Newly Published Communication Guidelines for Rett

Tuesday, October 15, 2019 1:00pm Webinar Please join us as Gill Townend, CertMRCSLT, M.Phil., B.Med.Sci.(Speech), Researcher and Augmentative & Alternative Communication Expert, Rett Expertise Centre Netherlands and Theresa Bartolotta, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Professor, Department of Speech-Language Pathology, School of Education, Monmouth University, Monmouth University Graduate Center who will be introducing the development, final statement and recommendations of the largest body of evidence-based Communication guidelines to be published for Rett syndrome, work that was funded by Rettsyndrome.org and accomplished by a global team of experts. Our presenters will also be sharing the accessible, user-friendly handbook version of the guidelines with recommendations of how to embed these at home, in the classroom, and in day programs. Our goal is to help empower you with strategies in the here and now while we accelerate work towards our collective hope for better treatments and ultimately a cure for Rett syndrome. Questions and comments submitted in advance will be addressed, and there will be plenty of time for write-in questions during the session. Registration & Information

Please join us as we speak to an orthopedic expert in neuromuscular scoliosis and developmental hip dysplasia. We will discuss how and when these typically occur in Rett syndrome, and what we can do about it. Questions and comments submitted in advance will be addressed, and there will be plenty of time for write-in questions during the session. RettEd Webinars are a free resource designed to empower families affected by Rett syndrome and their care teams. Register Today

Join us for the Napa Valley Half & Full Marathon!

Ever wanted to run through wine country? Well here is your chance! Rettsyndrome.org has been granted ten charity bibs for the 2020 Napa Valley Half & Full Marathon! We are excited for this new partnership and can’t wait to grow our #RettRacer team! Help to end Rett syndrome while you run through wine country at this Boston qualifier race. Whether you plan to run or want to cheer on our team, please note all of the exciting information below! Date: Sunday, March 1st, 2020 Location: Napa, California Website (inclusive of hotel details, routes, etc): https://napavalleymarathon.org/ To participate as a Rett Racer in the Napa Valley Half or Full Marathon, please follow the steps below. *Note: there is a $2500 fundraising requirement for this event* Runners are responsible for all expenses incurred from race (registration, travel, etc).

1. Register for the full or half marathon at https://napavalleymarathon.org/
2. Half marathon Rett code (10% reg discount): RETTHALF2020
3. Full marathon Rett code (10% reg discount): RETTFULL2020
4. After registration, please visit Napa Valley team page to create your personal fundraising page.
5. https://rettracer.everydayhero.com/us/napa-valley-2020-runners
6. Note: You must login with an Everyday Hero account FIRST before you can join the ‘team’.
7. Create & customize your fundraising page and share via social media and email with your contacts.
8. Contact Jackie Ventura at [email protected] to order your Rett Racer t-shirt.

Rettsyndrome.org will have a tent at location TBD where runners can congregate post-race, Rett families can mingle and RSO will be passing out awareness information to spectators! Please follow this event to stay current on up to date information.

Join us April 9 at 11 a.m. New York time (EDT) with Meir Lotan, PT, PhD, for another Facebook Live session with 4 U.S. families. Meir will work with their children who are between 8 and 13, with a range of abilities, using what they have on-hand to keep their child engaged and moving during this time. Dr. Lotan will conclude with a short presentation on hip subluxation and ways to do safe stretches at home. All live sessions will be posted on YouTube after the training.

Join us April 16 at 11 a.m. New York time (EDT) with Meir Lotan, PT, PhD, for another Facebook Live session with Rett families. Meir will work with their adult children who have a range of abilities. He will use what they have on-hand to keep their child engaged and moving during this time. Dr. Lotan will conclude with a short presentation on hip subluxation and ways to do safe stretches at home. All live sessions will be posted on YouTube after the training.

Join us Monday, April 20 at 2 p.m. New York time (EDT) with Gill Townend, PhD and Theresa Bartolotta, PhD as they introduce Section 8 from the Rett Syndrome Communication Guidelines during a Facebook Live session. This is the first of two sessions on Communication interventions. This will be a valuable training for parents and professionals who have limited experience working on or advancing communication in both children and adults with Rett syndrome. All live sessions will be posted on YouTube after the training.

Join us for our next live training session with Meir Lotan, PhD, PT, on Facebook. Dr. Lotan will be focusing on how to use your child or loved one’s home track system & ceiling lift for appropriate moves and stretches. Dr. Meir Lotan will also use this time to answer your questions. Take some time to watch the previous videos (found here) and submit your questions by Sunday, April 26 for Dr. Lotan through this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9VDNM9W. Dr. Lotan will try to answer all your questions during our Facebook Live session. All live sessions will be posted on YouTube after the training.

