Winter Issue of Disability Solutions is now available.

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

One benefit to the 11 inches of rain that fell here in Portland last

month is that it's hard to be distracted by outdoor activities.

That's a good thing—there's lots to do!

I'm pleased to share that the winter issue of Disability Solutions

is posted on our website. For those of you who receive a printed

copy in the mail, it is beginning it's trip to your door. This issue

focuses on tactile defensiveness. Haarstad shares her

experiences working through significant touch sensitivity with her

daughter and dozens of other families. If this is something you are

familiar with you know how overwhelming it can be. does a

wonderful job of showing us how to go one step at a time, with

patience and persistence. I hope you will find it helpful. You can

download your issue from our website or click here.

For those of you on the Down syndrome-autism listserv, this is a

particularly useful issue. As with many things, it might take work,

but has outlined the process so well you can take it in steps

that are manageable....one day at a time. If you work things through

as methodically as she outlines, I believe you will be pleased with

the rewards---in time. It all takes time.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who responded to our appeal

letter at the end of 2005. Thanks to you we are starting the year

with almost $12,000 toward our goal. We are in the process of

finalizing our funding development plan for this calendar year, so

look for an update and specific funding goals and our foundation

challenge next month.

As always, it is a pleasure to work for you.

Take good care,

Joan Guthrie Medlen, RD, LD

Project Director, Creating Solutions

Senior Editor, Disability Solutions