Maurice + Ozzie Guillen = a good team for autism services

Posted by Maurice Snell on November 24th, 2008

This past weekend was another annual holiday gala for Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago. More importantly, it marked another beginning of Easter Seals and what future lies ahead. Many people showed up to support many different services Easter Seals has to offer through the Chicago area, …Read More » »

Obama’s commitment to people with autism and other disabilities

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on November 11th, 2008

Easter Seals congratulates President-elect Barack Obama on his election win. Easter Seals in Washington, D.C., and Illinois both have a strong working relationship with Barack Obama and commend his strong commitment to persons with disabilities.

The Obama-Biden team has specific policy positions on disability that are aligned with Easter Seals’ priorities. You can view their disability plan and their autism spectrum …Read More » »

Courting the “special needs vote”

Posted by Beth Finke on October 28th, 2008

Our son turned 2 right before the 1988 presidential election. Gus was enrolled in our local Birth to Three Early Intervention Program then, and would be entering the world of special education at our local public school the next year. If Michael Dukakis or George H.W. Bush had mentioned “special needs” in a speech or debate in 1988, I …Read More » »

No debating this one: the Combating Autism Act was a great first step

Posted by Patricia Wright on September 26th, 2008

The first presidential debate is scheduled for tonight, and all the talk about whether or not Sen. John McCain (R – AZ) will actually show up got me thinking of that post I wrote about McCain and Obama’s positions on autism.

A number of people commented to that post, one pointing out that I had neglected to mention …Read More » »

Sen. Hillary Clinton’s keynote mentions autism

Posted by Beth Finke on August 27th, 2008

Patricia Wright’s post yesterday talked about how heartened she is “that the needs of people with autism and their families have taken a place on the candidates’ agendas.” If I didn’t know better, I might have thought Patricia had previewed last night’s keynote speech from the Democratic national Convention!

In her speech last night, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D …Read More » »

McCain and Obama on autism

Posted by Patricia Wright on August 26th, 2008

It seems ages ago that I posted a blog about the Democratic primaries and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s ties to Illinois, the state where I live. Now the Democratic and Republican conventions are finally starting, and suddenly, after a seemingly endless primary season, the presidential election is right around the corner.

To help with your decision, the …Read More » »

Land of Lincoln, Obama and Clinton

Posted by Patricia Wright on December 4th, 2007

I moved to Illinois – and to my position as National Director of Autism Services for Easter Seals – a year ago. I value my right to vote, so of course I registered immediately.

And now with the presidential election looming in the not-too-distant future, I find myself voting in a state that two major Democratic candidates can call home. …Read More » »

Autism an issue in presidential campaign

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on November 30th, 2007

Autism is turning out to be an issue in the upcoming presidential campaign. Last weekend, presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton announced an autism plan that calls for significant resources in both research and services for people living with autism. Easter Seals helped shape some of the legislation that Clinton incorporated in her plan, and her …Read More » »