From The Columbian - Honor, duty, fairness for Cub Scouts with autism: Vancouver parents form pack for their sons, others like them. This news story takes a look at a scout pack formed entirely of boy with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The parents interviewed for the piece share about why it was difficult for their children to find success in typical Boy Scout troops and how this group offers solutions. Read more HERE.
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According to the Los Angeles Times - "California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Tuesday said that Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Co. agreed to immediately cover the cost of applied behavior analysis therapy, which Jones described as a well-recognized and effective treatment." The article goes on to state,

Talk of changes to the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-V criterion for diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders has a lot of people fired up recently. In this clip from CNN, Nancy Grace feels making the APA's proposed changes, "...will limit special education and services to children in need." Nancy goes on to question the role of future government funding in these proposed changes and how American children will be affected. She boldly states, "This is wrong!" We know that many of you - the families and professionals who live and/or work with children and young adults currently classified as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder - must have an opinion...how do YOU feel about the proposed changes?

MSN Health - HealthDay News: Can Low Birth Weight Raise Autism Risk? As was released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the journal Psychological Medicine, data from the Swedish Twin Registry's Child and Adolescent Twin Study indicates that smaller size was associated with greater risk. Read more HERE.

Philadelphia - A young girl with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome was denied a life-saving kidney transplant [at least in part] due to her intellectual disability last week. Read more HERE. What are your thoughts?