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 » »

Want to volunteer? We’ll help find an opportunity near you!

Posted by Beth Finke on May 28th, 2009

President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act on April 21, and since then more people are becoming interested in volunteering. From an AARP Bulletin Today article:Obama noted that service to others—he was a community organizer in Chicago before entering politics—was instrumental in launching his career. “I would not be standing here today were it not for …Read More » »

Special moms celebrate Mother’s Day too

Posted by Beth Finke on May 8th, 2008

Last May I published a blog about Mother’s Day Week, and that post seems just as relevant this year as it was in 2007. And so … I’m posting a link to it! Happy Mother’s Day Week to all you special moms!

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 » »

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 » »

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 » »

Super Tuesday, autism, and secret ballots

Posted by Beth Finke on February 4th, 2008

Tomorrow’s Super Tuesday! If you live in one of the states holding a primary, you might want to take a last-minute look at what the candidates have to say about autism before you duck into the voting booth.

In November, Katy Beh Neas blogged about autism being …Read More » »

Support for families with autism

Posted by Beth Finke on January 11th, 2008

When Gus was little, and every minute of every day was spent dealing with his disability, a social worker suggested Mike and I go to a parent support group.

I told the social worker this idea was absurd.  

Why on earth would Mike and I spend a treasured evening out talking with other parents about the very thing consuming us all day …Read More » »

Are parents of children with autism “heroes?”

Posted by Beth Finke on January 7th, 2008

Our son Gus has obvious physical and mental disabilities. My husband Mike takes Gus out and about quite a bit, and when strangers see Mike comforting Gus after a fit, or feeding Gus in a restaurant, they call Mike a saint… or a hero.

Mike hates this.

“It’s an insult to Gus,” he says.

Now, a collection …Read More » »

To my Easter Seals family, thank you

Posted by Jim Williams on November 21st, 2007

With Thanksgiving coming tomorrow I find myself thinking of the Easter Seals family, a family I am so very thankful for.

From people with autism and other disabilities who are served by Easter Seals, to our volunteers, staff and those who support our work, we are all enriched by being a part of this wonderful Easter Seals family.

I want to send …Read More » »