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e-Speaks: Illinois Autism Insurance Bill; IAN Reports on Special

Diets; Society for Neuroscience Meeting

e-Speaks || December 5, 2008

Illinois General Assembly Passes Autism Insurance Bill

In yet another key victory for children with autism, on November 20, the

Illinois General Assembly passed Senate Bill 934, an amendment that requires

private health insurance companies to provide coverage of evidence-based,

medically necessary autism treatments and therapies. To learn more about

Senate Bill 934 and to find out what you can do to help the bill become law,

click here. To stay informed about 2009 federal and state autism insurance

reform legislation, sign up for action alerts here.

IAN Reports on Special Diets

The Interactive Autism Network (IAN), which collects information via the

Internet from families of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)

throughout the U.S., surveyed parents on the use of special diets as

treatment. In this report, IAN researchers share data on what parents have

reported about their use of special diets, including the

gluten-free/casein-free diet. Read more.

2008 Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting Spotlights Autism Treatment

Washington, D.C. played host to more than 30,000 neuroscientists from around

the world, including many Autism Speaks grantees, for the five-day Society

for Neuroscience meeting November 15-19. Amidst many exciting developments

in all fields of neuroscience, a theme of treatment of the component

features of autism emerged. Read an overview of this year's conference here.

Read more about progress in autism brain tissue research with highlights of

Autism Tissue Program researcher projects here.

Special Issue of Autism Highlights Early Detection and Screening Methods

A special issue of the journal Autism focusing on early detection has been

made available online. The articles featured in this issue, many authored by

members of Autism Speaks' Baby Siblings Research Consortium, provide

important insights into early development processes and behavioral markers

of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), extend evaluation of ASD screening tools

to younger age groups, and explore how coming to terms with the diagnosis

can have a positive impact on parent-child interactional style. The journal,

available free online until Jan. 31, 2009, can be found here.

New York Islanders Host Autism Awareness Night

On Nov. 15, the New York Islanders hosted " Hockey with a Heart, " an autism

awareness night at Nassau Coliseum in Hempstead, N.Y. Prior to the start of

the game, J. Giangregorio, the Executive Committee Chair for the

Long Island Walk Now for Autism, was presented with an $18,000 check in an

on-ice ceremony. Read more and view photos here.

" Train 4 Autism " and Raise Money for Autism Speaks

Running in a race or training for a triathlon? Join Train 4 Autism and help

raise much-needed funds for autism research! Click here to learn more.

Great Gifts for Him, Glamorous Gifts for Her

Need a holiday gift for a special person? Check out great gifts for him,

including neckties, golf attire and outerwear. Glamorous gifts for the lady

in your life include dazzling jewelry, plush bathrobes and colorful scarves.

All gifts promote a message of autism awareness and proceeds benefit Autism

Speaks.

Share Your Holiday Tips with Our Community!

Do you have ideas or anecdotes that may help other families with autism

prepare for the upcoming holiday season? Send them to us at

editors@.... We will include these in our next issue of

e-Speaks.

In Their Own Words: 's Club

In our latest " In Their Own Words " essay, a mother tells how her son with

autism spread a message of autism awareness and acceptance by starting an

Autism Speaks Student Club at his middle school. Read more.

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