Don't Turn Back on Disabled

A poignant opinion piece from the Albany Times Union about the state budget crunch and its impact on people with developmental disabilities. If the staff who work with these individuals do get increases and eventually are forced to leave, this does effect services. Turnover is difficult for the individuals with disabilities and their families. I'm sure this message would be applicable to virtually every organization in every state.

Researchers Find Common Genetic Variations in People with Autism

Reporting from Chicago -- Researchers have found that many people with autism share common genetic variations, a discovery that may improve diagnosis and offers the promise of developing treatments for the frustratingly mysterious disorder. Their findings, published in the journal Nature, compared the genomes of thousands of autistic people with those of thousands of people without the disorder -- a massive task that new technology has only recently made possible. The genome is the complex system of DNA coding that builds and runs the human body.
Up to now, the medical community could say very little about what causes autism or how to treat it. The lack of scientific knowledge about autism has led to a proliferation of pseudoscientific explanations for the disorder, as well as unproven treatments.

Music Helps Tame Autistic Symptoms in Teen

In his early years, teen jazz phenomenon Matt Savage was tormented by the avalanche of everyday sounds —- the swish of a windshield wiper, the hum of a refrigerator, the plunk of a piano key.
“He would scream, throw a tantrum and kick,” said his dad, Larry Savage of New Hampshire. “He was inconsolable.”
Even the silly songs of childhood sent him into a tizzy.
Matt, who will perform in his Atlanta debut at a benefit Saturday, was diagnosed with autism at age 2. But with therapies, the boy who couldn’t bear the sound of music began to compose music. When Matt switched to jazz piano, he was soon hailed by some as being a genius, an autistic savant. Now, at 16, he already has written 100 songs, recorded eight albums, performed at the Kennedy Center, jammed with jazz legends and shared the stage with Grammy-winning diva Chaka Khan.

Ball State QB deflated, not defeated

The NFL Draft is tomorrow and all we hear about is how the top picks will be guaranteed millions of dollars, even before they step foot on the field. This great article by Jeff Chadiha of ESPN tells us a story about a quarterback named Nate Davis out of Ball State University who has battled a learning disability his entire life. Some NFL scouts and coaches have said he will never succeed in the league because he can't read the playbook. Nate Davis thinks otherwise! Take a look at this article that gives us a unique perspective of what it's like to live with a learning disability and overcoming it to play at the ultimate level...the National Football League.

Tears of Joy with Initial Passage of Autism Bill in Nevada

The Nevada State Assembly on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that will mandate insurance coverage to diagnose and treat children living with autism. Parents of children with autism were in the audience, and several of them wept as the bill passed to the Senate by a vote of 39-2.
"This bill sends an incredibly powerful message not only to the state of Nevada, but to the rest of the United States," said Meredith Toddre, who has two children with autism. "Our children have been overlooked for too long."
Assembly Bill 162 will mandate that insurance companies pay up to $36,000 per year for Applied Behavioral Analysis, one of the most promising-- and expensive-- early intervention treatments for children. Many families have been pushed to the brink of financial ruin, mortgaging their homes and selling their cars to pay for a single year of ABA, which can cost more than $50,000 annually.

Tears of Joy for Nevada Families After Initial Passage of Autism Bill

The Nevada State Assembly on Tuesday approved a bill that will mandate insurance coverage to diagnose and treat children living with autism. Parents of children with autism were in the audience, and several of them wept as the bill passed to the Senate by a vote of 39-2.

"This bill sends an incredibly powerful message not only to the state of Nevada, but to the rest of the United States," said Meredith Toddre, who has two children with autism. "Our children have been overlooked for too long."

Assembly Bill 162 will mandate that insurance companies pay up to $36,000 per year for Applied Behavioral Analysis, one of the most promising-- and expensive-- early intervention treatments for children. Many families have been pushed to the brink of financial ruin, mortgaging their homes and selling their cars to pay for a single year of ABA, which can cost more than $50,000 annually.

