Today's Kool Idea: (Autism Awareness Month) Baby BumbleBee DVDs

Each April since the 1970's, the goal of Autism Awareness Month has been to educate the public about this complex developmental disability. Autism is one of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The CDC reports that approximately 1 in every 166 children born today will be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is an 885% increase in the number of children born with ASD ten years ago. With these staggering statistics, it's no wonder that autism has been reported to be one of the fastest growing childhood disorders in the nation.

While we at The Daily Kool in no way profess to be experts on autism, we are among the millions of Americans who have had their lives touched by at least one family with an autistic child. It is our understanding that despite the complexity and range within the Autism spectrum, speech delay seems to be one of the more common symptoms. In many cases, is often a challenge for parents to find appropriate materials to engage, educate and motivate their autistic children to increase their verbal expression.

In our research, we came across a special collection of educational videos from Baby BumbleBee. Though the collection was not specifically created for children with autism, parent and teacher feedback revealed its usefulness for children with speech delays. Baby BumbleBee DVDs, particularly the Vocabulary Builder™ and Action Words!™ videos, use paired associative learning – a scientifically well established teaching method. The company estimates that 85% of children with speech delays benefit from these award-winning videos. The Vocabulary Builder™ in particular was a 1999 Parents' Choice Award Winner and recipient of an "A" rating from Parenting Magazine. The Baby BumbleBee DVDs are low-stimulus, their intentionally slow pace perfect for keeping the attention of children with speech delays. Plus, they feature calming classical music which many children with autism seem to enjoy.

In honor of Autism Awareness Month, we implore all of our fans to take a few moments to learn how you can support and spread awareness in your community. Though there is currently no single known cause or cure, autism is treatable. Children do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention can lead to significantly improved outcomes. With "kool" products like the Baby BumbleBee DVD series to help foster verbal expression, children with autism can grow up to live full, healthy and meaningful lives.

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Today's Kool Idea: Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) DVD

Ah, man...nothing says Saturday mornings like Schoolhouse Rock! We admit it, okay? We originally bought this DVD more for ourselves than for our children. Cartoons are just not the same without these Emmy award-winning 3-minute films playing between them.

What? You never heard of Schoolhouse Rock!?? It was only the most amazing series of animated musical education in the 70's and 80's. Schoolhouse Rock was a pop-culture sensation that literally taught millions of children the basics of math, grammar, science, American history and money with its clever and catchy tunes. The Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) is a comprehensive 2-disc set, which includes 46 song classics like "Conjunction Junction," "Three is a Magic Number," "I'm Just A Bill" and "Electricity, Electricity." The DVD also features an all-new song about the Electoral College, "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote To College" written by the show's original creators.

Oh, dear...have we just dated ourselves? It doesn't matter...the Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) has allowed us to relive our youth through the eyes of our children. With all of the disappointing children's television out there today, it is truly a pleasure to share these wonderful and educational videos with our kids. Schoolhouse Rock has captivated everyone in our home...our kids are absolutely addicted to it! Favorites in our household include "Interjections!", "Telegraph Line" (teaches the nervous system) and "The Body Machine" (about nutrition). When our second-grader was studying the separation of powers in school, "The Three Ring Government" became the new preference.

Nope, they just don't make educational videos like these anymore. Oh, wait a minute...actually they do! According to our friends at EarthPromise.com, Schoolhouse Rock is now going green with eleven new songs for a new generation of fans. Read what EarthPromise has to say about it here.

We at The Daily Kool are so passionate about this series, we have made the Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition) DVD our official birthday present for all of our children's friends. This is without a doubt, the "koolest" gift you can give to your family. We can't wait for Schoolhouse Rock: Earth to come out...we will definitely be checking it out. Thanks for the heads-up, EarthPromise.com! And thank you, Schoolhouse Rock for the timeless memories.