2009 04 Newsletter

Karl’s News Prints Kid Safety to Pet Care Tips

Who We Are Karl's Kids Program, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity working with children on many topics ranging from safety issues to hobbies to enjoy with their family. The Program makes use of a child's love of animals especially dogs to educate and to entertain the children. While our main focus in the Program is on the children, the Program also works in the Community on activities that encourage the education of individuals on the care and training of the family pet. We work

with other groups to foster and make available for adoption suitable animals for a family pet. We believe that by helping pets, even those not going into a family with children, we are still staying with our original goal of protecting a child's safety by assisting owners of any pet being introduced into a community. The Program makes use of various means to accomplish the goals of our projects and activities. We have web sites and forums, prepare training materials, talk to

groups of children and adults, set up information booths, and disburse handouts. Our volunteers are active in many groups and are encouraged to participate in other charitable organizational activities and help on a local scale in their community. Karl's Kids Program does not get involved in controversial situations and never promotes any one religious or political party view. We encourage a pride of country and of the family unit.

April is child abuse prevention month Reports of child abuse may be made 24-hours a day, 7 days a week online at www.cybertipline.com or by calling 1-800-8435678. The Cybertipline began in 1998 and is under the Nation Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Some of the agencies that work in partnership on this project are the Federal Bureau of Investigation

(FBI), the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces (ICACs), the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

Adults wanting to learn more on protecting the children in their homes and community can visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Website at www.missingkids.com.

If you know someone who would enjoy our newsletter, please forward to them. To be added to the subscription listing and receive future e-newsletters, CLICK HERE

Our mission is to educate children on safety topics; to assist a child in having a good quality of life; and to promote family and community values through various means including but not limited to the natural bond between a child and an animal, primarily that of the dog.

Volume 1, Issue 1 April 2009

Inside this issue: Magazine Subscriptions

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Psychiatric Service Dogs 2 How Asperger’s Syndrome Affects Me

3

What is Asperger’s Syndrome?

5

Therapy Dog

6

Ask a Trainer — Positive 7 Reinforcement A Kid’s Agreement to Internet Safety Rules

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1st Annual Florida Week 8 for the Animals Canine Ambassador Visits

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Karl’s Kids Program, Inc. P.O Box 1119 Hawthorne, FL 32640 A 501 ( c)(3) Public Charity Victoria Warfel, Newsletter Editor

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Magazine Subscriptions By Theresa Jennings You can continue to enjoy some of your favorite magazines while helping support Karl's Kids! Just go to our main website www.karlskidsprogram.com and click on the *Donor* button to see our magazine ordering link. Or go directly to our Magazine Shop site at www.magfundraising.com/ karlskidsprogram . We hope you will help support KsKs by ordering or

renewing your favorite magazine subscriptions online and sharing our site with your friends and relatives. Now you can purchase magazines year-round while saving money and supporting your favorite organization! With over 650 magazines to choose from, you can renew your favorite magazines, subscribe to new magazines that interest you or give gift subscriptions to friends, relatives

and/or business associates. And all at up to 85% off of newsstand prices while 40% of your purchase will go directly to KsKs! Currently we are trying to purchase an enclosed trailer to use in our food and product disbursements, to use for community activities, and to move supplies in preparation or response in emergency situations for people or for animals.

Psychiatric Service Dogs Points to remember in looking for a dog to owner Train By Kirsten Richards, ADAP Coordinator Step one, of course, is to find a trainer you can work with to help you make that selection. We know from statistics released by Paws With A Cause (www.pawswithacause.org) that in the general population of dogs, only 1 in a hundred has all of the qualities needed to become a good service dog. If you have not previously trained an advanced dog, your chances improve dramatically if you hire an expert to do the choosing for you. The temperament evaluation on a PSD is critical. Most people with mental illness are naturally drawn to dogs with clingy personalities, often called "velcro" dogs. This is the opposite of what they really need, which is a dog with rock solid nerve who won't get drawn into the handler's emotional distress but will remain a rock of calmness in the storm of emotions.

