8th Annual “In Step for Autism”
3K Walk/5K Run & Family Field Day
Join us on Sunday, September 26th at Colt State Park in Bristol, RI for our 8th Annual "In Step for Autism" 3K Walk/ 5K Run and Family Field Day. This year, we are very excited to add a 5K Run to the event. Wilbur Service Systems will be timing the run.
Registration and breakfast begin at 10:00 a.m. The run will begin at 11:00 a.m. and the walk will start shortly thereafter at 11:15 a.m. After the walk/run, be sure to stay and enjoy the BBQ and family field day complete with games, field events, pumpkin painting, and much more until 2:00 p.m. T-shirts will be given to all participants while supplies last.
First decide if you want to walk or run. Walkers are encouraged to create a team and their own giving page at www.firstgiving.com/asari-groden. It is an easy way to spread the word to your family and friends who want to support children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Runners are encouraged to register at https://secure.grodencenter.org/events.php. Sign up early and save! Early Bird Registration fee is $15. After August 26th, the fee will be $20. Prizes will be given to the top three finishers in each age group and overall. Don’t miss your chance to be entered into a special raffle.
For more information on this year’s "In Step for Autism" 3K Walk/ 5K Run or sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Groden Network’s Development Department at (401) 274-6310, ext. 1266.
We hope to see you on September 26th!
Sensory-Friendly Movies
AMC Entertainment and The Autism Society of America have teamed up to bring families affected by autism a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis.With sensory friendly films, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down.
The next sensory friendly film will be Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. For more information and showtimes, click here.
Vote Today for the Autism Source Pepsi Refresh Grant
Every month, Pepsi awards grants through the Refresh Project for ideas that will have a positive impact - and you get to vote for the great ideas that mean the most to you. In May, the Autism Society is eligible for a grant to expand our free nationwide support line (currently open 8 hours each weekday), to offer confidential, one-to-one contact with a live specialist 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can vote for us once a day, so even if you've already voted, please cast your vote again today at http://www.autism-society.org/site/R?i=ibtt2-N9oZO0r4Q3BVz-wA.. , and every day throughout
U.S. Autism Prevalence Rises 57% in 4 Years
CDC Report Highlights Increased Prevalence, Continued Delay in Identification as Critical Public Health Crisis affecting American Families
Bethesda, MD (December 18, 2009) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released their national autism prevalence report today, confirming that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in the United States is 1 percent of the population, or one in 110 of children 8 years of age in 2006.
The long-awaited report was conducted by the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network in 11 sites in 2006 and tracks prevalence in children 8 years of age. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network is a group of programs funded by CDC to determine the number of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in the United States. The ADDM sites all collect data using the same surveillance methods, which are modeled after CDC's Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP).
"This report confirms what we at the Autism Society have been saying for years about the prevalence of autism in America and the critical importance of early identification and interventions. For the first time, we are hearing our government acknowledge the real increase in autism and validating the impact this condition has on individuals, families and their communities," said Lee Grossman, Autism Society President and CEO. "The question still remains: How bad does it have to get before families receive appropriate lifespan services?"
This report presents a number of other important details, including:
The study suggests that while better diagnosis accounts for some of the prevalence, a true increase cannot be ruled out. The report also underscores that "efforts are needed to understand how complex genetic and environmental factors interact to result in symptoms which make up the autism spectrum."
The report again highlights that delays in identification still persist. Children in 2006 were being diagnosed only five months earlier on average than those in 2002, thus still missing the critical years of early intervention. (In 2002, children were diagnosed at an average age of 53 - 66 months, and in 2006, the average age was 50 - 60 months.) The report laudably notes that the continued lag in identification needs to be addressed as a public health concern so that this nation "can ensure that children in the U.S. receive optimal early intervention services."
Increases in prevalence among minority population were significant, with a 91 percent increase in Hispanic children (with 144 percent increase in Arizona contributing to this) and 41 percent in black non-Hispanic. There was a 55 percent increase in White non-Hispanic.
Prevalence in boys was found to be 4.5 times higher in males than females. The report states one in 70 boys and one in 315 females have autism.
This study gathered data on prevalence and cognitive impairment, showing a 90 percent increase in children with borderline intellectual functioning and a 72 percent increase among children with average to above average intelligence. As intelligence testing is unstable in the autism community, further analysis needs to be done to understand this change.
Overall prevalence was lower among the sites with access to health evaluations alone, so sites that did not include educational evaluations likely underestimated ASD prevalence for that site. The lack of educational data would have impacted the cognitive functioning analysis as well.
It is important to note the ADDM study does not cover adult prevalence or those children who receive diagnoses later than 8, which can be common in the Asperger's community, where the average age of diagnosis is 11 years old.
The ADDM report, which was conducted in the states of Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin, is consistent with the Department of Health and Human Services National Survey of Children's Health, published last October.
The increasing numbers have long-term economic costs to the country, as autism is a chronic medical condition affecting people across the lifespan. The Autism Society calls on the U.S. government to address the pressing need for community-based services to ensure a better quality of life for people with autism and their families and to increase funding for research into what factors put people at risk and treatments that will mitigate the severest medical symptoms affecting people with this chronic medical condition.
Comprehensive Autism Legislation Introduced in U.S. Congress
By: Carin Yavorcik
Autism Society of America Applauds Inclusion of Lifespan Services and Supports
Today, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Robert Casey (D-PA) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Autism Treatment and Acceleration Act of 2009 (ATAA). The Autism Society of America applauds this comprehensive autism legislation focused around enhancing the quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. Originally drafted by President Obama as a Senator, the bill includes aspects of legislation introduced in previous sessions of Congress, including the Expanding the Promise of Individuals with Autism Act, sponsored by then-Senator Hillary Clinton.
ASA especially applauds the inclusion of support services for adults on the autism spectrum in this bill. Currently, the federal government provides for educational services until age 21; however, autism is a lifelong disorder, and when the school bus stops coming, individuals and families are often left to fend for themselves. ATAA would create a demonstration project to provide an array of services to adults with autism spectrum disorders, including: postsecondary education; vocational and self-advocacy skills; employment; residential services, supports and housing; nutrition, health and wellness; recreational and social activities; and transportation and personal safety.
The legislation also would provide for the establishment of a national network to strengthen linkages between research and service initiatives at the federal, regional, state and local levels, and facilitate the translation of research on autism into services and treatments that will improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families. A national data repository would be created to share emerging data, findings and treatment models.
Other key aspects of the bill include:
The establishment of a national training initiative on autism and a technical assistance center to develop and expand interdisciplinary training and continuing education on autism spectrum disorders; and
A requirement that health insurers cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, including Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, assistive communication devices and other effective treatments.
ASA needs your help in order to help pass this critical legislation. Please contact both of your U.S. Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the bill. We’ve composed an e-mail describing all the vital aspects of this bill but it will be especially effective if you add your own story describing how ATAA would help you and your family.
The time to act is now. Please support this important issue today, and urge your friends to take action as well. Together, we can improve the quality of live for individuals with autism across the lifespan.
