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Catching up with Kaitlyn Y.… struggles to problem solve, take in her surroundings, and be fully independent, we have been fortunate enough to build a supportive community around her using the resources available through a variety of agencies. Today, Kaitlyn leads a … to adulthood, working alongside her mom at their do-it-yourself craft studio franchise that offers individual and group classes to create on-trend designs on customizable decor accessories.  Diagnosed with autism at age three, Kaitlyn received services and support that helped her take on more responsibilities as a young adult.  At 21, Kaitlyn shared that she was excited to …
Autism Speaks commends Tennessee as it becomes 50th state requiring that insurance plans cover autism… On August 1, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance issued a bulletin requiring all individual, small and large group plans to cover medically necessary care for autism, including applied behavior analysis (ABA). "People with autism and … and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes …
Autism and ‘optimal outcomes’… to rethink what we mean by “optimal outcomes” For years, we’ve been using this term to describe a relatively small group of people with autism who, with therapy and support, experience such a marked decrease in autism symptoms that they no longer meet the criteria we use to diagnose the … re-defining “optimal outcome” as the best possible outcome based on each child’s personal characteristics and available supports . We find this as a much more suitable concept for developing autism services and setting goals for each child, …
COVID-19 survey reveals widespread challenges for autism community and wider disparities for minority communities … community are struggling even more, particularly with basic needs.”  Minority respondents, who made up about half of the group surveyed, reported more struggles with a variety of needs related to the pandemic, basic needs, daily routines and education.  The largest disparities were in the areas of food insecurity and receiving distance learning supports, with nonwhite respondents experiencing twice the food insecurity of white respondents and twice as likely to not receive any distance learning supports. Food insecurity was measured as food for the household having run out and families not having enough money to buy …
Expert Q&A: Explaining the conditions that accompany autism… In this Q&A, Amanda Bennett Palladino, MD, MPH, shares some of the most common conditions that accompany autism and offers support and resources to those coping with co-occurring conditions. Amanda Bennett Palladino is a developmental and … their care team. I frequently refer families to the Autism Speaks website to access the free Tool Kits that are designed to support families in addressing some of the most common co-occurring conditions. Families can find resources related to … caring for people with autism. Find local experts and/or advocates, participate in a research study or community advocacy group, find an online community if you can’t find a local one. The resources are there, in one form or another, if you just …
CDC estimate on autism prevalence increases by nearly 10 percent, to 1 in 54 children in the U.S. … a gap remains in prevalence among Hispanic children, indicating a need to expand screening and intervention among this group. Further, black and Hispanic children identified with autism received evaluations at older ages than similar white … guidance of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), and to advance policies that better provide services and supports for early intervention, education, transition to adulthood, employment and community living.   The CDC report was … of people with autism. To join the conversation, find @autismspeaks on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. For personalized support and questions, contact the Autism Response Team at 1-888-AUTISM2, en Español at 1-888-772-9050 or by email at  …
Pool and Water Safety for Lifeguards … way of communicating, that can help keep them calm them in an unsafe situation or if they have wandered away from their group. This  first-responder toolkit  has communication techniques in addition to a lot of other useful information for … the pool or have other communication differences, so they may not hear the whistle.   Swimming facility owners can support autistic swimmers as well by communicating safety rules in different ways to ensure understanding, … are visual learners understand the rules.   Teaching their lifeguarding and other staff about supporting an autism-friendly swimming experience can help make sure their pool is a safe and comfortable environment for …
Teamwork and time management: Lessons from Autism Speaks intern, Binh… involved data entry and analysis and database management, which I liked. I mostly worked for the Science and Services and Supports group. Much of my work was around the function of the Autism Speaks website. There are a lot of URLS and I could see how the …
Youth with autism gain, keep jobs after employer-based skills program… and $10.66 an hour. A year after graduation, 87 percent of the participants still had their jobs. Meanwhile, a control group of young people with autism who did not take part in the job skills program saw only 6 percent employed three months … school (greater than 75 percent), receive a combination of nine months of immersion in a business setting internship, plus supports such as applied behavior analysis, that their chances for becoming competitively employed are much better than … encouraging. The study, “ Effects of an employer-based intervention on employment outcomes for youth with significant support needs due to autism ,” was published in the April 1 edition of the journal  Autism . Wehman, a professor in the  …
Meet Bin F.… to educate others about autism and inform policymakers. He has particularly made an impact in representing, leading and supporting Asian communities. In this Q&A, Bin shares what Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month means to … family business, because my son Vincent is on the spectrum. Vincent is always our top priority. All of us come together to support him. I started to share our stories about 20 years ago after we knew Vincent has autism. First, it was just a note … advice? I remember the words from the movie “The field of dreams”: if you build it, he will come. When I started a parents’ group, started book clubs, started with social media stories, started with website, started with NPO, I always remember this …