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?

EverydayHEALTH has a great article covering the top Health Concerns impacting families around the globe. The shows 'Parenthood' and 'Glee' are tackling some of the toughest issues facing families like ours.

Learn about other shows that are making a difference by clicking on the Source button above!

A new study released today by Pediatrics, examined the rate and severity of food allergies in American children, and yielded some startling results. With about 8% of US children affected, the question that begs an answer is what is driving this pronounced increase (environmentally?) and how it can be addressed? To read more from Reuters, click on "Source" above or click HERE.

Air pollution is just one of the issues that researches take issue with when studying the environmental factors that might lead to autism. A recent study exploring air pollution in neighborhoods near highways confirms what many have speculated for years. Follow the link to learn more.

In a study by researchers at the University of Washington, 90 percent of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorders showed a discrepancy between their IQ score and their performance on reading, spelling and math tests. Learn more about this groundbreaking study here http://tinyurl.com/2bqz8p3

New Jersey has the highest incident rate of autism in the country with one in every 94 children diagnosed. Sara Lee Kessler met with 30 families, advocates, 10 medical institutions and 24 scientists across the country in order to capture the depth and breadth of what it means to live and work in the autism community. Visit NewJersey.com for more information or click the source link above to visit the site now.