Data on autism and divorce

Posted by Beth Finke on May 15th, 2009

I’m well aware that when Jenny McCarthy made an appearance on an Oprah Show about autism, she said that the divorce rate among couples who have a child with autism is 90%. And I still remember reading the post Patricia Wright published here about Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) autism statement during the presidential election. In that statement, McCain said …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 » »

A last-minute look at the candidates

Posted by Beth Finke on October 31st, 2008

Five days until the election. If you are still undecided, here are some links to information on each presidential candidate’s view on autism and other disability issues.

The Autism Society of America (ASA) website features a presidential election resources page with full statements by Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama.

If you prefer going directly to each …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 » »

Autismvox in Newsweek

Posted by Beth Finke on October 23rd, 2008

When you get a chance, check out this article in Newsweek about Kristina Chew’s reaction to Sen. John McCain’s mention of autism in last week’s debate. You might recognize Kristina Chew’s name — she writes the Autismvox blog. I read that blog almost every day and have referred to it many times in my posts here.

Kristina Chew is …Read More » »

Confusing Down Syndrome with autism?

Posted by Beth Finke on October 16th, 2008

After last night’s presidential debate, a post on a blog called Inside Autism wondered, “Does John McCain think autism and Down syndrome are the same thing? A lot of bloggers think so.”

That got me curious. After a bit of searching I found other blog posts on the subject, including this one from Brian Beutler’s Debate liveblog:

John McCain …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 » »

Campaigning with a child who has special needs

Posted by Katy Beh Neas on September 8th, 2008

I’ve been part of some interesting conversations about Senator John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin for vice president and the fact that she has an infant with a disability. I guess I’m not alone — a story in today’s New York Times says the country is buzzing about Sarah Palin and her infant son Trig.
No one has ever tried …Read More » »

Gov. Palin pledges to make U.S. more welcoming to special needs kids

Posted by Beth Finke on September 4th, 2008

Ever since Sen. John McCain (R – AZ) announced Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his running mate last Friday, much has been made of her choice to have a baby she knew would be born with Down syndrome. Sarah Palin talked about her son Trig in her acceptance speech last night at the Republican national Convention:

You know, from …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 » »