ANNOUNCEMENTS

As you get ready for the holidays, don’t forget to check out the Keystone Blog. There are great ideas to help you get through the hectic times ahead, as well as during “normal” times. You can find articles that discuss varying topics at www.keystonebehavioral.com/blog.

Does your child love art, or like to learn about art history? The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, located at 829 Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville, offers a FREE guided tour of their permanent collection every Tuesday from 7:00 - 7:45PM. If you have questions, give them a call at 904.356.6857.

The Cummer also offers a weekly drop-in art class each Tuesday for children ages 4 to 10. They will have the opportunity to explore the galleries or gardens and experiment with a different art process each week.  Check-in begins at 4 p.m.; class begins promptly at 5 p.m.  The cost for Members and Non-members is $5.

Are you looking for a unique way to get some exercise? The Jacksonville Zoo has a new program called Zoo Fit. It is an instructor-led, aerobic-paced, 3-mile walk through the zoo. Walks will be led by Zoo Safety and Security Manager, Katie Buckley, who is an experienced marathon runner, past tri-athlete, and police academy PT instructor. The walks are on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings from 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. You will be able to walk the beautiful and lush paths of the zoo, listening to the animals as they wake up for the day. This is a unique opportunity to traverse the African Veldt, Asian Bamboo Gardens, Great Apes Loop and Wild Florida before the Zoo is open to the public. Pricing: $4 for members, $8 for non-members; a 10-wal pass can also be purchased for $25 (members) or $65 (non-members). A few suggestions are listed below. If you have more questions check out the Zoo Fit website at http://jacksonvillezoo.org/about/Zoo_Fit/ or call the zoo at 904.757.4463.

• Meet at the Main Camp Entrance of the Zoo at 6:45 a.m.
• Walks start promptly at 7:00 a.m. with no late admittance.
• Bring a refillable water bottle.  Only water fountains will be available during the walk.
• Wear good walking or running shoes.

ARTICLES AND INFORMATION

Having a child with autism effects everyone in the family, especially siblings. An article found in TIME Magazine (December 24, 2007) titled: Autistic Kids: The Sibling Problem takes a look at how a sibling with autism not only changes a child’s daily life, but also helps explain issues that siblings face. The article also addresses each challenge, and gives suggestions on how to solve those problems. The author, Amy Lennard Goehner, writes this article from a personal viewpoint, as she has a son with autism. The article begins with:

A few months ago, I took my sons to buy shoes. Nate is 14 and autistic. Joey is 8 and “typical.” And I’m the parent - most of the time. Before we got to the store, Joey said to me, “If Nate has a tantrum, I can handle him. You just focus on buying shoes. I’m better at handling tantrums than you. Sometimes you just yell and it makes things worse. No offense.”

On October 23rd, CBS’s 60 Minutes aired a special on people with autism and the benefit that the iPad is providing. The special was called “Apps for Autism: Communicating on the iPad.” If you would like to read a transcript of, or watch, the segment go to http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-20124225/apps-for-autism-communicating-on-the-ipad/?tag=contentMain;contentBody

November18th and 19th was the 4th Annual Cycle for Autism, benefiting DOSA camps. This amazing event was held Friday night at 5:45pm at the Bailey’s Powerhouse Gym on Baymeadows Road, and Saturday morning at 8:30am on San Jose Boulevard. 100% of the proceeds went to DOSA camps. Check out the website (www.spinforautism.com) for more information about this great event.

November 24th is Thanksgiving! We hope you have a great time. Below you will find a few several gluten free, and casein free recipes.

There will be a Community Giving Tent on November 26th at the Riverside Arts Market, benefiting CARD. Donations will be accepted at the tent. Please stop by to say “hi”, and support this amazing organization.
CARD Toy Bank Drive: Please consider donating toys to help replenish the Toy Bank for the holidays. You can donate new toys, books, educational items, or other materials to support families. You can find a donation box at several local Walgreens stores in Jacksonville. Call (904) 633-0760 for more information.

