Sparking strong reaction from doctors and child development experts, an influential task force says there’s “insufficient evidence” to argue definitely that the benefits of screening all young children for autism outweigh the harms.
autism
Posted inHealth
Hospital for Special Care opening state’s first autism inpatient unit
The Hospital for Special Care announced plans to open an eight-bed inpatient unit next month for young people with autism spectrum disorders as well as aggression, self-injury or severely impaired functioning – something hospital officials and advocates say will be an alternative to children being sent to out-of-state facilities, treatment progams that don’t meet their needs, or getting stuck in an emergency room while waiting for services.
Posted inHealth
Advocates: Medicaid’s autism coverage plan would keep kids from services
Advocates say the state’s proposed regulations for autism treatment coverage contain so many potential barriers that many children would be unlikely to get services, face major delays in treatment or struggle to find a provider who could meet the requirements.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Former senator’s 450-lb weight loss leads to a charity
Former state Sen. Joseph H. Harper, D-New Britain, is celebrating his 450-pound weight loss with a fundraiser for an autism charity associated with the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain, the institution that guided his weight loss.
Posted inEducation, Health
To explain living with autism, stories of kindness and challenges
Lynn Ricci is grateful for the grocery store clerks who answer her 18-year-old son’s many questions. She and others wrote about the kindness they encounter and challenges they face for a website aimed at helping families affected by autism, and at helping others understand what it’s like to have a child with a disability.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Op-ed: We need a more powerful action plan to deal with autism
Study after study has shown that early intervention in children with autism leads to a better outcome.
Posted inNews
New autism program only underscores extreme need
The years of work that went into the Hospital for Special Care’s plan to open an autism center gave officials there a sense of the need for services. But the demand hit home the morning after a local newspaper detailed the New Britain hospital’s plans. “We got a phone call by 9 o’clock from a […]