Wisconsin Senators are set to vote on a bill that would require mandated insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s Syndrome and PDD-NOS.  The Senate will be voting on Tuesday, February 26, 2008.  There are some interesting requirements listed in the bill; per an article appearing in the Sunday edition of The Journal Times Online:

According to Senate Bill 178, the treatment must be provided by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker who is certified or licensed to practice psychotherapy, a paraprofessional working under the supervision of any of those three types of providers, or a professional working under the supervision of an outpatient mental health clinic.

Only a handful of states currently require this mandated insurance coverage of autism spectrum disorders.  Arizona is working on an autism insurance bill and parents in Florida are starting to drum up support for similar legislation.

Source: The Journal Times Online

Computer Weekly has published an article detailing a Danish company, Specialisterne, that predominantly employs individuals on the autism spectrum.  Consultants from the company have been hired by information technology heavy hitters Microsoft and Computer Science Corporation to work in software testing.  From the Computer Weekly article: 

“The companies found that people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders have a greater attention to detail than average, making them suitable for software testing.”

The Specialisterne website has an English page available detailing the company.  From the site’s main page:

SPECIALISTERNE is a Danish company with 50 consultants (75% with Autism Spectrum Disorder - ASD) plus an additional 15 trainees.

We provide a working environment where it is ‘normal’ to have ASD and where the role of the management and staff is to create the best possible working environment for consultants with ASD.

ASD characteristics are leveraged as a competitive advantage rather than a disadvantage – niches are identified in the business sector where requirements are high on structure, persistency and attention to details. The company competes on fully competitive terms within its market.

Today the consultants of SPECIALISTERNE use their special skills solving tasks as software testing, data entries and several kinds of quality control for large companies like CSC, Oracle, Microsoft, LEGO, KMD and TDC.

Source:  Computer Weekly

Posted with permission from Greg Chivers.

I’m a documentary maker and I’m doing some reasearch for a series of films for the British broadcaster Channel 4.

The films are about people overcoming personal obstacles to learn to drive and one of the issues we’re looking at is Asperger’s and
autistic spectrum disorders.

I’m very keen to get in touch with parents (Specifically British families) who have run into problems with driving tuition or who are
keen for their kids to start learning.

I’d really appreciate it if anyone interested in talking to me about their/ their kids thoughts/experiences of learning to drive could
contact me at the e mail address below.

That’s gregchivers@fireflyproductions.tv

Many Thanks

Greg Chivers
Producer/Director
Firefly Film and Television Productions Ltd
gregchivers@fireflyproductions.tv
W: www.fireflyproductions.tv