December 3rd is the next sensory friendly film at the AMC Theater, Regency 24. The film they will be showing is The Muppets. The movie will start at 10am. As always the lights in the theater will be up, the sound turned down and audience members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing. If you, or your child, are on a special diet you can bring your own snacks to enjoy. Admission to the movie is $5 per person.

December 9th is The Seasons of Hope Dinner hosted by CARD and the Walgreens Corporation. Families will be invited to join in a special evening of holiday festivities where dinner will be served, along with activities and games. There will also be a visit from a very special guest. There are a few eligibility requirements, including:

• Families must be a constituent at the University of Florida, Jacksonville CARD.
• Families must have children between the ages of 0-18 years old living in the household.
• Family members attending must be living in the household of the applicant.
• Families must be able to provide their own transportation to and from the venue.
• This is a once in a lifetime experience. Each family can only attend once.

If you are interested in attending this dinner, please complete and sign an application. You can get an application from Keystone Behavioral Pediatrics. Space is limited, and applications must be received no later than November 15, 2011. Please note: the parent/guardian with primary custody is the only person eligible to apply for the child.

Completed applications should be returned to:

UF Dev. Ped. Center
Attn: Katrina Ressa
6271 St. Augustine Rd., Suite 1
Jacksonville, FL 32217
For more information, contact Katrina.ressa@jax.ufl.edu

FROM THE DESK OF MARLENA

We had a great week at Intersession! On Monday the students, and some adults, dressed up for Halloween. The kids were able to go Trick-or-Treating around the Academy and Clinic. The rest of the week was filled with fun fall activities that encouraged learning while also allowing the kids to have a great time

Can you believe another month has flown by? Soon it will be December and time to think about a new year. But before we skip ahead to December, we have a few things going on at the Academy that I want to mention:

• I want to thank all of the parents and staff that helped make our Thanksgiving feast on Thursday, November 17th such a success. We were happy to have families join us in celebrating this joyous holiday. Each class made a yummy dish to share with everyone. This was a great opportunity for our students to practice making items found in a Thanksgiving dinner. Watch out, you may have a mini Julia Child or Emeril Lagasse on your hands!
• School is closed the week of Thanksgiving, November 21 - 25. However, the clinic WILL BE OPEN Monday - Wednesday. Please check with your clinician/therapist to confirm that your child's appointment is still taking place. We hope that you are able to spend quality time with your family and loved ones! We'll see you back at TKA on Monday, November 28th.

THANKSGIVING IDEAS

Craft - Hand and Foot Turkeys

Supplies:

• Brown, red, orange and yellow construction paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eyes (optional)

Directions:

• Trace around the child's feet using brown construction paper. These two pieces will be the turkey's body.
• Trace around the child's hands using red, orange, and yellow construction paper. These 6 pieces will be the turkey's feathers.
• Glue the two footprints together to make the turkey's body. (The heels make the head area.) 
• Cut out a round wattle and an orange beak. Glue the wattle, beak, and googly eyes (or paper eyes) to the turkey's head. Make two legs from paper and glue then to the back of the body (or use pipe cleaners and tape them to the back).
• Glue the handprint "feathers" to the back of the turkey.

Five Tips for Tasty Gluten-Free + Dairy-Free Holidays:

1. For making gravy, use arrowroot starch or sweet rice flour; these thicken better than wheat flour, anyway. Less lumps.
2. For a non-dairy sub in pumpkin, squash and sweet potato recipes try coconut milk- it's delicious (full fat tastes best).
3. Cook carrots in orange juice for a non-dairy flavor boost. Drizzle with a touch of pure maple syrup.
4. Use raw organic agave nectar or pure maple syrup for adding just the right touch of sweetness to veggies and sauces.
5. Add turkey leftovers to nachos, soup, chili pasta, and frittata recipes. Or bake up a batch of Turkey and Sweet Potato Enchiladas (recipe below).

