LA tourism numbers have been released, and once again Australia has hopped in as the front-runner in generating the most overseas visitors in Los Angeles.
In 2011, approximately 26.9 million people visited Los Angeles, surpassing the 2007 record of 25.9 million visitors, according to Carol Martinez, vice president of communications for the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. That’s an increase of 4.2 percent from 2010.
“This has occurred for the past couple of years, but there are a number of reasons that make Los Angeles is an attractive destination for Australians. One, being the boost in business linkages,” said the Australian Consul-General Chris De Cure.
via G’Day LA: Tourism Soars With Help From Australia | NBC Los Angeles.
Australia has been the front-runner in generating the most overseas visitors to Los Angeles for the past two years. I’d have to agree with the writer that the increase would have a lot to do with the stronger Australian dollar.
When I moved to the US in late 2001 the Australian dollar bought just $0.50 US. Today that same dollar will buy $1.04 US.
So I’d like to remind all my Aussie friends and family, especially those that have never visited.., that 2012 is the year for you to get on that Qantas jet and come to Los Angeles.
I stumbled across author Ellen Notbohm and her book “Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew” about a year ago. As a parent of a child with Aspergers Syndrome I was amazed at the simplicity and accuracy of this list.
The Author first published her list in a magazine article like the one found at Autism Spectrum.
Here is a summary of the Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew:
1. I am first and foremost a child — a child with autism. I am not primarily “autistic.”
My autism is only one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person.
Sensory integration may be the most difficult aspect of autism to understand, but it is arguably the most critical.
2. My sensory perceptions are disordered.
This means that the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me.
Receptive and expressive language and vocabulary can be major challenges:
3. Please remember to distinguish between won’t (I choose not to) and can’t (I am not able to).
It isn’t that I don’t listen to instructions. It’s that I can’t understand you.
4. I am a concrete thinker. This means I interpret language very literally.
It’s very confusing for me when you say, “Hold your horses, cowboy!” when what you really mean is “Please stop running.”
5. Please be patient with my limited vocabulary.
It’s hard for me to tell you what I need when I don’t know the words to describe my feelings.
6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented.
Don’t let autism cause you to lose sight of the whole child. Self-esteem is crucial.
7. Please focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t do.
Like any other human, I can’t learn in an environment where I’m constantly made to feel that I’m not good enough and that I need “fixing.”
8. Please help me with social interactions.
It may look like I don’t want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it’s just that I simply do not know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation.
9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns.
Meltdowns, blow-ups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you.
10. If you are a family member, please love me unconditionally.
Banish thoughts like, “If he would just……” and “Why can’t she…..” You did not fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you and you wouldn’t like being constantly reminded of it. I did not choose to have autism. But remember that it is happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you – I am worth it.
Whenever I find myself frustrated with my efforts to communicate or understand my son I pick up this book to gently remind myself what he needs.
Tags: 2012, Asperger Syndrome, Aspergers, Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, product review, review, The Blog Dare
I’m participating in the 2012 Blog Dare at Bloggy Moms. One of the recent writing prompts was to write about a vacation we hope to take this year.
In an effort to be more positive, I can say that we ARE taking our vacation at Disney World this year.
I’m very grateful that my husband convinced me to become a Disney Vacation Club member four years ago on our last trip to Disney World. This is similar to a timeshare in that we can stay at a Disney property using points. Unlike a traditional timeshare we can choose when we go and which accommodation we stay in. We are only restricted by availability and having enough points for the accommodation we want. We have ten days booked at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in a 1 bedroom villa with a Savanna view.
We will be vacationing during the school year so we made the decision to tell the kids. Their teachers need to agree to independent study so that they can go on the vacation. The kids are super excited to be going to Disney World again and to be able to see the animals from our balcony.
Our accommodation includes a kitchen and laundry so we’ll be able to travel lightly…for us… I hope. Check back in May for my rantings from the airport when my husband leaves me with our daughter who needs to go to the bathroom and all our luggage whilst he parks the car or returns the rental vehicle.
This will be our first major vacation since our son became gluten, dairy and casein free this time last year. Because of this there is a little more planning but there appears to be no better place than Disney World to have a food allergy. I’ve already been able to find many food options and the chefs at Disney World will help us find appropriate food for our son at our sit down meals.
