Sunday, October 26, 2008

Autism Resource Foundation Parent Partnering Program

The Autism Resource Foundation, in collaboration with the HOPE Group, provides training and certification to Arizona families of children who have autism that enables them to receive compensation for working with other parents and their children with special needs. For more information, call Anthony Hale at (602) 324-9716 or send him an email.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Micro-Loans for Biomedical Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Lend4Health facilitates community-based, interest-free loans for the biomedical treatment of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Prospective loan recipients submit loan request forms through the Lend4Health site. Lenders make interest-free loans through Paypal.

Visit Lend4Health for more information about obtaining or providing a micro-loan to pay for biomedical treatments for children and adults who have autism.

Autism Assistance Resources and Information Participates in Take Charge of Your Health Carnival

Autism Assistance Resources and Information participates in the October 2008 edition of the Take Charge of Your Health Care Carnival. Visit the carnival for some great posts on health care issues.

Autism Assistance Resources and Information Participates in Kids and Money Carnival

Autism Assistance Resources and Information participates in the October 2008 edition of the Kids and Money Carnival. Visit the carnival and check out some great posts on kids and money.

Autism Assistance Resources and Information Participates in Rich Life Carnival

Autism Assistance Resources and Information participates in Rich Life Carnival #14. Check out the carnival for tips on healthy living, self-improvement, personal finance and more.

Autism Assistance Resources and Information Participates in 10 Posts About Realizing Your Potential

Autism Assistance Resources and Information participates in the October 2008 edition of 10 Posts About Realizing Your Potential. Visit the carnival and check out some great posts about healing, grow and self-actualization.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Autism Foundation of the Carolinas

The Autism Foundation of the Carolinas provides financial assistance to families of children who have autism that reside in the Charlotte area. Contact the foundation for information about scholarships for families in need of financial assistance or to make a donation to the Autism Foundation of the Carolinas.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Tax and Public Benefit Eligibility Reforms Needed to Help Families Affected By Autism Avoid Poverty

Today is Blog Action Day. Bloggers worldwide have united to blog about poverty. Many families affected by autism are currently facing poverty. Many more families are only a few paychecks away from financial ruin. I am hopeful that lawmakers and policymakers will read this post and make some changes to both public benefit eligibility criteria and tax laws. Families of children who have autism should be able to both obtain treatment necessary to improve their children’s lives and meet their other financial obligations. Parents should not have to choose between helping their children thrive and keeping a roof over their heads.

Autism treatment is expensive. The cost of ABA, speech therapy, occupational therapy and other therapies, interventions and equipment used to improve the functioning and quality of life of people who have autism typically costs thousands of dollars. In fact, the cost of intensive autism treatment could easily exceed a typical family’s annual housing, transportation and food costs combined.

Not surprisingly, many families affected by autism cannot afford to provide the treatments their children need. Overwhelming autism treatment costs combined with gaps in health insurance coverage lead some families of children who have autism to refinance mortgages, sell cars, deplete savings, make hardship withdrawals from 401ks and file for bankruptcy. University of Missouri researcher Deanna Sharpe reported cases of families skipping meals in order afford autism treatment.

Families should not have to choose between eating or obtaining treatment for their children. Policymakers need to reevaluate eligibility criteria for public benefits, taking into consideration that families raising children with autism have excessive financial burdens that typical families do not incur. Special guidelines need to be implemented for families affected by autism, including raising income limits and using net income rather than gross income to determine eligibility for SSI, LIHEAP and other income-based financial assistance programs.

Many families of children who have autism have to give up an income because a parent must become a full-time caregiver. Child care assistance benefits need to be made accessible to families of children with autism so parents who are able to can pursue part-time employment and so parents can afford respite care when needed.

In addition, lawmakers need to consider the exceptional expenses of families coping with autism when making tax reforms. Dependent care tax deductions and flexible spending account eligibility need to be restructured to take into consideration the needs of families affected with autism. In addition, families need to be allowed to deduct the full amount of autism treatment as a medical expense—not just that portion which exceeds 7.5% of their adjusted gross income.

Policymakers and lawmakers need to become knowledgeable about autism and its financial impact on families. Furthermore, they need to be willing to make changes in laws, policies and the tax code to keep families who are struggling financially because of autism from slipping into poverty.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Ann Arbor Autism Foundation

The Ann Arbor Autism Foundation provides financial support to individuals and families affected by autism who live in Washtenaw County, Michigan. The foundation provides scholarships to help fund the cost of educational, recreational, therapeutic and support services. Scholarship application deadlines are May 1 and October 1.

Click on the link if you would like to make a donation to the Ann Arbor Autism Foundation.

Autism Assistance Resources and Information Participates in Education Carnival

Autism Assistance Resources and Information is participating in the 192nd Carnival of Education. Visit the carnival and check out posts about education news, issues and opinions.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Lowcountry Autism Foundation

The Lowcountry Autism Foundation provides financial assistance for autism treatment to families in Beaufort County, South Carolina, and the surrounding areas. Funding can be used
to pay for developmental screenings, diagnostic evaluations, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavioral therapy, counseling and other services.