AOL Offers Autism Insurance for Employees

To mark Autism Awareness month, AOL is stepping up to the plate by offering its employees the opportunity to have insurance covering autism therapies. This is a major statement by AOL in recognizing how important autism therapies can be in treating this developmental disability.

Disabilities Advocates Aim to Banish 'R-Word'

The campaign to eliminate the use of the 'r' word is definitely gaining steam and rightfully so. Since the Special Olympics launched its campaign in March, the organization has gathered more than 40,000 online pledges through r-word.org from people vowing to stop using the word in everyday speech. The Austin American-Statesman's article is quite good, however, there are some disturbing comments from readers. We, as a field, clearly have a long way to go.

The Economy's Unseen Casualties

The San Mateo Daily Journal's story on the economy's impact on people with disabilities illustrates a national problem. People with developmental disabilities, some who have been on jobs for years, are facing job loss just like everyone else. The problem is that the unemployment rate for this population traditionally is at about 92 percent, according to U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Viewers with Autism Find Camaraderie in a Cinema

Bravo to AMC for screening films for children and adults with autism since 2007 after a mother complained she'd been asked to leave a Maryland theater run by another chain when her autistic child became disruptive. Check out the MetroWest Daily News (Massachusetts) story about the families who are enjoying movies with their children who are on the spectrum.

Working with specialists from the Autistic Society of America, Kansas-based AMC began showing movies with the lights up and volume down for viewers made uncomfortable by the dark or by loud noises.

Carin Yavorcik, spokeswoman for the 200,000 member Autism Society of America, said, "For a lot of families, autism can be very isolating. There's not a lot of social events they can go do." Yavorcik said "sensory friendly movies" provide a low-stress environment where autistic children "can learn appropriate behaviors" without fear of ostracism.

In New York City, a Tug of War to Educate Children with Autism

Disturbing story from Sunday's edition of The New York Times about the large number of children with autism and how their families are struggling to find and afford schools.

Of the more than 6,800 children with autism recorded by the city’s public schools, 4,200 are enrolled in special education classes with a small student-to-teacher to ratio, 285 students are part of a program where children with autism are taught alongside regular education students and 28 are in a charter school with a one-to-one ratio between teachers and students.

Other autistic students attend private schools from a list of those approved by the state, and their tuition, which ranges from $30,800 to $48,100, is paid by the city’s Education Department. Finally, if parents are dissatisfied with any of the options offered by the public schools, they can choose another private school, one not on the list, at their own expense --which can run from $80,000 and higher -- and seek to have the cost reimbursed by the city.

Can Children with Down's Syndrome be Independent?

An interesting story from The Times of London about children with Down's syndrome leading longer lives and even outliving their parents.

Achieving independence is a goal for many men and women with a learning disability, but the aim has become even more pressing for their parents, fearful of their child's future on their own. According to the Down's Syndrome Association, adult social care is now the biggest concern for parents - and it's one that is growing. As more women become pregnant later in life, more children with Down's Syndrome are expected to be born.

The Vaccines-Autism War: Détente Needed

Dr. Bernadine Healy from U.S. News & World Reports weighs in on the autism vaccine debate.

Here thoughts in a nut-shell:
Pediatricians might do families a great service if they could space out shots that are normally given in one visit, particularly those that contain live viruses like measles, mumps, and chicken pox and tend to deliver strong immune reactions.

Are certain groups of people especially susceptible to side effects from vaccines, and can we identify them? Youngsters like Hannah Poling, for example, who has an underlying mitochondrial disorder and developed a sudden and dramatic case of regressive autism after receiving nine immunizations, later determined to be the precipitating factor. Other children may have a genetic predisposition to autism, a pre-existing neurological condition worsened by vaccines, or an immune system that is sent into overdrive by too many vaccines, and thus they might deserve special care. This approach challenges the notion that every child must be vaccinated for every pathogen on the government's schedule with almost no exception, a policy that means some will be sacrificed so the vast majority benefit.

