We know that many of you want to make a difference in the lives of our PWS Community – and we have the perfect opportunity if you, or one of your family or friends, are a CPA. Below, you will find the full description of and needs that come with this volunteer position. The treasurer...
About Harmony Biosciences Patients at the Heart Grant Via Harmony Biosciences Press Release: Harmony Biosciences Holdings, Inc. (“Harmony”) (Nasdaq: HRMY), a pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapies for patients with rare neurological diseases, has selected the latest round of nonprofit organizations for its Patients at the Heart and Progress at the Heart...
U.S. Senate Committee Hearing Live Broadcast Link Now Available This Thursday, PWSA | USA advocates will participate in a groundbreaking opportunity for the PWS community! On October 26, 2023, our advocates will be present for a press conference on Capitol Hill, hosted by Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI),...
On Monday, October 16 & 17, Harmony Biosciences hosted an annual all-employee meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Charles Conway Jr. and Jennifer Garzia, PWS parents to Angelica (3) and Rocco (19), were invited to participate in a panel discussion: Delayed, but not Denied: Perspectives on Caregiving. The title and theme of the talk, Delayed, but not...
Contributed by Maria K., mother to George It was a hot, sunny, typical Greek August day when George was born. He, along with his twin sister Nicole came into the world by C-section at 33 weeks. George was quiet, his tiny body floppy, and didn’t make a sound. I remember the alarmed faces in the...
Exciting news for the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) community! Newly unveiled data from Harmony Biosciences' phase 2 study reveals promising impacts of pitolisant (Wakix) on PWS patients with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Harmony Biosciences plans to kick off its phase 3 TEMPO study later this year, aiming to dive deeper into the potential of this treatment...
This new website gives in-depth details about Acadia Pharmaceuticals COMPASS PWS Study, including a brief video about the study, eligibility for participation in the study, what to expect at study visits, and a research site locator. Click the button below to enter the website. ABOUT THE COMPASS PWS STUDY: The COMPASS PWS study aims to...
Contributed by Anne Fricke, mom to Freya, living with PWS Freya’s 6th grade class started the year studying volcanoes. Part of the learning experience was to travel to Lassen Volcanic National Park for a 5-day camping trip with arduous hikes and days full of activity. To say I had concerns is an understatement, but she...
Harmony Biosciences has presented new secondary endpoint data concerning the use of pitolisant, an investigational drug, for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Prader-Willi syndrome. According to a recent press release Harmony Biosciences released, the Phase 2 signal-detection study showed improvements in behavioral disturbances, especially in the higher-dose pitolisant group, as well as...
Children, and many adults, look forward to Halloween with great anticipation. Bags full of sugary treats, scary decorations, and the thrill of trick or treating with friends and family: what could be more fun? But what do you do for Halloween when your loved one has Prader-Willi syndrome? Can they safely participate in the festivities?...
PWSA | USA (Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA) and FPWR (Foundation for Prader-Willi Research) are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking collaboration to address the social challenges faced by individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). FPWR funding has facilitated the development of the Building Our Social Skills (BOSS) curriculum, a highly effective social skills intervention program created...
Whatever holiday you and your family celebrate, PWSA | USA wants to help you make it both fun and safe. The key is to plan well ahead of time, incorporating the strategies outlined in this article. Celebrate Winter Holidays Safely Many of these tips can carry over to other holidays celebrated during the winter months Replace those...
Silly Apple Monsters Ingredients: 3 green apples 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 2 ounces of sliced cheese (cheddar or colby jack both work) 2 tablespoons of pumpkin or sunflower seeds A package of candy eyes Instructions: Quarter the green apples and slice off the core and seeds. Carefully cut out a v-shape into the center...
by Katherine Crawford, former PWCF Family Support Coordinator Updated by Lisa Graziano, M.A., PWCF Education and Training Consultant Holidays are a time for gathering, connecting, and celebrating – but are also typically centered on food, which often places enormous stressors on families of a child or adult with PWS. We hope the following tips make...
Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. has revealed positive outcomes from the randomized withdrawal phase of Study C602, an extended treatment study of DCCR (Diazoxide Choline) Extended-Release tablets for Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The results, which showed a significant improvement in hyperphagia-related behaviors in the DCCR group compared to the placebo group, support Soleno's plan to submit a New...
Calling all New Englanders - Join the Lens family for a full afternoon of fun activities! The 14th Annual Hunter Lens Golf Tournament will take place Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. EST at the Back Nine Club (17 Heritage Hill Dr., Lakeville, MA 02347). Enjoy time with family and friends while participating in...
Contributed by Christopher Rich, Utah PWS Association Living with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) presents unique challenges, particularly in managing food-related behaviors. The experiences of families dealing with PWS takes on an extra layer of complexity, because of the significance of food control and security devices in their lives. In the below excerpts, we dive into those...
Important information regarding this exciting milestone: Rare Disease Research (RDR), located in Atlanta, GA, is now welcoming children with PWS and their families to their clinicfor screening into this trial. The duration of active treatment in this study is 13 weeks. In a preclinical study in animals, physiological and behavioral symptoms were normalized within six...
Harmony Biosciences has reaffirmed its confidence in the strength of WAKIX® (Pitolisant) patents, after receiving a positive ruling from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejecting the request for reexamination. WAKIX® is used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) or cataplexy in adults with Narcolepsy. Read Harmony Biosciences' community-facing statement below: We are pleased...