GF/CF Recipes
Recipes this month were found at www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

GFCF, Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 4

For the casserole:
10 to 12 oz. dry penne or macaroni pasta, partially pre-cooked*
(pasta suggestions: Tinkyada Brown Rice Penne Pasta with Rice Bran or Tinkyada Brown Rice Elbows with Rice Bran)

For the sauce:
4 tablespoons light olive oil
4 tablespoons sweet rice flour
2 1/2 cups plain hemp, rice or nut milk
1 rounded tablespoon sesame tahini or almond butter
2 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1-2 teaspoons golden balsamic or rice vinegar, or lemon juice, to taste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
A dash or two of Simply Organic Garlic Powder
A dash or two of Simply Organic Minced Onion
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons white wine- Frey Organic wine is vegan and egg-free
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon turmeric for yellow, or paprika for orange color

For the topping:
1 cup Crunchy Gluten-Free "Bread" Crumbs (See below for recipe)
10-12 grape tomatoes, halved
A sprinkle of dried basil and parsley

*To pre-cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and pre-cook the penne just until it is slightly tender but firm to the bite. Do not over-boil it because the pasta continues to cook in the sauce as you bake it. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it quickly under cold water. Set aside.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. While the pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and stir in the sweet rice flour with a whisk. Cook and stir the flour for about 10 seconds, then slowly add in the milk.
3. Bring the mixture to a bubble (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low.
4. Add the toasted sesame tahini, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, golden balsamic vinegar, sea salt, a dash or two of Simply Organic Garlic Powder and Simply Organic Minced Onion, nutmeg and white wine. Add turmeric or paprika for color, if desired. Mix well with a whisk.
5. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Pour the cooked penne into a 6-cup baking dish. Pour the sauce over the penne and gently combine. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the gluten-free bread crumbs and halved grape tomatoes. Sprinkle with dried basil. (For the sensory sensitive, omit the tomatoes, crumbs and basil.)
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until heated through and bubbling.

** For quick and easy stove-top alternative, cook the pasta until done and add it to the hot cooked sauce; stir gently to combine.

Crunchy Gluten-Free “Bread” Crumbs

1. Toast 2 or 3 gluten-free plain waffles and break them apart; then process them in food processor, pulsing on and off until they resemble classic breadcrumbs (not too fine).
2. Add several dashes of dried Italian herb mix, or a simple combo of dried basil, parsley and marjoram.
3. Drizzle in some high quality extra virgin olive oil as you pulse - just until they are moist and begin to stick together a bit.
4. Pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a skillet at medium heat. Put the processed waffle crumbs in the pan and stir for a minute, or until they are toasty/slightly browned. Sprinkle over pasta combination.

Turkey and Sweet Potato Enchilada
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
2 cups of your favorite salsa- spicy or mild
4 cups of cooked free-range organic turkey, hand torn or shredded
Juice from 1-2 fresh limes
Sea salt and ground pepper
2 cups cooked sweet potato
Pinch of cumin
2 4-oz. cans chopped roasted green chiles, drained
Light olive oil, as needed
12 corn tortillas
1 cup diced pineapple- no juice
1-2 cups shredded Jalapeño Jack cheese- or vegan cheese for non-dairy
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour about a ½ cup of salsa into the bottom a large lightly oiled 10x13" baking dish- or use two smaller pans for six enchiladas each.
3. Place the torn turkey pieces into a bowl and squeeze lime juice all over the turkey; stir; season with sea salt and pepper and toss well.
4. Season the sweet potato with cumin, to taste. Add in 1 can of the roasted green chiles; mix. Add sea salt and pepper if needed.
5. Heat a dash of olive oil in a skillet. Once pan is warm, heat one tortilla until softened, turning it over once to coat with oil.
6. Place the tortilla into the sauced baking dish. Add a spoonful of sweet potato down the center. Sprinkle with 1/12 of the turkey.
7. Roll up the enchilada, seam side down, and place it at the far end of the dish.
8. Repeat for the remaining tortillas, adding more oil, if needed.
9. Pour the remaining salsa over the rolled tortillas.
10. Top with the diced pineapple and the second can of roasted green chiles.
11. Sprinkle with cheese and red pepper flakes.
12. Bake in a 350 degree for about 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are bubbling and heated through.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

