What Leads to the Good Life for Autistic Adults? Nobody Knows.
Lack of Systems-Level Evidence Hampers Progress in Service Delivery: People with autism live most of their lives as adults, yet almost all research – 98% – has been done on children. And what meager research on adult outcomes exists has generally focused on the individual or family – on skill development or caregiving approaches, for example. Yet studies on health challenges across many fields have shown that community- or systems-level capacities – the services offered, innovation in programs, case coordination, financing – are vital components to achieving sufficient quality of life. Surprisingly, there are few studies evaluating programs and services for autistic adults, reports a new study.
Horseback Riding Therapy for Autism Given a Boost
Hefty NIH Grant Approved for Colorado Researcher Studying Why Therapeutic Riding Benefits Autism: The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus announced that CU researcher Robin Gabriels has received a Federal grant to study the reasons why therapeutic horseback riding (THR) is effective for children with autism. The grant follows studies by Gabriels showing THR improves irritability, hyperactivity, and social communication skills, and that the effect lasts at least 6 months after the riding stops.
30 Years of Autism = $7 Trillion in Costs
Next Decade Will Add More Trillions to Looming Public Financial Burden: The lifetime cost of autism for U.S. cases identified in the 30 years between 1990 and 2019 is estimated to be $7 trillion. If costs for the next decade 2020-2029 are included, the lifetime cost will reach up to $15 trillion. The findings were reported in a new study in the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. In “The Lifetime Social Cost of Autism: 1990–2029”, authors Janet Cakir, Richard Frye, and Stephen Walker compiled findings from peer-reviewed published studies on the number of cases of autism for the decades 1990-2019 and the lifetime cost of autism per person in the U.S.
Potential Anti-inflammatory Treatment for Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired social interactions and communication. 1 ASD affects about 1 in 59 children 2 and is estimated to reach 1 in 40 children in 2025. 3 The complexity of the factors involved in the clinical picture of ASD, along with the lack of reliable biomarkers 4 and specific pathogenesis 5 has prevented the development of effective treatments.
Heidi Kidd Year-End Donation Appeal
Hi, It’s me, Heidi Roger Kidd, one of the SafeMinds founding Board Members. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Holy Moly! It is December 30th already, how did that happen? That means there are less than two days to make a tax deductible donation to SafeMinds. Why should you make a donation to SafeMinds? Many […]
The Autism ERA Act
The purpose of the proposed Autism Effectiveness, Responsiveness, and Accountability (ERA) Act of 2019 is to improve the health status and quality of life for people living with autism and their caregivers, while reducing the associated costs for individuals with autism, their caregivers, and the U.S. Government. The Autism ERA Act provides for: A full-time […]
