Transportation: a link to a quality life

Posted by Patricia Wright on October 30th, 2009

On Wednesday I was fortunate enough to attend a roundtable on Transportation for Students with Disabilities. The roundtable was sponsored by Easter Seals Project Action, which promotes cooperation between the transportation industry and the disability community. The goal of Wednesday’s event was to identify the transportation needs of youth with disabilities and develop a set of actions …Read More » »

Over 40% of homeless in U.S. have a disability

Posted by Beth Finke on July 21st, 2009

Every morning when I take my Seeing Eye dog out for her “constitutional” we pass the same homeless man sitting on a crate. “StreetWise!” he calls out. “Can you give a little help today?” StreetWise is a newspaper sold by homeless people in Chicago. The concept is that by selling StreetWise, people down on their luck might get back on …Read More » »

Children with autism grow up to be…adults with autism

Posted by Beth Finke on July 16th, 2009

An article in the Arizona Republic last Sunday reminds readers that children with autism grow up to be adults with autism. The reporter points out what so many tend to forget. Autism is not a childhood disorder. It never goes away.
The child born in 1980 – the year the American Psychiatric Association first added autism to its list of …Read More » »

Adults with autism thrive at new inclusive adult day center

Posted by Bob Glowacki on June 18th, 2009

When we think of autism, we tend to think of early childhood therapeutic interventions. I received a reality check when Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin opened a new inclusive adult day center in Kenosha. The center is located inside the YMCA of Kenosha Callahan branch, and the first three participants who enrolled there have autism. Later on, more adults …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 » »

58-year old man with autism communicates through art

Posted by Beth Finke on June 2nd, 2009

Here’s a quick addition to Paula Pompa-Craven’s post about finding housing for adults with autism. An article in the Marina del Rey Argonaut touts Pierre Dumas, an artist in southern California who has autism.Pompa-Craven says interacting with his fellow artists at the art wall has done wonders for Dumas’ development.

“Being part of a community can be very …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 » »

Autism making daily routines impossible? Occupational therapy to the rescue!

Posted by Ellen Harrington-Kane on April 14th, 2009

Did you know that April is both Autism Awareness Month and Occupational Therapy Month? Well, it is true — and I think it is a wonderful match! A press release put out by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) this month explains how occupational therapy practitioners can help people with autism participate in daily routines.

Though a December 2008 …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 » »

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 » »