Folsom School Club Trains Students To Work With Their Autistic Peers

http://www.sacbee.com/education/story/945909.html

States' Changes Reshape Medicaid

New Restrictions Aim to Save Money

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/11/AR2006061100815.html?referrer=emailarticle

(This was an interesting article to pass on regarding other States’ Medicaid Changes, this was written June 12, 2006, but is very relevant today for Rhode Island.)

For all parents on Mother's Day

http://www.sarnet.org/lib/todaySAR.htm

Let Congress know you want more autism funding. The Autism Society of America hosted its Day on the Hill, with advocates from across the country storming Capitol Hill to support ASA’s legislative priorities. The program included a rousing speech from the Chair of the Coalition for Autism Research and Education (Autism Caucus), Chris Smith (R-NJ), and legislative updates from Congressional staff, allies in the disability community and other supporters. Participants also received training on effective advocacy strategies, working with the media, and lobbying at the state and local levels. Armed with these tools, participants then took to Capitol Hill to build support for ASA’s legislative priorities.
Even if you weren’t able to travel to Washington for our Day on the Hill, you can still support ASA’s advocacy efforts by asking your legislators to cosponsor legislation to improve services for individuals with autism here at home, and around the world!
Support legislation to improve the lives of ALL individuals affected by autism. Click here for details: https://secure2.convio.net/asa/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=196
Thank you for supporting our efforts to increase autism awareness, and promote early autism diagnosis and therapeutic research.
Sincerely,
Lee Grossman, President and CEO
ASA Member since 1991
Parent of a son with autism

Learn from the true experts - those on the spectrum
Jerry Newport

http://www.nlconcepts.com/autism-jnewport.htm

ARE ANIMALS AUTISTIC SAVANTS

http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0060042

DEIDRE IMUS HELPS SCHOOLS GO GREEN

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-02-03-deirdre-imus_N.htm

NATIONAL AUTISM ASSOCIATION AND AAP: ELI STONEGATE

http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/01/national-autism.html

RI DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES EXPANDS REWARDING WORK, ONLINE SERVICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO HIRE STAFF

(CRANSTON, RI) -- The Rhode Island Department of Human Service has expanded Rewarding Work (www.rewardingwork.org), a web-based service for people of any age with disabilities or their family members to hire direct support professionals or personal care assistants. Through use of an accessible, interactive website, Rewarding Work allows consumers and families to access a comprehensive database of hundreds of qualified care providers.

The service, which has been available since February 2007 for adults with disabilities who participate in the Rhode Island PersonalChoice program, has been expanded to serve Rhode Island residents who take part in the consumer-directed Personal Assistance Services and Supports (PASS) and Respite programs.

Department of Human Services Director Gary Alexander said, "The Department of Human Services is very pleased with the expansion of Rewardingwork.org as a way to help people find the workers they or their family members need to remain in their homes and community."

Rhode Island families who receive support through PersonalChoice, Respite or PASS may be eligible for free subscriptions to Rewarding Work.

Consumers who do not participate in state funded programs can purchase a subscription to Rewarding Work for one month for only $10; three months for just $25. A six month subscription is $50 and a one year (12-month) subscription is $90, which is like receiving three months for free.

Rewarding Work makes the search process for support staff much easier than traditional methods by letting consumers choose from hundreds of people with the skills to assist them in living independently. By clicking a mouse, users can find the personal assistant (PCA) or support worker who best meets their needs. Rewarding Work gives people with disabilities choice and control.

The Rhode Island PersonalChoice program is designed to help residents with disabilities and older persons manage their own assistant services. The individual decides what services assistants will provide and how they will provide them.

The goal of the program is to enable people with disabilities who direct their own assistant services to have the chance to depend on themselves instead of an agency. This lets them make their own decisions and to take responsibility for those decisions. PersonalChoice allows for more flexibility in daily routine by giving people greater authority to make decisions and a chance to exert greater control over their lives.

PASS is a service that helps Rhode Island families of children with special health care needs. PASS workers provide assistance by guiding and redirecting the child, providing opportunities for the child to interact with others in home and community settings, and hands on assistance if needed.

The Family-Directed Respite program for adults provides relief workers so that primary caregivers have some time off for themselves. At present, this program serves family members who provide care for people with Alzheimer’s disease or families providing care for persons age 60 or above.

Family-Directed Respite for Children is a program that allows parents or guardians caring for a child in Rhode Island with disabilities to have time off. To be eligible for the program, a child must need an institutional level of care best described as the type of care typically provided in a hospital, nursing home, or intermediate care facility for people with mental retardation (ICF/MR).

To learn about eligibility for a free subscription to Rewarding Work or to learn more about Rhode Island’s consumer-directed programs, contact the following agencies: For PersonalChoice, contact Pari Independent Living Center in Pawtucket at 401-725-1966, email sbilodea@pari-ilc.org or Tri-Town Elder Care in Johnston at 401-351-2750 or email ltuttle@tri-town.org.

For information about Respite Services for Adults, contact the Diocese of Providence at 401-421-7833.

For PASS and Respite for Children, call one of the following CEDARR Family Centers (CFC): About Families CEDARR: 401-365-6855, Empowered Families CEDARR: 401-365-6103, Families First CEDARR: 401-444-7703 and Solutions CEDARR: 401-461-4351. These centers will provide families with more detailed information and help them apply for the program.

To learn about opportunities working as a direct support professional or personal care assistant in Rhode Island, call toll free at 866-211-WORK (9675) or visit www.rewardingwork.org on the Internet.

From the Coalition of Safe Minds, www.safeminds.org, 1/7/2008

A paper* was published today on autism rates and thimerosal exposure. The authors, Robert Schechter and Judith Grether, used the California Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDS) data on autism enrollments over time and compared them to thimerosal exposure rates. They conclude that "the DDS data do not support the hypothesis that exposure to thimerosal during childhood is a primary cause of autism."

SafeMinds examined the DDS data set, the thimerosal exposure information in the paper, and Schechter and Grether's interpretation of the findings as summarized in their concluding statement above. SafeMinds arrives at a different interpretation of the findings, showing that the data can equally support a primary causative role of thimerosal if autism causation is multifactorial. Vaccine components and environmental mercury, as well as other toxicants, are additional likely candidates. Deficiencies of the DDS data and imprecise thimerosal exposure assumptions make determination of the contribution of thimerosal to autism rates difficult. The increases in autism cases reported by Schechter and Grether since the 1980s highlights the urgency of the autism epidemic and the need to institute a rigorous and comprehensive environmental factors research program.

The SafeMinds analysis will be available shortly at www.safeminds.org.

* Schechter R., Grether JK. Continuing Increases in Autism Reported to California's Developmental Services System. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008. Vol 65(1); 19-24.

The Fight For Autism

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7838774?source=email

Special-education Changes Approved