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 » »

Adults have autism too: World Autism Awareness Day

Posted by Patricia Wright on April 2nd, 2009

Today is World Autism Awareness Day, and that gives me a chance to let you know about the autism services and treatments Easter Seals makes available to families living with autism. A number of wonderful organizations research and study the cause and cure for autism — Easter Seals stands out as the nation’s leading provider of services and support …Read More » »

Living with Autism Study in the news!

Posted by Beth Finke on December 18th, 2008

It’s no surprise that the Easter Seals Living with Autism Study has been getting a lot of media attention since Tuesday, when we revealed the results. After all, autism now affects more than 1.5 million Americans and their families, and the study results paint a startling picture of the life-long fears, anxieties and critical supports needed to raise a …Read More » »

Living with Autism Study reveals parents’ fears for their children with autism

Posted by Patricia Wright on December 16th, 2008

The one consistent message Easter Seals hears from families — after the initial apprehension and anxiety of learning their child has autism – is an overwhelming concern about the life-long supports their child with autism may need to be independent.

Until today, we have had no data to quantify what we’ve heard anecdotally over the years. So Easter Seals worked with …Read More » »

MassMutual’s SpecialCare helps families with autism set up special trusts

Posted by Beth Finke on August 25th, 2008

In my “Adults and autism: Our kids might outlive us” post last year, I told readers that
Mass Mutual, one of Easter Seals’ national corporate partners, offers helpful resources for people with disabilities and their families when it comes to estate planning.

Now I’m starting to think, hey, …Read More » »

Autism worries? AutismCares

Posted by Patricia Wright on May 16th, 2008

The response to Beth Finke’s blog about families with autism having lower incomes has been humbling. As a professional working in autism service delivery I am well aware of the ADDITIONAL expenses families incur when they have a child with autism. Therapies are expensive, specialized childcare may be necessary, adaptive equipment is costly … when families with autism have …Read More » »

No-brainer: families with autism end up with lower incomes

Posted by Beth Finke on April 23rd, 2008

The results of a study in this month’s Pediatrics journal will come as no surprise to those of you raising children with autism. The study surveyed the parents of 11,684 school-aged children with autism. It found that on average a household with a child with autism makes $6,200 per year less …Read More » »

Consumer Reports: providing for disabled heirs

Posted by Beth Finke on August 8th, 2007

In my “Adults and autism: Our kids might outlive us” post, I talked about estate planning and special needs trusts that can be set up when your child has autism. I also mentioned that MassMutual, one of Easter Seals’ national corporate partners, offers additional resources for people with …Read More » »

Adults and autism: society needs to step up

Posted by Patricia Wright on June 21st, 2007

This opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle details the concerns shared by many parents of children with autism and other disabilities. What happens when these children grow up … and grow out of government-provided support?

In 1989, I began my career teaching high school at Spectrum Center for Educational and Behavioral Development — now known as Spectrum Center. It …Read More » »