
Autism Triggers Financial Hardship for Countless Families
New Report Shows Non-Whites Hit Hardest – Sobering new information released from Drexel University highlights the often-distressing fiscal burden a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can cause. The report, National Autism Indicators Report: Children on the Autism Spectrum and Family Financial Hardship recorded levels of family financial hardship among households of children with autism. Three aspects of family financial hardship were examined: household poverty, medical expenses and material hardship.

Racial Disparity Seen in ASD Prevalence Among Preschoolers in Swedish Immigrant Population
90% of Children Had a Mother Born in Africa or Asia – The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders recently published a new study out of Sweden which examines the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in preschool children among the country’s migrant population. Estimated ASD prevalence for this cohort was, at a minimum, 3.5 times more than the non-immigrant Swedish population.

How to Advocate for Special Education Students During COVID-19
An Interview with Special Education Attorney Tim Adams – The COVID-19 pandemic made the spring semester challenging for all families but especially for families with children with autism and other developmental disorders. Many school districts failed to implement a program comparable to what students were receiving prior to the COVID closures.

Heroes Act to Provide More COVID-19 Economic Relief for the Disability Community
Unlike March’s $2 trillion CARES Act, which now needs a legislative fix to include adult dependents with stimulus payments, the HEROES Act is the only major plan created by Congress to address the needs of people with disabilities during COVID-19.

Multiple Studies Show Autism Rates Surging Worldwide
Researchers Still Stumped – Three large epidemiological studies released this spring show a continuing trend, autism rates are increasing, not just in the United States, but across the globe. Regrettably, researchers and scientists still do not understand why.

Autoantibodies and Autism, Is There a Connection?
New Study Points to an Association, Although More Research Needed – An ideal immune system recognizes foreign organisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi) while efficiently and rapidly destroying these invaders. A second infection from the same foreign organism is prevented by a well-functioning immune system as it recalls the method to destroy the invader another time.