Article | September 15, 2023What’s in a Name? The History of Autism Spectrum Disorder According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism spectrum disorder is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S. It’s also one of the most talked about in the media and by families across the country. But where did the term autism spectrum disorder or ASD come from? To find out where it … Read article
Article | September 14, 2023Words Matter Language is the primary tool we use to understand and relate to each other. Using inclusive language to refer to people in communities different from our own, reflects our respect for and understanding of that community. A few words can mean the difference between a compliment and an insult, sympathy and disdain, or clarity and … Read article
Article | September 13, 2023Virtual Support, Real Progress Telehealth has gone through a major transformation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once narrowly used, it was widely adopted during the lockdowns of 2020. Many families turned to telehealth to continue essential care for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs). That shift helped change the conversation about where … Read article
Article | August 22, 2023Solving the Access Issue Once and For All With today’s behavioral health care staffing shortages and increasing prevalence of developmental disabilities and autism, it’s a major challenge to create enough capacity to be able to serve these communities. But payers’ network adequacy is a key factor affecting access to care and it’s getting more attention from lawmakers because of “ghost networks,” particularly in … Read article
Article | June 29, 2023Tips for Summer Trips Summer is a season of change. The established routines of the school year have come to an end and new patterns take their place. For many families, summer vacations are the ultimate change in their routine. If you have a child with autism, this can be both an opportunity and a challenge. With the Covid-19 … Read article
Article | June 16, 2023Awareness For All Every parent worries about their children. How will they do in school, how do I keep them healthy, how do I help ensure they have a better life? Today, 1 in 36 families will discover they also must learn about how autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will affect their child’s life. And of that group, between … Read article
Press release | June 12, 2023Study Suggests Parents Benefit When They Lead Care for Autistic Children Families raising a child with autism often face significant challenges in ensuring their child receives proper care. Recent research shows a common treatment for autistic children may offer added benefits when led by parents, rather than paraprofessionals. Parents who lead the treatment see increased confidence in their parenting ability according to a study of 152 families with … Read press release
Article | May 23, 2023Catalight on the World Stage For the first time since 2019, the world’s premier autism research conference was back in person, this year in Stockholm, and I attended with my colleagues Dr. Linsey Sneed and our CEO Susan Armiger. We were reminded of how important it is – both for us as researchers and clinicians and for Catalight as a … Read article
Article | May 23, 2023One Size Doesn’t Fit All A diverse array of needs requires new thinking and new treatment options to better support people with developmental disabilities. Given the expanding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and the introduction of parity laws to better support people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DDs), we are seeing a wide range of needs and an opportunity to … Read article
Article | May 22, 2023How Technology Solutions Support people with Intellectual and Developmental disabilities (I/DD) The prevalence of intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) is on the rise1 and so is our interest in using technology as a way to improve the quality of life of people with I/DD. Today approximately 6.5 million people in the United States have an intellectual disability. Technology solutions vary from ‘low tech’ (paper calendar) to ‘high … Read article
