Autism Speaks Official Blog

Popular autism therapy a bit closer to insurance coverage (The Seattle Times)
Two recent events come as good news for parents of children with autism — some of whom have struggled to pay for an expensive therapy not now covered by state-funded insurance plans. Read more.

Accepting autism in my own child (Silver Spring, Md.)
Those of us in the autism community speak often of autism acceptance. While there is much emphasis on autism awareness, many of us feel that awareness matters little without the acceptance that hopefully follows. Read more.

Square Peg Kids: Helping Children with Autism Navigate Life’s Round Holes (Dundalk Patch)
Fresh from a 21-year career in broadcasting, Mary Beth Marsden turned to what she knew best to help families like hers troubleshoot the challenges of autism: video. Read more.

Minnesota Autism Center to Use Eagan Site for School (Eagan Patch)
The former Tesseract School building, located at 3800 Tessearact Place, was approved by the city council on Tuesday night for use by the Minnesota Autism Center as a school for autistic children in grades 4 to 12. Read more.

Building a More Inclusive Work Force (The New York Times)
In recent years, there has been a dramatic rise in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (A.S.D.). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 730,000 people in the U.S. under age 21 have an A.S.D. It’s much harder to estimate the number of adults on the autism spectrum because only in recent decades has the condition been regularly diagnosed. Read more.

For Some With Autism, Jobs to Match Their Talents (The New York Times)
Steen B. Iversen tests mobile phones for the Danish telecommunications firm TDC. Before landing his job two and a half years ago, Iversen, 50, who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, spent more than 12 years looking for work. “It’s always been somewhat traumatizing,” he said. “I have had jobs, but I always got fired. People would laugh about me behind my back and laugh at me to my face. Those problems have more or less been a problem for me from childhood.” Read more.

Autistic teen killed by police following argument with mother (Largo, Fla.)
Police called out to a domestic disturbance Thursday say they were forced to shoot and kill an 18-year-old man armed with a knife shortly after entering the apartment he shared with his mother. Read more.

Parents “screaming out for help” (Australia)
Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnoses are increasing by about 15 per cent a year, but funding is not keeping pace, Autism SA says. Read more.

Should children with special needs be taught in a mainstream class? (Australia)
All students, irrespective of their disability, should be educated in mainstream schools. That’s what inclusive education, an alleged aspiration and requirement of state and federal governments for 40 years or so, means. Read more.

iPad helps SA autistic kids (South Africa)
Autistic children are finding the Apple iPad an aide to their learning and development, an educator has said. Read more.

Chennai grad helps detect Autism (Silicon India)
A fresh graduate, just coming out from college, visited a local school in Chennai, and saw many children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other disorders. He found that because of the varied needs the proper therapy was not possible. Seeing that, Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan,a graduate from Anna University, India, with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering and a group of medical professionals developed the ‘Automated Screening System for Developmental Disorders’. Read more.

St. Gerard House nearly finished (Blue Ridge Now)
Decked out in hues of blue, yellow and green, the new home for the St. Gerard House and Grotto and expansion for Immaculata Catholic School in Hendersonville is close to being finished. A week from this Friday, St. Gerard House, a nonprofit that offers treatment for autism and other disorders, will move into the new building, just a few doors down from its current location at 718 Oakland St. Read more.

Herschelman To Run In Autism Speaks 5K Race (The Journal News)
In April, Mikaela Herschelman, of Arnold, formerly of Raymond, ran her first 5K as part of the Illinois Marathon festivities in Champaign. Now the Lincolnwood alum is planning another race for a cause that is near and dear to her heart. Read more.

Adults on the Autism Spectrum Work on Software for InteractBooks and nonPareil Institute (PRWeb)
A new partnership between nonPareil Institute and InteractBooks™ will produce interactive children’s e-books with the help of young adults with autism spectrum disorder who have the unique ability of designing animation, layout and sound for apps and computer games. Read more.

Serve-A-Thon helps autism (Minuteman News Center)
The Fairfield Warde boy’s tennis team recently took part in their 2nd Annual Serve – A – Thon to benefit Autism Speaks. Jake Blumenfeld, senior Co – Captain of the Varsity and Johnny Blumenfeld a member of the JV team were the catalysts behind the event. Read more.

For Kids With Autism, More Than Just Tennis Lessons (Hartford, Conn.)
They’d only been at it for a few days, but participants in the Well-Served Tennis Academy were already showing progress in their ability to hit a tennis ball. The camp, open to children with autism, is arranged by Autism Speaks and hosted by the Ethel Walker School. Participants, who are taught by volunteer coaches, learn how to hold a racket, hit a ball and play within the boundaries of a court. “I love it, it’s awesome,” said 11-year-old Parker Timothy Therrien. “Playing on the courts is awesome and the coaches are fantastic. I learned backhand and forehand.” Read more.

How music helped autism sufferer Richard to express his emotions (Daily Record)
For 19 years, Richard Bolton was unable to weep more than a single tear. The only way he could express emotion was by exploding into destructive rage. Richard suffers from severe autism and although he had been a happy baby who developed normally until he was 15 months old, he started regressing until he was unable to connect with other people at all. “Any expression of emotion he had always had a tormented element and I felt I would give anything just to understand what he was thinking and feeling,” remembers his mother Anne. Read more.