Again, instead of focusing on breed, focus on need. It need not be a purebred dog. Check with all

Assistance Dogs (Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs, and Service Dogs) are dogs who are trained tasks to mitigate the needs of their disabled handlers. Federal law (Title III of the ADA ) gives Public Access rights to people with disabilities and allows them to be accompanied by their trained assistance dogs in most public places.

rescues and don't exclude mixes based solely on not being purebred. Remember that the cost of the dog itself is usually the least of your expenses. Initial vet visits are typically $100 to $200, there's spaying/neutering, heartworm and

flea preventive, dog food, beds/ leads/bowls and other supplies, training, medications and so on. I typically spend about $80 per month on my dog. So work up your budget first, before looking for a dog. If finances are an issue, make sure you can really afford to care for a dog. It's heartbreaking to fall in love with one and then have to give it up because you just can't provide for it adequately. Ms. Richards is an advocate for Assistance Dogs and is the owner of Service Dog Central www.servicedogcentral.org

Volume 1, Issue 1

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How asperger’s syndrome affects me By Kristin Horner

brain got confused.

A lot of people who see me and even people who know me might not realize that there is anything different about me at all. AS isn’t something that you can see, so a lot of people that I pass on the street wouldn’t have a clue. People who know me generally don’t know what is different, because most people don’t know about AS. They may think that I am just a little bit “off.” Or that I am an eccentric academic. Or that I’m rude, shy, bored, or uncomfortable. I’m not sure exactly what it is that I do and say that makes me different. I suppose if I knew, then I could fix it and I wouldn’t have AS anymore. So I try to get by the best that I can, working with what I’ve got.

Things eventually turned around for me when I went out of state for college. I was forced to become less dependent on my parents. I was blessed with a very supportive roommate. We explored campus, shopped, worked, and lived together for four years. She even understood that I did not do well in big crowds, and threw me a surprise party for my 21st birthday with just me and three guests, because she knew I’d be miserable with a huge celebration. Even though I am grateful for this, I still wish that I could have (and enjoy) a large party. I had originally planned on being a physical therapist, but I realized that I didn’t want to have the pressure of having to talk to patients. Once I discovered the cadaver lab, where the patients don’t talk, I was hooked.

I’ve never had a lot of friends. Not even in preschool, according to my mom. I tried to play with the other kids, but they just weren’t doing it right, and it confused me. As I went through school, I became baffled as to why nobody liked me. Elementary school and middle school are hard times for lots of people, but people with AS are easy targets for bullies. I came home from school crying a lot. I just didn’t understand what I was doing wrong, and my mother couldn’t explain it to me. I became severely depressed as the pressures of keeping up with school and social expectations grew in high school. I was unable to eat in the cafeteria or attend pep rallies and assemblies because they were too loud and visually chaotic. It was just too much to process all at once and my

There are several ways in which the AS affects my daily life. I still have difficulty with social interactions, and not very many friends. I do have one fairly good friend in the anthropology department, and nobody really dislikes me, but I’m often just ignored. The way that AS feels is like there was a time that social skills were being taught in school and I just happened to be absent that day; everybody else got them but me. It makes me sad when people are making plans to go out that night or weekend, and I’m not invited even though I’m sitting right there. But the reality is that I probably would have a hard time relaxing if I did go, because it would

be a large group of people. So even though I wish I could go, I know that I would be uncomfortable. I also have trouble going out on my own. I particularly have trouble with stores, where there is a lot of stuff going on. When I go to the grocery store, I get flooded with sights, sounds, people, and touches. The shelves are like visual chaos, with so many different colors stretching from the floor to above my head. So many things competing for my attention that my eyes don’t know where to look, and they just keep flitting from one thing to another until I feel lost and detached. I am also overwhelmed by the noises: the humming of the coolers in the produce department, high-pitched children’s voices, disembodied announcements, and the constant music. People are everywhere, and I always have to worry that somebody will talk to me. What should I say? All I want to do is get out of there as quickly as possible, and people are in my way. I also have a hard time with my balance and spatial perception, so I tend to bump into shelves and people. Needless to say, I hate to go to the grocery store. I haven’t bought much more than frozen dinners, yogurt, pretzels, salad, and protein bars in quite a while, just because those are the easiest things for me to grab. With such a limited list, I can get in and out as fast as possible. But I would really love to be able to buy real ingredients and actually cook food. They only sell (Continued on page 4)

