Bright future ahead for autism therapeutic school

Posted by Maurice Snell on February 11th, 2008

I hope everyone is enjoying the new year so far. 2008 is a year with many major events imminent at Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago. That’s where I work.

One major event that is scheduled to happen this year is the opening of the Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago’s …Read More » »

Book review: Nancy Wiseman’s “Could It Be Autism?”

Posted by Beth Finke on January 22nd, 2008

When it comes to treating autism, the earlier the intervention the better. That’s why I like Nancy D. Wiseman’s Could It Be Autism?: A Parent’s Guide to the …Read More » »

Hang ten: surf therapy for children with autism

Posted by Beth Finke on January 16th, 2008

I live in Chicago. I don’t know a whole lot about surfing. When I saw a blog about a surf therapy program for children with autism, I wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not.

So I asked an expert.

Dr. Patricia Wright lived in Hawaii …Read More » »

Today’s the deadline: share your ideas with autism committee

Posted by Beth Finke on January 4th, 2008

In December, Patricia Wright wrote about Dr. Stephen Shore’s appointment to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
I had the pleasure of meeting Shore at our 2007 Easter Seals Training Conference in April. Shore is a well-known public speaker, and at the conference he provided a personal perspective on …Read More » »

Learn while you P.L.A.Y

Posted by Beth Finke on December 28th, 2007

An article in yesterday’s Orlando Sentinel highlights anEaster Seals program that shows parents how to turn play into therapy. The story features Amanda Nero, who has two children with autism:
She felt unsure years ago, when doctors diagnosed her older son, Christian, now 5, with autism, and again when her younger son, Jaden, 3, was diagnosed …Read More » »

Thankful … for autism

Posted by Beth Finke on November 22nd, 2007

I am delighted to introduce guest blogger Barbara Gaither, the proud mother of this year’s National Child Representative for Easter Seals. I met Barbara, her son Scottie and the rest of the wonderful Gaither family at the Easter Seals National convention last month.
– Beth Finke

Watch a video about Scottie and the Gaither family and see how you can give help and …Read More » »

Listening to families: early autism screening

Posted by Scott Fogo on October 31st, 2007

By now you’ve all seen the wave of media coverage about the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) two most recent reports on autism.

A national AP article broke the story Monday. Truth is, though, that AAP has been encouraging its membership to conduct early …Read More » »

Effective services requires financial support

Posted by Patricia Wright on September 28th, 2007

When a child is diagnosed with autism, parents do what they know best – pursue the most effective intervention services they can find for their child. This is what Joe and Elizabeth Micheletti did for their son Jake when he was diagnosed with autism two years ago. They found an effective intervention.

What they also found is that their medical insurance would …Read More » »

Learning in Hong Kong

Posted by Patricia Wright on September 7th, 2007

As mentioned in my previous post, I attended the Asian Autism Conference in Hong Kong this past weekend along with an estimated 500 parents, care-providers, specialists, and health-care professionals. The aim of the conference is to share insight into research …Read More » »

The P.L.A.Y. Project: our presentation at the ASA Conference

Posted by Ellen Harrington-Kane on July 13th, 2007

Hello from the Autism Society of America (ASA) 38th Annual Conference in Phoenix. There are over 1,500 people attending the conference this year. They include representatives from nine Easter Seals affiliates plus headquarters staff.

This conference is unique because the attendees include …Read More » »