2nd Annual Autism Awareness Walk
Current mood: focused
Category: Travel and Places

2nd Annual Autism Awareness Walk

Autism Awareness Walk...

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Walk Now For Autism - March 28th At MOSI
Current mood: excited
Category: Travel and Places

Walk Now For Autism - March 28th At MOSI

An Event For The Whole Family...

MOSI is located in north Tampa at 4801 E. Fowler Ave., across from the USF Sun Dome, and just one mile from Busch Gardens. Parking is free at MOSI. You get free snacks and beverages & if you raise over 100$ you even get a free Walk Now For Autism 2008 T-Shirt.

Join our team!
http://www.walknowforautism.org/tampa/autieparentsunited
 
Walk Day Questions Answered
• Where do I park?
The Museum of Science and Industry is located at 4801 East Fowler Avenue Tampa, FL 33607. There is parking at the museum and overflow parking will be directed to the USF campus adjacent to MOSI.  Please follow the direction of the parking attendants.
• Where do I check-in?
Everyone MUST check-in to receive free admission into MOSI.
• Check-In will be held outside of the main entrance into the Museum. There will be several lines to choose from.
• "EZ Pass"-Registered online without money to turn in
• "Check-in"-Registered online with money to turn in
• "Team Check-In"-One person will be checking in for the entire team.
(Please coordinate this prior to check-in on walk day.)
• "Not Registered"-Have not pre-registered
• "Check-in Help & Materials"-If you have not received your donation envelope in the mail or you do not know what line will suit you best, visit the Help & Materials area for additional information.
• Will there be refreshments?
Yes,  there will be hot dogs, chips, glaseau vitamin water, popcorn, cotton candy, and snow cones.
*We will have refreshments, however; if your child has special dietary needs, please make the necessary arrangements*
• Who will be there?
Other than you...
Congresswoman Kathy Castor
Mayor Pam Iorio
Stacie Schaible
Ye Mystic Krewe of the Santa Maragrita
Local Resources
Face Painters
Geoffrey from Toys R Us...
and families like yours.
• What will I do after I walk?
Enjoy the Resource Fair, have lunch, play in the bounce houses, get your face painted, visit the Autism Votes booth and sign a petition, meet our sponsors, visit the Autism Speaks Information booth,  play on the Fire Truck, have a snow cone, and then visit MOSI.
Autism Votes & Advocacy
Make sure to visit the Autism Votes booth where you will have the opportunity to sign petitions for the Expanding the Promise for Individuals with Autism Act (EPIAA), which will provide $350 million of funding for therapies. You can sign both Senator Martinez and Senator Nelson's petitions. You can also learn more about our grassroots effort to pass an Autism Insurance Mandate here in Florida! Look for the Autism Votes booth and have your voice heard!

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Free To Be Me Carnival
Current mood: happy
Category: Travel and Places

Free To Be Me Carnival
Saturday February 21, 2009
Challenger CK-8
Spring Hill, FL

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Autism x6
Current mood: shocked
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Autism x6

Discovery Health Channel (October 1, 2008) 8PM...

2 parents are willing to share their their story with the world. They have 6 children, all on the autism spectrum.

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Autism Awareness Day At Universal Studios
Current mood: excited

Autism Awareness Day At Universal Studios

November 22, 2008, Saturday...

Autism Speaks and Universal Studios Orlando are teaming up to give those affected by autism and their immediate family a chance to enjoy a special discounted day in the park!
Tickets are $20 each and must be purchased in advance.


The $20 ticket includes: admission into the park, an Autism Speaks/Universal Studios T-Shirt, and a $10 Food Voucher.

• Register your team!
• Start recruiting family and friends to Walk!
• Design your team tee-shirt
• Get ready for a fun-filled day

Join Team Dante'

http://www.walknowforautism.org/site/c.mhLQKZPDLmF/b.3622369/

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Walk Now for Autism In Orlando
Current mood: excited
Category: Travel and Places

Walk Now for Autism In Orlando

Disney's Wide World Of Sports...

Saturday - November 15, 2008

Experience the power of thousands united by a single cause by joining Walk Now for Autism. Join Team Dante'.

http://www.walknowforautism.org/site/c.mhLQKZPDLmF/b.3622369/

Walk Now for Autism offers everyone a fun-filled experience with entertainment, refreshments, an autism community resource fair, and much, much more. Be sure to raise $100 to earn your commemorative Walk Now for Autism t-shirt. We look forward to seeing you at the event! Registration starts at 8:30 am.

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FDLERS For Special 3-4 Year Olds
Current mood: grateful
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

FDLERS For Special 3-4 Year Olds

Florida Diagnostic And Learning Resources System...

The Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS) provides diagnostic and instructional support services statewide to exceptional student education programs and families of students with exceptionalities.  FDLRS/South has produced a Community Resource Guide that includes information and services available from local, state and national resources for children with disabilities and their families. It can be downloaded from the FDLRS/South website below.

 www.fdlrs.com

*FDLERS helps children get prepared for Kindergarten and the bus. My son Dante' is in the FDLERS program right now. He goes to Pine Grove Elementary 5 times a week, from 8:50AM-3:20PM. If you have a Special Needs Child who is between the ages of 3-4, I suggest looking up FDLERS. If you are not from Florida, you can find a program in your area through the FDLERS website. If your child is under 3, I suggest getting your child into the following programs.

