Children's Health: Making Life Better For Families with Autism

CHILDREN'S HEALTH Making Life Better For Families Living With Autism

(NAPSI)-As many as one out of 91 children today are diagnosed with autism and the need for effective treatments continues to grow. Getting the right support at the earliest stage in life makes all the difference. Known as early intervention, this critical type of service gives children the skills they need to be successful. What should you do if you think your child has autism? Here are a few suggestions: • Trust your instincts. • Talk to your pediatrician. • Find out about early intervention. "We know that through early detection and individualized intervention, children with autism make significant progress," said Patricia Wright, MPH, Ph.D., national director autism services, Easter Seals. Fortunately, a new grant will help advance professional training for Easter Seals' therapists. The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust recently awarded a $310,000 grant to the organization to advance proven autism services for young children nationwide. The grant, made possible through the company's All Kids Can Program™, is in response to recent findings from Easter Seals' Living with Autism Study. These funds enhance the more than $8 million already provided to the organization through the All Kids Can Program, in which Easter Seals is a national partner. Families living with autism not only require access to services, but also appropriate insurance coverage for these critical treatments. A portion of the gift will underwrite a study by Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute to advance resources to families living with autism. Established in 2006, the CVS Caremark All Kids Can Program selected Easter Seals as a national partner in the five-year, $25 million initiative to support children with disabilities. The grant will benefit children with autism at Easter Seals in central and Bay Area California, south Florida, north Georgia, the Chicagoland area, central and southeast Ohio, southeast Pennsylvania, northern and Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and southeast Wisconsin. For more information about living with autism, visit www.easter seals.com or www.actforautism.org. Families living with autism not only require access to services, but also to appropriate insurance coverage.

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