Halfway Through April
We are halfway through Autism Awareness, Action and/or Acceptance month. Below are the points of "interest" from the Inter-agency Autism Coordinating Committee. You'll note that IACC rhymes with I yack. Funny. Not funny. One group featured wants to increase access to vaccination. Most are hell bent on making sure autistics and neurodiverse feel included and respected. Happy talk that makes donors feel good.
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From iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/autism-awareness-month/2023/
A Proclamation on World Autism Awareness Day, 2023
The White House, President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
March 31, 2023
In honor of World Autism Awareness Day, President Joseph R. Biden released to a proclamation to recognize the achievements of neurodiverse people and to reiterate his Administration’s commitment to supporting the equal rights and dignity of all those on the autism spectrum. President Biden highlights recent achievements in the autism field, including support for home- and community-based services, the reauthorization of Kevin and Avonte’s Law, and boosting employment opportunities.
U.N. Secretary-General Statement for World Autism Awareness Day
UN Secretary General António Guterres
April 2, 2023
In honor of World Autism Awareness Day, UN Secretary General António Guterres released a statement to promote the contributions and rights of people on the autism spectrum. He stated, "We must do better - by promoting inclusive education, equal employment opportunities, self-determination, and an environment where every person is respected."
A Letter from Autism Speaks CEO this World Autism Month
Autism Speaks
March 30, 2023
In honor of World Autism Month, Autism Speaks commits to their vision of a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential. This includes access to information and services as a universal right, regardless of geographical or societal boundaries. Autism Speaks’ CEO Keith Wargo commits to listening; funding research, grants, and scholarship; lobbying for insurance and other benefits nationwide; and investing in enhancing and creating new services.
Autism Society
March 23, 2023
During Autism Awareness Month, the Autism Society is highlighting the diversity of experiences and needs of individuals on the autism spectrum, stating that acceptance happens every day. In the coming year, Autism Society plans to expand its efforts to increase provider training and accessibility to vaccination, deliver first responder training, increase employment rates and advocate for fair wages, and deepen their focus on health equity.
April 2023 is Autism Acceptance Month
OCALI
April 2023
During the month of April, OCALI is sharing information and resources to support people on the autism spectrum across the lifespan, form early childhood to adulthood. Each week they will feature resources on different topics from the Autism Center, Center for the Young Child, Lifespan Transitions Center, the Family and Community Outreach Center, and the Office of Policy. Click the link above to view these resources.
Events
Autism Science Foundation
March 30, 2023; 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. ET
Autism Science Foundation’s Day of Learning is a conference that features TED-style talks. These conferences bring top researchers together with autism stakeholders to share cutting-edge research findings and to discuss priority issues.
Transformation: Toward a Neuro-Inclusive World for All
United Nations
April 2, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
In recent years, due to the efforts of advocates, more researchers and academics are incorporating the neurodiversity paradigm into their work. This has resulted in the moving the narrative away from curing autism and towards accepting, supporting, and including autistic people, their allies, and the wider neurodiversity community. At this event, autistic people from around the world will discuss this transformation and how it can be used to overcome barriers and improve the lives of people on the autism spectrum.
IACC Full Committee Meeting (Virtual)
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 10:00 a.m. ET
The purpose of the IACC meeting is to discuss business, agency updates, and issues related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research and services activities. Members will hear an update on autism prevalence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and perspectives on disparities. The meeting will be held virtually and is open to the public.
American Indian/Alaska Native Parents of Children with Autism Panel
Indian Health Service (IHS)
Wednesday, April 12, 2023; 12:00 p.m. ET
In celebration of Autism Awareness Month, the purpose of this webinar is to provide American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) parents the opportunity to share their stories as parents of children with Autism. This webinar will serve as a safe place for healthcare providers and community members to become more aware of the unique experiences of AI/AN families and to ask questions.
Sponsored by OARC
NIMH/OARC Special Event for Autism Awareness Month - A Portrait of Autism: Artists and Their Works
Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC)
April 14, 2023; 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) are pleased to host their 10th Annual Autism Awareness Month Special Event, A Portrait of Autism: Artists and Their Works. The virtual event will feature 4 artists, who will talk about how their experiences as autistic individuals have shaped their artistic expression. The event will include a sampling of their artwork and a Q&A with the artists.
Canadian Autism Leadership Summit
Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance (CASDA)
April 17-19, 2023
This year the theme of CASDA’s annual summit is “Building a More Inclusive Canada.” The goal of this summit is to advance Canada’s autism strategy and to strengthen the autism community’s collective voice.
Identifying Early Brain Markers in Infancy in Autism and Associated Developmental Disabilities
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
April 20, 2023; 1:00 p.m. ET
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) will host a special event titled "Identifying Early Brain Markers in Infancy in Autism and Associated Developmental Disabilities" for World Autism Awareness Month on Thursday, April 20, 2023 from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET. This event will feature Dr. Mark Shen, Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The Importance of Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Use of the M-CHAT
Indian Health Service (IHS)
April 27, 2023; 2:00 p.m. ET
This webinar will focus on developing providers’ skills in the early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) markers, understanding of ASD-specific screening tools, with an in-depth discussion on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and utilizing ASD screening tools in clinics. Focus will also include discussion of follow-up steps to take when a child is identified as “at risk.” Teaching tools will include a resource page, decision tree charts and quick facts for providers.
###Underestimated: An Autism Miracle
BY JB Handley and Jamison Handley
In Underestimated: An Autism Miracle, Generation Rescue’s cofounder J.B. Handley and his teenage son Jamison tell the remarkable story of Jamison’s journey to find a method of communication that allowed him to show the world that he was a brilliant, wise, generous, and complex individual who had been misunderstood and underestimated by everyone in his life.The Environmental And Genetic Causes of Autism
By James Lyons-Weiler, PhD
The Environmental and Genetic Causes of Autism delves deep into the full body of past and current research to reveal how genetic predispositions and environmental factors can combine to produce the conditions autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
While most autism researchers focus on either environmental or genetic causes of autism, Lyons-Weiler’s opus demonstrates that to fully understand the condition and to finally put its rate on the decrease, it is essential to pay attention to the science showing how the two classes of factors interact.
Autism Speaks has done nothing all these years to help those who are more severely affected and lower functioning than the higher functioning ones who are capable of living a normal life. Our children, who are now adults, are still struggling with basic skills and abilities that they will continue to live with for the rest of their lives. We need research from small pharmaceutical companies that are doing clinical trials to help find a real answer for a cure for the true autism condition. We need it soon before we are gone and can no longer be here for our disabled loved ones.
Posted by: Gayle | April 17, 2023 at 06:41 PM
An wasted entire life time , and getting to be a rather long life time at that, of having to put up with these liars, and really evil people; pretending to be caring, loving, good people.
So what kind of employment did they suggest, and how can they help get those jobs? They going to go into the employers and give them tax write offs? I found out here in Kentucky that is a joke, the amount is so low, and often unclaimable.
And Who are these gifted autistics that have gifted the world with their talents? Oh Isac Newton, really? Prove it.
Oh, for sure it was Albert Einstein. Really? I doubt it. Oh it is Elon Musk. Oh, give me a break, a bunch of liars.
Posted by: Benedetta | April 17, 2023 at 12:08 PM