Aspie Dad

There has long been discontent with the services provided in Nevada for children identified with ASDs. The Nevada Bureau of Early Intervention Services [EIS] provides therapists and other professionals to families to meet the needs of developmentally disabled children from birth to 3 years of age. This service is free to legal residents of Nevada. Unfortunately, this service has suffered from under-staffing (based on wait times and the fact that Nevada EIS “is currently in violation of a federal law requiring children to receive services within 30 days of their evaluation by the agency”) and what can appear to be indifference from the staff they do have.

Parents contend state fails autistic children [Reno Gazette-Journal]

Even before the state’s 4.5 percent budget cuts hit social services agencies, a Nevada program to help infants and toddlers who have special needs is already unable to meet its mandate, officials and parents said.

Long waiting lists have overwhelmed state workers who provide early intervention services to young children with disabilities. And while some parents are pleased with the state’s services — such as speech and physical therapy — some parents of autistic children say the state is falling far short of the goal to help children with autism.

They said proper treatment, which many experts say involves at least 25 hours a week of behavioral therapy, is expensive and labor-intensive. Some parents complain that the state agency avoids providing such therapy. But state officials said each treatment plan is carefully designed to fit the needs of individual children and that some sort of behavioral intervention is always included in autism treatment.

The Nevada Bureau of Early Intervention Services can’t serve all the children who already have therapy plans — a violation of federal law, officials admitted last month. EIS gives free help to children (from birth to 3 years) with disabilities such as deafness, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and mental retardation.

But when it comes to autism, some parents complained that EIS provides a minimum of help.

If parents want to comment about the stories, best thing is to send a letter to the editor, either via email, faxed to the editor at 775-788-6458 or sent by regular mail to: Reno Gazette-Journal, Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 22000, Reno, NV 89520.

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I just upgraded the software running the back-end to WordPress 2.3.2 and inadvertently deleted my side bar with my personalizations.

Sigh. Measure twice, cut once.

Yes, I have a back up, but still there is that whole, “pay attention!” thing dancing around in the back of my head…

Well …, duh!

Your Child’s Disorder May Be Yours, Too [NY Times]
[A]fter Phil and Susan Schwarz received a diagnosis for their son, Jeremy, of high functioning autism, they began to think carefully about their own behaviors and histories.

Mr. Schwarz, a software developer in Framingham, Mass., found in his son’s diagnosis a new language to understand his own life. His sensitivities when growing up to loud noises and bright light, his own diffidence through school, his parents’ and grandparents’ special intellectual skills — all echoed through his and Jeremy’s behavior, like some ancient rhythm.

His son’s diagnosis, Mr. Schwarz said, “provided a frame in which a whole bunch of seemingly unrelated aspects of my own life growing up fit together for the first time.” (more)

Not to sound snotty about geek parents with a fresh diagnosis of high-functioning saying, “he’s not weird, he’s just like me”, mind you. OK, maybe a little.

This is just more grist for the notion that all this identified autism is not an fresh and growing epidemic. We are just developing the perceptions that places this particular suite of neurological conditions both in sharper focus and in a larger perspective of our behaviors. Especially when more and more people realize that these behaviors might actually be rather familiar after all. Sometimes it just has a label now.

Here is a link to the ABC Nightline story that aired tonight about Surfers Healing. Aspie Boy is one of the kids featured in this story.

Well, maybe!

This past August, Aspie Boy took part in a Surf Camp for Autistic Kids in San Diego, CA run by Surfers Healing. A crew from ABC TV’s Nightline was there to cover the event. Aspie Boy is one of the children that will be featured in the episode airing on Monday, October 29. Unless there is ‘breaking news’ or something.

[this post has been edited]