Click on the links to download an application for financial support or to make a donation to the Lowcountry Autism Foundation.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Benzer Autism Foundation

Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Benzer Autism Foundation provides assistance to children with autism who have immediate needs for housing, medical attention and assistance dealing with everyday situations. The Benzer Autism Foundation also has a number of programs for children with autism.

Click on the link to find out how you can make a donation to the Benzer Autism Foundation.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Parker Autism Foundation

The Parker Autism Foundation provides scholarships and grants for children with autism who live in North Carolina to receive therapy or to participate in summer camps. Click on the link to find out how you can support the Parker Autism Foundation.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Autism International Foundation

The Autism International Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance for services to children who have autism throughout the world. The foundation’s goal is to enable children on the autism spectrum to receive humane, state-of-the-art treatments, therapies and services.

In the U.S., the Autism International Foundation helps parents obtain assessments and connect with attorneys and advocates to help their children access legally-mandated services. Internationally, the foundation is currently supporting the efforts of the Armenian International Child Development Center, a model program that is providing intensive services to children on the autism spectrum in home and school settings.

Click here if you would like to support the work of the Autism International Foundation.

Autism Assistance Resources and Information Participates in the Festival of Frugality

Autism Assistance Resources and Information is participating in the Festival of Frugality. Visit the festival and check out posts that can help you save money on all sorts of things. The money you save can be used to fund autism treatment.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Nonprofit Provides Funding for Early Intensive Autism Treatment

Today’s Hope is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide families of children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders with access to early intervention services, specifically early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI).

According to the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT), EIBI for children who have autism consists of 20-40 hours per week of individualized instruction. EIBI can be delivered in a home, clinic or school setting.

The average annual cost of EIBI is upward of $33,000. EIBI is generally recommended for 2-3 years to achieve optimal outcomes. EIBI is widely considered a highly effective treatment for autism.

The cost of EIBI can place it out of reach for many families. That’s where Today’s Hope comes in. This month, the organization will begin providing financial support to families to cover the cost of a variety of early intervention services for children who have autism for a period of three years. Today’s Hope will pay providers who meet its criteria for providing early intervention services with up to $1,000 monthly. Families that are selected to participate in the program will receive up to $36,000 in EIBI services over 3 years.

Today’s Hope will provide assistance to families that meet the following criteria:
  • Has a child recently diagnosed with autism up to 8 years old
  • Other financial resources have been exhausted
  • Struggling with the cost of multiple interventions, such as ABA, speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy
For questions about applying for services or supporting Today’s Hope, click here or send an email to info@TodaysHopeAutism.org.

Lekotek Makes Play Accessible to Children with Autism and Other Disabilities

Lekotek helps children with autism and other special needs participate in, learn from and enjoy playing. Lekotek has 32 play and learning centers nationwide that make play accessible to children with disabilities through traditional toys, adapted toys, books and computers. Through play, children with special needs learn the skills necessary to build a foundation for literacy, mathematical reasoning and computer use.

Lekotek’s mission is to promote the inclusion of children with special needs into family and community life through the use of interactive play. Lekotek play sessions, lending libraries, Compuplay computer centers and community-specific programs are available to children with special needs and their parents, siblings, extended family members and caregivers.

Lekotek was founded in Sweden in the early 1960’s by two parents of children with disabilities who were seeking ways to help their children during their formative years. Their goal was to develop a program that would both foster their children’s development and facilitate their full inclusion in society. Their efforts resulted in the creation of the first Lekotek facility in Stockholm. Today, Lekotek centers are widespread in Scandinavian countries and are a mandatory component of the social welfare service delivery system in Sweden and Norway.

Each Lekotek site has its own fee schedule, and many sites offer sliding fee scales. For more information, contact your local Lekokek center or call (800) 366-PLAY. Click on the link if you are interested in starting a Lekotek site in your community.

Autism Assistance Resources and Information Participates in Tax Savings Carnival

Autism Assistance Resources and Information is participating in the Taxtoberfest Blog Carnival. Check out the carnival for posts that can help you minimize your taxes and maximize your refund so you can use those tax savings to help fund your child's autism treatment.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

O’Berry Center Foundation Family Support Grants

O’Berry Center Foundation Family Support Grants are available to families affected by developmental disabilities who reside in counties in central and east North Carolina. Autism is classified as a developmental disability.

Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to families who have exhausted other resources to purchase durable equipment such as communication devices, sensory integration equipment, recreational equipment and other assistive technology equipment and devices.

O’Berry Center Foundation Family Support Grants are awarded on a quarterly basis. Application deadlines are December 1, April 1, June 1 and September 1.

For more information about applying for a grant or supporting the O’Berry Center Foundation, send an email message to monunc@nc.rr.com or call Dennis Mays at (919) 581-4015.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Special Needs and Money

Autism Assistance Resources and Information is participating in the Second Carnival of Special Needs and Money. Kim Greenblatt is hosting the carnival, which features posts about finances for families coping autism and other special needs.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Autism X 6

Autism X 6 is a documentary about the Kirton family’s experiences raising six children who have autism. Autism X 6 premieres tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Discovery Health.