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Testosterone and autism
January 3, 2011 James Pate, MD, FACOG 8 Comments
Dear Dr Pate,
My name is M, a cisgender gay man, and I am married to Y, a transgender gay man. Y has currently stopped his testosterone shots after 3 years, and we are planning a pregnancy in the near future.
I came across your name in your blog, and in several posts made by transman who are in a similar position to me and my partner. I was hoping you could assist us with our major questions, since we live in Israel, and most MD's, OBGYN's and other medical personnel here do not have any experience with transman fertility and pregnancy.
Since Y's period has returned very quickly (after only one month without testosterone), our major concern at this time is on the prospect of having a healthy baby after 3 years of high-dosage testosterone treatment (250mg every 2/3 weeks). We have come across several stories of transman who got pregnant after using testosterone for some time, and there seems to be a high percentage of autistic children born that way (3/4 out of 8 stories we found, with the rest all under 3 years old – so we assume no conclusive diagnosis could be reached). In addition, we could not find any information about the effects testosterone usage has on the ova, and the chances it could cause mutations or other problems (since Y did not have a period for almost 3 years).
Do you have any information regarding these issues that we bring to our doctors for consultation? Any assistance would be appreciated, since we are currently considering giving up on the pregnancy because of that…
Thank you very much for your help 🙂
Dear M,
Thank you for your excellent questions. Congratulations also on your plans to become fathers. Being a father changes you for the better and I am so grateful to be one myself.
I have identified the the following questions from your letter:
What is the prospect of having a healthy baby after 3 years of high-dosage testosterone treatment?
Is there an increased risk of having an autistic child as a result of prior testosterone use?
What are the effects of testosterone on the ova (egg cells in the ovaries)? Can it cause mutations or other negative problems?
Your question about the relationship between testosterone and autism is complicated in that the diagnostic criteria has changed over time, its cause is unknown and there is no published data on transmen who father children much less those who father autistic children. That said, I have scoured the literature and will do my best to answer your questions to the limits of current scientific findings. I will do this in two ways. In "Short & Sweet" I will answer your questions as succinctly as possible and "Nitty Gritty" will probably give you more info than you care to know. All references will follow below. Thanks again for writing and good luck to you as you plan to enlarge your family.
https://jamespatemd.com/
1. What is the prospect of having a healthy baby after 3 years of high-dosage testosterone treatment?
The most important determinants in whether or not you will have a healthy baby are the age of the ovaries, genetic predispositions, drug exposures and healthy living.
DNA is packaged into chromosomes of which humans have 46, 23 from each parent. Each chromosome has thousands of genes which form the blueprint for making and sustaining life. Unlike sperm, eggs have a long shelf life and do not get replaced when they run out. Babies with ovaries already have all the eggs their body will ever have. As they age their eggs age too and the risk for chromosomal errors continues to climb. The most common chromosome error is Down Syndrome and is a result of having an extra chromosome #21. While the risk for having a child with Down Syndrome is only 1 in 1667 for a 20 year-old, this risk rises to 1 in 385 for a 35 year-old and 1 in 106 for a 40 year-old.
We all have 2 copies of our genes. Many of us carry mutant copies that are compensated by having paired normal genes that can do all the work necessary. Individuals with 2 mutant genes will have disease, such as Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia. These disorders are called recessive because you must have 2 bad genes for disease to be present. Some genes are so essential that you need to have 2 working copies to prevent disease. These disorders are called dominant because you only need 1 bad gene to have the disease. Examples of this are Huntington Disease and neurofibromatosis. The best way to find out if you have an increased risk of having a child with a genetic disease is to see a genetic counselor who will help you to review your family tree and calculate your unique risk.
Drugs including alcohol, nicotine, street drugs and pharmaceutical drugs can all impact the health of a developing baby. As much of the fetal organ formation occurs within the first 3 months of pregnancy, it is very important to stop smoking, drinking and using recreational drugs prior to becoming pregnant. You should also start taking a prenatal vitamin with extra folate (aka folic acid) and review your medications with your doctor.
Both testosterone and estrogen are present in all humans in varying amounts. They are very similar structurally and can be readily converted from one to the other by a single enzyme, aromatase. Depending on which type of testosterone you are using, it can take as long as 6 weeks for your body to get rid of it. The major risk to a pregnancy with elevated levels of androgens like testosterone is the masculinization of a baby's female external genitalia and brain with potential social, sexual and gender identity consequences. The effect on males appears to be blunted as male fetuses are able to compensate and maintain their total testosterone exposure within normal limits. In conclusion, testosterone should be discontinued at least 6 weeks prior to pregnancy in order to prevent its negative effects on a potentially female fetus.
2. Is there an increased risk of having an autistic child as a result of prior testosterone use?
The cause of autism remains unknown and there is no evidence to suggest that prior testosterone use increases your risk for having a child with autism. However, there have been some interesting findings that may implicate continuous exposure of elevated testosterone levels as a factor in its development.
First of all, let's review some facts about autism. Autism is a clinical diagnosis given to a child after evaluation by a physician if s/he meets criteria however there is no blood or genetic test to confirm or refute a diagnosis. The definition of autism has changed over time and is now felt to be a part of spectrum. Current thinking is to place the typical female brain on one end of the spectrum, the typical male brain in the middle, Asperger syndrome next and autism on the other end. Thus autism can be thought of as an "extreme male brain" disorder. Evidence to support this includes the fact that autism effects 4 boys to every girl and Asperger syndrome is 8 to 1. Additionally women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, who were exposed to elevated prenatal levels of androgens, have increased autistic traits. However, high levels of prenatal testosterone alone does NOT invariably result in autism.
3. What are the effects of testosterone on the ova (egg cells in the ovaries)? Can it cause mutations or other negative problems?
Testosterone is not known to cause mutations in egg cells. High levels of circulating androgens have been associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), infertility and cancers of the breast, ovary and uterus.
Prevalence is 1 in 100 to 200 people.
The typical female has a strong desire to empathize (to identify and respond appropriately to another person's emotions and thoughts).
The typical male has a strong desire to systemize (to analyze and construct rule-based systems).
Individuals with ASD have a stronger desire to systemize than to empathize.
Impaired communication.
Impaired reciprocal social interaction and formation of social relationships.
Repetitive stereotyped patterns of behaviors and unusually narrow interests.
Diagnosis is difficult to make before 18 months of age and is usually made after age 3.
Sex ratio of 4:1 (male to female).
Worldwide prevalence is 4 to 58.7 per 10,000.
Between 6-10% of children with autism have a medical condition that may have led to autism. Medical conditions associated with autism are epilepsy, fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, cerebral palsy, phenylketonuria, neurofibromatosis, Down syndrome, congenital rubella and hearing and visual impairments.
Compared to the general population, women with autism have higher rates of PCOS, male-pattern body hair growth, bisexuality or asexuality, delayed onset of menses, irregular and painful menses, severe acne, tomboyism, gender identity disorder, transsexualism and family history of cancers of the breast, ovary, uterus and prostate.
Introduced as a diagnosis in 1992.
Has normal IQ and does not have delayed language development.
Prenatal testosterone
Gestational week 6: the Sry gene on the Y chromosome initiates testicular differentiation of the fetal gonad.
Gestational week 8: Leydig cells of the testis are capable of testosterone synthesis.
Testosterone surges occur between weeks 8-24 of gestation (males 249 ng/dL and females 29 ng/dL) and between 0-6 months after birth (males 200 ng/dL) suggesting that these are the critical periods of hormonal influence. Testosterone surges again for males during puberty with levels 200-300 ng/dL.
In the brain
Affects the anatomy of the brain including the hypothalamus, limbic system and neocortex.
Permanently inhibits the growth of certain areas of the left hemisphere and facilitates the growth of the same areas in the right hemisphere in the developing fetus.
The human bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTc) is sexually dimorphic in size and neuron number (larger in women than men). MTF individuals have BSTc comparable to cis-gendered females while FTMs compare with cis-gendered males.
2D:4D finger ratio
Defined as the length of the 2nd digit (the pointer finger) divided by the length of the 4th digit (the ring finger). Measurements can be made from photocopies of the palm measuring from the proximal crease of the base of the finger to the fingertip.
It was recognized as sexually dimorphic (lower in men than in women) as early as the year 1888 and is purported to be a maker for prenatal androgen exposure.
Development of the bones of the hand are governed by the Hox/Homeobox genes which respond to androgens like testosterone. This process begins as early as the 9th week of gestation and becomes more marked with time. Relative finger growth may not be complete until adolescence.
Increased androgen exposure results in elongation of the 4th digit relative to the 2nd digit and thus a lower 2D:4D ratio.
Children with Asperger syndrome and autism have lower 2D:4D ratios than average, so thus families with lower 2D:4D ratios may have an increased risk for children with autism. However, high levels of prenatal testosterone does NOT invariably result in autism.
Associated with irregular or absent menstrual cycles, male-pattern body hair growth and hair loss, insulin resistance, diabetes and hypertension.
Affects 5-10% of women and is the most common endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age.
Animal studies have shown that prenatal exposure of excess androgens results in PCOS, insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) and hypertension.
Testosterone levels in umbilical vein blood of female infants born to mothers with PCOS are raised to male levels. Thus PCOS pregnancies have a hyperandrogenic in-utero environment.
FTM individuals have rates of PCOS twice as high as the general population.
Women with autism have higher rates of PCOS than the average population.
A genetic disorder that causes excess adrenal androgen production and results in varying degrees of virilization of external genitalia.
Incidence is 1 in 14,500 live births.
In general, girls exposed to high levels of prenatal androgens show
Male-typical childhood play including preference for boys' toys.
Traits of autism including low measures of empathy and need for intimacy.
Male-typical interests as adolescents.
Little interest in infants, marriage, motherhood, "feminine" appearance.
Masculinization of performance in spatial orientation, visualization, targeting, personality and cognitive abilities.
1/3 are lesbian, bisexual or queer.
3-5% indicate a desire to live as males.
In general, CAH males
Resemble other males with respect to play patterns and interests.
Have normal prenatal androgen levels by inhibition of androgen production from the testes.
Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS)
X-linked disorder (only affects genetic males).
Lack functional androgen receptors.
Genetic males are phenotypically female.
Share the same sex-typed behaviors, gender identity and sexual orientation as genetic women.
Prevalence is 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 60,000 live genetic male births.
Genetic males with congenital ambiguous genitalia