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How asperger’s syndrome affects me (Continued from page 3)

two flavors of frozen dinners that are vegetarian that actually taste okay, and I’m getting sick of eating those. I have the same problems when I go shopping for clothes. I usually avoid clothes shopping altogether. I am picky about my clothes because lots of things feel annoying to me or the colors are too bright. I usually wear jeans and a t-shirt, because that is what is most comfortable. I have to cut the tags out of most of my clothes, too. I have tried to go clothes shopping on my own, and sometimes I can. But most of the time I have to drive an hour to my mom’s house (or she drives here) to go with her so she can help me. She helps me focus and feel like I’m not alone, but she can annoy me sometimes too because she doesn’t go through the racks in order. We take lots of breaks, which I often don’t do when I’m shopping on my own because I’m afraid of sitting in a food court or something by myself. I also have a tendency to completely lose it over small things. I don’t handle change very well. I can actually do okay if nobody knows what the plan is and I know that; I can go with the flow. But if other people know the plan and I don’t, or if the plan changes, I have a hard time adjusting. When things like this happen, I just start crying, even if I know that I’m being unreasonable, and I have to sort of wait it out. This can be embarrassing when it

happens in public and I get upset over something stupid. I went to a store at the mall to take advantage of their “buy 2, get 1 free” sale combined with a $10 off coupon, but when I got there they only had two of the item in the correct size in stock. It was hard enough to go to the mall alone and go in there, and then talk to the sales clerk. To hear her say that I’d have to either pick Asperger's Syndrome Basic Facts: 1) AS is a type of PDD (pervasive development disorder) and is sometimes called Asperger's Disorder. 2) AS is often referred to as a high functioning form of Autism 3) AS in named for Dr. Hans Asperger who spoke on the disorder in the early 1940s. 4) Children and adults with AS are known to have difficulties making friends and in general with various social situations.

out something else or go to their store at the other mall was just too much for me. I have trouble making decisions like that on the spot, so picking out a different style was not going to happen. And the other mall was several miles away and in an area of town that I find difficult to drive in. Plus, I’d have to go to another mall. I had to walk away quickly as I started to cry, and had to walk through the whole mall to get back to my car. There was, of course, no logical reason to have this response, but that is what

happens with AS. Sometimes this can hurt people I love, like when my mom told me that she wouldn’t be able to pick me up from the airport. I began crying and objecting that it wasn’t fair of her to change the plans because I’d told her about my flight months ago. Of course it made her feel bad. I knew it, and I didn’t want to make her feel bad, but I couldn’t really stop it. AS has had a significant impact on my academic career. I often have trouble concentrating in class because things are distracting me. People clicking their pens, typing on laptops, tapping their toes, walking by in the hallway outside the door, coughing, and all kinds of other things. Most students wouldn’t notice these things, but each one of them demands my attention. In the classroom, I tend to either talk too much or not at all. I can’t seem to find the line that other students seem to know about. My teachers sometimes think that I am rude or not interested. Sometimes I’m not interested. But most of the time I’m doing my best to pay attention. Again, I have trouble with changes to my routine in the classroom. In one class last spring, the teacher rearranged all of the tables and put us into groups for a lab. I didn’t like that the room was rearranged, he split me up from the only person in the class that I knew, and I didn’t understand what the point of the lab was. I pretty much shut down and (Continued on page 5)

Volume 1, Issue 1

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How asperger’s syndrome affects me (Continued from page 4)

didn’t talk to anybody or get anything out of the lab at all, because I was having so much trouble with the disruption in my routine and couldn’t deal with it. I even have trouble with changes in the routine at church. This past Sunday, the pastor encouraged us to find another person or group of people and come to the front with these people to take communion together. Not only was this a change to my routine, but it required talking to people in a forced setting. I pretty much panicked and sat there until somebody came and talked to me, and I still felt very awkward. Telephone calls are difficult, too. Pretty much any situation where I’m going to have to talk to a stranger. Even when I’m talking to people I know, I don’t always know what to say. Social situations are very

stressful for me. I often have to come home and take a nap if I’ve been doing something that has required a lot of talking to people, because I’m just exhausted from the effort. This makes school harder for me, too, because I end up sleeping more than a lot of other students. Other students come home from classes and can spend time doing work, but I come home from classes exhausted and can’t work until I take a nap. I also know that the AS affects my work. I do a lot of work as a teaching assistant and in similar positions. This often requires teaching medium and small-sized groups of students. I try to relate to them, but I often just don’t know what to say. Last fall, students wrote in on my evaluation forms that I did okay with the academic side of the teaching, but I was “socially awkward.”

