Search
Virginia passes legislation to expand autism insurance mandate… for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder for children ages two to six under state-regulated, large group plans. In 2015, we passed legislation that raised the age cap to ten years old. This year, the state legislature has … individuals with autism of all ages under state-regulated, large group plans starting in January 2020. We appreciate the support of our legislative champions and the growth in bipartisan support over our ten years of autism insurance work in Virginia, and we are grateful for the collaboration and determination …
Utah autism insurance mandate expanded! … requiring coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder under state-regulated, individual and large group plans. However, this coverage was limited to children ages 2-10 years old. Coverage for behavioral health treatments, … behavior analysis (ABA), was also limited to 600 hours per year (approximately 11.5 hours per week). Thanks to the support of the Utah state legislature and Governor, these restrictions in coverage for autism have been removed. Effective … and treatment of autism if claims for autism coverage caused premiums to increase in excess of 1%. We are grateful for the support of the legislative champions and local advocates that helped achieve this milestone! Access to meaningful and …
Autism Speaks to host policy discussions at Transition to Adulthood summit… NEW YORK - Joined by an invited group of researchers, policy experts, family members, and self-advocates, Autism Speaks will host a Thought Leadership … to bring together the people who can help move our understanding and knowledge forward to make systemic improvements to support adolescents with autism,” said Arun Karpur, director of data science for Autism Speaks. “We need to hear from people … challenges, how to create research questions around those issues, and public policy solutions that can provide meaningful support during transition as well as adulthood.” Over 50,000 teens transition to adulthood each year, and that number is …
Autism Speaks Grantee Recipient Story: SoCal Adaptive Sports… Autism Speaks supports community programs that provide people with autism with fulfilling social and educational experiences through the … Sports, a recipient of our Local Impact Grant, shared their story: "I wanted to express our gratitude for sponsoring the group tickets for "Riverdance" show, which the group including Som and his family, had the pleasure of attending. Despite … It is often challenging for individuals with severe autism to participate in formal events without the necessary support. So thanks to you for organizing this, Som was able to enjoy the show with his family. His reaction to the show …
The Autism Care Network works to expand access to autism diagnosis in Canada… becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the need for autism assessment. We’re fortunate to work with a wonderful group of community pediatricians who are engaged with lots of autistic kids, so we saw an opportunity for them to take on an advanced practice role in autism diagnosis. We began to work on developing the optimal training approach to support this group and came up with a three-step educational process. We’ve done the training three times now and we’re … child communicates, expresses themselves and plays. We also shared information about community resources, how the different supports and services are funded, and how families navigate services. The second phase was mentored assessments in the …
Seeking Therapy: Options and considerations for autistic adults… Some people go to therapy after being diagnosed with a mental health condition. Others have a specific behavior or need support through a challenging short-term period. For others, therapy is a safe space to talk and get support in solving the … to CBT. However, DBT focuses more on regulating emotions, being mindful, and accepting uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Group Therapy is a form of psychotherapy involving one or more psychologists leading a group of roughly five to 15 patients. …
Autism Speaks rings the NASDAQ closing bell… Bell Ceremony. In honor of the occasion, Brian Harper, chairman of the Autism Speaks Board of Directors was joined with a group of autistic people, families and caregivers, and Autism Speaks staff members to raise awareness for World Autism … as the chairman of the Board at Autism Speaks, I have deep pride in the work we are doing to give anyone with autism the support and opportunities they deserve,” says Mr. Harper. “So far, we've connected 27 million people to vital resources like early diagnosis, adult transition support and employment training—always free of charge. Our vision to help autistic people reach their full potential is what …
South Florida Executive Leadership Council (ELC)… an inclusive world for all individuals with autism throughout their lifespan. We do this through advocacy, services, supports, research and innovation, and advances in care for autistic individuals and their families. Engaged and committed … Banking & Wealth Management at First Horizon Mariela Quintanilla, Sr. Communication Strategist at FPL Aimee Schmalzle, Group Director Product Technology at Ryder Stephanie Seltzer, VP Regional Marketing Manager at Fifth Third Bank Cristina …
Autism in Africa: Transforming care and services for a brighter future… spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities face stigmatization, delayed diagnosis and limited access to support services. In many countries, challenges in service delivery are compounded by humanitarian concerns like armed … meeting of the minds focused on advances in global science, practice and policy. As I sat among this distinguished group ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I was proud to represent Autism Speaks alongside my … and UNICEF to launch the Global Report on Children with Developmental Disabilities . Developed with technical and financial support from Autism Speaks, this report is a roadmap for advocates and policymakers in underserved countries around the …
Tips to create inclusive sports and recreation activities… shared interests. One option is through high-quality adaptive programs – those designed for people with disabilities in a supportive environment, from the Special Olympics to local therapeutic horseback riding lessons to school LEGO clubs. Since … individuals with and without disabilities participate together. Some activities and programs are already designed with the support needs of people with disabilities in mind. (Think: online video gaming.) But what happens when they are not? Here we … online within your county or state can open doors. One of the wonderful things about technology is there are virtual groups based on shared interest open to people across the world. These can be ideal if you feel burned out in general or if …