This month we want to highlight another amazing staff member at Keystone. We are going to get to know a little bit more about one of our amazing behavior therapists, Melissa Lara.

How long have you been with Keystone?
I started working at Keystone in April 2010.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I love working with adorable kiddos and wonderful families every day. I work with both typically developing and special needs children providing behavioral assessment and treatment, individual and family therapy, feeding therapy, group therapy, parent and teacher training, and school consultation. I enjoy being presented with new challenges each day and helping my clients meet their goals of treatment.

What do you enjoy doing during your time off?
I try to remember what life is really about and what is important in the big scheme of things - the people I love. It's so easy to get burnt out in this field and become hard or bitter, so self care is very important. We often live to work instead of work to live. I try to set aside time for the people I love, as well as time for myself to enjoy my personal interests that help me grow as a person. I love to paint, dance, cook, draw, write, read, visit new places and cultures, go see musicals and plays, go to my church, and watch old movies. (Carey Grant and Katherine Hepburn are my top two favorites!)

Where is your favorite place in the world to visit? Why?
It is hard to choose from so many beautiful places. If I had to choose, it would be Sardinia - and island off the coast of Italy. The beaches are beautifully serene, numerous, and breath-taking. I can eat fresh seafood at every meal and be immersed in Italian culture and people.

How many countries have you visited? Please tell us which ones.
I have been blessed to have traveled to 10 countries, so far. They are: Italy, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, England, and Mexico. Someday I hope to also visit: the Czech Republic, Egypt, Scotland, Ireland, Turkey, Australia, Croatia, and Greece!

What are your professional interests?
My professional interests include Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Art Therapy. Next year I plan to complete my requirements for the BCBA certification, as well as my licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). In the future I plan on becoming a Licensed Art Therapist.

MEET OUR NEW EMPLOYEES

Christina Lockerman, Teacher: Christina graduated from the University of North Florida with her BA in Elementary Education in 2011. While completing her degree, she was able to assist in a 1st grade Inclusion Classroom at Hogan Spring Glen Elementary, as well as in a 2nd grade Inclusion Classroom at Ruth Upson Elementary. Christina interned at Kings Trail Elementary, where she worked with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade ESOL students. Christina is excited to work with the amazing students, and families, at The Keystone Academy.
Elsa Baltazar, Behavior Specialist: Elsa graduated with a BA in Psychology, with a concentration in ABA from Armstrong Atlantic State University in May 2011. She began working with children with developmental disabilities and Autism in 2009. Elsa's undergraduate experience included practicum hours as a Behavior Consultant Intern with the Chatham County Public Schools System in the Exceptional Children Department in Savannah, Georgia. Elsa worked for one year with children with Autism and Asperger's syndrome in a Jumpstart and I inclusion program. Her work experience includes providing ABA therapy in varying environments including, public schools, home therapy, and 1:1 therapy. Elsa's experience in school observation and consultation, and parent/teacher training makes her an asset to our team. She recently enrolled at NOVA Southeastern University to pursue a Master's degree in Counseling with a concentration in advanced ABA, and will be taking the BCaBA exam soon.
Stephanie Fryback, Behavior Specialist: Stephanie graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne  (IPFW) in 2011 with a Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Minors in Linguistics and Psychology. She relocated to Jacksonville where she was a teacher's assistant at The Jericho School for Children for Autism. Stephanie is currently pursuing her BCBA certification through coursework at Ball State University.

KEYSTONE BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS STAFF