May be surgically assigned to female sex at birth.
Have more male-typical play patterns and interests than control girls.
Girls with prenatal exposure to synthetic sex hormones
More likely to exhibit male-typical childhood play, behavior and interests.
More likely to report use of physical aggression in conflict situations.
Discrimination against LGBTQI parenting
There is no evidence to suggest that LGBTQI individuals are inherently incompetent to parent nor is there evidence of harm to offspring.
In 2006 the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) issued an ethics advisory that urged its members to not discriminate against patients by sexual orientation.
In 2008 the California Supreme Court found that a fertility clinic had violated the state's anti-discrimination law by refusing to inseminate a lesbian patient.
The American Medical Association (AMA) rejects health insurance discrimination based on gender identity and recommends that insurers cover the treatment of Gender Identity Disorder (GID).
What to expect from your providers
Proper noun and pronoun usage (ie "dad" not "mom", "what are your plans for feeding the baby?" not "will you breastfeed?").
A review of privacy issues and/or creation of a formal policies when warranted
No information provided over the phone.
Written medical records kept in the patient's room.
Aliases for patient and baby if requested.
The public relations dept should be the media's only contact.
Security officer to prevent unauthorized entry or to provide escort services.
Additional staffing if needed.
Transfer family to another unit if desired.
Lactation support for either parent if desired.
Possible future reproductive technologies for LGBTQI individuals
Male pregnancy could theoretically occur if the embryo implants on the intestine as this has indeed occurred in a few women.
Researchers have transplanted vagina-uterus-ovary units in rats however there has not been a successful similar transplant in humans.
Adams ED. If transmen can have babies, how will perinatal nursing adapt?. MCN, American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing. 35(1):26-32, 2010 Jan-Feb.
Auyeung B. Baron-Cohen S. Ashwin E. Knickmeyer R. Taylor K. Hackett G. Fetal testosterone and autistic traits. British Journal of Psychology. 100(Pt 1):1-22, 2009 Feb.
Auyeung B. Baron-Cohen S. Ashwin E. Knickmeyer R. Taylor K. Hackett G. Hines M. Fetal testosterone predicts sexually differentiated childhood behavior in girls and in boys. Psychological Science. 20(2):144-8, 2009 Feb.
Baron-Cohen S. Auyeung B. Ashwin E. Knickmeyer R. Fetal testosterone and autistic traits: a response to three fascinating commentaries. British Journal of Psychology. 100(Pt 1):39-47, 2009 Feb.
Barry JA. Kay AR. Navaratnarajah R. Iqbal S. Bamfo JE. David AL. Hines M. Hardiman PJ. Umbilical vein testosterone in female infants born to mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome is elevated to male levels. Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 30(5):444-6, 2010.
Bloom MS. Houston AS. Mills JL. Molloy CA. Hediger ML. Finger bone immaturity and 2D:4D ratio measurement error in the assessment of the hyperandrogenic hypothesis for the etiology of autism spectrum disorders. Physiology & Behavior. 100(3):221-4, 2010 Jun 1.
Fombonne E. Epidemiology of autistic disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 66 Suppl 10:3-8, 2005.
Ingudomnukul E. Baron-Cohen S. Wheelwright S. Knickmeyer R. Elevated rates of testosterone-related disorders in women with autism spectrum conditions. Hormones & Behavior. 51(5):597-604, 2007 May.
Knickmeyer R. Baron-Cohen S. Fane BA. Wheelwright S. Mathews GA. Conway GS. Brook CG. Hines M. Androgens and autistic traits: A study of individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Hormones & Behavior. 50(1):148-53, 2006 Jun.
Knickmeyer RC. Baron-Cohen S. Fetal testosterone and sex differences. Early Human Development. 82(12):755-60, 2006 Dec.
Knickmeyer RC. Baron-Cohen S. Fetal testosterone and sex differences in typical social development and in autism. Journal of Child Neurology. 21(10):825-45, 2006 Oct.
Manning JT. Baron-Cohen S. Wheelwright S. Sanders G. The 2nd to 4th digit ratio and autism. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 43(3):160-4, 2001 Mar.
Manson JE. Prenatal exposure to sex steroid hormones and behavioral/cognitive outcomes. Metabolism: Clinical & Experimental. 57 Suppl 2:S16-21, 2008 Oct.
Mouridsen SE. Rich B. Isager T. Selected testosterone-related diseases in women who have given birth to a child with infantile autism. Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences. 63(4):586-90, 2009 Aug.
Murphy TF. The ethics of helping transgender men and women have children. Perspectives in Biology & Medicine. 53(1):46-60, 2009.
Noipayak P. The ratio of 2nd and 4th digit length in autistic children. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand. 92(8):1040-5, 2009 Aug.
Ronald A. Happé F. Price TS. Baron-Cohen S. Plomin R. Phenotypic and genetic overlap between autistic traits at the extremes of the general population. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 45(10):1206-14, 2006 Oct.
Rutter M. Caspi A. Moffitt TE. Using sex differences in psychopathology to study causal mechanisms: unifying issues and research strategies. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines. 44(8):1092-115, 2003 Nov.
Vujovic S. Popovic S. Sbutega-Milosevic G. Djordjevic M. Gooren L. Transsexualism in Serbia: a twenty-year follow-up study. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 6(4):1018-23, 2009 Apr.
Dear Dr PateGenderIntersex / DSDMedicineSexualityTrans*
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8 thoughts on "Testosterone and autism"
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woot, thank you! I've finally came across a website where the owner knows what they're talking about. You know how many results are in Google when I check.. too many! It's so annoying having to go from page after page after page, wasting my day away with tons of owners just copying eachother's articles… ugh. Anyway, thankyou for the information anyway, much appreciated.
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Liz Ditz says:
Thank you for this calm and factual information. The general subject of testosterone and autism may be back in the news, as a physician, Mark Geier MD has had his license suspended in Maryland. Geier promotes the use of Lupron (specifically Lupron not the generic) as a "treatment" for boys with autism. An excellent short summary of Geier's beliefs and the reasons for his license suspension can be found at Mark "Castrate 'em" Geier's license suspended.
Geier is licensed in 10 other states. Fortunately, Minnesota isn't one of them.
Pingback: Israel's 1st publicized pregnant man | James Pate, MD
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James Pate, MD says:
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Bolton Wanderers Charming Rubbish
Your Morning Dose of Stuart Holden
By Matilda Hankinson Apr 4, 2012, 8:58am BST
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He can even rock crutches.
These last few months with limited exposure to Sturart Holden and his legendary hair have been rough on all of us, bleak even. Fear not though, as Monday everyone's favourite Texan-Scot (perhaps the only Texan-Scot) returned to Bolton. The club tweeted this picture of him at the time and today have published this interview with the charismatic midfielder.
"It's been great to be able to work hard and isolate myself but at the same time I have missed being around the guys. It's nice to be back in all the banter and it has put a smile on my face. I've been able to draw more enthusiasm to get through this last part of my rehab. I've been working five days a week, doing two sessions a day which have each lasted for three hours. I've been doing that for almost three months now whilst I was over in Delaware - maybe some of the fans have seen what I've been up to with my video diaries on YouTube?"
If you have been paying close attention, you will have seen his video diaries as we've been posting them as Fanshots. To check them out click here, here, and here. Anyway this does unfortunately mean that you shouldn't expect him back any time soon. He does still have more rehab work to do, and then once that is over he'll have to put in at least a couple of weeks with the reserves to regain match fitness.
"Rehab work is a funny thing because it happens in fits and spurts. There are times when it might feel monotonous and boring and there have been times when I've been pulling my hair out because I've wanted to do more. But I'm trying to give myself the best chance to heal properly and get back to 100 percent. My trainer in America, James Hashimoto, had done a good job of mixing things up to keep it interesting...
"He has been in constant contact with the medical team here at Bolton and the great thing is that everyone has been working together and have kept each other in the loop. They have been discussing every stage of my rehab and there has been a firm plan. I've been really happy with the way that it has all panned out. Now I'm really excited to get back here and push on with the next step of my work with the club's medical staff. A lot of people have asked when I'm going to be back playing and I don't have a definitive answer. I'm not really worried about that because my focus is all about making sure I'm fully fit once I do get back on the pitch."
The fact that he has taken it slow is especially important given his body's apparent vulnerability to these sorts of injuries. It must have been incredibly frustrating going through the same slow, painful process just after returning from his last rehab, but it is a testament to his character and love of the game.
"The coverage in the States has got a lot better and I didn't miss a single Bolton game whilst I was over there, no matter what time the kick-off was. There was a local soccer bar near to where I was working out. I got up extra early for the QPR game a few weeks ago and, along with some fans, we watched the match even though it was a 7.45am kick-off American time.
"I'm looking forward to experiencing the Reebok again this weekend. I saw the atmosphere on the television for the Blackburn game and it was special - even though I was in America I still got chills and could sense it. Speaking to the guys as well, they say it's the best they have ever known. I hope the support continues in that way and the fans get behind the lads against Fulham. You see the way everyone has rallied behind the team and we have won three in three."
Stu might not have missed a single Bolton game, but every Bolton game missed him. On a more serious note: how jealous are you of the Delaware Bolton fans, getting to watch the game in a bar with Stu?!
"We are such a close squad here and even though I've been away and isolated, it's nice to know that the lads still think about me with text messages to check how I'm doing. It makes you still feel a part of the team and that is why it's nice to be back to see them all.
"The guys have also been passing on the updates with how Fabrice is progressing. When it happened it was obviously devastating news for everyone because Fab is such great character and we all like having him in and around the dressing room. I've reached out to try and go and see him but I know that he needs to be given time and space as he continues to recover. As soon as I get a chance, I'll be down there in a second."
The closeness of the squad, and the club in general is what makes Bolton special. Even though this is just another step in his recovery, it's great to have Stu back at Bolton.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The 2017 version of Ecobank Research's Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities (FICC) Guidebook, which provides expert knowledge and analysis on African markets for investors and businesses, was launched today at AfricaFICC.
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The second emerging trend points to West Africa's gas sector becoming a hive of activity in 2018 from Senegal to Angola, with the development of gas pipelines, floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) platforms and major gas field projects.
The third trend suggests Fintech innovation in Africa picking up speed in 2018 buoyed by a new generation of Africans who are 'digital natives'. The proliferation of tech hubs across Africa (notably in South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire) will nurture the next wave of African start-ups and help connect them with investors, the release said.
Incorporated in Lomé, Togo, in 1988 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated ('ETI') the parent company of Ecobank is the leading independent pan-African banking group. It currently has a presence in 36 African countries, namely: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Democratic Republic), Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Group employs over 20,000 people in 40 different countries in over 1,200 branches and offices.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