A Gallop Toward Hope: One Family’s Adventure in Fighting Autism

When Rupert Isaacson decided to take his autistic son, Rowan, on a trip to Mongolia to ride horses and seek the help of shamans two years ago, he had a gut instinct that the adventure would have a healing effect on the boy. Mr. Isaacson’s instinct was rewarded after the trip, when some of Rowan’s worst behavioral issues, including wild temper tantrums, all but disappeared.
Skip to next paragraph

Now the publisher of Mr. Isaacson’s book about the journey, “The Horse Boy,” has a similar instinct about the market potential of his story, and is hoping for its own happy ending.

Doctors who have worked with autistic patients say a child can make big leaps in development, and that stories like Mr. Isaacson’s can provide inspiration to families. But others warn that such examples are not tested by science.

Teaching Teenagers With Autism How to Make Friends

Nice story from U.S. News & World Report: Teenagers on the autism spectrum can learn social skills, according to researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles. They have created a new class that lets teens with autism practice key social skills, from asking someone to get together to brushing off teasing with a "That's so lame."

So much of the media attention and funding has been on services for children on the spectrum, but there are teens, young adults and adults who are in need of socialization and other programs.

Several years ago, our organization - YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities - was featured in an article on socialization and relationships in The New York Times. When we tried to create more interest among mainstream media, many producers told us they were afraid of the story. Bravo to Nancy Shute for bring the topic back to the forefront.

Here's The New York Times story: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/20/us/20romance.html?scp=4&sq=disabled%20%20%20+%20Phil%20Levy&st=cse

State Cuts Delay U.S. Benefits, Official Says

The nation’s top Social Security official says benefits for tens of thousands of people with severe disabilities are being delayed by furloughs and layoffs of state employees around the country.

Easter, Passover, Homeschool and Autism

With the holidays here, thought you might enjoy a piece by Lisa Jo Ruddy from Examiner.com. Happy holidays!

A Place to Call Home

The U.S. Supreme Court decided earlier this week that it would not hear an appeal about plans to close the Fernald Developmental Center in Massachusetts. Families and advocacy groups are sharply divided over plans to close the Waltham center and three others for people with developmental disabilities, some of whom have lived in the institutions for decades.

Isn't this long overdue? Fortunately for people with developmental disabilities and their families in New York State, the transition from large institutions to community-based living began in the mid-1970s.

World Autism Day set for April 2

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association shares World Autism Day's mission of increasing knowledge of autism. This article is full of information and provides different resources and facts about autism that parents can reference at any point.

Autism Rates Are Higher for U.S.-Born Somali Children in Minneapolis

Confirming the fears of Somali immigrants in Minneapolis, the Minnesota Health Department agreed Tuesday that young Somali children there appeared to have higher-than-usual rates of autism.

Though health officials emphasized that their report was based on very limited data, they concluded that young Somali children appeared to be two to seven times as likely as other children to be in classes for autistic pupils.

Special Olympics Campaign Fights Use of Word

Special Olympics is kicking off a youth-led campaign stretching from Florida to Alaska to end the derogatory use of the word "retard."

Under the "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign beginning Tuesday, schools and universities plan to hold rallies and sign pledges to eliminate using the word that organizers say is hurtful to people with intellectual disabilities.

Kirsten Suto Seckler, director of global marketing and awareness for Special Olympics, says the group hopes the campaign sparks a national dialogue about the impact of the word on people with mental disabilities and their families.

Jenny McCarthy on Autism

Check out Time magazine's interview with Jenny McCarthy. She is releasing her fifth book — coauthored with autism specialist Dr. Jerry Kartzinel — titled Healing and Preventing Autism. The book is awfully smart when it comes to hard-headed advice for families trying to heal — or at least draw out — an autistic child. But McCarthy goes soft when she starts exploring the causes of autism, making the usual charges against the usual suspects — including nutrition, environmental toxins and, as always, vaccines.