Thank you to everyone who submitted an application to attend PWSA | USA's first-ever Moms' Retreat, October 12-15, 2023, in Palm Spring, California! On Friday, August 18, 2023, 30 applicants were randomly selected to attend the event. Our staff will be reaching out to these individuals to provide additional details and collect information. Below you...
We are sharing details on behalf of The Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (FPWR) to spread the word about an upcoming and important PWS research opportunity. FPWR is collaborating with COMBINEDBrain to establish a biorepository dedicated to blood and urine samples. This initiative aims to expedite the development of treatments for individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome, as...
Aardvark Therapeutics recently announced the drug company has received Pediatric Disease Designation for PWS from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and will expand its Phase 2 clinical trial of oral ARD-101 in young adults with PWS. According to Aardvark Therapeutics, this FDA designation means the company is eligible for a Rare Pediatric Disease...
Individuals and families affected by PWS who are living in Egypt and the Middle East now have an established community to find help and hope. PWSA Egypt and Middle East was officially founded on June 1, 2023 by Walaa Mohamed, mom to Ahmed, 13, living with PWS. PWSA Egypt & Middle East will serve the...
Contributed by PWSA | USA Alterman Family Support Counselor Kim Tula, MS, CSW Grief is the response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or some living thing that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. But what about the feelings of loss associated with living with PWS? Is this a...
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Over the years, as a special-needs parent navigating the Special Education system for Sophie, Jennifer became interested in learning as much as possible about that process. She began by attending PWSA (USA)’s first Wyatt Special Education Advocacy Training in March of 2013, and went on to complete a rigorous 9-month Special Education Advocacy Training course with the Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys in May of 2015. This included successfully completing an advocacy internship with PWSA (USA). Jennifer is referred school cases by PWSA (USA)’s Family Support Counselors, and then works closely with parents and schools to review education records, assess the child’s situation at school, provide further information about how the syndrome affects the school experience, and, as needed, create improved IEPs and behavioral plans. Jennifer was excited to take on this role of helping parents in the PWS community to work collaboratively with school professionals and parents to create positive, effective learning environments for children with PWS across the country. Jennifer is a graduate of the WSEAT program.
Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Past president of the Education Law Association and co-chair of the Pennsylvania special education appeals panel from 1990 to 2007, he is the author of the CEC monograph The Legal Meaning of Specific Learning Disability; the more recently published books, A Digest of Supreme Court Decisions Affecting Education and Student Teaching and the Law; and the two-volume reference Section 504, the ADA and theSchools, now in its fourth edition. In 2012, he received Research into Practice Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Excellence in Research Award from AERA’s Division A (Administration, Organization & Leadership). In 2013, he received the University Council for Educational Administration’s Edwin Bridges award for significant contributions to the preparation and development of school leaders. In 2016, he received the Education Law Association’s Steven S. Goldberg Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Education Law, and in 2017 he received the Council for Exceptional Children’s Special Education Research Award. Note:Perry’s website is perryzirkel.com
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
She obtained her PhD from Capella University in Education focusing her research on Prader-Willi Syndrome. Dr. McTighe is also a graduate of the William & Mary Law School’s Institute for Special Education Advocacy. Dr. McTighe is currently the chair of the Special Education Advisory Board for the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association-(USA). Amy is the Chair of PWSA (USA)’s Special Education Advisory Board.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Staci Zimmerman has lived in Denver, CO for the past 17 years. She lives with her husband and 5 year old daughter. Staci attended The University of Kansas, with a B.A in sociology and an M.ed in Special Education, with an emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Staci enjoys teaching fitness classes, and keeping a healthy, active lifestyle in Colorado.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.
Before founding SDLC, Jim was the Executive Director of Advocacy, Inc., the Texas Protection and Advocacy program from 1989-2001. During that period, he managed the growth of the program from 34 staff to a staff of 94 and from a centralized operation with one office to a regionalized operation with eleven offices spread across Texas.
From 1981-1989, Jim worked for the Advocacy Center for the Elderly and Disabled (Louisiana’s Protection and Advocacy program) as its Legal Director. From 1979 to 1981 Jim worked as a staff attorney for the Louisiana Center for the Public Interest.
Jim graduated from Tulane University School of Law in 1977, and has a BA in Accounting & Economics from the University of Puget Sound.
Jim is the author of publications and training materials on the IDEA, the ADA, and Section 504, including: Keeping Students with Disabilities in School: Legal Strategies and Effective Educational Practices for Preventing the Suspension of Students with Disabilities – A Resource Manual (2014); Stopping the Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Pipeline by Enforcing Federal Special Education Laws (2006), co–authored with Rhonda Brownstein from the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Jim has served as lead or co-counsel in several major IDEA actions in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi on behalf of thousands of students with disabilities, including Angel G. v. Texas Education Agency; Luke S. v. Louisiana Department of Education and Mattie T. v. Mississippi Department of Education. The past decade, he also filed and favorably settled five systemic administrative complaints in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. These systemic complaints were filed under IDEA’s state complaint procedures.
Jim has also made over two hundred presentations at statewide, regional and national conferences on IDEA, Section 504, and ADA issues. The past four years he has also served as one of the faculty members at William and Mary Law School’s week long Institute on Special Education Advocacy.