SEATTLE -The Office of Housing today announced nearly $23 million in capital funding, divvied up amongst eight nonprofit housing developers, to create and preserve affordable apartments. The investment will help create 375 new units for seniors, homeless individuals and low-income working families, plus rehabilitate another 291 apartments currently home to seniors and people with disabilities.
(Media-Newswire.com) - SEATTLE -The Office of Housing today announced nearly $23 million in capital funding, divvied up amongst eight nonprofit housing developers, to create and preserve affordable apartments. The investment will help create 375 new units for seniors, homeless individuals and low-income working families, plus rehabilitate another 291 apartments currently home to seniors and people with disabilities.
"Having housing throughout our community that is affordable to people from all walks of life, people with varying economic situations, is what makes our neighborhoods vibrant and inviting," said Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith. "This funding will help hundreds of seniors and people with disabilities remain in their current homes, put roofs over the heads of so many who are currently living on the street, plus provide new opportunities for our hard-working, low- to moderate-wage neighbors."
Most of the funding comes from the Seattle Housing Levy, which was overwhelmingly approved for renewal by 66% of Seattle voters in November 2009. The awards, the first for rental housing from the seven-year $145 million levy administered by the Office of Housing, are the culmination of a 2010 funding process.
"We really need to recognize the generosity of Seattle voters. Despite the recession, they voted to continue taxing themselves to ensure that the less fortunate among us, those with the fewest resources, still have access to safe, decent affordable housing," said City Councilmember Nick Licata, chair of the Council's Housing, Human Services, Health & Culture Committee. "This compassion is one of the things that makes Seattle a great place to live."
will be a major investment in neighborhoods from North Seattle to Capitol Hill to the Rainier Valley, revitalizing the communities and providing living-wage jobs.
The economic recession has made efforts to expand the city's stock of affordable housing that much more necessary and immediate. Yet the economy also has offered opportunities to stretch dollars further because of lower costs for land and construction. Add in additional levy dollars, and OH had about 65% more funding available to award than in past rounds, funding more units than in 2008 and 2009 combined.
"With increased funding available, we were able to support multiple projects that will serve a wide range of populations, all facing a growing need for affordable housing," said Rick Hooper, Acting Director of the Office of Housing.
OH is providing funding to rehabilitate and preserve five buildings that currently house seniors and people with disabilities, plus construct one new building that will serve formerly homeless seniors.
Affordable housing for seniors is currently in high demand, and the need will grow exponentially, particularly as baby boomers age and people live longer. The population of seniors in King County is estimated to double to 480,000 by 2025, becoming 23 percent of the county's population. According to the 2009 King County Report, Quiet Crisis: Age Wave Maxes Out Affordable Housing, King County, 2008-2025, more than 4,000 senior renters in Seattle pay more than 50 percent of their income for housing.
OH is providing funding for the construction of three new apartment buildings with a total of 232 units that will house formerly homeless individuals while providing onsite supportive services to help them stabilize their lives.
The City of Seattle is a co-founder of the Committee to End Homelessness in King County and endorser of the Ten-Year Plan, adopted in 2005. As of June 2010, Seattle had provided funding to secure 2,568 units of housing for formerly homeless adults, through construction of new units or by providing operating and rental subsidies in existing units. Despite these gains, the 2010 One Night Count of people without shelter found 1,986 people in Seattle sleeping outside—on benches, in cars, under roadways and in tents.
OH is funding three new buildings that will be affordable to households earning about half of the area median income—roughly $30,000 to $40,000 per year—like office assistants, people who work in the food service, hotel and retail industries, plus working artists.
Wages are remaining flat while market rents continue to rise, meaning low-wage working individuals and families face the possibility of being priced out of the communities where they work. According to a fall 2010 survey by Dupre + Scott Apartment Advisors, tightening of the rental market is expected to continue in the foreseeable future, with rents projected to increase 7% through December 2012.
These workforce housing projects also meet the City's goal of siting housing near mass transit, both bus rapid ride and Link Light Rail. One development will be located next door to the Mt. Baker Light Rail Station; another will be two blocks from the Columbia City station; and a third will be located within walking distance of the future Capitol Hill station and First Hill Streetcar.
"Development near transit not only responds to broader goals to reduce congestion and environmental impacts, but it also means future residents of these apartments will have lower transportation costs in addition to affordable rents," said Smith.
The funding announcements were made today at Cyndy's Pancake House on Aurora Avenue North, the future location of one of the developments for formerly homeless individuals, as well as one of the future routes of Metro Transit's RapidRide bus service. RapidRide is being designed to keep people moving quickly throughout the day in heavily used transit corridors. The new apartments should open around the time the Aurora RapidRide line begins operating in 2013.
The Downtown Emergency Service Center will receive up to $4.5 million for Aurora Supportive Housing, to be constructed at the site of Cyndy's Pancake House on the corner of Aurora Avenue North and North 105th Street. This permanent housing will serve highly vulnerable homeless individuals onsite, with supportive services—such as mental health and medical support or substance abuse counseling—tailored to residents' needs.
The Low Income Housing Institute will receive up to $2.76 million for the Jackson Street Apartments, to be located at 20th Avenue South and South Jackson Street, which will serve low-income seniors 55 and older. The building will include 45 apartments for formerly homeless individuals, plus 15 apartments for seniors earning up to about $30,000-$34,000 per year, and one onsite manager's unit. The formerly homeless tenants will receive onsite services tailored to their individual needs.
Plymouth Housing Group will receive up to $2.23 million for the construction the Pontius Apartments, which will be located in the Cascade/South Lake Union neighborhood on Pontius Avenue North, between John and Thomas streets. The building will provide 81 studio apartments for chronically homeless single men and women, plus three units for resident managers. Pontius Apartments will serve individuals with a history of long-term homelessness who have faced major obstacles to housing.
Artspace will receive up to $1.8 million for the Mt. Baker Lofts, to be constructed at the former site of a Firestone Complete Auto Care next to the Mt. Baker Light Rail Station along Rainier Avenue South. The project will include 51 units designed to meet the needs of artists and their families with annual incomes ranging from about $18,000-$36,000 for an individual, about $20,000-$41,000 for a two-person household. The project will include set asides for large families and disabled individuals. With its proximity to Light Rail and bus service, the Mt. Baker Lofts is considered a Transit Oriented Development ( TOD ), and therefore will have ample bicycle storage in lieu of an automobile parking lot. The building will also include commercial space on the ground floor, plus a large community room with kitchen areas available to residents for exhibitions, performances, rehearsals and community gatherings.
Housing Resources Group will receive up to $2.29 million for Sunset House, an existing 82-unit apartment building in Belltown. Built in 1981, Sunset House is home to seniors and people with disabilities who largely earn less than 30% of area median income ( $18,000 per year for an individual ), with commercial store fronts at the street level. A HUD contract has kept the rents affordable to date, but with that due to expire in March 2011 the building could have been sold and potentially converted to market-rate housing, thus displacing its current tenants. The funding will help HRG acquire and rehabilitate the building, while preserving the affordability for its current and future tenants for at least 50 years.
Capitol Hill Housing will receive up to $2.4 million for the construction of workforce housing at the corner of 12th Avenue and East Jefferson Street in Capitol Hill. The building will include 40 apartments that will be affordable to households earning up to 60% of area median income, which is about $36,000 for one person and $41,000 for two. A formerly City-owned site, the property was awarded to CHH after a competitive Request for Proposal process that prioritized workforce housing. The site is centrally located, walkable and well-served by bus transit and connections to the future Link Light Rail station and the First Hill Streetcar.
Mercy Housing Northwest will receive up to $3.9 million for construction of Block 43, a 52-unit affordable workforce housing project at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Oregon Street in the Rainier Vista master development. The units will be affordable to households earning up to 50% and 60% of area median income, about $30,000-$36,000 for one person and $34,250-$41,000 for two. Mercy purchased the site from the Seattle Housing Authority ( SHA ), which owns and operates Rainier Vista; Block 43 will be part of Rainier Vista Phase II. The site is ideally located two blocks from the Columbia City Light Rail station, and is next to a bus stop with frequent service on two routes. The project will be integrated into the pedestrian-oriented Rainier Vista community, and residents will have access to amenities such as parks, sports fields, the new Boys & Girls Club, p-patches, a farmers' market, computer centers and a community center.
Seattle Housing Authority will receive up to $3 million to rehabilitate four existing senior housing projects: Blakely Manor near University Village, 70 units; Bitterlake Manor in the Bitterlake neighborhood, 72 units; Olmstead Manor near Green Lake, 35 units; and Nelson Manor in Ballard, 32 units. The current population in these apartments consists primarily of extremely low-income seniors; additionally, 10% of the units are set aside for persons with disabilities regardless of age. The buildings were originally constructed in the early 1980s with funding from the City's first affordable housing bond. Rehabilitation of these four buildings preserves and extends the useful life of 209 units of much needed low-income housing for seniors and people with disabilities.
The Seattle Office of Housing awards multifamily funds annually to support the development of affordable housing. The long-term, low-interest loans are highly competitive, with applications carefully reviewed for financial feasibility, affordability, organizational capacity and how they meet the city's priorities. The affordability of the housing is regulated by OH for a minimum of 50 years.
Since 1981, Seattle voters have approved one bond and four levies to fund more than 10,000 affordable apartments for seniors, low- and moderate-wage workers, and formerly homeless individuals and families, in addition to providing down-payment loans to more than 600 first-time homebuyers and rental assistance to more than 4,000 households.
This story was released on 2011-01-19. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.


