Category Archives: Awareness

New CDC Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorders

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The recent publishing of the new statistics for ASD by the CDC are certainly not surprising. I don’t know about you, but I see autistic children EVERYWHERE. Of course, when you have a child in your home who lives with autism it doesn’t take long to recognize the signs in other children. Dropping down to 1 in 88, and 1 in 54 should give pause to everyone, regardless if you have a child with autism or not. The growth in diagnosis is going to have a profound impact on society as a whole. I am a firm believer that resources need to be created and maximized in order to more effectively and quickly diagnosis and treat those on the spectrum as early as humanly possible. The earlier the intervention starts in life the better that child’s chances are for a potential full recovery. Changing the diagnosis and “shrinking” the parameters to exclude those on the fringes of the spectrum is only going to cause a greater problem in society. The saying goes, “pay now or pay later.” The problem with not providing necessary interventions to this growing sect of our population screams, “pay now or pay much, much more later.” Our overburdened Medicaid system, and dare I say judicial system will receive an influx of those in the decades ahead from those children today who do not or cannot receive the help they need.

What you can do now is to educate yourself. Look at the facts and statistics. And if you know a family who is dealing with autism in the home, reach out and offer a helping hand in someway. Even just encouragement into the family living with autism makes a tremendous difference.

In advocacy,

Mike

The Push Back Against Autism Mandates Is Growing

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It was just brought to my attention that a bill has been introduced (PCB HSQS 12-03) to repeal the Autism Mandate that Florida voted into law in 2008.

This is certainly no surprise.

With the impending changes to federal health care and how the states services fall into the exchanges, it is no surprise that this is beginning of something that is sure to gain speed. I am surprised it took this long.

There is too much grey area with the impending Obamacare.

Let’s face facts. Treating autism costs a great deal of money. The argument rages between health insurance providers and state educators on who who is responsible for the costs associated with treating out kids. This is going to go on for a long time.

Our autistic children, who are in the minority but live with a condition with life-long, fiscally-impacting issues, are going to get snubbed when the “greater good of society” has to go under the microscope of fiscal trimming and limited budgets. It is what it is.

CARD of Florida sent me an email on who to write to express our support to defeat any changes to the hard-fought Florida law that protects the autistic children in the state. Also attached is the bill circulating through the Florida legislature. The email I receivedHSQS3[1] is posted below:

Dear CARD Constituents,

The House has presented a bill that will repeal the Autism Insurance Mandate that parents worked so hard to achieve (find a copy of the bill attached to this email). It is going to be heard January 31, 2012 in the House Health and Human Services Quality Committee in HOB 102.
Everyone who wishes to stop this bill to call, fax, and email your legislators now!!
Below is the committee contact information.

First Name Last Name District City District State District Phone Tallahassee St TLH Phone Email Address
Larry Ahern St. Petersburg FL (727) 545-6421 1102 The Capitol (850) 488-6197 larry.ahern@myfloridahouse.gov

Jim Boyd Bradenton FL (941) 708-4968 1102 The Capitol (850) 488-4086 jim.boyd@myfloridahouse.gov

Clay Ford Pensacola FL (850) 595-5550 303 House Office Bldg. (850) 488-0895 clay.ford@myfloridahouse.gov

Eddy Gonzalez Hialeah Gardens FL (305) 364-3066 214 House Office Bldg. (850) 488-1683 eddy.gonzalez@myfloridahouse.gov

Matt Hudson Naples FL (239) 417-6270 222 The Capitol (850) 488-1028 matt.hudson@myfloridahouse.gov

Mia Jones (M) Jacksonville FL (904) 924-1615 405 House Office Bldg. (850) 488-6893 mia.jones@myfloridahouse.gov

Jeanette M. Nuñez Miami FL (305) 227-7630 1003 The Capitol (850) 488-7897 jeanette.nunez@myfloridahouse.gov

Jose Oliva Hialeah FL 1301 The Capitol (850) 487-2197 jose.oliva@myfloridahouse.gov

Ari Porth Coral Springs FL (954) 346-2810 405 House Office Bldg. (850) 488-2124 ari.porth@myfloridahouse.gov

Scott Randolph Orlando FL (407) 893-3084 1302 The Capitol (850) 488-0660 scott.randolph@myfloridahouse.gov

Betty Reed Tampa FL (813) 241-8024 405 House Office Bldg. (850) 488-5432 betty.reed@myfloridahouse.gov

