Please Help Us Fill Out Our Survey

Hi, we are still seeking parents with children with social disability to provide us with feedback on our product. Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey at
http://www.bumanagement.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eqZV1lTpwGrhgt6&SVID=Prod/.

April is Autism Awareness Month

The Autism Society has been celebrating National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s. The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community.

Here are six ways you can celebrate National Autism Awareness Month this year:

1. Host your own event. The Autism Society‘s 1Power4Autism is the first grassroots fundraising Web site for the autism community. It gives you an opportunity to “turn on your power” by starting an event online and the tools you need to mobilize your friends and family. Learn more at http://www.1power4autism.org/.

2. Get bouncing! After a successful first year, the Autism Society and inflatable playground franchise Pump It Up are bouncing again with “Bounce for Autism” - a nationwide, community-based fundraising event that combines family fun with raising awareness and support for autism in locations that welcome children on the autism spectrum. Find an event near you at http://www.bounceforautism.org/.

3. Show your colors. Wear your autism awareness puzzle bracelet to show your support.

4. Spread awareness. Did you know that The Autism Society has free download materials to help your family, your school, your church or other community organization learn more about people with autism? Visit www.autism-society.org/shop_downloads

5. Take action. Getting involved in advocacy efforts at the local, state and national levels is a crucial way to support legislation benefiting those with autism and their loved ones. Check out current national initiatives at http://www.vote4autism.org.


6. Learn the signs. Research indicates that early identification is associated with dramatically better outcomes for individuals with autism. The earlier a child is diagnosed, the earlier the child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized intervention approaches to treatment and education. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities has developed the "Learn the Signs. Act Early." campaign and provide a number of informational materials on developmental milestones for parents, healthcare providers, early childhood educators and others that are available on their Web site http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html.

Did You Know...

• Autism now affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys

• Autism prevalence figures are growing

• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined

• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.

• Autism costs the nation over $35 billion per year, a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade

• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases

• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism

• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

Watch for the Red Flags

(The following red flags may indicate a child is at risk for atypical development, and is in need of an immediate evaluation.)

In clinical terms, there are a few “absolute indicators,” often referred to as “red flags,” that indicate that a child should be evaluated. For a parent, these are the “red flags” that your child should be screened to ensure that he/she is on the right developmental path. If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your pediatrician or family practitioner for an immediate evaluation:

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter

• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter

• No babbling by 12 months

•No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months

• No words by 16 months

• No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months

• Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age

*This information has been provided by First Signs, Inc. ©2001-2005. Reprinted with permission. For more information about recognizing the early signs of developmental and behavioral disorders, please visit http://www.firstsigns.org or the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/actearly.

DreamBig Company Logo

We recently sat down and came up with a company name and logo. Our company name is DreamBig Corporation, and our logo is as shown below, but it is still a work in progress. If you have any creative suggestions that you would want us to incorporate in the logo to make it even much more appealing, please feel free to send us your suggestions.

Our Product's Website

We launched a new product website to provide more information about social development disability and autism as well as show you how our product will help your child improve his or her social skills.

Please feel free to visit us at: http://s10b01t02.info/index.html for more information about social development disability and how The Social Me can improve your child's social skills.

Product Survey

After conducting focus groups and making changes to the original product idea, we came up with an we came up with an new and improved prototype: the Interactive Social Development Tool (ISDT).



We have reached a critical point in our project where we need to get input from other parents across the country as to what they think about our product and any suggestions that you may have to make it an even better product for your child. Because of this, we have come up with a short survey in order for you to provide us with your feedback.

Please take a few minutes to fill our survey by going to:

http://bumanagement.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eqZV1lTpwGrhgt6&SVID=Prod