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Europe at Large
EU party politics out of step with Macron's En Marche
Tough task to rebottle Macron brand across Europe.
By	Paul Taylor
Updated 4/19/19, 1:37 AM CET
In trying to replicate his 2017 campaign's energy at the EU level, Emmanuel Macron finds himself caught between the old guard and the populists | Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images
PARIS — Emmanuel Macron is gearing up to train his wrecking-ball on the European Union's fraying party system, but the empire is fighting back.
The 40-year-old French president's young guard of En Marche activists is working to replicate on the European stage his 2017 feat of upending a domestic political system discredited by corruption scandals and resistance to reform. A conference of like-minded "progressive" Europeans is due to launch the drive in Paris on October 20, drawing up a platform of common values.
But while Macron is a political rockstar who draws crowds across Europe, it's not easy to bottle the Macron brand and export it to 26 other countries, where liberals and centrists are raised on different flavors and political lines are drawn differently.
The old guard of entrenched power brokers in the outgoing EU legislature and a phalanx of Euroskeptic, anti-immigrant populists are mounting a pincer movement to defeat his attempt at pro-European "creative destruction." And Macron's would-be friends among the liberals are almost as keen to trip him up or rein him in as his conservative, leftist and nationalist enemies. Money and power are at stake, as well as the future political shape of Europe.
En Marche does not have a single seat in the outgoing European Parliament, where the centrist MoDem, a semi-detached part of Macron's presidential majority, and UDI, allied with France's center-right domestic opposition, sit side-by-side in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE). Currently the fourth-largest political group, ALDE controls the purse strings and staff jobs.
The biggest hurdle to Macron's attempt to build a powerful new pro-European centrist movement lies in Germany.
When ALDE floor leader Guy Verhofstadt prematurely announced an alliance with En Marche in a newspaper interview this month, he was slapped down by Team Macron. It wants to call the shots, not swear allegiance to a 65-year-old former Belgian prime minister.
An ardent federalist who advocates a "United States of Europe," Verhofstadt became a minister when Macron was just 9 years old. He is part of what the French leader sees as "the previous world." His European ideal would concentrate power in the federal institutions of the European Commission and Parliament while Macron, like all his French predecessors, has a more inter-governmental vision. Both men are also well to the left on economic and social policy of the more austere northern liberals who govern in the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Estonia.
Macron unveils tax cuts as popularity plummets
Nicholas Vinocur
Another ally bites the dust: Emmanuel Macron loses interior minister
Judith Mischke
So Christophe Castaner, leader of Macron's La Republique en Marche party, has been criss-crossing Europe seeking out new friends among but also beyond ALDE's affiliates in hopes of peeling them away from their old political families before or after the election, and hitching them to Macronia.
As a warm-up act, a pan-European group of politicians from center-left to center-right issue a joint call to "reinvent Europe" published in several newspapers on Thursday, saying they were determined to "go beyond existing partisan structures if they are obstacles." Castaner and Verhofstadt were prominent among the signatories on the appeal, issued on the first anniversary of Macron's landmark Sorbonne speech calling for EU reform.
Paris has policy interests in common with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, while Macron's EU-level ally is the center-right Ciudadanos | Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images
In Italy — the third-largest electorate in the next EU legislature — Castaner wants to recruit the Democratic Party (PD) of former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, currently a member of the Party of European Socialists (PES). On the ropes since his party lost power to a coalition of hard-right and maverick populists, Renzi signed the joint appeal and is expected to be on the podium at the Paris launch. But the PD has not yet agreed to quit the sinking Socialist ship and may not budge before the election.
In Spain, the country with the fourth most seats, Macron's ally is Ciudadanos, a center-right party founded to fight corruption and Catalan separatism. But Macron has to balance that bromance with Paris' need to hug Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tight on a range of policy interests.
In Poland, the next biggest heavy-hitter in terms of European Parliament seats, Castaner met the leader of the main opposition Civic Platform (PO) party, political home of European Council President Donald Tusk and hitherto a pillar of the center-right European People's Party, as well as two smaller liberal parties.
His pitch was that supporters of embattled liberal democracy in Warsaw, under assault from Jarosław Kaczyński's nationalist ruling Law and Justice party, share values with Macron's pro-European reformists rather than with an EPP that refuses to eject Hungarian strongman Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Kaczyński's closest ally. But PO shows little sign of leaving the embrace of the EPP, the EU's biggest patronage network and a key power tool of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The biggest hurdle to Macron's attempt to build a powerful new pro-European centrist movement lies in Germany, the EU's biggest electorate with 99 seats, where En Marche lacks a like-minded soulmate.
Germany's liberal opposition Free Democratic Party (FDP) has lurched to the right under young leader Christian Lindner, who flatly opposed Macron's call for a common eurozone budget, finance minister and parliament. On many issues, En Marche is closer to the pragmatic wing of the pro-European German Greens, but a dalliance with them would damage a partnership with Merkel that both sides have billed as the key motor behind a strong Europe.
Significantly, there was no German name on Thursday's joint appeal to "reinvent Europe."
Team Macron's hope is that rifts in the EPP over Orbán and his anti-migrant alliance with Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, the outspoken leader of the far-right League, will tear the old pro-European Christian Democratic grouping apart as rhetoric escalates during the EU campaign.
Christian Lindner, head of Germany's Free Democratic Party, has rebuffed Macron's proposed eurozone reforms | Sean Gallup/Getty Images
That's wishful thinking, or at best a very long-odds bet. Power and money, rather than ideological consistency, have long been the glue that holds the EPP together. The mainstream conservative group has drifted to the right in the slipstream of public opinion, but remains a broad church.
While it will lose seats in France, Spain and Italy, the EPP still looks set to remain the biggest parliamentary bloc and stands a better chance than Macron's newcomers of drawing other parties into temporary alliances to boost their numbers and share the spoils.
It looks increasingly likely there will be no old-style power-sharing arrangement between EPP and PES, or EPP and ALDE in the next European Parliament, not least due to the expected surge in nationalist and populist parties. Together, those movements could comprise the second biggest force. But they seem incapable of forming a single caucus, since each tends to see the other as extremist.
In many countries, national loyalties or the chance to give the government a kicking will trump any common European agenda.
Macron is eager to frame the election as a straight choice for or against Europe, with himself as champion of an open, liberal, modern Union, and Salvini, Orbán and French far-right leader Marine Le Pen as his chosen enemies.
But EU politics is not so clear-cut. In many countries, national loyalties or the chance to give the government a kicking will trump any common European agenda.
Macronia may finish in third place, doomed to compromise with an increasingly conservative EPP to keep the "barbarians" of the populist right and the anti-globalization left outside the gates.
Paul Taylor, contributing editor at POLITICO, writes the Europe At Large column.
How to remake the EU
Conference on the Future of Europe should rethink how we involve citizens in EU decision making.
Has Europe reached peak populism?
Tide may have turned against nationalist right.
Von der Leyen looks to overhaul Commission power structure
The intention is to give vice presidents more real power.
Tribalism in the European Parliament extends to Twitter
Members of the EU assembly occupy a Twitter echo chamber, according to POLITICO's analysis.
How feminist is von der Leyen?
The nominee for Commission president has a long history fighting for gender parity.


