September's featured items are authored by presenters at the 2010 OCALI Conference

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Waves of Words: Augmented Communicators Read and Write

Dave Koppenhaver

This ISAAC Series book contains an international collection of stories portraying the literacy learning successes of people with complex communication needs and the professionals who helped them learn to read and to write. The individuals you will read about in this book vary in age, nationality, experiences and the technology, teaching strategies, environmental supports and opportunities that led to their successes in the struggle to read and write. In each case, readers are allowed a rare peek into the dynamic processes of literacy learning for people who rely on AAC.

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Making Lemonade

Judy Endow

Fascinating storytelling and classic elements of poetry combine to allow the reader into the world of autism. Faced with a lifetime of "lemons," Judy decided years ago that rather than (a) throwing them out or (b) letting them rot and then throwing them out, she would (c) make lemonade - capitalizing on her strengths and talents. Each poem in the collection invites us to focus on one of Judy's lemons, such as sensory lemons, her school days, etc. By choosing her words simply and sparingly, the author trusts us to fill in the spaces with our own experience, encouraging us to accept our own lemons and make our own lemonade.

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Power of Words DVD

Judy Endow

The statistics are more staggering than ever before! One in 91 children in the United States has autism. In this production, We/They statement pairs (based on a poem by Mayer Shevin; 1987) are used to show the language difference often employed by those who are defined as "helpers," whether family members, teachers or other professionals, and the negative effect they can have. The Power of Words combines words, pictures and music to present examples of how the "they" talk about the "1" with autism, noting that even well-meaning and kind words can set the tone for acceptance or rejection as well as for inclusion or exclusion.

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Paper Words: Discovering and Living with Autism

Judy Endow

In this intensely personal book, readers are swept up into a fast-paced journey of how author Judy Endow noticed her differences early on, how she eventually discovered her autism and how she embraces life autistically. From her troubled teenage years in a state institution where her coping behaviors were interpreted as defiant and oppositional, to her years in a Christian community where her behaviors were misunderstood, to a brief marriage and the birth of her three sons, Judy has emerged as a strong voice on the autism spectrum. Beyond presenting a fascinating journey of resilience, courage, hard work and sheer will power, Paper Words shows visually on the printed page how Judy, a highly visual thinker, translates her thoughts into words.

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Quality Literacy Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Christina Carnahan, Ed.D. and Pamela Williamson, Ph.D.

Having effective literacy skills enhances the quality of life of all individuals, including those with autism spectrum disorders. Bringing together experts from both the autism and reading fields, this textbook supports professionals and families alike in building lifelong literacy instruction geared to the needs of students on the autism spectrum. Using case examples, the textbook brings theory and research to practice, thus meeting the mandate for evidence-based practice.

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