Latest news with #NationalAutismAcceptanceMonth
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Peoria professional speaks about rise in autism cases, shift to acceptance over awareness
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Autism cases are rising nationally, and this includes in central Illinois. But the rise, according to a clinical supervisior at Easterseals Central Illinois's Peoria location, is due to the improvements made to the detection process. 'I do think that there is a rise in autism,' said Nichole Ruddell, applied behavior analysis clinical supervisor. 'However, I also think that we are getting a lot better at detecting signs of autism. There's a lot of other things that go into it that used to very clearly not be part of the diagnostic criteria, but now they are.' This comes after the CDC reported cases of Autism went up for children eight-years-old from 2020 to 2022, with one in 31 eight-year-olds from 16 states having a diagnosis. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy called autism an 'epidemic' with CBS News reporting a push back to this name writing, 'experts and advocacy groups have criticized [the description] as stigmatizing and misleading.' Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says US autism cases are climbing at an 'alarming rate' April is National Autism Acceptance Month, which includes recognizing other people's experiences and leading with an identity first approach. 'There's a shift right now from autism awareness to autism acceptance, and not only understanding what autism is and how it affects different people,' Ruddell said, 'but also being accepting and inclusive.' Ruddell's occupation, ABA, allows kids and/or clients space to express themselves and learn new skills. To read more about Easterseals and their practice, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New business for neurodiverse children and families opens during National Autism Acceptance Month
EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – A new business is catering to neurodiverse children and their families in Hampshire County. It's National Autism Acceptance Month, so this business comes at a perfect time, when more community spaces are needed for children on the autism spectrum. The residents of Easthampton saw this need in the community. 'We're seeing a clear community need for additional support, programming and education for some of our youngest residents who have a completely different way of communicating, interacting and growing in the world,' said Nicole LaChapelle, Mayor of Easthampton. Autism prevalence fuels push for Turning 22 supports Three women, Amy Christiansen, Suzanne Hopkins, and Sunia Hood, used their personal experience and research over the last five months to find a solution to support neurodiverse children and their families. Right next to Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, they opened up The Neuro Bridge on Wednesday. It's an organization that aims to provide unique sensory, social, and emotional needs in an inclusive environment. 'So what we're doing on Saturdays from 1:00 to 5:00, we have a play group, its a sensory friendly play group, where we'll work with the kiddos on socializing and developmental skills, so its an opportunity for parents to step away,' said Amy Christiansen, co-founder of The Neuro Bridge. If it gets too loud or too crowded, children can come into another room, called the Quiet Zone, where the lights are dimmed to calm their sensory system. Other rooms will be used for family consultations, caregiver support groups, and hands-on workshops for a reasonable cost. 'We're hoping to do some work with the Department of Developmental Services to help navigate how parents and families can find funding opportunities,' Christiansen said. They'll also be working with hair salons and restaurants to train their employees on how to work with kids on the spectrum. Their goal is to make families feel comfortable going out in public no matter what. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Glynn County Police wear blue badges for National Autism Acceptance Month
Officers at the Glynn County Police Department in Southeast Georgia are wearing blue rubber badges to support National Autism Acceptance Month. Action News Jax discovered this gesture was due to one officer's personal experience at home. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder are seven times more likely to come into contact with police. To help raise awareness, the Glynn County Police Department created the blue rubber badge as a symbol of their autism support. Read: How multilingualism may boost cognitive skills in children with autism All officers will wear the badge every April for National Autism Acceptance Month. Blue badges for GCPD! April is recognized as National Autism Acceptance Month. To mark the occasion, Glynn County... Posted by Glynn County Police Department on Thursday, April 3, 2025 Lt. Keith Stalvey, who came up with this idea, said the issue hits close to home for him since his 23-year-old daughter has autism. 'My daughter, she does something that pretty much surprises us every day,' Stalvey said. Read: Castillo De San Marcos becomes Certified Autism Center We asked whether this badge would lead to additional police training on how to deal with people with autism. Lt. Stalvey told us no, but he explained that the department already undergoes specialized training in this regard. He said their main focus is 'Being able to identify different characteristics of the individual where it's possible that they are special needs.' 'It's literally impossible for an officer not to have some type of interaction with a person with autism. Statistically impossible,' Stacey Hoaglund, President of the Autism Society of Florida, said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Hoaglund said her organization has trained thousands of police officers in the state on how to interact with the autism community. She added that the organization even pushed for House Bill 1273 and Senate Bill 1554, which would require police to be trained on how to interact with people with autism. However, the bills did not pass this year. 'So, the reason that we're hearing is that there was a disagreement from the Florida Sheriffs Association about the bill,' Hoaglund said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Hoaglund said she trains officers to learn two simple methods when encountering people with autism: 'Address autism when you come upon them and also how to de-escalate,' Hoaglund said. Action News Jax reported that law enforcement in Clay, St. Johns, and Duval counties have already gone through specialized training on how to interact with individuals with autism. Over 120 officers are wearing this blue badge at the Glynn County Police Department and will continue to do so until the end of April. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
