CAA Success Stories
Bloggers Relate How the Landmark 2006 Law Changed Their Lives
The Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011 would reauthorize the landmark Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006, securing the federal response to the national and public health emergency posed by autism spectrum disorders (ASDs.) Key components in the original landmark legislation will expire on September 30, threatening further federal support for critical research, services and treatment for ASDs. Families across the United States have shared how funding under the CAA has changed their lives and why it is so critical to maintain a strong federal role in research and treatment. Click here to learn more.
July 6, 2011
Unraveling a Mystery in Nebraska
 A conversation with Cynthia Schauss, mother of Ashlyn Schauss
Of the many enigmas that confront the autism community, understanding Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS) has proven one of the most perplexing. In fact, just 600 cases have been identified, although the actual prevalence is believed to be far higher. PMS is caused by the absence of genes at the tip of the 22nd chromosome; the lack of the “Shank3 / ProSAP2” gene in particular is suspected as the primary cause of the symptoms associated with PMS.
Cynthia Schauss has come to learn about Phelan-McDermid Syndrome in raising her eight-year-old daughter Ashlyn in Bennington, NE, just outside of Omaha. Read more....
June 22, 2011
Jump Start to Success in Seattle
 A conversation with Stacey Auger
Stacey Auger is a Seattle-area grandmother who serves as primary caregiver to her toddler grandson, Ayden, who was diagnosed with ASD at 15 months. Thanks to research funding provided through the Combating Autism Act of 2006, Stacey and Ayden took part in a University of Washington (UW) clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a promising new early intensive behavioral intervention program called the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), for toddlers as young as 12 months of age.
Read more...
June 15, 2011
A 'Godsend' for Families in Arkansas
by Dianna Varady
Arkansas Statewide Chapter Advocacy Chair, Autism Speaks
What a difference six years makes. In July of 2005, my husband and I were in a meeting with our son’s treatment team when we were told very bluntly, “We think you’re dealing with an autism spectrum disorder here.” Difficult to hear, but exactly what I needed to pull my head out of the sand and get to work. I wanted answers….how did this happen and what do we do now???
It took us about three days to discover that we had a world-renowned autism researcher right here in Arkansas. Dr. Jill James at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute was studying folate metabolism in children with Down syndrome when she accidently stumbled upon a significantly abnormal metabolic profile in one of her control subjects – a sibling of one of her study subjects who was diagnosed with autism. Pretty soon she had identified several more children with autism who had the same bizarre profile. Read more....
June 8, 2011
Promises Kept--NJ Congressmen Lead the Way on CARA
by Christine Bakter
New Jersey Statewide Chapter Advocacy Chair, Autism Speaks
Since its inception, I have enthusiastically participated in the Autism Speaks advocacy initiative, Autism Votes. My work began with a number of New Jersey federal legislators to garner support for the Combating Autism Act, initially introduced in the Senate in 2005 by former Senator Chris Dodd (CT) and former Senator Rick Santorum (PA).
Armed with talking points for the Combating Autism Act (CAA), New Jersey Autism Speaks advocates entered the offices of newly appointed Senator Robert Menendez in the spring of 2006, unsure of what to expect. The only constant in politics is change – and our delegation was dealing with an unknown. Senator Menendez, the former Congressman of New Jersey’s 13th District, had been appointed in late 2005 to serve out the remainder of outgoing Senator turned Governor-elect Jon Corzine’s term, which was due to expire at the end of the year. We were successful in securing the support for the CAA from both New Jersey Senators and several Congressmen in 2005 right after its introduction, but none of us attending the meeting that day hailed from the 13th district. As such, we weren’t entirely sure where the new Senator stood on autism or how strong his support would be. Read more...
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