My husband has already booked many of our sit down meals and we have our airline tickets and Disney transfers arranged. Over the next few months we’ll purchase the park tickets and meal plans so that we can all relax during the vacation knowing that there won’t be any credit card surprises when we get home.
Where are you planning on vacationing this year?
Do you pay for your vacation before you go, or when you return?
Tags: 2012, The Blog Dare
2011 was a busy year for me that found me trying to balance too much and ultimately neglecting my blog.
I am a mother of two children, including an 8 year old with Aspergers; a contract IT worker; a Network Marketer and a wife who really enjoys having this blog as an outlet.
Tomorrow is my first day back in the office after 10 days at home with the kids during winter break so I’ll do my best to summarize our 2011.
My year in review:
In January we took the plunge and started our then 7 year old on a gluten and dairy free diet. It was something I had considered for a while due to his life long abdominal issues and a recommendation from a friend, Barrie Silberberg. Barrie wrote The Autism & ADHD Diet Book and I would not have had the courage to make this step without her. That being said going gluten and dairy free was not an easy task with a child who has sensory processing issues and an extremely limited diet. I allowed the diet to take over my life for most of the year as I searched for foods that our son would eat and would meet his nutritional needs.
In May our little girl turned 6!!!
In June both children started summer vacation and I began juggling work and shifting children between am and pm camps. To some it may sound a little indulgent but I struggled to find camps that didn’t include lots of food on a daily basis and our then 7 year old lacked the necessary coping skills to be in other camps for a whole day. So I found appropriate morning and afternoon camps that were right for him and did what I needed to.
The kids had a wonderful summer learning soccer skills, swimming, acting, singing, building Legos and so much more.
Late August came too quickly as our little princess started 1st Grade and our son started 3rd Grade. With the kids back in school I feel like we are just constantly on the run between school, therapy 4 times per week for Mstr 8, Cub scouts, Daisies, Ballet and Soccer. Thankfully I’m married to a wonderful man who is happy to play Mr Mom after he finishes work each day.
In September our son turned 8!!
In October my husband and I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary!! We had hoped to take a cruise to Tahiti (our cancelled Honeymoon) or a trip to Hawaii but neither seemed feasible at the time… I wasn’t ready to travel gluten and dairy free just yet and didn’t feel like I would be able to relax enough to enjoy the vacation.
In December we found out that our son is intolerant to 20 foods, which brings us a step closer to helping him heal and grow. It also means I need to revamp his diet again as many of the “bad” foods were in his diet. We also got to celebrate Christmas with our wonderful children and share precious moments with family both near and far (thanks to FaceTime). My husband was fortunate enough to have a week at home with the kids leading up to Christmas and I got to spend a week with them between Christmas and New Years just hanging out. A lovely change from our normally hectic life.
I’m looking forward to a more organized and calmer 2012. How about you?
Tags: 2012, The Blog Dare
This year I’m participating in the Blog Dare 2012 hosted by BloggyMoms.com
Simply put, the Blog Dare 2012 is a year of writing prompts for bloggers.
I’m a day late for the first post, but better late than never. So I’ll keep it short and sweet.
My Social Media Goals for 2012 are:
- To post on a regular basis.
- To increase reader interaction on this blog.
- To increase my Twitter followers (currently 5835)
- To post at least 1 video blog.
- To comment on other blogs on a regular basis.
What are your Social Media Goals for 2012?
Tags: 2012, The Blog Dare
Dear Friend of the Autism Health Insurance Project,
Chances are, you’re reading this letter because you have a child on the autism spectrum or you work with this amazing population. Or, you may just be interested in helping someone who does. Autism is real — It’s just not fair
Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition. The most recent data indicate that autism impacts 1 in 110 children, and the numbers are growing. Treatment of ASD is as real and as medically necessary as any other disorder typically covered by health insurance. Despite national and state mental health parity laws requiring that insurers treat these conditions like any other medical condition, getting therapies covered is an uphill battle. I know. I spent years fighting the system to get my son desperately needed medical services, including speech, occupational, and behavioral therapies. |
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Families that are raising children on the autism spectrum are already stretched thin, just dealing with the emotional and behavioral challenges of this condition. They should not have to suffer the devastating costs of treatment, as well.
