One child in every 110 in the U.S. is now diagnosed to be somewhere on the spectrum of autism. We step back from public controversies over causes and cures and explore the mystery and meaning of autism in one family's life, and in history and society. Our guests say that life with their child with autism has deepened their understanding of human nature — of disability, and of creativity, intelligence, and accomplishment.

"No qualified handicapped individual shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives or benefits from Federal financial assistance."(10)

According to the Montana Department of Public Heath & Human Services, about 35 babies are born in the Treasure State every day.Shortly after birth, a blood sample is taken for all newborns and shipped to the state lab in Helena. There, the Serology & Newborn Screening Lab tests for 28 conditions.

Yes, you read right: The National Federation of the Blind and Virginia Tech have just announced they're working together to build a car that a visually impaired person can drive independently.

Watch this fascinating talk visually unfold before you through witty and beautiful illustration. Dan Pink makes the case that there are hidden truths behind what really motivates us. Namely that it's not the age-old motivators of money and power that drives us, but our desire for autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

MCHA will begin accepting applications for this new option on July 1, 2010.  The first date that coverage can be effective is August 1, 2010.  Please keep in mind that applications received on the 1st through the 15th of the month may have an effective date of the first of the following month.  Applications received the 16th through 31st may have an effective date of the 15th of the following month.  To qualify, an individual must be a citizen or national of the United States, or lawfully present, must be a Montana resident, must have a preexisting medical condition and must have been uninsured for at least 6 months before applying for the federal program. Enrollment in the federal MAC Plan is limited and on a first-come basis. 

Epilepsy Foundation Northwest Camp Discovery August 31–September 3 The Epilepsy Foundation Northwest’s Camp Discovery, located at Camp Fire USA’s Camp Killoqua in Stanwood, Wash. (Snohomish County), is a 4-day, 3-night camp for children and teenagers, ages 7–17, with epilepsy. It’s a great opportunity for kids to experience the fun of camp activities—swimming, fishing, sports, hiking and more—all designed to be accessible and adapted to campers’ individual needs and abilities, all in a safe, medically monitored setting. The camp is free to kids with epilepsy and costs $150 for siblings. Scholarships are available for qualified individuals, based on availability and financial need. Contact Brent Herrmann at 206-547-4551, or register at www.epilepsynw.org.

A product promoted to parents of children with autism is not a harmless dietary supplement, as claimed, but a toxic unapproved drug that lacks adequate warnings about potential side effects, including hair loss and abnormalities of the pancreas, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned in a letter to its maker.

Some changes are being made in response to thousands of public comments on the forthcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but the autism recommendations will likely remain unaltered. A series of recommendations were released in February as experts from the American Psychiatric Association work to draft the fifth edition of the DSM, which is expected in May 2013. In response, more than 8,600 public comments flooded the organization, most of which were related to proposed changes to the way autism is diagnosed.

The Advocacy Institute is pleased to offer unlimited access to a selection of our Advocate Academy Webinar archives during Summer 2010. Each archive will be available for 2 weeks. Archives are 90 minutes in length. You can start, stop, pause, fast forward or rewind the recording using the controls on the ReadyTalk player. Be sure to have Adobe FLASH Player installed on your computer to view the archives!

Participants at the 4th Annual Beautiful Minds Walk look toward the sky Saturday after releasing balloons marked with the names of friends and family members who struggle with mental illness or have committed suicide as a result of mental illness.

My son Leo's life was transformed when a five-dollar raffle ticket turned into a brand-new iPad. I'm not exaggerating. Before the iPad, Leo's autism made him dependent on others for entertainment, play, learning, and communication. With the iPad, Leo electrifies the air around him with independence and daily new skills. People who know Leo are amazed when they see this new boy rocking that iPad. I'm impressed, too, especially when our aggressively food-obsessed boy chooses to play with his iPad rather than eat. I don't usually dabble in miracle-speak, but I may erect a tiny altar to Steve Jobs in the corner of our living room.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) delivered the following statement today as he chaired his hearing on the State of the American Child. Dodd, the Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families, will hold a series of hearings this year that will focus on the challenges facing our children and families and the tools they need to succeed in today’s society.

Seven-year-old Alex Rowe, who has a rare bleeding disorder, soon will have private health insurance again.  He is among more than 5 million Americans under the age of 19 with a pre-existing medical condition who cannot be denied coverage by insurance companies beginning as early as September under a key provision of the health care reform law. Covering consumers with pre-existing health problems has long been a point of contention and figured prominently in the national health reform debate.

Welcome to Montana Digital Academy! MTDA provides innovative online coursework to Montana's K-12 students 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This fall, MTDA will offer 43 high school online courses ranging from core subject areas to world languages and unique electives taught by Montana-licensed teachers. Courses are delivered via the Internet and available to students throughout the state. In the future, coursework will be available for middle and elementary students. For the 2010-2011 school year, courses will be offered at no cost.

Steve Jobs also delivered a trademark "one more thing" at this year's WWDC. This time out, it was a new telephony product called FaceTime. There have already been various attempts at this, including the HTC Evo's front-facing camera and third-party video conferencing aps, but FaceTime presents the most user-friendly application of the technology. There is no set up, and it is fully integrated into the OS, making it extremely simple to use.

I want to highlight something that was touched upon in the FaceTime video shown at the WWDC. Not much been written about it, but the example shown had a powerful message to a specific community. I grew up in a home with a blind grandmother. The telephone was one of the bright spots in her life. She could not see, but she could speak and hear things like Books for the Blind, which in those days were delivered on vinyl records. She also spoke to family and friends on the phone. Those conversations were very important to her.

However, for the deaf community, the telephone has no meaning. They can't just pick up the phone and talk to friends and family. Only recently has the cell phone become an important communication tool for them—texting has been a godsend. Face-to-face, they use sign language and facial expressions to communicate. The Apple video demonstrated showed a deaf couple signing to each other from separate locations.

The Foundations Project is asking parents of young children with disabilities about how they think about their children’s learning skills to help them become more independent in the future and able to speak for themselves as they grow older. We believe that young children who know how to calm themselves (called self-regulation), make and express their choices, and engage in activities with necessary help, are laying the foundations for later self-determination. Most young children develop these skills naturally as they grow. But sometimes children with disabilities need adults in their lives to help nourish those skills. It makes sense that children can learn these skills more rapidly when all the adults in their lives – parents and teachers – are working together. Please complete the survey that follows about your child’s strengths and challenges in self-regulation, choice-making, and engagement. We also ask you to share ideas and strategies that you use to encourage your child. Also, we want to hear your opinion about what it takes to make a successful partnership between home and school so that you and your child’s teacher can work together on these issues.

This knowledge path about child and adolescent health insurance and access to care has been compiled by the Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University. It offers a selection of current, high-quality resources that analyze data, describe effective programs, and report on policy and research aimed at advancing health coverage and improving health care access for children and adolescents. Emphasis is placed on Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Separate sections present resources for professionals (health professionals, program administrators, policymakers, and researchers) and for families. A special topics section presents resources that address health reform, outreach and enrollment, and school-based and school-linked care. This knowledge path will be updated periodically.

Created by moms, StorySnoops offers children's book reviews from a parent's perspective. Want to find fiction that interests your 9-18 year old? Curious about its content? Find it on our site and we'll give you the scoop!