There is no part of my life that AS does not affect. I am reminded of my limitations when I go to appointments, classes, work, the store, church, and interact with my peers. To me, AS means feeling lonely and overwhelmed a lot of the time. Fortunately, it also means that I have a different perspective and different strengths than other people. I am very good with jigsaw puzzles, which translates to me being very good in the forensic lab with putting together broken fragments of bone. I also tend to look at things in unique ways, coming up with ideas or seeing themes that others don’t. I am very creative and I love to do crafts. I am very intelligent, which means that I can compensate for some of my limitations. And other aspects of AS that I can’t overcome, I can at least understand. It is my hope that an assistance dog will help me face some of those limitations that I have

What is asperger’s syndrome? From What Is Asperger Syndrome? By Barbara L. Kirby Founder of the OASIS Web site (www.aspergersyndrome.org) Co-author of THE OASIS GUIDE TO ASPERGER SYNDROME (Crown, 2001, Revised 2005) Quote: At this time there is a great deal of debate as to exactly where AS fits. It is presently described as an

autism spectrum disorder and Uta Frith, in her book AUTISM AND ASPERGER'S SYNDROME, described AS individuals as "having a dash of Autism". Some professionals feel that AS is the same as High Functioning Autism, while others feel that it is better described as a Nonverbal Learning Disability. AS shares many of the characteristics of PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder; Not otherwise specified), HFA, and NLD and because it was virtually

unknown until a few years ago, many individuals either received an incorrect diagnosis or remained undiagnosed. For example, it is not at all uncommon for a child who was initially diagnosed with ADD or ADHD be re-diagnosed with AS. In addition, some individuals who were originally diagnosed with HFA or PDD-NOS are now being given the AS diagnosis and many individuals have a dual diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism.

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Therapy Dog By Miss Anna Meredith & Charlotte DeBaere Anna, my four year old, blond cocker spaniel--part of the VITAS Pet Pal team--and I enter the facility. As I look around, I see the residents' eyes light up, and I watch people become more animated. People come toward us and start reaching down to say "hi" and pet Anna. I look around and spot the person we are coming to visit, and we head toward him. When he sees us, his eyes come alive and a smile spreads across his face. I approach him and hand him Anna's leash. For the next hour and a half, Anna will be his dog. He is in charge and gets to

choose whether to show Anna off to the staff and other residents, take her on a walk, or simply sit with her on his lap, giving her all his love and attention. Often, he chooses to do all three. Usually at some point, we stroll around the facility, and he shares her with everyone who is interested. It gets him out and active, and his pride in having her with him is visible to all. It is my responsibility to see that she works with him as effectively as possible. It is my pleasure to grow to know Richard for as he sits loving on Anna, he

Fruit Smoothies You will need a blender or food processor for this one. In the blender or processor add the following ingredients: 1 cup nonfat vanilla or plain yogurt or lowfat milk 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (optional) 2 ice cubes Any washed and cut up fruit that you want to use (fresh or frozen) Blend for 30-40 seconds or until smooth Pour into glasses and refrigerate until served Kids, make sure you have an adult show you how to work a blender or food processor. Older kids, only use without supervision with adult permission.

Therapy Dogs are not assistance dogs and their owner handlers have no special rights of access with their dogs. Therapy Dogs are still classified as pets and are only allowed where they have special permission to attend or in those places where any other pet dog is allowed. tells me about his life. His wife is the hospice patient, and he talks about his fears of her dying. He tries to figure out what he will do after she is gone. He tells me about his childhood, his parents, his brother, and school. He tells me about the dog he had as a child and the dogs his children have. He regularly talks about his children and grandchildren. But what makes this communication possible is that it all happens while he is focused on Anna. He talks to me while she lays on his lap and he gives her a belly rub or scratches her ears, and it is her presence that breaks down barriers. Anna gives him unconditional love, and he reflects that back onto her. During a time when he is being forced to accept that he will soon be losing his greatest love, he has a dog distracting him from his worries and enjoying every moment he spends with her. One day, he will have to face his wife passing on, but I hope he will remember that there is a little dog with a big heart who will continue to love him no matter how much pain he is in. Hopefully, Anna will be able to provide him with some solace and be a part of his journey towards healing.