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Q: EF Migration fails due to GUID foreign key I have the following models in my .NET Core 2.1 application:
public class Product
{
    [Key]
    public Guid ProductId { get; set; }

    public virtual ICollection<Favourite> Favourites { get; set; }

}

public class Retailer
{
    [Key]
    public Guid BusinessId {get; set;}

    public virtual ICollection<Favourite> Favourites { get; set; }
}

public class Favourite
{

    [Key]
    public Guid FavouriteId { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("Retailer_BusinessId")]
    public virtual Retailer Business { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("Product_ProductId")]
    public virtual Product Product { get; set; }

}

When trying to run an EF migration, I get the following error:

The relationship from 'Favourite.Business' to 'Retailer.Favourites'
  with foreign key properties {'Retailer_BusinessId' : Nullable}
  cannot target the primary key {'BusinessId' : Guid} because it is not
  compatible. Configure a principal key or a set of compatible foreign
  key properties for this relationship.

I suspect it's because I'm using Guid's as my keys in the foreign tables.  How do I tell EF that?

A: It looks like EF expects the ForeignKey attribute to refer to the navigation property.  I was able to reproduce the error you were getting and after making the following change, it migrated successfully.
public class Favourite
{
    [Key]
    public Guid FavouriteId { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("Business")]
    public Guid BusinessId { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("Product")]
    public Guid ProductId { get; set; }

    public virtual Retailer Business { get; set; }

    public virtual Product Product { get; set; }
}

EDIT: The way you were doing it was close, but you need to have the property and then specify just the property's name in the ForeignKey attribute.
public class Favourite
{
    [Key]
    public Guid FavouriteId { get; set; }

    public Guid BusinessId { get; set; }

    public Guid ProductId { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("BusinessId")]
    public virtual Retailer Business { get; set; }

    [ForeignKey("ProductId")]
    public virtual Product Product { get; set; }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I m studying final year of BBA and i missed to collect CAT exam application so i want to join MBA in 2013 itself ? what to do?
Re: Availability of application forms of CAT?
Sorry, registrations as well as CAT exam are already over. Last date of registration was 18 sept 2012, and tests got over on 6 Nov 2012.
But do not worry. If you want to do MBA in 2013, two good options are still open.
For admission in all Symbiosis institutes like SIBM, SITM, SIIB, SIMS etc.
Registrations open till 23 Nov. Test will be on 16th Dec 2012.
For admission in all AICTE approved MBA colleges.
Visit http://www.aicte-cmat.in for more info.


