involving disabilities, so they will "speak the language" as well as have some familiarity with how disabilities can impact a person's life.

New Book

I have written another book to help when divorce lawyers are handling cases involving special needs children. The law book I wrote for the lawyers and judges, The Special Needs Child and Divorce, was published in April 2009 by the American Bar Association. It is just now available on Amazon.

The newest book is a guide for parents. Divorce and the Special Needs Child: A Parent Guide is being published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Jessica Kingsley Publishers is the world's leading publisher of autism and special needs books. The publication date for this book is June 15, 2010. JKP has already placed it on Amazon for pre-orders.

These families are finally getting the resources they need to get a fair shake when their families go through divorce!

I'll Be Speaking at Conferences in Chicago area, Tulsa and Oklahoma City in July 2009

I will be speaking at the national conference of the Autism Society of America on Friday, July 24 from 12:45 - 2 pm, on the subject of Child Custody and Child Support in Divorce with a Child with Autism. The conference will be in St. Charles, Illinois, about an hour outside of Chicago. People can get more information at ASA's website: www.autism-society.o rg

Also, I will be speaking on this topic at Oklahoma State Bar Association seminars in the Oklahoma City area on Thursday, July 16 and in Tulsa on July 17.

I am trying very hard to reach out to our families and let them know there is now help for them - and I am working hard to educate the lawyers and judges about our families and what they need.

These seminars and conferences are also a good way for people from around the country to get to talk to me in person and ask me questions. My son, who emerged from autism at age 8, will be traveling with me to these 3 speaking engagements. We are trying to spread a message of hope, which is so desperately needed. Please help me spread the word so our families can finally start to get better results from the family court system. Thank you!

The Special Needs Child and Divorce - my new book

I have not posted anything for quite some time. There has been a very good reason for that. I have been busy researching and writing my new book - The Special Needs Child and Divorce. The book is published by the American Bar Association, one of the leading legal publishers in the world.
The book just launched on April 24, 2009, and I am on a whirlwind of speaking engagements. There is so much need for the information contained in the book. I am thrilled to be able to get the information into the hands of families who have special needs children and are going through divorce. I am also traveling across the United States educating lawyers and judges about this important material. This book explains what special needs are, how they affect special needs children when their families are going through divorce, and how the courts and lawyers need to handle these cases in a different way to meet the unique needs of special needs children and their families. A CD is included with the book, that contains many printable forms, samples, pleadings, checklists and other helpful materials for use when families with special needs children are going through divorce. The CD also contains an extensive printable glossary that can be taken along to court or to depositions for handy reference.
As this book is becoming known throughout the legal community and the special needs community, I am being called upon to serve as an expert witness and/or as a consultant on divorce cases all over the United States. I help lawyers and families by evaluating the medical records, therapy notes, IEPs, 504 Plans, and I write reports or testify with recommendations as to the best plan for the special needs child in the divorce process.
Click here for the link to the book, The Special Needs Child and Divorce.

Autism Conference in Los Angeles - SUMMIT 2007

There will be an Autism Conference in Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday, October 5 and 6, 2007 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California. The conference is called SUMMIT 2007 and is sponsored by The Help Group, www.thehelpgroup.org. You may register online at that site. The conference is described as a "cutting edge conference for parents and professionals." It will feature the latest breakthroughs in research and treatment and autism, learning disabilities and a Ph.D. from some of the United States’ leading experts. There will be more than 20 presentations including:
1. The Early Signs of Autism: a Developmental Pediatrician’s Perspective
2. Thinking about Diagnosis and Intervention with Very Young Children Suspected of Having Autism Spectrum Disorder
3. The Science and Fiction of Autism
4. What Are Older Teens and Young Adults with Asperger's Disorder and High Functioning Autism Doing? How Are They Faring?
5. Recognizing and Treating the "Unfocused Mind" in Children with ADHD and Other Disorders
6. Best Practices for the Remediation of Reading Disabilities

Autism and Divorce

Autism affects 1.5 million people in the United States. The divorce rates for families with special needs is about 90%. When these families go through the process of divorce, the courts need to give extra attention to the special needs of the individuals involved in the divorce. A cookie-cutter approach does not meet the serious needs of these families. Standard visitation schedules, parenting plans, child support calculations and other forms need to be tailored for these families.