We can change all that
After years of successfully advocating to help my son, I founded the Autism Health Insurance Project so that I could help other families facing the same struggles. We are the only non-profit organization devoted to helping families get autism-related services through their health care plans. Since 2009, we have helped hundreds of families through our website, message boards, speaking engagements, and direct advocacy programs. We also spent untold hours and energy helping to get California’s Autism Insurance Reform bill passed into law.
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Seeing is believing
I have witnessed firsthand the relief on a mother’s face when she hears that she does not have to sell the family home so her toddler can begin receiving the intensive behavioral therapy that he needs. When children who lived exclusively in their own worlds get intensive therapy which allows them to start to emerge and connect with others. When children whom many thought would never speak start to talk. We make these miracles happen by helping families and providers get health insurance to pay for these medically necessary treatments.
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How you can help
You can change the future for kids with autism by helping them get the health insurance benefits they need and deserve. Your contribution will help us:
Please give today.
Your tax deductible contribution will make the difference.
Go to our donate page and make a tax deductible contribution.
Also, check out our website and facebook page, and see what we’ve been up to.
Thank you for giving.
Sincerely,
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Tags: 2011, Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, The Blog Dare
I have a confession to make, I used to go a little crazy with the Black Friday sales. Now that I’ve had 10 years experience I think I’ve almost mastered holiday shopping for our family.
The hardest part for me every year is not to overshop as I start early, and getting home by 6:30am so my husband can go to work. As the kids are older I can’t take them with me anymore… unless we are shopping for daddy.
I just realized that the holidays are fast approaching. It’s time to start making those lists!
To get the best value for your money, requires a little planning.
Look online and find the best prices for the items you want to buy and write them down. Then start checking the weekly ads. When a great deal comes up grab it. Save your receipts (I highly recommend taping them to the item) in case you change your mind or you get a great doorbuster deal so that you can return them.
For example Toys R Us is running a Buy 2 Get the 3rd Free promotion on Video Games at the moment. Our son would like a DS this year and many of the games in the promotion were already reduced in price. I got three games for $42 including taxes and I’ll pick them up in the store. That way I don’t have to worry about the UPS guy leaving a toy store box at the front door and I didn’t have to pay for shipping. I’m on the lookout for a DS now. I’m not sure if I’ll get one in the weeks leading up to Black Friday or on the day.
Ordering online and picking up in store is a great option at Toys R Us and Walmart. It allows you to get the best prices and avoid the shipping costs. Your items are waiting for you at the store to pick up. One reason I do this is because I’ve found that Legos are cheaper online at both stores, sometimes up to $10 less. Toys R Us will price match to it’s own website but I’ve found it to be time consuming if you get the wrong checker and I’ve often ended up back at customer service getting a refund because there was a mistake. There may be a smaller selection available for store pick up but it beats driving from store, to store looking for that one, must have item.
I should mention that I found one snag with this on Black Friday for some high demand online doorbusters as stores have accidently oversold items and buyers were not notified until afterwards. Personally I got a fantastic deal on a large toolbox for my husband and got free shipping from Sears a few years ago.
My plan for our holiday list is like this. Start scanning the weekly ads for deals on our list. Keep the receipts for price matches or return if they go on sale in the next 60 days. As the Black Friday ads start popping up on the internet I check to see if I’ve gotten a good deal and start making my Thursday night shopping plans. Last year I got a great deal on a cricut machine for our sons teacher.
This year I also plan on keeping track of our total spend and all our items to avoid going overboard like last year. We are saving for a family vacation so the kids are more than happy to get a few less items this year.
Have you started your holiday shopping?
Tags: 2011, save, The Blog Dare
Here is part of a touching article about the communication benefits of iPads for kids with disabilities.
Technology helps those with disabilities interact more fully with those around them
A Happy Meal has never tasted better.
For the first time, 13-year-old Victoria Wise was able to order a cheeseburger, French fries and a Sprite on her own – all thanks to an iPad.
Nonverbal since birth, Victoria had only been able to communicate with hand gestures and facial expressions.
But using the device, she placed her order – complete with a “please” and “thank you” – with just a few taps of her finger earlier this summer.
Victoria participated in pilot study through The Speech Garden Institute – a Charlotte-based nonprofit that serves children and college students who have speech and language delays – that tested the ability of iPads to help children with communication disabilities express everyday wants and needs.