text:
i'm not that kind of banker
a blog about the pet industry by Bryan Jaffe
Sorting the Winners and Losers in Procter & Gamble's Acquisition of Natura Pet Products
Posted by bryanjaf under consumer products and services, cool deals i wish i had done, middle market, pet industry, retail | Tags: Ben & Jerry's, consumer products and services, humanization of pets, m&a, pet food, pet industry, pet industry trends, pet m&a, PetCo, PetSmart, transaction environment |
If you follow the pet trades, or place close attention to what food you put in your dogs belly, you probably are aware that, last week, Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) purchased Natura Pet Products, a privately held producer of holistic and natural pet foods. If not, let me bring you in on the not so secret combination.
The transaction, which was kept very low key inside the trade puts P&G squarely on the front lines of the battle for the premium pet consumer. Natura possess a well respected portfolio of premium brands, including California Naturals, Innova and Evo. In the name of full disclosure, I feed my dogs Evo, among other things.
For some the transaction was curious for P&G. The company possess a small pet business relative to the overall size of the consumer mother-ship. Many people were betting that the company would go in the other direction, possibly divesting Eukanuba and Iams. Instead, P&G is trying to catch a bigger wave in the pet world and ride the premium pet food movement to higher profits and therefore an improved equity price. However, P&G is but one constituency that stands to win, lose or draw from this transaction. Below we analyze them all.
Consumers. No one wins more than consumers in this deal. However, this comes with a caveat; it assumes that P&G keeps the formulations and authenticity in tact. Given the history of such actions in the consumer space this is a reasonably big leap of faith (Ben & Jerry's anyone). Let's assume they do for arguments sake (and for the record I think they will, because it would not be that hard or cost prohibitive). Consumers win when P&G pushes high quality pet foods into the mass channel making them more widely available. Further, their ability to produce at scale economies will make them more accessible from a cost standpoint. Even I might go to Petco to save $10 on a bag of Evo. Well, at least I would think about it.
Independent Pet Specialty Brands. Love 'em, hate 'em, Natura brands had cache in independent pet specialty. The safe assumption is that P&G is going to move the brands in to mass, opening up precious shelf space in independent pet specialty, which is space constrained. Brands like Honest Kitchen, Orijen, Ziwi Peak, Mulligan's Stew, and others stand to gain share within this channel as boutiques and independent chains retrench from Natura brands due to channel conflict.
Nature's Variety/Castor & Pollux. Congratulations, you just became the number one acquisition targets in natural and holistic pet food in the specialty and natural channel respectively. I can feel the smile from Catterton Partners and Highland Consumer Partners all the way from the east coast.
Independent Pet Specialty. As much as I love this channel, this is not a favorable turn of events for them, in my opinion. Natura offered many independent pet specialty stores a one stop shop solution for wellness oriented food products. Further, these brands have strong affinity that may follow the brands to mass. Further, if these products do exit pet specialty stores will likely have to take some risk on one or more brands whose staying power is as yet unknown. There will be a lot of shelf and floor space to negotiate over.
Pet Mass. One would think that Petco and Petsmart would go into the "winners" category as they will get their hands on a well known series of brands consistent with where they are trying to take their image and focus. Given how easy it would be to market the brand portfolio within mass (grains are bad for your dog, these have no grain), one would think that would be the case. However, this is Petco and Petsmart we are talking about. I suspect they will find ways to under monetize their pending asset.
Proctor & Gamble. Only time will tell how this deal turns out for P&G. I suspect they paid a modest premium on what many believe is a $150 million revenue business, but given the mixed performance within the portfolio it is unlikely that they had to break the bank. In mass they will go head-to-head with Wellpet, Castor & Pollux, Solid Gold, Blue Buffalo and others, in what has suddenly become a crowded field. One has to believe their muscle — capital, branding acumen, retail relationships, etc. — will help drive the business to the next level, but only time will tell.
/bryan
Look Mom, I'm Famous: More on Funding Sustainable Food Companies
Posted by bryanjaf under capital recruitment, consumer products and services, investment banking | Tags: Ben & Jerry's, capital recruitment, Cascadia Capital, Equilibrium Capital Group, sustainability |
David Chen, founder of Equilibrium Capital Group, interviewed me with respect to my perspective on the Ben & Jerry's transaction and what it means for sustainability companies raising money going forward. Below is the substance interview. It appears on David's blog Conscience & Commerce™: Mission Driven Commerce. Equilibrium Capital Group and Cascadia Capital have joined forces to try and help mission driven organizations solve their funding challenges.
conscience & commerce: grappling in the real world with capital market realities
a case example: ben& jerry's
in the area of sustainability, we find a set of entrepreneurs who were counter-culture rebels who went on to create a new type of business model that aligned their core values and aspirations with their business objectives and products.
one can argue that the success of these companies is the execution this set of core values and beliefs about sustainability into products, their internal business practices, and therefore into their brand. in other words, every where you scratch in these companies, in their relations with partners, vendors, customer, you find consistency and authenticity. the core values are so real, they are a decision support system for their employees.
the irony is that with success, even these firms need to deal with founder/owner transitions, expanding the shareholder base, shareholder liquidity, expansion capital, strengthening the balance sheet, and insuring long term access to capital. yet paramount in these capital decisions and structures are those core values and aspirations. even the words "exit & exit strategy" are antithetical to their objective: to create an enterprise that is both financially sustainable, but also a platform for impact and change. the traditional options don't seem to fit: selling out to a PE firm, selling to a strategic corporate buyer, IPO, or becoming a consolidator (and that begs the issue of capital access).
we have an opportunity to probe this topic with our good friend bryan jaffe from Cascadia Capital, a leading middle market investment bank with a focus on technology/media, sustainability, and renewable energy sectors. bryan brings deep industry and product expertise in the food industry. in particular, we are interested in bryan's perspective on Ben & Jerry's sale to Unilever, executed by his prior employer Gordian Group, LLC. in that transaction we learned first hand the need to ensure that capital and company share a common ethos and what it takes to protect the founders and corporate missions from traditional shareholder restrictions. how can you preserve and propagate the very values that created the success and the value in the brand.
Q?: what was the compelling reason for considering this transaction? where were founders ben & jerry during this transaction?
BRYAN: Ben & Jerry's had both a great product and a loyal customer following, but it was an operationally challenged company. It lacked the case volume or financial muscle to underwrite its own distribution system, which put them at a competitive disadvantage. As the business matured, earnings growth did not keep pace with investor expectations, and the stock price languished. There were also stumbles on the mission side of the business, which brought negative publicity. Shareholders became restless and the directors began to feel the pressure associated with being fiduciaries.
The board brought in a new CEO and hired an investment banker to evaluate alternatives. While a number of options were pursued, ultimately the market spoke and a strategic sale was deemed to be in the best interest of shareholders. Unilever could solve the distribution problem. While Ben and Jerry were both active in the business and influential board members, their voice became somewhat muted due to the public company governance structure. Net net, the price Unilever was willing to pay was so high relative to the prevailing equity price that the board and founders were hamstrung. It wasn't any great secret that Ben and Jerry were opposed to the sale. Jerry Greenfield's recent interview in The Guardian confirms that he still has regrets despite the structure of the deal, which was designed to ensure continued adherence to the company's mission.
Q?: from where you stood, what were the core values and aspirations in this company? what did ben & jerry's stand for? what were the values in the brand? how much had changed with the departure of the founders, ben and jerry?
BRYAN: Ben & Jerry's was the first real double bottom line company. They took the concept of balancing social responsibility with economic responsibility to a new scale. The brand stood for more than just great ice cream. While they were interested in profitable growth, they felt they had a larger responsibility to the environment in which they operated. The social mission was the enterprise mission and it drove the corporate, business and functional strategies for the business. That customers remained loyal over time served to validate this operating model, since consumers were not wanton for choice in the category.
Ben & Jerry's core values centered on a symbiosis with partners, employees and the community. Ben and Jerry utilized their company platform to redistribute wealth and help partners who were also trying to achieve a social good. Ben and Jerry, as individuals and as a collective, stood for a balanced ethic, creating harmony between self-interest and ones obligation to others. It was a "yin and yang" between values and creating value.
Ben & Jerry's has continued to perform under the Unilever ownership. However, I believe some of the authenticity of the mission has been compromised. At the very least some of the irreverence is gone, since you can't play the David v. Goliath card anymore. However, the erosion of the mission started before the sale, when the company was forced to modify its salary cap structure to attract professional management. The public company ownership structure also undermined the mission. Unilever continues to adhere to the tenets of the deal, but to them it is a business. They haven't expanded the mission beyond their contractual obligations. The question is what will change if the business under performs. A deep consumer recession may test that theory.
Q?: what did each party think they were buying or selling? what were the differences in the ethos?
BRYAN: Unilever was buying a brand and the opportunity to exploit that brand with their distribution and branding muscle. They approached the transaction from a traditional public company ethos – the ability to accrete earnings and therefore drive value for their shareholders. Unilever took on the social responsibility aspect as a means to get access to the brand; it was part of the purchase price so to speak. At the same time, they believed that owning Ben & Jerry's would enhance the perception among consumers that they were socially emancipated on some level. You will note that Unilever now features a "values" section on their homepage, which includes addressing environmental and social concerns.
Ben & Jerry's thought it was buying a solution to their distribution challenges and a means to perpetuate the social mission of the business. Unilever convinced Ben and Jerry that this was an opportunity to grow the company's social commitment. The difference in ethos was evidenced in the structure of the deal. If this was a marriage of like minded enterprises Unilever would not have had to take the steps they did to convince stakeholders their interest was authentic and their intentions were pure. On its face, some people might wrongly conclude that at a high enough price, the social ethos could be made malleable, but that was not the case.
Q?: what happened after this transaction? and with your "evolved" insights on sustainability, what would you have done differently?
BRYAN: For the most part it appears that Unilever has lived up to their end of the bargain contractually – "letter of the law". But again, Ben & Jerry's has performed for them as an asset, so there was not a substantial incentive to deviate from that strategy. However, they have done little, if anything, to expand the mission of Ben & Jerry's. That is where people should be disappointed. In 2005, Walt Freese, CEO, acknowledged some softening of adherence to the company's true mission. What is interesting is that some a smart such branding organization would not see this as undermining the brand.
With respect to what I would have done differently, in short I would have never taken the company public, not on the terms that were implemented. At the very least, I would have established two classes of common and kept voting with respect to a change of control in the hands of the founders. That was a viable option at that time. I'm not sure that is true to today. Additionally, I would have kept the board small so as to limit dilution of the founders influence. Ben & Jerry's had a large unwieldy board. That all being said, I think ultimately there was not an appropriate construct available to raise the monies necessary to grow the business while fully insuring adherence to the mission. This is why you haven't seen more double bottom line companies go public. A new solution must emerge for this class of companies.
Q?: what new framework would you apply to these unique mission balanced firms as they consider the issues of founder/owner transition and shareholder liquidity?
BRYAN: Over the past five years we have seen health and wellness and sustainability emerge as investable categories and pools of capital have been raised to fund companies with missions that fit within these industries. At the highest level, the market is moving in the right direction. Yet, firms like DBL Capital and TBL Capital don't have access to the funds necessary to help larger sustainable companies reach the next level. They are also seeking venture like returns and institutional governance structures. This does not work for many mission based organizations.
It is my view that today there are pools of capital, outside the institutional context, that would invest in later stage sustainable businesses without receiving the rights afforded to shareholders of public companies or venture capital/private equity firms. Eventually, I think there will be institutional funds that fund later stage deals on these same terms that emerge as well. However, more success stories are necessary before that happens at scale. The question is through what means to organize the existing pools of capital, how to match buyers and sellers and what rights to offer each side to clear the market. At the base level, you have to consistency of ethos between issuers and investors.
Cool Deals I Wish Maybe I Had Not Done
Posted by bryanjaf under capital recruitment, consumer products and services, cool deals i wish i had done, investment banking, valuation | Tags: Ben & Jerry's, double bottom line, Gordian Group LLC, socially responsible investing, Unilever |
Time is a great equalizer. As time passes we gain perspective. We look back on things we did, experiences we had, and view them through a different lens. I don't have much affinity for mulligans in real life and I don't wish one in this instance. However, now I look back at the implications and recognize that a deal, a single deal, could create a paradigm shift for an industry. To recognize that I was part of it gives me pause. However, to now recognize the negative implications makes me think; maybe that wasn't such a good idea.
You will have to forgive me, I was born into the wrong era for my personal value system. I was born into a era of excess. Continual stock market movements in the up and right direction. Real estate valuations which doubled and then doubled again, and then again. Greed was good. Millikan, Boesky, Kravis, these were my childhood idols. You were only as good as the last deal you had done, and if that deal was not mentioned above the crease on the front page of the Wall Street Journal than it wasn't a real deal and you should not pass go or collect $200. For a Jewish kid from Utah, those were long odds. Then along came Ben & Jerry's.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were childhood friends born four days apart in Brooklyn, New York, in 1951. Twenty-four years later, the duo would take a correspondence course on how to make ice cream. With an initial investment of $12,000 the iconic brand was launched in Burlington, Vermont in May 1978. From there the business took off, largely on the backs of the founders personalities and the social mission that under lied the business against the backdrop of the feel good '80s and go-go '90s. In 1985, the company went public on the NASDAQ for $13.00.
The social mission of Ben & Jerry's was largely oriented around sustainable consumption and a symbiotic relationship with its partners and employees. In effect, it was the first double bottom line company to go public. Each Ben & Jerry's was to be made of recycled materials and the company made a clear commitment to reducing solid and dairy waste, recycling and water and energy conservation at the company's facilities. Further, it gave 7.5% of pre-tax profits to charitable organizations. Ben & Jerry's offered employees generous benefits and a living wage. Notably, in 1988, the company ceased production of its popular Oreo Mint flavor as it disliked doing business with the owner of the Oreo brand, RJR Nabisco. A good summary of Ben & Jerry's social responsibility program can be found here.
The company was not without its issues both inside and out. Ben & Jerry's entered into a number of unions that it thought were beneficial to the communities in which they served, but that turned out not to be the case. "Swinegate" and the "Rainforest fiasco" were but two examples. However, it might be hard to find fault with the company as these endeavors seemed to undermine the mission of the company due to a lack of due diligence, as opposed to bad intention. More troubling was the use of toxins by milk suppliers in the Vermont region in which Ben & Jerry's sourced, running counter to their "all natural" claims. The company also resisted attempts to unionize subsets of workers and removed a salary cap so it could pay its senior management more money, though the later was necessary to attract professional management to the enterprise.
However, the real problem with Ben & Jerry's was that it took capital from individual investors. With that reality came the expectation of a return on their capital contribution. After flying out of the gate, BJIC lost 66% of its value between 1993 and 1995, with the precipitous decline coming in the second half of 1994, as a result of flagging sales, an inability to solve mounting distribution challenges and significant asset writedowns at its manufacturing facilities. The stock languished at those levels for the next 4 years at or below the initial public offering price.
By 1997, investor unrest was mounting and criticism of Ben & Jerry's operating practice was growing among stockholders. While losses were mounting, social activism funded by the company and charitable giving continued with little restraint. In need of a turnaround, Ben & Jerry's tapped Perry Odak, a proven operational manager, who, ironically, had run, among other things, the Browning and Winchester operations of Fabrique National Corporation, to refocus the business on profitability and realign the business strategy. Odak in turn, hired Gordian Group, LLC (Gordian), my previous employer, to help it evaluate its options. Despite the market realities, Ben and Jerry had no interest in selling the company.
Over the course of several years, Gordian assisted Ben & Jerry's board in a variety of transactions, including a sale of the company, an investment in the company, distribution joint ventures and product line expansion. Ultimately, the company was sold to Unilever in April of 2000, for $38/share or $360 million, twice the initial indications of interest. To assure that the social mission of Ben & Jerry's carried on, pursuant to the definitive agreement, Ben & Jerry's was to operate as an independent entity and its board would remain in place to ensure that it's social mission was upheld. In addition to the consideration to shareholders, Unilever agreed to contribute $5 million to the Ben & Jerry's Foundation, create a $5 million fund to help minority-owned businesses and others in poor neighborhoods and distribute $5 million to employees in six months. In short, Ben & Jerry's board thought they won — achieving value and liquidity for shareholders and getting its acquiror to buy in to the social mission of the enterprise. Gordian felt they had won as well, and were awarded Merger & Acquisitions, Middle Market Deal of the Year for 2000. Ben and Jerry, however felt ill.
Much has been written about what Unilever did to Ben & Jerry's post close, but that is not the central issue that I want to focus on. Rather, I'm concern about the precedent it has set for socially based operating companies to take capital from the public or private markets. In short, there are dozens of really great natural and organic food companies that will never trust the capital markets as a means for liquidity based on what happened to Ben & Jerry's. I'm not happy to say, I participated in the deal that created the barrier.
Some days I wish Ben or Jerry were more like Gary Erickson, CEO of Clif Bar. Erickson said in this article that he would never be tempted to sell the company or take it public. "They'll want to do it more about the one bottom line: money," Erickson said of people who want to buy Clif Bar. "Going public — just shoot me. Having to talk to Wall Street every day?" However, unlike Clif Bar, a subset of these companies need capital to take themselves to the next level or secure the financial futures of their shareholders.
So for a society which is increasingly becoming green and socially responsible in our consumption patterns, how do we fund enterprises who put their ethos ahead of the profitability? I don't think that its too much to ask for a socially acceptable solution to emerge. For these companies to compete with better funded multi-nationals, we will have to find a way.
Have any ideas? Inquiring minds want to know.
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text:
package com.onboard.frontend.service.web;