Mother Lost Fight Over Soldier Son's Body, Killed in Iraq

Renee Amick's son, Army Staff Sgt. Jason Hendrix, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq on February 16, 2005. Renee sued to get custody of his remains to bury them in California. She lives in California. Jason left no will, and the Army rule is to give the remains to the eldest surviving parent when there is no will, no spouse and no surviving child. Jason's father, Russell Hendrix,is 48 years old; Renee is 45. The Army gave Jason's remains to Russell, who lives in Oklahoma. Russell and Renee divorced in 1991 and Russell was awarded custody of Jason. In April, Jason was buried in Oklahoma, in a plot next to his father's father, a former Marine. Renee wanted Jason's remains exhumed and sent to California to be re-buried there. The judge ruled that Jason should remain buried in Oklahoma. He wrote, "The testimony of the mother appeared forced and contrived. The tears were not genuine." There are two similar cases pending in Nevada and Michigan. For more information, see .

Autism Can Be Treated

A 10 year-old boy from St. Louis, Missouri has proven that autism can be treated. This boy, Samuel Price Zoole, is my son. His story was aired recently on KSDK, the St. Louis NBC affiliate and the story also appeared on KSDK.com. He was diagnosed with autism at age 3. A local pediatric neurologist strongly urged us to institutionalize him. Instead we took him to the Judevine Center for Autism, where he received intensive therapy. He also received intensive therapy and intervention at his public school, Old Bonhomme Elementary in the Ladue School District, and through Special School District. Judevine, Old Bonhomme and the Special School District worked together to help Sam to such an extent that he has beaten autism! Their work should be used as a model for other schools to follow. A well-respected pediatric neurologist has stated that Sam no longer meets the diagnostic criteria for autism. If you met Sam today, you would not believe that he ever had autism. He is now an A and B student in school, scored 99th %ile nationally in science and is taking flying lessons to get a pilot's license. THERE IS HOPE FOR AUTISM!! If you know someone with autism, please tell them Sam's story. They need to know there is hope. To read his story, see http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=75744.

Martha - the Ultimate Phoenix

Martha Stewart can make a table arrangement out of pipe cleaners and paper clips, but this time her creativity has exceeded even her previous bounds. Somehow she has caused America to actually like her - and she did it by going to prison. Are we enjoying the fact that the high-and-mighty Martha who was generally disliked got her come-up-ance? Perhaps we feel she got her just desserts (pun intended) - like when the schoolyard bully gets his swirlie. So, Dr. Phil, are you getting this? New way for people who are generally disliked to change the public's perception of themselves - go to prison! For more info on Martha's return to glory, see: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7068355.

Boeing CEO Canned in Scandal

Boeing Company has a new scandal - not that it needed one. This time, the CEO and President, Harry Stonecipher, self-made tough-talking son of a Tennessee coal miner, was forced out for what AOL News calls "a violation of the company's code of conduct stemming from the relationship the married 68-year-old Stonecipher had with a female Boeing executive.
Stonecipher's predecessor, Phil Condit, resigned just 15 months ago, after defense contracting scandals that landed 2 Boeing executives to jail.
Investors barely reacted to the news of Stonecipher's ouster, which makes one wonder - Do we really care any more about corporate executives? Do we really expect them to behave the way the rest of us have to? Did we ever expect them to? For more info, see 9990015.http://aolsvc.aol.com/business/article.adp?id=2005030707410

Pope Gets Tracheotomy

Much-loved Pope John Paul II underwent tracheotomy surgery today to ease his breathing problems, after suffering a relapse of the flu. He has been in frail health for about twenty years, yet still manages to perform some of the public functions required of the world leader of the Roman Catholic Church. For more info see
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050224055909990001

Abortion ruling (Roe v. Wade) still stands

The U. S. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to the Roe v. Wade case, the famous 1973 case in which abortion was legalized. The justices did not explain their reasons for refusing to hear the case of Norma McCorvey, who was the "Jane Roe" of the original landmark case. She said she now regrets her prior action, and wants the court to consider her argument that abortion harms women. For more info, see www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/02/22/scotus.abortion.ap/index.html. The Court's refusal to hear the case comes as no surprise. Courts are reluctant to overturn prior rulings based upon changed circumstances, especially when the appeal is essentially a matter of her changing her mind.

And You Thought YOUR Mother-in-Law Was Difficult?!

Reportedly, the Queen will not be attending the marriage of her son, Prince Charles, and Camilla Parker Bowles. The wedding is set for April 8 at Windsor, west of London. Great way to start a marriage! For more info, see aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050222161209990014.

Pregnant Texas Woman Killed, Ex-Boyfriend Charged

Yet another case of a pregnant woman being killed. According to the Associated Press, Stephen Barbee, 37, has been charged with the deaths of bagel shop owner Lisa Underwood and her 7-year-old son. They had been missing since Saturday, February 19, 2005, when Lisa did not show up for her own baby shower. She was 7 months pregnant. Her neighbor, Debbie Lindley, said Stephen Barbee was the father of the unborn child. For more information, see http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050221192009990007.