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Autism Society Applauds New Legislation; Calls for Action this May

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NEWS

Action Needed: Contact Your Representatives this May 4

for the IDEA Fairness Restoration Act

On Wednesday, May 4, please contact your representatives

in Congress and ask them to cosponsor the IDEA Fairness Restoration Act (S.613

AND H.R. 1208). This bill will allow parents to recover expert witness fees when

they prevail in due process hearings and court actions under the IDEA. Read

more...

Autism Society Applauds the Introduction of the Safe

Chemicals Act of 2011

Signaling their clear intention to protect families from

toxic chemicals linked to serious health problems, Senators Lautenberg,

Barbara Boxer, Amy Klobuchar, Schumer and others introduced the Safe

Chemicals Act last week to upgrade America's outdated system for managing

chemical safety. Read more.

New Legislation Proposes to Meet Comprehensive Needs of

All Affected by Autism

As American families affected by autism are struggling

now more than ever to provide for their loved ones, the Autism Society thanks

five U.S. Senators who last week introduced a comprehensive strategy to address

the needs of families. U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Casey (D-PA),

Menendez (D-NJ), Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

have cosponsored the Autism Services and Workforce Acceleration Act, which would

authorize federal funding for a wide range of service, treatment, support and

research initiatives. Read more.

New Bill Looks to Prevent Restraint and Seclusion in

Schools

U.S. Rep. (D-CA), the senior Democrat on

the Education and the Workforce Committee, has introduced The Keeping All

Students Safe Act, bipartisan legislation to prevent schoolchildren from being

abused as a result of inappropriate uses of restraint and seclusion, often

involving untrained staff. According to government investigations, these abusive

practices were used disproportionately on children with disabilities. The

legislation first passed the House a year ago with bipartisan support. Read

more.

Join Wretches & Jabberers on Tour this April!

The Wretches & Jabberers 40-city tour will end this

weekend with the 10 final cities. Don't miss this opportunity; click here to

purchase presale tickets: www.amctheatres.com/wretchesandjabberers. AMC Theatres

is generously donating 10 percent of ticket sales to the Autism Society to

commemorate National Autism Awareness Month. The Autism Society will use this

kind donation to increase its advocacy efforts on behalf of adults with autism.

Visit www.autism-society.org/wretchesandjabberers for more information!

Did you see the film? Click here to take our survey and

let us know what you thought.

Don't Miss the Next Sensory Friendly Film!

Join AMC Theatres and the Autism Society on April 30 for

a special showing of Rio. We will be showing the movie at 10 a.m. local time in

participating theatres nationwide. For more information or to find a theatre

near you, visit www.autism-society.org/sensoryfilms.

Missed an Episode of Autism Now, the PBS NewsHour Series

on Autism? Catch Up Online

Autism Now, the six-part series about autism airing on

PBS NewsHour, runs from April 15 to 26. Read more.

Autism Journeys: 's Story

In Autism Journeys, we ask individuals on the spectrum,

professionals and family members of all kinds to share their stories of what

they have learned in their journeys with autism. This week, a mother shares the

success of her son , who was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. Read more.

Join the Autism Society on Facebook

The Autism Society is about people helping people.

Thank you to all of our friends who log on to the Autism

Society official Facebook page to share your experiences and knowledge. You are

making a difference. Please help us reach out to more people who can benefit

from the support of others. Suggest our page to your friends! Click here to

" like " us: www.facebook.com/AutismSociety

You can also get your autism policy-related news on

Facebook by visiting Vote4Autism

Autism Headlines Weekly

The Autism Society brings you the most important autism

news from around the Web. This week, employment and adults with autism, a look

at a child who wanders and her family and a discussion about autism and college.

Read more...

ADVOCACY

Congress Passes Continuing Resolution to Fund Fiscal

Year 2011 through September; Includes Cuts

Congress wrapped up funding for FY 2011 by passing a

Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government through September 2011. The CR

includes $38 billion in cuts to federal programs, including a 0.2 percent

across-the-board cut in all non-defense spending. Read more.

House Passes Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2012;

Includes Harmful Cuts in Medicaid and Other Safety Net Programs

On a nearly party-line vote, the House of

Representatives passed a budget resolution (H Con Res 34) for Fiscal Year 2012

on Friday, April 15. The budget resolution would reduce taxes by $4.2 trillion

and cut Medicaid, Medicare, and other critical programs by $4.3 trillion over a

10-year period. Read more.

House of Representatives Passes Bill to Strip Funding of

Prevention and Public Health in Affordable Care Act

The House of Representatives has passed a bill repealing

the prevention and public health funding provision of the Affordable Care Act.

The chamber voted 236-183 to strip the mandatory funding of the trust fund. The

Senate is not likely to pass the bill, and President Obama has vowed to veto it.

Read more.

Health-Coordinated Care for People Dually Eligible for

Medicare and Medicaid

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has

contracted with 15 states to design new ways of meeting the medical needs of

about nine million people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

These people have very low incomes and complex, costly health-care needs. Read

more.

CMS Publishes Proposed Regulations on Home and

Community-Based Services

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published

a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on April 15 regarding several key aspects

of the home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver program. Public comments

on the proposed rules must be received by 5:00 pm on June 14, 2011. Read more.

Survey to Gage Accessibility for Individuals Affected by

Disabilities

The Equal Rights Center's Disability Rights Program is

in the process of examining access to travel, shopping, dining, movies

(including online streaming), and online gaming for people with disabilities.

The organization is asking people to take part in a survey. Read more.

RESEARCH

Common Genetic Cause of Autism and Epilepsy Discovered

Researchers from the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) have

identified a new gene that predisposes people to both autism and epilepsy. Read

more.

EDUCATION

Autism & Reading Comprehension

The predictable format, repetition and routine of these

lessons will create a relaxed learning environment; while the variations in the

topics will hold students' attention and help them generalize the reading skills

they need to succeed. Read more.

CONFERENCES

The Autism Society National Conference is July 6-9, 2011

There are still good booths available in the exhibit

hall as well as sponsorships and conference program advertising. We anticipate

close to 2,000 attendees this year and more than 125 exhibitors, plus speakers

from around the globe. Contact Meg at Ellacott@... or phone

302.260.9487 to learn more.

Have you Registered for the 42nd National Conference?

The Full Conference Program is Now Online.

Early Bird Registration for the National Conference ends

on May 1! Go to www.autism-society.org/conference to register today! Conference

highlights include a keynote on Saturday, July 9, with the cast and crew of

Wretches & Jabberers; keynote on Friday, July 8, to be delivered by Shonda

Schilling, author of The Best Kind of Different and mother of a son with

Asperger's. In 2010, we were able to expand our professional credit offerings

and create a comprehensive program. Read more.

RESOURCES

Do2Learn.com Offers JobTIPS for Individuals with Autism

Do2Learn.com, an innovative, online provider of

educational resources for individuals with special needs, is expanding its

website to include JobTIPS. JobTIPS offers free, " how to, " interactive materials

for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other special needs

to help them evaluate, identify, and maintain employment. Read more.

The Child with Autism Learns about Faith

Endorsed by religious leaders, this groundbreaking book

offers a step-by-step lesson plan for family members, educators and church staff

- including scripted narratives, group activities, prayers, scripture readings,

classroom setup guidance, lists of additional resources and more. Read more.

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