import com.onboard.frontend.model.Company;
import com.onboard.frontend.model.Project;
import com.onboard.frontend.model.User;

/**
 * Created by XingLiang on 2015/4/23.
 */
public interface SessionService {

    String CURRENT_USER = "currentUser";
    String CURRENT_COMPANY = "currentCompany";
    String CURRENT_PROJECT = "currentProject";
    String TEMP_USER = "tempUser";
    String CURRENT_THIRD_PART_USER_ID = "userId";
    String NEXT_URL = "nextUrl";

    User getCurrentUser();

    Company getCurrentCompany();

    Project getCurrentProject();

    int getCurrentThirdpartUserId();

    String getNextUrl();

    void setCurrentUser(User user);

    void setCurrentCompany(Company company);

    void setCurrentProject(Project project);

    void removeUserInformation();

    void setCurrentThirdpartUserId(Integer id);

    void setCurrentNextUrl(String url);

}


I had an investigator show up at my office to introduce himself to me. I asked him what his specialty was and he said that he takes on all types of cases and he is involved in many sexual assault of children cases. He said that he works for an attorney who works many of these cases so he is a bit of a specialist in this area. He said that he isn't afraid to catch the child (complainant/victim) between the school bus and their home and straight up ask them if they are lying about the accusation. I was horrified!
How dare any investigator re-victimize the child if that child is a true victim. Nobody should be permitted to do an interview or question a child in this manner. Whether the defendant is innocent or guilty, there is a responsibility to protect all children. A child will automatically have a fear of a stranger walking up to them since the "Stranger Danger" message is taught in most every school and home now. Then, if the stranger begins to ask questions, the child faces the confusion on whether to answer because an adult is questioning them or to run, because the stranger hasn't been properly introduced by the parent, school officials or someone that they trust. If the child is a minor, the parent needs to give permission for the interview.
There may be laws that protect victims restricting these actions and the investigator better know what those laws are before stomping on these grounds. An investigator should check the victim's rights laws in their state for certainty. If it is not legal, then the attorney faces admissibility in the trial if it is found out how the information was obtained.
Regardless of admissibility in court or trial or other legalities, what about ethics? If the investigator appears to be less than honorable in the methods used to get information, it could sway the jury's opinion and if that consequence isn't far reaching enough, consider possible future client's opinions if they hear about your reputation.
There is a certain type of demeanor that the investigator needs to display when interviewing children that is very different that what one may use with adults. It takes a bit of time to warm them up to become trusting enough to open up and tell the gory details of the incident that they have encountered. Some kids are very embarrassed about the subject and then others may be scared to talk about the subject. No one really knows the emotion that the child will display but should be prepared for any. That demeanor needs to be similar to a very caring parent role (even though you are not and have no interest in a role other than that of an investigator).
Getting down on their level is very important. Sometimes, getting on their level may mean the type of verbal communication that you would use to talk to them (not baby talk but not harsh "just the facts" type of talk either) to your physical positioning. A grown up that is standing next to a child can automatically cause the child to feel an authoritarian approach or a sense of intimidation. If the investigator sits on the floor with the child or at least sits in a chair, this move will help to thwart any intimidating or authoritarian feelings. The child needs to feel that care and concern and willingness to help them and to protect them from every scary thing that is in your power. Children can be very good at reading a person. If they see you as insincere, they will not open up.
This demeanor is needed by the interviewer whether you are interviewing a truthful or untruthful witness/complainant.
Remember that the child may truly be a victim and even if merely a witness, there could be collateral interests or damages to a child who is questioned if the child is friends or family with either the victim or the defendant. They can suffer emotional pain even when questioned properly but more so if they feel afraid that the parents and not supporting them. This is why the parents should be asked permission before questioning a child.
Remember to be on the child's level in communication and in physical positioning. If the investigator uses words that the child is not familiar with, the child may be too embarrassed to tell the investigator that they don't understand and if the child is in fear of the investigator, they may respond favorably to the question just because they believe that it is what the investigator wants to hear.
The investigator does not always have control of the surroundings where the interview takes place but an attempt to make the child feel comfortable is very important. If the investigator is taking notes during the interview, it may make the child feel uncomfortable when they respond to a question and see the investigator writing from time to time. It is better to record the interview for reference than take notes however, there are state laws pertaining to recordings and it is the very best practice to obtain a parent's written permission prior to doing so.
An investigator should never treat the child at the onset like they believe that they are lying. There may be a way to transition to helping a child to tell the truth as the investigator gets further along. An investigator who acts as though they are helping the child will be more likely to get the truth rather than using a technique as to catch the child in a lie.
An investigator should never use a scare tactic as it could possibly cause serious concerns for trial, for your reputation and possibly for the child's well-being.
As adults, we should always defend and protect children at all costs but more importantly we, as private investigators who should be considered trustees of the truth, should never be the guilty party in injuring a child – even if only emotionally. We should all be able to look at ourselves in the mirror each day with honesty and know that we have been on the right side with all of our actions!
Catherine Torrez was a police officer for more than twenty years and served as a reserve police officer for the city of Grand Prairie, TX. She served as patrol officer in Everman, Texas, working in areas such as D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer, school resources, gang intelligence, community services, and criminal investigations. She moved on to the White Settlement ISD Police Department to work as the School Resource Officer and became captain of the police department. She served as the police chief for the city of Cockrell Hill, Texas, for four years. During her years as a police officer, Torrez attended the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas to gain her management certificate. She has also received her Police Instructor Certificate, Mental Health Officer Certificate, and Master Peace Officer Certification. Her Professional Profile can be found at http://www.catherinetorrez.com/cst-resume.pdf.
After leaving police work, Torrez worked for two years as a private investigator with Taurus Investigations, She is now the owner and manager of Stiletto Spy and Company Investigations (www.StilettoSpyInvestigations.com).
Torrez is the mother of five children and grandmother of ten. She was a longtime member of her church board and member of the board of the school her children attended. She is the author of Tragedy to Triumph: Discover the Secret of Gaining Victory over Abuse (www.TragedyToTriumphBook.com) and newly released book Unburied Treasure: A Guide To Leaving Your Legacy. She is a public speaker and educator on many police/safety subjects and Christian faith topics listed at www.CatherineTorrez.com.