Since then, Victoria’s mother, Karen Parker, said she has seen her daughter blossom.
“She was more confident. She was expressing herself where before she would sit back.”
The inspiration for the iPad Communication Project came from a short video clip. The Speech Garden’s executive director, Ellen Holloway, saw a video of child using an iPad to communicate and thought the device could help her students at the institute.
“Once I saw there was an app, I knew this would be great for so many things,” Holloway said.
To read the complete article visit: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/14/2520060/ipads-help-nonverbal-children.html
Tags: 2011, Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, The Blog Dare
It’s our boys birthday soon and he’s having a Birthday Party. There is a great local company that makes gourmet gluten-free, dairy-free cupcakes and he loves them. Instead he’s asked for an ice-cream cake.
I’ve been able to find substitutes for our sons many requests for foods since going gluten and dairy free but this one had me stumped. After much searching I’m certain there is no-one locally who makes a dairy-free and gluten-free ice-cream cake.
With the days to his party getting closer I’ve decided to bite the bullet and make the cake for him. My husband is very concerned about this endeavor as our son has turned down tasty foods I’ve made for him before.
I’ve decided to bake two small cakes (approx 4.5 inches round) using a packet mix. I’ll use the remaining batter to make some cupcakes. Both cakes will then be frozen. Another blogger suggested softening some store bought the ice-cream. I’ll use the same two baking dishes to mould the ice-cream. The plan is to have a total of five layers, two of cake and three of ice-cream. I’ll decorate the outside of the cake with softened ice-cream or Mimic Creme
Tags: 2011, dairy free, gluten free, The Blog Dare
Xyngular has a new product that was released this week. AXION is about to make my life a lot simpler. I’ll be able to reduce the supplements I take and not have to worry about missing my evening doses.
As a mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum and as a person with Fibromyalgia I know the importance of optimal nutrition. This is not as simple as taking any multi-vitamin, but about taking the right supplements. To achieve optimal health it’s essential to have good digestive health. The right minerals, digestive enzymes and probiotics in a once a day formula is just what I’ve been looking for.
You can read the official company information below or order your
now.
Is disease optional?
We can’t avoid the high-stress, toxic, chemical-laden world we live in, but we can protect ourselves from as much damage as possible. Our bodies are bathed in free radicals, toxins, and chronic inflammation. But with optimal anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, disease can be far more optional than we realize.
Why not just eat better?
It’s impossible to eat enough fruits, grains, and vegetables every day to get sufficient antoxidants to combat today’s free-radical overload. We’d need many pounds of a wide variety of foods to get what we need. They are far too difficult for us to source, chop, and prepare…let alone afford.
Why whole foods in a supplement?
We use raw, concentrated ingredients like kale, spinach, apricot, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, grape, beet, papaya, chlorella, spirulina, cauliflower, broccoli, wheat grass and pineapple in greater potency than you would ever find in a diet you could try to gather yourself. Each of these superfood ingredients is proven beneficial and highly bioactive in your body. You would feel a major difference from these alone. But these ingredients are blended with the most bioactive forms of vitamins and minerals that no super-diet can begin to match for complete nutrition and bioavailability.
Why probiotics?
A healthy body contains as much as four pounds of beneficial bacteria. Each strain of these wonderful organisms performs essential functions in your body like cleansing all the maze of tubes in your body and conversion of food to energy (not fat). Chemical toxins, antibiotics, and many drugs kill both beneficial and dangerous bacteria. This erodes our health. A probiotic supplement can have a dramatic effect on your energy and resistance to disease.
The science
Most people don’t realize until it’s too late how vital it is to take a potent time-release supplement with vitamins, minerals, superfoods, and probiotics. You could spend countless hours exploring the volumes of solid, scientific research supporting each of the ingredients in this powerful blend and their corresponding health benefits. Suffice it to say that to function properly, every cell in your body benefits tremendously from a careful balance of all these essential nutrients. This is especially true for those with poor diets, weak immune systems, exposure to toxins, ambitious exercise regimens, age-related health problems, high-stress lifestyles, or pregnancy.
Order your today.
Rebecca Doll
XYNGULAR Manager
http://GetMyCORE4.com
Tags: 2011, The Blog Dare, thousand oaks, usa, weight loss, xyngular
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