San Leandro woman hopes for new autistic basketball league (San Leandro, Calif.)
Laura Bradshaw-Ve’e knows the social isolation and loneliness that autistic children must learn to deal with. Her 10-year-old son, William, is autistic with limited verbal skills. Read more.

‘Pump It Up’ accommodates autistic kids (Chicago, Ill.)
The nation’s largest indoor inflatable playground, Pump It Up recently started making accommodations for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Read more.

St. Johnsbury Boy Creates Soda Company To Raise Money For Autism (VPR News)
If you’re feeling thirsty and you happen to live in the Northeast Kingdom you might try “Kent’s Soda,” a soft drink developed by a nine-year old entrepreneur with autism. Read more.

Chance meeting was fate for James and Eddie (Herald Sun)
James is terrified of dogs. But the eight-year-old, who has severe autism and epilepsy, is calmed by Eddie’s presence. The two lived just a few doors apart in Balwyn and first bumped into each other about six weeks ago. Read more.

Devoted to the cause (Evesham, Penn.)
Matt Cortland is devoted to serving. From the days of raising autism awareness at Cherokee High School to being instrumental in the creation of a mentoring program at Rutgers University over the last few years, Cortland has been committed. Read more.

Center to help autistic children proposed in Portage (Portage, Mich.)
The vacant Moose Lodge on Portage Road could become the home of a new center that will help autistic children and their families from Southwest Michigan as well as the entire state. Read more.

Morelle’s autism bill may be closer to becoming law (Irondequoit, N.Y.)
Assemblyman Joseph D. Morelle, D, Irondequoit, announced late last week that legislation, which he sponsored, requiring health insurance coverage for autism treatments and therapies has once again been unanimously approved by the New York State Assembly and Senate. Last year’s version of the bill was vetoed by former Gov. Paterson. Read more.

Ex-Pa. school worker admits online threats (Easton, Penn.)
A former employee at an eastern Pennsylvania school district admits posting online threats against the middle school where he worked and a nearby airport. Read more.

Car knocks person off bridge into Ohio River (Covington, Ky.)
Police say crews in northern Kentucky are searching the Ohio River after a person was struck by a car and knocked off the Brent Spence Bridge. Read more.

Parents lose fight to save city school (UK)
Plans to close a special needs school in Glasgow have been approved despite protests from parents. Councillors agreed the proposal to shut St Raymond’s Primary, Castlemilk. Read more.

 Autism therapy coverage nears OK (Providence, R.I.) Her voice breaking, Joanne Quinn said she hopes no Rhode Island family ever again experiences what she did. Twelve years ago, when her 4-year-old son, Patrick, was newly diagnosed with autism and barely able to talk, Quinn’s health insurer refused her request for the intensive treatment he needed. The insurer would cover only six weeks of speech therapy, Quinn recalled. Read more.

Bikers Who Care of Clarksville honored by Autism Speaks (Clarksville, Tenn.)
For the past 30 years Bikers Who Care, located in Clarksville, has supported many charities for the benefit of children. The group has been honored time and again for the work it does. Recently BWC was honored with a statewide award from Autism Speaks of Tennessee. BWC was presented the very first Hero Award for Autism during a ceremony at the Annual Autism Speaks Picnic. The Hero Award for Autism is given to an individual or a group of individuals who makes a difference in someone’s life and/or makes a difference in the autism community as a whole. The recipients were chosen by a panel of Autism Speaks supporters. After reading the entry sent in highlighting all that the Bikers Who Care does for those in the autism community, the panel voted overwhelmingly in support of BWC. Read more.

Awareness first step in managing autism (Nigeria)
Ronke Katagum is the Executive Director of Zamarr Institute. She is also the national president of the Nigerian National Society for Autism. The Zamarr Institute is one of the few centres where children with learning disabilities can get a proper education. As one of the few Nigerian experts on the social disorder that remains a mystery the world over, Katagum spoke to Correspondent, Kemi Yesufu on autism and the challenges of bringing succour to kids as well as families affected by the disorder. Read more.

Parents Cry Foul Over Special Education Transfers (Disability Scoop)
A group of parents is accusing the Philadelphia schools of illegally shuffling kids with disabilities from one school to another. Now, they’re taking their case to federal court. Read more.

Study finds autistic toddlers’ brains out of sync (UK)
Researchers studying autistic toddlers have discovered their brain activity appears to be out of sync at a very early stage — a finding that sheds light on the biology of the condition and may help in earlier diagnosis. Read more.

Autism insurance bill nears final approval (Providence, R.I.)
A measure that would require insurance companies in Rhode Island to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism is nearing final passage. Read more.

A 5-minute screen to diagnose autism (The Clinical Advisor)
A checklist that takes about five minutes for a caregiver to complete can help clinicians identify autism in very young children. The Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist is designed to be filled out at the child’s 1-year, well-baby checkup. Read more.

Giant Steps Autism School Forges Relationship With Darien Lions Club (Lisle Patch)
The Lions Club’s motto is “We serve.” So when Darien Lion Steve Hiatt got the call that Giant Steps school in Lisle needed a hand with its auction in February, it was a no brainer. Read more.