News


Autism Treatment Acceleration Act




Please contact Senator Dianne Feinstein to become a co-sponsor of  California Senate Bill 819. A key feature of the bill is Section 12, which contains the provisions for federal reform of autism insurance coverage. If passed, Section 12 will require all insurance companies across the country to provide coverage for evidence-based, medically-necessary autism treatments and therapies

For more information about the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 visit www.autismvotes.org. 

Support a California Autism Insurance Mandate!
Help to Advocate


Seven other states have already enacted laws requiring insurance coverage of autism treatments and therapies.  You can help get such a law passed in California.

Visit the autismvotes.org website and register to receive updated information on the CA Autism Insurance Reform Initiative and Urgent Advocacy Alerts when there is grassroots action to be taken such as contacting your State representatives.

Please note:  The autismvotes.org database is separate from the Autism Speaks database.  Separate registration is required.

www.autismvotes.org/california

Advocacy for Health Reform:
Information from Autism Speaks


Advocacy




Health Care Reform
The Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act contains some provisions that could result in improved access to care for individuals with autism and their families, but still falls short of eliminating marketplace discrimination for coverage of medically necessary autism treatments. The reconciliation bill will now move to the Senate for consideration. Behavioral health treatment is included as part of the essential health benefits package required in certain health plans and was added to ensure that people with autism are provided with insurance coverage of medically necessary, evidence-based behavioral treatments, such as applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy.

While some families affected by autism will be able to receive health insurance coverage for behavioral health treatments, the majority of families will remain without this crucial coverage. Passage of this bill does not end autism insurance discrimination for all families, but Autism Speaks will continue to work for autism insurance reform in state legislatures and in Congress until all those touched by autism no longer face discrimination from the insurance industry.

For more information on what Autism Speaks is doing through their initiative—Autism Votes—to affect healthcare reform nationwide, visit www.autismvotes.org.  

The Interactive Autism Network:
IAN



What is the Interactive Autism Network and How Can It Help Your Family?



IAN, the Interactive Autism Network was established in January 2006 at Kennedy Krieger Institute to facilitate research that will lead to advancements in the prevention, treatment, and cure of autism spectrum disorders.  Families of children with an ASD can share information in a secure online setting and become part of the nation’s largest online research effort.  The goal is to gather the nation’s largest collection of autism-related data that could lead to new discoveries about causes, diagnosis, treatments and possible cures.


The IAN Community is an online environment where everyone concerned with autism spectrum disorders can learn more about autism research. It will help you



  • Keep up with the latest research findings, news, and events
  • Understand the value of participating in autism research
  • Influence the direction of research

The IAN Community will bring families, friends, individuals with ASDs, together with researchers, therapists, educators, and other professionals in the autism field to better understand this complex disorder through research and collaboration, and to develop effective strategies that will improve the lives of people on the spectrum.


IAN Research  will enable parents and other family members to provide information about their child’s diagnosis, behavior, family, environment, and services received.  Parents report on their child’s progress over time. Researchers from different institutions throughout the country will work with this information to learn about the effect and interaction of factors such as genetics, environment, and treatment on the well being of children with autism spectrum disorders. 


IAN Research will match willing parents with appropriate local and national research projects. This partnership will solve one of the major difficulties that autism research projects face - recruiting enough participants.  Each year, many useful and innovative studies in the United States are not completed or are significantly delayed because researchers cannot find enough children who qualify and valuable opportunities to learn about autism are lost.


Learn more and visit the IAN Community at:


www.IANproject.org


Return Home Registry
Finding Lost Persons


The Irvine Police Department has announced an innovative program designed to better serve the community and assist police officers in locating lost or wandering persons when they are missing from their homes or caregivers. These include individuals with conditions such as dementia, developmental disabilities, autism, and other disorders. With the "Return Home Registry," Police officers will have the tools to help quickly identify, locate and return home individuals who are lost or confused. This voluntary program is available at no cost to participants, family members and caregivers. All information provided will remain confidential and only used by law enforcement personnel. For more information, please contact: Sergeant Troy Gielish Irvine Police Department (949) 724-7015 Ext. 4607