4th Annual Iowa Strollathon

Saturday, May 2th, 2020 Time: 11:00am-2:00pm Location: Kinzler Construction Services, 700 SE Oralabor Rd, Ankeny IA 50021 Event Co-Chairs: Kelly Zwald, Megan Hill Mitchum, Libby Stromer ([email protected]) Website: www.iowa.strollathon.org FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/944620542600601/

13th Annual St Louis Strollathon

Saturday, May 2th, 2020 Registration: 9:00am, Stroll: 10:00am Location: JCC, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146 Event Chairs: Joyce Opinsky & Amy Kreher ([email protected]) Website: www.st-louis.strollathon.org FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/481490805883829/

Join us Monday, April 27 at 2 p.m. New York time (EDT) with Gill Townend, PhD and Theresa Bartolotta, PhD as they conclude Section 8 from the Rett Syndrome Communication Guidelines during a Facebook Live session. This is the second of two sessions on Communication interventions. This will be a valuable training for parents and professionals who have limited experience working on or advancing communication in both children and adults with Rett syndrome. All live sessions will be posted on YouTube after the training.

Join us Monday, May 11 at 2 p.m. New York time (EDT) with Gill Townend, PhD and Theresa Bartolotta, PhD as they conclude Section 8 from the Rett Syndrome Communication Guidelines during a Facebook Live session. This is the third installment of sessions on communication intervention strategies for Rett syndrome. This will be a valuable training for parents and professionals who have limited experience working on or advancing communication in both children and adults with Rett syndrome. All live sessions will be posted on YouTube after the training.

SPECIAL DAY: FRIDAY, MAY 15 Award-winning neuroscientist and Rett syndrome expert Dr. Alysson Muotri, Director of the Stem Cell Program at the University of California at San Diego, will share how he and his lab are pushing the limits of science in the name of your child with Rett syndrome. Dr. Mutori's lab uses animal models, neural stem cells, human and other primates’ pluripotent cells, and several tools to investigate brain development, evolution, and neural disorders, including Rett syndrome. Dr. Muotri has received recent headline attention for his experiment to study the impact of microgravity on human brain development, research which could improve disease modeling for neurodegenerative and developmental disorders as well as give clues into the future of humanity in space. Questions and comments submitted in advance will be addressed, and there will be plenty of time for write-in questions during the session. Information & Registration

12th Annual Michigan Strollathon Date: Sunday, May 17, 2020 Location: Drake Sport Park, 6801 Drake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322 Registration: 10:00am, Stroll: 11:00am Event Chair: Lisa Fenberg ([email protected]) Website: www.michigan.strollathon.org FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/233787530951786/

Join us Tuesday, May 26 at 2 p.m. New York time (EDT) with Briana Czerwinski, physical therapist, from the Rett Syndrome Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Briana will suggest ideas for modified aquatherapy that can be done by you, at home, in your swimming pool, hot jub, jacuzzi tub, bathtub or even a child-size blow-up pool to relax muscles, reduce anxiety, and guide safe movement and stretches for those with Rett syndrome. All live sessions will be posted on YouTube after the training.

Join us on Facebook Live to hear from our Chief Science Officer, Dr. Dominique Pichard. She will speak to the current state of Rett syndrome research, clinical trials, and how researchers are continuing their work during COVID-19 to help us create a world without Rett. Like us on Facebook and mark your calendars to tune in.

Please join us WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2020 (note: this is not on our usual Tuesday) at 1:00 pm Eastern Time (New York) with Dr. Alan Percy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Primary Investigator for the Natural History Study, along with a panel of experts, as we discuss Myths and Facts around life expectancy in Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome is a complex disorder, and inaccurate or invalid facts cause more harm than good. So join this webinar to learn the facts. Hear from experts and parents. More than empowering, it can be life-saving for our children with Rett syndrome. Even though the topic is difficult to talk about, we know you think about it. Let's dispel the myths. We believe that transformative treatments will come from gene therapy, medications and neuro-habilitative therapies. Our research strategy targets every possible approach so that we continue to not just improve longevity, but to decrease syndrome impact. We remain committed to creating solutions for today, to improve lives today, while we work to create a world without Rett syndrome. With this in mind, what’s on your mind? Register now and submit your questions and thoughts. Questions and comments submitted in advance will be addressed, and there will be plenty of time for write-in questions during the session. Information & Registration