Volume 1, Issue 1

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Ask a Trainer — Positive Reinforcement What is positive reinforcement and why should I look for a trainer who specializes in it?

as a reward upon correct performance. In positive reinforcement, you can use treats, toys, playing, petting, verbal praise, or a combination of these, to reward your dog for correct behavior.

A well-trained dog is a wonderful companion in life, and bad behavior is the number one reason dogs end up at shelters. Dogs learn faster and have a longer retention when trained using positive methods. Training should be fun, both for you and your dog! Positive Reinforcement works by using praise and positive actions or rewards, rather than punishment or correctional actions, to teach your dog right from wrong. The key to this is determining what motivates your dog, and using that motivator

For the dog, any attention is good attention, so be certain you only reward the behaviors you want, and ignore or correct and redirect the behaviors you do not want. Positive Reinforcement works well with children, also. Children love attention, any attention, and when they know what to do to get your attention, they will do it, good or bad. If you praise your child when they do their homework, or clean their room, they remember that, enjoy the attention, and will likely repeat

the action. If, however, you ignore the good behavior, and focus on scolding the bad behavior, that behavior will likely repeat because that is how they earned your attention. You can reward your child not only with praise or a new toy, but also with play time and time together.

Victoria is the owner of DarkSaber Dog Training & Behavior Modification

Do you have a question about dogs you would like answered next month? Email Victoria!

www.karlskidsprogram.info/forum

A Kid’s agreement to internet safety rules 

Do not tell anyone your last name, your address, your telephone number, the name of your school or even what town it is in, or where your parents work.



If someone sends you a message that makes you uncomfortable, tell an adult in your house right away.

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Do not ever agree to meet someone that you met over the Internet.

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Do not have secret friends.

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Do not send a friend that you met on the Internet a picture of yourself.

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The only time any of the rules above can be broken is with the permission of an adult in your home.

For more information on Internet Safety visit Karl's Kids Program Website and go to the Internet Safety in the Kids section. http://www.karlskidsprogram.com/InternetSafety.html

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1st annual Florida week for the animals Celebrating the 1st Annual Florida Week for the Animals “They’ll Steal Your Heart” Hosted by The Humane Society of Northeast Florida Location: Palatka Riverfront Park, Palatka, Florida Date: Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2009

Photos—Cammie the Pony belongs to 3 yr old Mara Adams who received him from Santa this past Christmas. Also shown is 9 yr old big brother Mitchell Adams (yellow shirt) escorting his sister.

The Blessing of the Animals was given by Father Ignatius Plathanam of St. Monica’s Catholic Church of Palatka (bottom left picture).

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Canine ambassador visits Jedi Visits Project Friends Victoria Warfel and Jedi led a four-part series of Project Friends Clubs at Glen Springs Elementary. Each week we focus on a different dog-related topic: dog safety and responsible dog ownership, dog grooming, dog training, & playing with your dog . There are 7-10 kids in each club, and they look forward to seeing Jedi and spending time together. We have participated in Clubs five times so far, and look forward to doing more before the school year ends.

Jedi Visits the Girl Scouts Victoria Warfel and Jedi visited the Girl Scouts and Brownies on February 16th for a Canine Ambassador presentation. We reviewed how to greet a dog, dog safety, responsible dog ownership, service dogs, therapy dogs, and dog training. The girls asked questions, told us about their dogs, and came up to say hi to Jedi.

Karl’s Kids Program, Inc.

Upcoming Topics in Next Issue: Rayne’s Reading Room

We’re on the web!

Easter Activity Community Partnerships

www.karlskidsprogram.com

The Humane Society of Northeast Florida Volunteer Highlight Bike Safety

Upcoming Events: April 16 — Spring Break at the Library May 17-23 — Celebrate EMS Week

OUR SPONSORS

Thank you!

Dennis & Kristina Adams

Lance & Theresa Jennings

Richard & Victoria Warfel

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