What’s with the rapid rise in autism?

Posted by Lisa Tate on April 22nd, 2008

Is the rise in autism due to better diagnosis? Heightened awareness? Or is there a genuine increase in incidence? As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I’m often asked those sort of questions. When we don’t know what causes autism, these can be difficult questions to answer. So it was good to read a press release about an expert doing …Read More » »

What do autism assistance dogs do?

Posted by Beth Finke on April 17th, 2008

I’m blind. I use a Seeing Eye dog to guide me safely to work each day. I literally couldn’t get around without her.

I know how valuable a service dog can be. In some cases, though, I don’t understand what specific things the service dog does to help with the disability.

A recent story in …Read More » »

Gus & us: diagnosing autism early

Posted by Bob Glowacki on April 9th, 2008

It was great to read Matt’s post yesterday about Easter Seals Bay Area launching an Early Intervention Autism Program to serve children 18 months through 3 years old. A story about autism on the OnMilwaukee blog points out why programs like that are so necessary. The story features Gus, a client we serve at Easter Seals Southeast …Read More » »

Working with undiagnosed autism

Posted by Debbie Smith on March 28th, 2008

The media does a fantastic job on reporting the benefits of early diagnosis and treatment of autism, but the needs of older individuals have to be addressed too.

I’ve been working with individuals with disabilities for many years. About 10 years ago we had a huge increase of children being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder …Read More » »

Health insurance for people with autism

Posted by Bob Glowacki on March 11th, 2008

Most states do not require private insurance companies to cover even essential autism treatments and services. Nationwide, few private insurance companies or other employee benefit plans cover Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and other behavioral therapies. In fact, many insurance companies designate autism as a diagnostic exclusion, meaning that no autism-specific services are covered.

There are 16 states that …Read More » »

Larry King keeps autism in the news

Posted by Lisa Tate on March 10th, 2008

Autism is receiving a lot of attention –- here at Easter Seals, in the press, in the legislature –- it’s everywhere. Shows like last Thursday’s Larry King Live pay a lot of attention to “cause and cure.” If that helps inform and educate people about this increasingly prevalent disorder, I guess I have …Read More » »

P.L.A.Y. in Wisconsin

Posted by Bob Glowacki on March 4th, 2008

Many of you have heard of Dr. Richard Solomon. Dr. Solomon is a board certified developmental pediatrician who specializes in autism. He has over 15 years experience working with families and children with autism. Currently, he has a clinic in Ann Arbor, Mich. where he provides diagnostic services and intervention through his specialized program called The …Read More » »

Welcoming my son to Holland

Posted by Kathy Patrick on February 25th, 2008

When I learned my son might have lifelong learning disabilities, auditory processing problems, and behavioral challenges – I was devastated. Adam is 12 years old now, and I’ve spent the last 12 years researching interventions to mitigate the damages from his disability.

Or, you could say, I’ve spent the last 12 years learning the lay of the land in Holland.

You’ve probably heard …Read More » »

Autism Spokesperson Network

Posted by Beth Finke on February 20th, 2008

I spent so much time in yesterday’s post bragging about blogging blind — and about the blogging session my colleagues and I will present at tomorrow’s Easter Seals Autism Spokesperson Network meeting — I neglected to explain exactly what the Easter Seals Autism Spokesperson Network is.

So, enough of the self-adulation …Read More » »

Blogging about autism

Posted by Beth Finke on February 19th, 2008

I tell people I am the only blind woman in America being paid to moderate a blog. I’m not sure that’s true, but so far no one has challenged me on that statement.

This Thursday I’m one of the presenters at a session called “It’s My Party, and I’ll Blog if I Want To.” That’s just one of many sessions being …Read More » »