Easter Seals testifies on health care reform before Senate committee

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on June 17th, 2009

Last Thursday Easter Seals staff testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), telling them that meeting the needs of people with autism and other disabilities is an important component of health care reform.

Mary Andrus, Easter Seals Assistant Vice President for Government Relations and Co-Chair of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ Health Care …Read More » »

Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism

Posted by Patricia Wright on June 9th, 2009

I recently overheard someone say, “it took us 20 years to figure out what to do in early intervention and autism — we don’t have that kind of time when it comes to adults with autism.” It’s true. We don’t have time. The much-lauded statistic of “1 in 150 diagnosed” is usually accompanied by a picture of a young child’s …Read More » »

Hizzonor, Maurice Snell

Posted by Maurice Snell on May 6th, 2009

In all the excitement of meeting White Sox players last week, and going to that White Sox game, I forgot to mention one very important thing in my post about Autism Awareness Month.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley came to Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago …Read More » »

Couple with autism featured on Good Morning America

Posted by Beth Finke on March 2nd, 2009

Here’s a follow up to Patricia Wright’s Autism, adulthood … and love post — you know, the one about the two young people with autism who fell in love and were featured in a Glamour Magazine article.

Well, that article must have caught somebody’s attention at ABC TV — after the magazine came out, David Hamrick, 29, …Read More » »

If not now, when? If not us, who?

Posted by Jim Leiker on January 12th, 2009

I started my morning last Wednesday with a visit to KMAJ-AM radio in Topeka. Julie Smrha (Easter Seals Capper Foundation Marketing Coordinator and Marketing Partner) joined …Read More » »

Starbucks’ grande gesture for people with disabilities

Posted by Paula Pompa-Craven on December 5th, 2008

Over a year ago, I was invited to represent Easter Seals at a two-day meeting at Starbucks Headquarters in Seattle, Washington. There were about a dozen disability services and advocacy organizations represented at this meeting, along with a dozen or so members of the Starbucks team. We were there to provide input as to how Starbucks could better market …Read More » »

Autism, amplify, Austin

Posted by Beth Finke on November 20th, 2008

Greetings from beautiful Austin, Texas. I’m sitting outside with my talking computer during a 15-minute break from sessions at the 2008 Convio Summit. Convio develops the software Easter Seals and a number of other non-profit organizations use for online fundraising, advocacy and Email marketing.

I first found out about Convio when I participated in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s …Read More » »

Scottie Gaither passes on the baton

Posted by Barbara Gaither on October 29th, 2008

We returned on Sunday from an action packed five days in Orlando for the Easter Seals 2008 Convention. This trip was bittersweet for the Gaither family — it marked the time when Scottie passed the baton, so to speak, to the new child representative. Scottie and all of us have …Read More » »

Easter Seals Autism Spokesperson Network

Posted by Beth Finke on October 8th, 2008

Yesterday I gave a short talk about blogging at our annual Easter Seals Autism Spokesperson Network meeting. The Easter Seals Autism Spokesperson Network is made up of autism experts who work at Easter Seals affiliates throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. They use their professional experience to serve as media resources — to get the message out that autism …Read More » »

Call me a dork, but I love autism conferences

Posted by Matt McAlear on September 22nd, 2008

Call me a dork, but one of the favorite parts of my work is going to trainings and conferences on autism treatment. We are very lucky to have really exciting research happening within our university system here in California — two conferences I’ve been to lately highlighted pioneering treatments in the field.

The first was through the U.C. Davis M.I.N.D. …Read More » »