Lighthouse Autism Center Blog

Autism Speaks, the Simons Foundation and the Autism Science Foundation have launched “It Takes Brains,” the new donor registration site for Autism BrainNet. Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Rob Ring joined Autism BrainNet Director David Amaral and the Simons Foundation’s Marta Bennedetti in making the announcement at the annual Stakeholders Luncheon at the International Meeting for […]

With Insurance Payments Being Cut, What’s Happening to the Autism Industry? Autism is big business in Indiana.   Therapists work with kids with autism at the Behavior Analysis Center for Autism in Fishers. (IBJ photo/Eric Learned) Since 2001, when Indiana became the first state to require health insurers to cover autism therapy in a meaningful […]

The fourth round of the AGI Residential/Daily Living Support Course will begin Monday, June 23rd! This first-of-its-kind course, funded by a 2011 Autism Speaks grant to the Autistic Global Initiative of the Autism Research Institute, was developed by a team of 15 curriculum experts from across the United States and is instructed by world-renowned faculty. The Autistic Global Initiative is […]

The World’s Largest Genomic Database on Autism Autism Speaks, an autism science and advocacy organization, is launching a program to develop the world’s largest database of genomic sequence information on people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. It’s partnering with Google to store the database, called the Autism Speaks Ten Thousand Genomes Program (AUT10K), on […]

The parents of children with autism often have to cut back on or quit work, and once they reach adulthood, people on the autism spectrum have limited earning potential. Those income losses, plus the price of services make autism one of the costliest disabilities – adding $2.4 million across the lifespan if the person has […]

A new study reveals that exposure to environmental pollution may cause autism or schizophrenia. While the link pollution and autism has previously been investigated, researchers from the University of Rochester have uncovered the biological mechanism that may explain how pollution can put people at a higher risk for both autism and schizophrenia. “From a toxicological […]

My Job Chart is visually stimulating, engaging and most importantly, FUN! Hard work and money management are two critical skills for individuals with autism of all ages and My Job Chart provides an interactive way to learn both! Here is what one mom had to say: “One of the tools we found to help my son […]

A Day at the Speedway – A Nascar Experience for Autistic Children   Dover, Del. (June 1, 2014) — Dozens of families from our community got to partake in “Autism Speaks Day at The Races.”  It was a unique opportunity for those on the autism spectrum and their families to attend a NASCAR race in a […]

Today the World Health Assembly adopted a formal resolution making autism a global health priority. The assembly is the governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO). As such, the resolution brings a formal commitment by member states of the United Nations. Autism Speaks’ Andy Shih announced the good news of the WHO resolution on […]

Computer Program Helps Adults with Autism Prepare for Job Interviews Knowing what an employer wants to hear can make all the difference during a job interview. For adults with an autism-spectrum disorder, those answers can be harder to come by. And without work, they face the prospect of a much less independent life. But early […]

In response to widespread confusion over autism and insurance coverage, Autism Speaks is introducing a new interactive web tool to help families determine whether they should be entitled to coverage through their specific health plan. Called the Autism Speaks Insurance Link, the new tool leads families through a short series of questions to determine whether their policy covers common autism treatments, such […]