Luke suffered a 35 minute seizure brought on by a rare form of encephalitis that unexpectedly struck him las New Year’s Eve and left him unable to walk. After extensive treatment and physical therapy, Luke took his first five steps last weekend, right into the arms of his friend, Brad Meester.

Lyra Stephens' 5-year-old son, Sewell, was diagnosed with autism when he was 2. Ph. Stacy Thacker, Gannett; image courtesy USAToday.

Most people understand the limitations placed on an individual with a physical disability to participate in sports. In fact, we are pretty used to the exhaltation that individuals with disabilities recieve when they are able to overcome their disability to become athletes. However, most people don’t think about how a disability such as autism can prevent a child from playing even the most unruly of neighborhood street sports with local kids. The thought eludes them and many can’t understand why, if there’s not a physical limitation, can’t a child with autism join in. But among other things, autism is a social disorder, making grasping the social dynamics of team sports difficult at best and impossible for most. Yet, co-founderof A.Skate and mom of a child with autism Crys Worley, has found that skateboarding is one sport that children with autism can excel at. The solitary nature of skateboarding provides the perfect physical outlet for children with autism and doesn’t force the child to combat awkward social dynamics.

The A.Skate program travels throughout the U.S. holding clinics for children with autism at no cost to the families, and even gives grants to children with autism for skateboarding gear. The organization also promotes awareness and educates families about the skateboard industry.

The article interviews roller derby mom Lyra Stephens, of Montgomery, Ala., who talks about her son’s autism and the challenges they faced. Currently Stephens is helping to support the A.Skate Foundation organization by organizing a benefit scrimmage that will bring three other derby teams from the region to Montgomery to help the cause.

You can read this and more here.

OCC and PJD face-off in the Cadillac Build-Off. PJD's Cadillac inspired bike (left) and OCC's (left) were commissioned by Cadillac for a charity auction. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to Cure Duchennes. Duchennes is a recessive X-linked form of muscular dystrophy. Image via Motor Ride.

Fans of the hit Discovery Network show American Chopper are familiar with the father/son dynamic that is heated enough to start World War III.

But in the show’s most recent episode, the two put their battle of the bikes to good use, each working with Cadillac to build two bikes to be auctioned off to raise money and awareness for the cure for Duchennes.

You can see a clip of that episode here.

Duchennes is a recessive X-linked form of muscular dystrophy. It is the more fatal of the forms of muscular dystrophy.

The two bikes, one from Orange County Chopper, or the Paul Sr.’s bike shop, and one from Paul Jr. Designs, the son’s shop, were designed utilizing elements, hardware, and even cadillac owned paints, to build a bike that represented the heart, image, and style of Cadillac. The two bikes are currently in an auction bidding war, the proceeds of which will be donated to Cure Duchennes. Paul Jr.’s bike is currently in the lead.

See this auction and more on Discovery Channel’s official website.

Closeup pictures and spec information on the two bikes can be found in this articel written by Motor Ride.

Visit www.everydayhealth.com to take the Adult ADHD Screening Test

And while you’re there, sign up for a copy of Your ADHD Action Guide. The guide is FREE and sull of helpful tips, tools, and ADHD resources.

The leaders of CHADD and ADDA released the following joint statement: “There is a common perception among many young adults and adults that you can outgrow the ADHD you were diagnosed with as a child or adolescent. However, it is important for them to understand that this is not always the case and that the disorder can continue into adulthood.

Oracle; image via NEWSarama.com

So for those who know all about the world of Batman strictly through the movies, you’ll remember meeting Batgirl, played by Alicia Silverstone, in Joel Schumacher’s “Batman & Robin.” What you may not know about Batgirl that comic book followers know is that Batgirl Barbara Gordon becomes Oracle in 1989 after the Joker shoots Barbara in the spine in her civilian identity, librarian daughter of Commissioner James Gordon, leaving her a paraplegic in Alan Moores graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke.

As the Oracle, Barbara Gordon has become and icon of strength, determination, perserverance, and intelligence.

Oracle; image via NEWSarama.com

Oracle fan Jill Pantozzi passionately wrote about her feelings on this matter in post over at NEWSarama. What’s more, she has taken an active role in advocating against the Oracle-turns- Batgirl-once-again event by introducing fans to Elena Barbarich’s, a.k.a. Yamino, Oracle Draw-a-thon. Yamino is inviting all artists to illustrate Barbara “Babs” Gordon in her chair. Yamino writes on her Tumblr, “I think we should do a big Oracle Draw-a-thon, to support visibility for disabled characters in mainstream comics, and comics in general. Heck, it doesn’t have to be just visual art. How about an Oracle Create-a-Thon? Whatever it is you do, fanart, fanfic, music, sculpture, cakes…. let’s do it!”

Information on where you can submit your own fan-art for the draw-a-thon can be found here. The official Oracle Create-a-Thon Tumblr has been made.

As always we are here to provide you with your necessary accommodations and ask you to be patient as you work with us during this busy time of the semester.

Whirlwind Wheelchair International is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities in the developing world while promoting sustainable local economic development in the process. We work to make it possible for every person in the developing world who needs a wheelchair to obtain one that will lead to maximum personal independence and integration into society. By giving wheelchair riders a central role in all aspects of our designs and projects we ensure that our chairs are appropriate for their real lives in their real environments. For thirty years in over 40 countries we have focused on producing durable, low-cost, and highly functional wheelchairs. These chairs give riders the reliable and functional mobility they need to reach their full potential. Our active adult wheelchair design, the RoughRider is used by 25,000 riders traveling over every terrain imaginable from muddy village paths to rough pot-holed urban streets.

In partnership with our wheelchair buyers, Whirlwind provided 3,000 RoughRiders in 2008 and 3,500 in 2009. These chairs were produced through our network of regional, quality-certified manufacturers, which currently can produce 12,000 RoughRidersTM per year. Small wheelchair shops across the developing world produced many more Whirlwind chairs under our public domain licensing program.

Whirlwind headquarters is located on the San Francisco State University campus as part of the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. Whirlwind is a tax-deductible 501(3)(c) non-profit operating under the umbrella of the University Corporation San Francisco State. [Source]

For more information, and in greater detail, on the RoughRider by Whirlwind, and to find out how you can help by donating a chair today, visit http://whirlwindwheelchair.org/wwi/pages/roughrider.html.