Ronald ”Doc” Renuart Ponte Vedra Beach FL (904) 270-2550 319 The Capitol (850) 488-0001 ronald.renuart@myfloridahouse.gov

Patrick Rooney, Jr. Palm Beach Gardens FL (561) 625-5176 324 The Capitol (850) 488-0322 pat.rooney@myfloridahouse.gov

Elaine Schwartz Hollywood FL (954) 924-3813 1402 The Capitol (850) 488-0465 elaine.schwartz@myfloridahouse.gov

John Wood Haines City FL (863) 419-3470 214 House Office Bldg. (850) 488-2721 john.wood@myfloridahouse.gov

Moving From Kids to Adults Who Are Employed

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I recently finished reading a transition guide for autistic children who are approaching the age of 16. It focused on all things related to the transition that all autistic children go through as they more from young adolescent to adulthood.

I know I am premature in thinking this as my oldest is not yet 8-years-old, but I still want to be able to point others in the right direction as an advocate.

This recent article at Autism Speaks made me think two things: early detection and early intervention.

The earlier autism is discovered through well-baby checks by pediatricians who are adeptly trained to look for the warning signs in routine checkups, and as those children are quickly put into early intervention programs I believe statistics like these will reduce in the decades ahead.

To see the entire article click HERE:

With the current estimate that 80% of individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are under the age of 18, the next ten years will see a wave of adults on the spectrum entering the workforce. Today’s reality is, however, that most of these adults will never achieve full employment. Of those that do find jobs, many will be underemployed. The data is not encouraging. In a 2008 study of 200 families with transition age and adult children with an ASD, conducted by the University of Miami/Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, 74% of the respondents were unemployed and 74% of those employed worked less than 20 hours a week. These facts must serve as a call to arms for advocates in the autism community. As the population of individuals with autism matures, so must the movement that has pushed so successfully to develop programs and resources for children on the spectrum. While the focus on adult issues – employment, housing, financial planning – is growing, we are still running to catch up with the needs of our adults with autism.

The Struggles That Autism Creates For The Family

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When I read this and a few related pieces to it, my heart sank. Despite the wealth of the family involved, and despite many unknowns that one has to draw or assume after reading this story, my heart goes out to them.

Our family has endured those very same stresses that autism can bring into the home on occasion. My wife and I are not immune to the heated exchanges that have sometimes occurred in times past. And, we too have felt the heavy battle of lawyer-laden school districts trying to defend their pathetic program offering.

What affected me most, of course, was the centerpiece of the article describing the abuse this poor autistic child endured in the Atlanta Public School system. I shudder to think of the teachers and therapists that our boys spend many hours with weekly, that somehow could easily mistreat our boys emotionally, mentally or physically without our knowledge. As parents we all hope and pray that those who are caring for our autistic kids are doing the best they can, and are doing the right thing. But, how do you really know that is occurring? With an inability to share verbally, or have the cognitive or social understanding to discern when anything is askew how do we know that others are not adding more damage to our autistic children.

I certainly am not one who lives in fear daily, but it is terrible and unfortunate events like this that make you really question how and if you are doing everything to best protect your child. I tend to believe that people are generally going to do the right thing when given the opportunity. I believe that to be even more so when someone is entrusted with the special care of such special little children as ours. I also like to consider my wife and I as good judges of character and integrity and having that six sense when something just doesn’t seem right. We are diligent parents who pay close attention to our children and their behaviors, moods and routines from day to day. That is why I even shudder to think that anyone employed in our boys care could ever act like the characters in this story.

But, how do you really know? Trust, but verify – I say!

When the police came, Stefan Ferrari’s teacher described Oct. 21, 2008, in her classroom for autistic children as “a regular, ordinary day.”

Perhaps it was, except for the tiny digital recorder sewn into the collar of Stefan’s shirt.

The device, planted by Stefan’s mother, collected eight hours and 19 minutes of sound, much of it the banality of yet another school day for a non-verbal 10-year-old. It also captured the teacher and her colleagues talking about sex and martinis. It picked up the teacher’s teasing Stefan after he ate pizza from the trash. And it chronicled the threat of a “be-quiet hit” to a crying child, followed by the repeated slaps of an adult’s hand against Stefan’s bottom.

That single day in an Atlanta classroom led to lawsuits in state and federal courts, to the teacher’s firing, to threats of criminal charges — against Stefan’s parents — and, finally, to what may have been the inevitable fracture of the boy’s family.

You can read the rest of the story here: An expensive fight over a boy with autism