Are you a provider, service vendor or sales professional looking for online exposure?  We will soon be opening our site to advertising opportunities.  We will create options to where you can sponsor the site and / or sponsor a particular number of blog posts, which will include exposure to our social media networks as well.  We expect to have advertising opportunities open within the next couple of weeks.  If you are interested, please email us at [email protected]




Robert Hutchins

we just added PURE Ministries to our "Links" page under church ministries for special needs.  PURE Ministries will be at our church in Portland, Texas tomorrow and we thought we would share.  


You can click on the name above to go to their website and here is the actual link www.pure-ministries.com and facebook at 
https://www.facebook.com/PureMinistriesZW and twitter  twitter.com/ThePureMinProj


They have several excellent resources listed on their site and promote respite and inclusion of those with disabilities.  


Please share with your friends and tell your church about them!


Robert Hutchins

I received the below email from the Autism Action Network.  Please share, re-tweet, etc.  


Thanks!


Robert Hutchins



It started: DSM5 used to revoke autism diagnosis      More Info

Share your story to stop the DSM5      As many of us expected, the new definition of “autism” laid out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM5) is being used to deny services and educational placements to people with autism.  We are receiving more and more reports from around the US (Buffalo, Dallas, Utica, etc.) of schools, Medicaid providers, insurance companies and local government service providers using the DSM5 to deny services to people who have an autism spectrum disorder.

     If you are facing difficulties or the loss of services as a result of the DSM5 please let us know. Please contact us at [email protected] with your stories. Your stories will be a crucial component in stopping the DSM5.

     All the studies on how the DSM5 will affect people with autism have shown huge numbers will lose their diagnosis, their services, Medicaid and educational placement along with it. One study from the Child Study Center at Yale University showed a 55% reduction, including 30% of those categorized as low-functioning.

     We have had bills introduced in several states including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to require the continued use of the DSM4 and other diagnostic tools such as the ICD. We are working on getting bills introduced in other states. Illinois has already passed legislation prohibiting the use of the DSM5 to deny services. And we are working to prevent the federal government from using the DSM5.

     The DSM5 discards the labels of “Asperger syndrome” and “pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)” Schools and insurance companies and Medicaid providers are using these changes to tell people who have an Asperger’s or PDD-NOS diagnosis that they no longer have “autism” and are losing insurance coverage, placements in special education and other services.

     The DSM5 is wrapped in controversy. The federal National Institute of Mental Health considers the DSM5 so flawed that they will not spend any research dollars on studies that use it.  We do not have to put up with this.

     Please share this message with friends and family and please post to Facebook and other social networks. 

http://capwiz.com/a-champ/issues/alert/?alertid=62949381&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

Since we have done away with our non profit and have decided to just use our website to share info and tell our story, so that it might help you or someone else, we have also decided to use our site as a platform for others as well.  

If you would like to share your story about your experiences dealing with autism, please let us know and we would be happy to post it to our blog.  If you have information that might help others, please send it to us and we will share it in our links section.  This is about community and we would like to help you get your information out there for others to benefit from.  

Robert Hutchins

The SPD Foundation has new seminars for this fall!  Click on the link below to see what they are offering.
Fall Line-Up of Workshops

Thank you to Gary Reed who submitted this link!  mortgageloan.com/disabilities/  It is a helpful guide for Mortgage and Home Loan Help Guide for The Disabled.  We added this under Independent Living on our links page!

Robert

Please read the below report from Dr. Bob Sears of tacanow.org.

http://tacanowblog.com/2013/03/20/so-autism-is-now-even-more-common-anybody-care-yet/

This year our friends over at Autism Spectrum Resource Center (www.asrc-cc.org) are continuing the autism awareness walk that was initially established by Coastal Bend Autism Advocacy (www.CBAA.org).  Both groups are out of Corpus Christi, Texas and have done an excellent job in establishing autism awareness in our community.  Below is the information that I obtained from the ASRC website about the walk this year.  We hope that you will be able to attend the walk, which will be held at Cole Park in Corpus Christi.


Robert Hutchins

It is that time of the year again -  the time when many of our families and their friends get together to spread autism awareness throughout the Coastal Bend.  This is the seventh Autism Awareness Walk, and we are hoping it will be the largest one yet! 

Plans are already underway and families are marking their calendars.  It will be held at Cole Park on Saturday April 20th.  Registration begins at 10am and the Walk starts at 10:45 with the mayor's send-off. 

Although we are bringing the same inspirational spirit as past years, some things will be different.  ASRC is planning this year's event, while previous Walks were developed and organized by Coastal Bend Autism Advocacy (CBAA).  We thank CBAA for starting this important tradition and are honored to help it continue.

2013 Tshirt designIn addition, there will be a registration donation to walk this year.  Adults are $25.00 and children 11 and under are $10.  Those who register with the donation will receive a free Tshirt and some extra benefits.  Children are encouraged to form a team and gather additional donations if possible; and high achievers will be recognized and brought up on stage.  Anyone can participate in the Walk, but only those with the registration donation will receive the Tshirt and perks.

You can pick up registration forms at ASRC (3440 S Alameda) or you can sign up online at AsrcAutismWalk.brownpapertickets.com or click the box below.  You can even print your ticket at home.  CLICK BELOW TO REGISTER...