Please join us Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 1:00 pm Eastern Time (New York) with Dr. Frank Symons, Associate Dean for Research and Policy, Department of Psychology, and the Center for Neurobehavioral Development at the University of Minnesota as we discuss issues of pain in Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome is a complex disorder, and sharing of accurate information is more than empowering, it can be life-saving for our children with Rett syndrome. So join this webinar to learn the facts. Even though the topic is difficult to talk about, we know you think about it. In terms of pain, Dr. Symons' areas of specific research include (a) the reliable and valid assessment of pain in children and adults with significant communicative and motor impairments; (b) the relation between behavioral and biological variables as markers for altered pain; (c) modifying/adapting sensory testing; and (d) the relation between pain and problem behavior, specifically self-injury. With this in mind, what’s on your mind? Register now and submit your questions and thoughts. Those submitted in advance will be addressed, and there will be plenty of time for write-in questions during the session. Information & Registration

Please join us Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 5:00pm Eastern Time (New York) with Rettsyndrome.org and a panel of creative experienced parents who are ready to share their Rett Life Hacks, especially how to plan and execute inclusive and enjoyable dress-up and gift-giving celebrations for the whole family such as birthday parties, Halloween, school field trips and the upcoming holidays. "Life Hacks" are simple and clever tips and techniques for accomplishing tasks more easily and efficiently, overcoming many of our common Rett-life frustrations in simple and deliciously clever ways. Rett syndrome is a complex disorder, and sharing accurate information is more than empowering, it can be life-altering for everyone. Join this webinar to learn how a little creativity and out-of-the-box thinking can expand everyone's horizons! With this in mind, what’s on your mind? Register now and submit your questions and thoughts. Those submitted in advance will be addressed, and there will be plenty of time for write-in questions during the session. Information & Registration

9th Annual Nebraska Strollathon - Virtual Edition

Join Us for the 9th Annual Nebraska Strollathon At Rettsyndrome.org, the health & well being our of community is of utmost importance. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have decided to host this year's Stroll VIRTUALLY! We have some tricks up our sleeve to make it a fun & engaging experience! Saturday, September 12th 2020 Event Chairs: Jacy Horst & Megan Ladenburger & Elly Gullion Information & Registration

17th Annual Cincinnati Strollathon: Virtual Edition

Join us for the 17th Annual Cincinnati Strollathon- VIRTUALLY! At Rettsyndrome.org, the health and well-being of those in our community are of utmost importance. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to host this year's Stroll VIRTUALLY. We have some tricks up our sleeve to provide a fun and engaging virtual experience! Be sure to follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on our fun virtual activities: facebook.com/Cincinnati-Tri-State-Strollathon Date: September, 26th, 2020 Location: your neighborhood, walking trail or treadmill! Event Chairs: Brittney Gibson, Jim Magato, & Jennifer Magato Information & Registration

Rett Gets Rocked Ultramarathon

A weekend in which participants complete an ultra marathon of their choosing--from 50K to 100 miles, or from 6 to 48 hours. They can stretch their event over the month of October if desired. Proceeds from the event go to Rettsyndrome.org and the Rett Spectrum Clinic at St. Louis Children's Hospital! Register for RGRVUW by purchasing a race shirt! REGISTER Jay Murry will be doing his ultra-marathon in his local sub-division, the Vineyards. The Rett Gets Rocked headquarters will be located at: 756 Napa Lane, St. Charles MO 63304 on Sat 10/3 from 12pm- Sun 10/4 at 8pm. To donate to Jay, please click here. To follow along on Facebook, visit: https://www.facebook.com/24hourjaymurry/ For more information, contact Jay at [email protected]

14th Annual Minnesota Virtual Strollathon

Join us for the 14th Annual Minnesota Virtual Strollathon!

• Sunday October 4th, 2020
• Location: Virtual
• Event Chair: Mary Kallstrom ([email protected])

Information & Registration

Join us for the 12th Annual New Jersey Strollathon- VIRTUALLY!

At Rettsyndrome.org, the health and well-being of those in our community are of utmost importance. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we will be going Virtual this year! We have some tricks up our sleeve to make this a fun & engaging event. Date: Sunday, October 4th, 2020 Location: Your neighborhood, local walking trail or treadmill! Follow us on Facebook for contests, event updates and more! Event Chair: Leslie Greenfield ([email protected]) Information & Registration