Rhode Island governor signs autism legislation

Posted by Denise Rozell on November 18th, 2009

This week, following state legislative passage, Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri signed the Rhode Island Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluation and Treatment Act into law. You can view the Act here (PDF).

Easter Seals affiliates in other states are hoping to help pass this type of legislation so that people with autism can benefit from our expertise in diagnosis and …Read More » »

Safeway and Easter Seals working together

Posted by Beth Finke on November 4th, 2009

An article in Reuters last week touts Safeway Inc. for the generous grants it gives to Easter Seals to empower children and adults with autism and other disabilities.

Safeway executives unveiled the 2009 Safeway Foundation’s Empowerment Grant award winners during Easter Seals’ annual convention in Washington, D.C., granting $1 million to expand programs across the country that measurably improve …Read More » »

Help us take our health care message to Capitol Hill tomorrow

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on October 19th, 2009

Hundreds of Easter Seals volunteers and clients are heading to Capitol Hill tomorrow to tell Congress that health care can’t ignore families living with disabilities. Our message is clear: families with disabilities should have affordable health care that provides the services they need, when they need them.

We’ll be visiting our legislators and asking them to support health care legislation that …Read More » »

NJ law keeps autism on legislators’ minds

Posted by Kathy Patrick on October 7th, 2009

On August 13, 2009, New Jersey became the 15th state to enact a law requiring many insurance companies to cover the screening and therapeutic treatment for children up to age 21 who are diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities.

The law is scheduled to take effect in February, 2010. Under the legislation, insurance companies will be required to provide …Read More » »

New prevalence = increased demand for services and supports

Posted by Patricia Wright on October 6th, 2009

There has been a rumor for several months that the prevalence rate for autism was going to show an increase. Yesterday those rumors were confirmed.

A publication in Pediatrics indicates that 1 in 91 children between the ages of 3 and 17 has an autism spectrum disorder. The story in Pediatrics came out of a report from the National …Read More » »

Sen. Durbin’s speech on hiring workers with autism and other disabilities

Posted by Beth Finke on August 27th, 2009

On World Autism Day this year (April 2), Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), introduced a bill that would increase vocational opportunities for people on the autism spectrum. The bill, called the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act, would fund programs to test new ways to provide vocational …Read More » »

Will health care reform affect Medicaid?

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on August 18th, 2009

It came as no surprise to those of us here at Easter Seals to hear the very first question at President Obama’s health care town meeting in Montana last Friday. It came from a woman who has a son with autism — she is worried about her son’s health care.

I’m an MSU student. I have a son that suffers …Read More » »

Walk With Me TV appearance was “totally cool”

Posted by Bob Glowacki on June 24th, 2009

Last week Milwaukee Fox 6 TV featured an interview about our June 19 Walk With Me event.

The interview gave me an opportunity to spend some quality time with Stephanie Mayer and her son, Kyle. Kyle …Read More » »

Safeway earns Easter Seals’ All-Time Top Corporate Partner designation

Posted by Beth Finke on May 22nd, 2009

Easter Seals recently designated Safeway Inc. its All-Time Top Corporate Partner. Man oh man, do they deserve that honor!In their fundraising campaign during April (Autism Awareness Month), Safeway invited customers to support Easter Seals services for people with autism and other disabilities at checkout. In just one month, Safeway raised $8,824,141! Safeway employees also raised an additional …Read More » »

Keeping autism and other disability services a top priority

Posted by Beth Finke on May 18th, 2009

During his first months in office, President Obama has already signed the State Children’s Health Insurance bill (a top priority for Easter Seals) and designated funds in the economic stimulus package to go directly to programs that improve the lives of those with autism and other disabilities.

Easter Seals President and CEO Jim Williams visited the White House recently to personally …Read More » »