Lighthouse Autism Center Blog

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 […]

The World Lit Up for Autism Awareness Day On April 2 2014, Autism Speaks celebrated World Autism Awareness Day with the 5th annual Light It Up Blue campaign and a series of awareness events. Over 10,000 homes, businesses and landmarks in 136 countries on 7 continents lit up blue to shine a bright light on […]

ANNAPOLIS (May 5, 2014) — Gov. Martin O’Malley today signed a professional licensing bill for behavior analysts, the final step in Maryland’s multi-year effort to require insurance coverage of medically necessary autism treatment. By virtue of the bill-signing, Maryland became the 37th state to enact autism insurance reform. The bill-signing by O’Malley followed the enactment of new regulations […]

The implementation of autism insurance laws has been frustrated at times by demands that practitioners of applied behavior analysis (ABA) gain a state license before their services can qualify for reimbursement — even in states that do not have licenses for behavior analysts. The Autism Speaks Legal Resource Center joined recently in a lawsuit that successfully overturned […]

Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) and Institute for Behavioral Training (IBT) today announced that they will partner to train first responders on how to approach and interact with individuals with autism spectrum disorder beginning in April for Autism Awareness Month. IBT has trained over 3,000 people across the United States and various countries […]