In response to the Autism Speaks/Pennsylvania Autism Insurance Bill fiasco - the following email was sent from PA Speaker O’Brien.

AN OPEN LETTER TO AUTISM SPEAKS FROM SPEAKER O’BRIEN
July 12, 2008

Mr. Robert C. Wright
Co-Founder, Autism Speaks
2 Park Avenue
11th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Dear Bob:

We have a collective mission to create a world in which persons with autism have every opportunity to participate fully in society, to live meaningful and independent lives, to receive the respect they deserve and to have the supports necessary for them to reach the innate potential we know them to have. It’s never been an easy mission, and it doesn’t often permit us the luxury of a pause in the action to reflect on success.
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. and WASHINGTON, DC - July 8, 2008 - The Autism Research Institute, a leading non-profit organization, has launched a mobile Internet Web site, http://autism.mobi, designed specifically for users of mobile devices and mobile phones, including the Apple iPhone.
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Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently struggle to fit into a world that does not understand them, and aid is often more difficult find for adults than for children. SIMmersion LLC is hoping to help adults with ASD; the company recently completed a prototype of its simulation software catered to practicing and strengthening communication skills.
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The first annual Autism Summit will be held on October 10-12, 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio.  From the Autism Summit 2008 homepage:

The first Autism Summit… Will be truly extraordinary – it’s a must! Autismtoday.com (the world’s largest one-stop autism website) and Rainbow Babies & Children`s Hospital (rated as one of the world’s best pediatric hospitals) are pulling out all the stops to present the autism event of 2008!

• Hear world class leaders – parent advocates, doctors, educators – address the latest issues on Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
• Interact with our extraordinary speakers and workshop leaders… get your questions answered!
• Make new friends! - network and share experiences with others like you
• Find unique new national and local Autism and Asperger’s resources!
• Enjoy yourself!

The Sage Graduate School’s Master of Science in ABA and Autism has been approved by the New York State Board of Regents and is the only one in the U.S. that offers the program online.

Albany and Troy, NY (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 20, 2008 — Only a handful of colleges and universities in the United States offer master’s degrees in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), a treatment for autism identified by the United States Centers for Disease Control as being effective in the education and treatment of individuals with autism, and The Sage Colleges’ Sage Graduate School is now among them.

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Now that Adam Jasinski has officially been declared the winner of Big Brother 9, more controversy is starting to brew. This time it is between supporters and fans of Adam Jasinski and those that were offended by the statement he made - calling the autistic children he works with retards.

One of the blogs to first discuss the original Adam Jasinski controversy was Mutterings of a Mindless Mommy. Adam Jasinski supporters have made their way to her blog post United Autism Foundation Apology from Olaf Hampel to share their opinions of the man who was just crowned as the winner of Big Brother season 9.

The blog owner has politely posted a rebuttal of a few of the supporters’ statements. It will be interesting to see how this conversation continues as more fans come out in support of Jasinski.

Newswise — Parents of children with autism are increasingly turning to sensory integration treatment to help their children deal with the disorder, and they’re seeing good results. In 2007, 71 percent of parents who pursued alternatives to traditional treatment used sensory integration methods, and 91 percent found these methods helpful.

A new study from Temple University researchers, presented this month at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s 2008 conference, found that children with autistic spectrum disorders who underwent sensory integration therapy exhibited fewer autistic mannerisms compared to children who received standard treatments. Such mannerisms, including repetitive hand movements or actions, making noises, jumping or having highly restricted interests, often interfere with paying attention and learning.
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The News-Press is reporting that a bill in the Florida legislature is being reviewed that would provide enhanced funding to Florida children with autism. Parents in Florida are pushing for mandated autism coverage by insurance companies (like the parents who helped push through the Arizona autism insurance bill) and while this isn’t the inclusive plan that parents had hoped for, it is a step in the right direction.

From the News-Press article:

The proposed bill removes caps on full-pay KidCare participants so that any Florida family can buy health insurance that includes coverage for enhanced services for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. It also expands KidCare benefits to include physical, speech and occupational therapy — and expands the age eligibility — so that younger children can get enhanced benefits.

Read the entire article here: New Florida Package Proposed to Enhance Coverage for Children with Autism

The following action alert was sent out by the Autism Speaks Arizona office. If you know of a family in Arizona who is receiving services through the Arizona Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) please point them to Autism News Direct so that they may take action to secure funding for their children.

The state budget (bill 2620) that was passed into law for fiscal year 2008 lacks protection against cuts to DDD funding which can jeopardize funding to autism treatments. What this means is that funds that are allocated to the DDD can be used to fill in deficits in other areas of the state’s budget. However, we know that early intensive intervention is essential for children with autism and since the DDD is the major funding source for such treatment, budget cuts of this nature would be devastating to the autism community. On behalf of the many children and families who are affected by autism, we ask that you please contact your legislators and urge them to protect DDD funding.
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Wrightslaw.com has released a news alert, since I believe in the importance of this alert, I am posting it to Autism News Direct immediately.

On March 10, we sent an Alert about a new decision in Jarron Draper’s cases against the Atlanta Independent School District. (see background of case)

Within the last two weeks, there have been more important new developments in the case.

Violation of Civil Rights

In a companion case, Jarron Draper and his family are seeking damages for harassment and retaliation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Two weeks ago, the U. S. District Court of Georgia issued a decision in the civil rights companion case (Draper II).

This Alert describes the Court’s findings about harassment and retaliation under Section 504 and how they apply to Jarron’s case.

Wyner and Tiffany, lead counsel for Jarron and his family, explain that the District Court’s analysis includes important guidance for plaintiffs who file for due process for a denial of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under IDEA, but who believe they may also have civil rights claims under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

The alert goes on to provide much more detail and can be viewed in its entirety here: Alert! Civil Rights Case: Discrimination and Retaliation