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In the final episode of the series, Jedward prepare to face their biggest challenge yet. Having been in their apartment for just over a week, they will have a night on their own without road manager, Liam!
But they're not on their own for long though when mum Susanna and dad John pop round to see their place and check up on the twins. When Susanna finds out that the twins are on their own for the night she decides to stay over.
The next big challenge for the twins is to host their very first dinner party. They have to cook a three course meal for six people. They start off with pea and mint soup which everyone admits tastes like toothpaste. The rest of it goes pretty well until the boys bring out desert with sparklers ��" which nearly causes disaster in their swanky pad!
In the midst of their challenge of living on their own, the twins are busy building up to the release of their first ever album and spend every free minute rehearsing and promoting. Louis Walsh pops in to their rehearsal studio to give them some words of encouragement.
It's the day of the album release and the boys have a huge signing to attend before their gig tonight. Thousands of fans have turned up to see them and the gig is a sell out.
Ireland's twin phenomenon Jedward are moving out of home for the first time into a swanky apartment in an exclusive part of Dublin.
Brand new series Jedward: Let Loose has exclusive access all areas following the boys as they attempt to set up home and live on their own. We see them playing pranks on each other, shopping in Ikea, hosting a party, speed dating, disagreeing with each other and trying to cope with having separate bedrooms.
In this second show Jedward have just flown in from the UK after performing a sell-out gig. They have been living on their own for two days but have only just realised they need to buy some essentials. With a budget of 250 euros they take a trip to Ikea, and as they race around the store with John pushing Edward in a trolley, they are more interested in buying fairy lights and pet accessories than buying furniture for their new pad. When they get to the check out they have gone way over budget and have to put back half the items they put in their trolley.
It's an important summer for Jedward as they launch their new album and the next few weeks are crucial for the boys. They are shooting a video for their second single, but not all is going to plan and the shoot gets off to a shaky start. John is not happy and for once the twins are struggling to agree on creative matters. After a heart to heart on set they put their differences to one side and it's back to business.
It's the second morning in their new apartment and Edward gives his brother a rude awakening by throwing cold water over his head. The boys have been sleeping in separate bedrooms for the first time ever but they have missed each other and John drags Edward's mattress into his room.
Later the boys prepare an intimate dinner party for some old school friends. The menu consists of nachos, marshmallows and chocolate sushi and accident prone John manages to break the glass table in the flat. They order in pizza and there is some left over so John takes it down to the fans who are waiting outside the apartment. While he is down there, Edward throws John's underpants off the balcony for their fans to catch.
The next day the boys face the challenge of speed dating and neither of the twins have ever had a date before in their life. They each have a three minute date with twelve girls, but which lucky ladies will the boys choose to go on a date with?
At the end of a very long but fun day, the boys head straight to bed, but John hasn't forgotten Edward throwing water over his head earlier and plants a pizza right into his brother's sleepy face to get his own back.
Brand new series Jedward: Let Loose has exclusive access to their experimental attempt to cut the apron strings and go it alone. Viewers will see the boys attempting to live in separate bedrooms for the first time in their lives, having shared a room their entire lives.
The series introduces Jedward's family and gets the inside track on the hype and hysteria surrounding the nation's favourite twins. The series will also follow them as they prepare for the launch of their new album, perform onstage, and deal with their fame whilst trying to adapt to their new surroundings and independence. We will also take a look back at their success on The X Factor, what happened when Edward collapsed in agony, the boys designing their own trainers for a sports label and we go behind the scenes on set with Jedward for one of their music videos.
The boys will have to cook, clean and fend for themselves, a tall order when they are used to relying on mum to sort out all their domestic chores.
On arrival at the penthouse apartment the boys are bowled over by its size and décor. However, their excitement soon turns to shock when they realise they have no running water. They run around the apartment turning on all of the taps but there's no water.
Eventually they discover the instructions and manage to switch the water on. Their relief is short lived when they walk into their jacuzzi bathroom and discover they have flooded it, after only being in the apartment for less than an hour. By the time they have cleared up the mess it is getting very late and they've no food in the house. They order a sushi takeaway and take over half an hour deciding what they want. At the end John is not sure the woman on the other end of the phone understood a word he said.
It's the first morning in their new apartment, and the twins have a major gig to promote their debut album. It is Edward's first performance since badly injuring his knee during a live gig a few days ago. But things are not looking good. Edward's knee is swollen and painful. The boys have to take a trip to the doctor's to see if Edward is fit to perform. Depending on his verdict their whole tour and future could be thrown into jeopardy.
Jedward answer a few questions ahead of the launch of their new reality series Jedward: Let Loose.
The Irish pair discuss life away from home and living together in a swanky new apartment in Dublin.
Were you excited to be moving out of home and into your own apartment for a week?
Do you do any cooking at home with your mum? If so, what do you cook?
When you moved out of home what was the one thing you were looking forward to the most?
At home you share a room and in the flat there are two rooms, how do you feel about having your own room for the first time? Or will you try and stay together in the same room?
Did you stamp your mark on the flat and put up any posters etc?
Fans soon found out where you lived, did any try and sneak into the apartment?
What did you enjoy the most about living away from home?
Edward, you recently hurt your leg, had this meant you've been able to get out of doing the chores around the house?
Which one of you is the messiest?
Are you both romantic? What would be your perfect date?


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Stripes ® Convenience Stores Grand Opening Fiesta and Ribbon Cutting
Stripes Convenience Store #1034 * 12 p.m., Friday, April 11, 2014, 11350 Jones Road in Houston, Texas
$1,000 Donation Cypress Creek High School
FREE Stripes Refillable Mugs to the First 200 Customers
Over 30 New Jobs to the Houston Community
(Corpus Christi, TX) April 7, 2014 - Stripes® Convenience Stores have announced the grand opening of the newest Stripes Convenience Store in Houston, Texas. The new Stripes Store will host a grand opening fiesta and ribbon cutting ceremony beginning at noon on Friday, April 11, 2014, at 11350 Jones Road in Houston, Texas. The grand opening celebration will be held in honor of Stripes customers and will showcase the many convenient and delicious foods available from Laredo Taco Company® located in the new Stripes convenience store. The event will recognize community and honorable area representatives. Stripes Convenience Stores will present a $1,000 donation check to representatives from Cypress Creek High School.
The community is invited to the grand opening celebration to sample delicious and fresh foods from t Laredo Taco Company and Stripes Convenience Stores. The first 200 customers will receive a FREE Stripes refillable mug and will have the opportunity to win prizes from Stripes Stores and participating vendors.
The new Stripes Convenience Store features Laredo Taco Company, 20 Stripes Branded Fuel pump options which include unleaded, unleaded plus, and diesel, a dining area which seats 24, "the beer super cooler" – a designated cooler for beer/adult beverages set to cool below 32 Degrees Fahrenheit, as well as 7,000 square feet of fast, fun and friendly customer conveniences. The new Stripes store has added over 30 new jobs to the Houston community.
About Stripes Convenience Stores
Headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas, Susser Holdings Corporation (NYSE: SUSS) is a third-generation family led business with over 1,240 company-operated or contracted locations. Susser Holdings is the parent company of Stripes® Convenience Stores and owns the general partner of Susser Petroleum Partners, LP. (NYSE: SUSP). Susser Holdings ranked No. 460 on the FORTUNE 500® for 2013. The Company operates 627 convenience stores in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, over 580 under the Stripes® banner and 47 under the Sac-N-Pac banner. Restaurant service is available in approximately 400 of its stores, primarily under the proprietary Laredo Taco Company® brand. The wholesale division distributes approximately 1.6 billion gallons of motor fuel annually to Stripes® stores, independently operated consignment locations, convenience stores and retail fuel outlets operated by independent operators and other commercial customers in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. For more information about Stripes® Convenience Stores visit www.stripesstores.com.
For more information contact: Jessica Davila-Burnett, Stripes Convenience Store, Public Relations Director O: 361.654.4882 M: 361.290-3257 Email: jessica.davila-burnett@susser.com


Size 2,3,4,5; Breast 21-24; Height 35-44.
A (fire fighter): very loose-fitting, unlined jacket, dropped shoulders, front tabs, self-lined boots with loops.
B (cowboy): semi-fitted, unlined vest, chaps with belt, casing and tabs.
C (astronaut): loose-fitting jumsuit, contrast bands, long sleeves, self-lined hood, self-lined boots with contrast bands and elastic belt. All have VELCRO closing.
D (cowgirl): loose-fitting, unlined vest. Skirt has elastic waist. Purchase hat and accessories.


Occupational therapists advise and counsel clients on strategies to increase functional independence and improve quality of life. Many occupational therapists struggle with knowing how to demonstrate adaptive strategies to clients who have suffered loss of one hand or loss of function of one hand to complete functional activities. This four-part series is directed toward completion of bi-manual tasks using such adaptive strategies with one hand, the residual limb, and a prosthesis, and may include the use of assistive devices.
The first part of this series focuses on completing personal care tasks including feeding, hygiene, toileting, and dressing. Patients often desire independence in these very intimate tasks without the fear of relying on another person or caretaker to accomplish them. Join Debi Latour as she personally demonstrates how to complete each of these personal care tasks.
A basic necessity in life is the ability to eat, however, when faced with the function of only one hand, this task might prove a challenge. In this first chapter, Debi Latour offers a variety of strategies to approach eating and feeding oneself.
A number of personal hygiene tasks may seem impossible to complete with the use of only one hand, yet many individuals value the ability to complete these tasks without the help of someone else. Join Debi Latour as she demonstrates a variety of hygiene tasks including teeth brushing, contact application, and hair brushing.
Getting dressed and undressed is a task we complete each day. Strategies to don and doff all types of clothing from undergarments to outerwear are shown in this chapter.
Bathing presents its own set of unique challenges for those individuals with the use of only one hand, especially since those who use a prosthesis may not do so while bathing.
These sensitive topics may not be a favorite for discussion, but it's important for occupational therapists to feel comfortable addressing them with their clients. In this final chapter for personal care tasks, Debi Latour expertly navigates what many try to avoid.