Hope for adults with autism

Posted by Beth Finke on June 16th, 2009

You know the prevalence of autism statistic — that one we hear all the time about one in 150 children having autism? Well, until I read Patricia Wright’s Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism post last week, I just assumed that number had been measured fairly recently. But it turns out that the original findings …Read More » »

Man with autism finds employment in struggling economy

Posted by Julia McCollum on June 3rd, 2009

With all the news of the national unemployment rate nearing 9%, some may forget that those numbers are significantly higher for individuals with disabilities. The United States Department of Labor reports that, of those people with disabilities who say they are able to work, only 56 percent are working (PDF) — the rest are looking for jobs. With a …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 » »

Strike a Boom! Maurice on Obama’s bowling score

Posted by Maurice Snell on March 24th, 2009

It has been a busy first two months for our 44th President Barack Obama. In those first two months, President Obama has issued a promise of change to a whole new America. As with every other president, it is not a cakewalk. There have been numerous topics for President Obama to deal with — the economic stimulus plan, AIG bonuses, …Read More » »

Let people know about our autism services: Send an eCard

Posted by Beth Finke on March 17th, 2009

If you keep track of this blog, you already know that Easter Seals is the leading provider of services for people with autism. In fact, Easter Seals has been the leading provider of disability services for nearly 90 years.

The need for services continues to grow. That’s why I hope you’ll send a free lily eCard to your …Read More » »

Third time’s the charm: Extreme Makeover this Sunday

Posted by Beth Finke on March 5th, 2009

Remember our blog post last March about the Extreme Home Makeover show? Back then, actress Marlee Matlin had appeared on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to present a $50,000 college scholarship to Stefan Vardon. Stefan’s parents are both deaf and his younger brother has autism. Matlin is an amazing advocate for people with disabilities and is …Read More » »

Another “Extreme Makeover” for Easter Seals

Posted by Beth Finke on January 9th, 2009

Remember our blog post last March about the Extreme Home Makeover show? Back then, actress Marlee Matlin had appeared on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to present a $50,000 college scholarship to Stefan Vardon. Stefan’s parents are both deaf and his younger brother has autism. Matlin is an amazing advocate for people with disabilities and …Read More » »

Except Me: Award-winning radio piece about a brother with autism

Posted by Beth Finke on December 1st, 2008

I love making homemade bread. Kneading can get tedious though, so I usually listen to the radio during that part of the process. On Thursday morning, while preparing a loaf to bring to my sister’s house for Thanksgiving, I switched on National Public Radio.

Lucky me — they were playing all the winners of the Third Coast Festival’s Richard …Read More » »

We were there: Obama’s acceptance speech in Chicago last week

Posted by Beth Finke on November 13th, 2008

A week ago today I was emailing all my friends to give them the big news: my husband Mike and I had been lucky enough to snag tickets to the Obama victory party in Chicago’s Grant Park. We were there when the …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 » »