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Showing posts with label insurance coverage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insurance coverage. Show all posts

April 30, 2013

The reality of finding a job with autism


Sarah Still has Aspergers and has spent years working a variety of jobs that don't seem to fit her needs.
By Jareen Imam, CNN

Editor's note: As we wrap up Autism Awareness Month on Tuesday, visit the CNN Facebook page for a live discussion on autism and the workplace at 2:30 p.m. ET. iReporters and experts will be taking questions and sharing their experiences.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Sarah Still is on the autism spectrum and has tried for years to find a job that suits her
  • More organizations are specializing in placing those with autism into jobs
  • Experts explain why it is difficult for those on the spectrum to find jobs on their own
  • Support at work can help those on the spectrum stay in jobs longer
(CNN) -- Smiling is something 30-year-old Sarah Still constantly has to remind herself to do, especially when she is going into a job interview.
Still has Asperger's, a high-functioning form of autism. For the past 10 years, she has experienced the highs and lows of being on the autism spectrum while trying to work in professional settings.
It is not as though Still cannot get a job -- in fact, her resume is full of them, ranging from room attendant at Yellowstone National Park to receptionist at a massage parlor. It's keeping the jobs that has been the issue... more >

November 19, 2012

Families Brace For Changes In Autism Diagnosis

By MAGALY OLIVERO, Conn. Health I-Team Writer | The Hartford Courant

Proposed changes to the official autism diagnosis are raising concerns among advocates and families with many fearing the new criteria will lead to a loss of services and a sense of identity for some high-functioning individuals with special needs.


"There's no question some people (on the autism spectrum) will lose services," said Dr. Fred Volkmar, an renowned expert on autism and director of the Yale Child Study Center. Volkmar was the lead author of a study that found that only 45 percent of those currently diagnosed with higher functioning forms of autism would meet the new criteria.

The concern has led a coalition of groups within the autism community to urge licensed clinicians worldwide to take part in an online research survey to gauge the impact of the new criteria, according to Katie Weisman, SafeMinds director of communications and policy. SafeMinds, the Holland Center and other organizations created the site: http://www.dsm5asdsurvey.org...  READ MORE >

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net