Early Steps offers early intervention services for families with infants and toddlers (birth to thirty-six months) who have developmental delays or an established condition likely to result in a developmental delay. Sixteen contracted local Early Steps across the state coordinate with community agencies and other contracted providers for the delivery of needed supports and services.

http://www.cms-kids.com/EarlyStepsHome.htm

http://www.thechildrensforum.com/

Florida's Transition Project is for special needs infants and young children - birth to six years of age. It assists local communities in developing a seamless system of transition.

www.floridatransitionproject.com

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Candidates - Autism/Vaccine Connection
Current mood: determined
Category: News and Politics

Candidates - Autism/Vaccine Connection

They both agree vaccines are connected to autism...

"We've seen just a skyrocketing autism rate. Some people are suspicious that it's connected to the vaccines. This person included. The science right now is inconclusive, but we have to research it." --Barack Obama, Pennsylvania Rally, April 21, 2008.

"It's indisputable that (autism) is on the rise among children, the question is what's causing it. And we go back and forth and there's strong evidence that indicates it's got to do with a preservative in vaccines." --John McCain, Texas town hall meeting, February 29, 2008.

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Barack Obama On Autism
Current mood: enlightened
Category: News and Politics

Barack Obama On Autism

Change We Can Believe In...

More than one million Americans have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), a complex condition that impacts communication, socialization, and behavior. And more cases of ASD are being recognized across the country at an alarming pace. Barack Obama believes that we must do more to help support Americans with ASD, their families, and their communities. Throughout his career, Barack Obama has worked with families affected by ASD to raise awareness and to provide support to parents and families living with ASD. As president, Obama will build on these many years of advocacy and ensure that his administration prioritizes ASD research, public awareness, and lifelong support services. Obama will seek to increase federal ASD funding for research, treatment, screenings, public awareness, and support services to $1 billion annually by the end of his first term in office. Obama will also continue to work with parents, physicians, providers, researchers, and schools to create opportunities and effective solutions for people with ASD.

Record of Leadership on ASD Research and Care: As an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama sponsored legislation that became law to create an ASD diagnosis education program, an initiative designed to promote the implementation of evidence-based practices. The goal of the project is to offer educational opportunities at all levels of care, including physicians, early intervention (EI) specialists, psychologists, teachers, day care providers, parents, respite workers, and speech and language therapists. Obama has personally worked side-by side with Illinois families affected by ASD to support efforts to build the Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research. This school and research center will bring together education, academic research, early intervention programs, and training to prepare its students for independent living. In the U.S. Senate, Obama is a cosponsor of a measure that would expand federal funding for life-long services for people with ASD, authorizing approximately $350 million in new federal funding for key programs related to treatments, interventions and services for both children and adults with ASD.

Appoint Federal ASD Coordinator to Oversee All Federal ASD Efforts: Barack Obama will ensure all federal ASD activities occur in an efficient manner that prioritizes both research and supports for families affected by ASD. Obama will appoint a Federal ASD Coordinator to oversee federal ASD research and federal efforts to improve awareness of ASD and improve the training of medical professionals to identify and treat ASD. By establishing one top-level point person to coordinate ASD efforts in the White House, Obama will ensure that ASD receives the recognition and priority it deserves in the federal government. The Federal ASD Coordinator will also be tasked with eliminating bureaucratic obstacles that may be delaying implementation of important ASD measures and ensuring that all federal ASD dollars are being spent in a manner that prioritizes results. The Coordinator will work with state task forces on ASD to ensure effective communication and collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies.

Fully Fund the Combating Autism Act and Federal Autism Research Initiatives: Barack Obama supported the Combating Autism Act of 2006, which was signed into law in December 2006. The Combating Autism Act authorizes increased federal funding for ASD research and efforts to boost public awareness and early diagnosis of ASD. Since the bill has been enacted, however, federal funding for ASD has not increased to the levels authorized by the Combating Autism Act. As a U.S. Senator, Obama has worked to fully fund the Combating Autism Act and as president, he will ensure that his administration addresses the growing impact of ASD and other special needs on American families. President Obama will fully fund the Combating Autism Act, which provides nearly $1 billion in autism-related funding over 5 years, and work with Congress, parents and ASD experts to determine how to further improve federal and state programs.

Support Special Needs Education for Children with ASD: Barack Obama understands that children with special needs – students with visual, hearing, physical, sensory, and mental impairments – require meaningful

resources to succeed both inside and outside the classroom. Obama is a strong supporter of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and supports full federal funding of the law to truly ensure that no child is left behind. The current underfunding of IDEA causes school districts throughout the country to deny necessary services to students with ASD and other special needs. Obama will also work to change IDEA's definition of "autism" to Autism Spectrum Disorders to ensure that all children diagnosed with ASD disorders receive the support they need.

Support Universal Screening: While roughly 90 percent of infants in the United States are currently screened for various potentially disabling or life-threatening conditions, fewer than half the states screen all infants for the full recommended panel of 29 disorders. Many of these conditions, if caught early, can be treated before they result in permanent impairments or even death. Barack Obama believes we should screen all infants, and also that we must set a national goal to provide re-screening for all two-year-olds, the age at which some conditions, including ASD, begin to appear. These screenings will be safe and secure, and available for every American that wants them. Part of Obama's early childhood intervention plan will be directed at coordinating fragmented community programs to help provide all children access to screening for disabilities as infants and again as two-year-olds. Achieving universal screening is essential so that disabilities can be identified early enough for those children and families to get the special supports and resources they need.

Work Together: As part of his commitment to open the doors of our government to the American people, Barack Obama is committed to facilitating open dialogue among Americans with special needs and their families, federal and state agencies, regional centers, resource centers, research institutions, school districts, first responders, and community members.

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Baracks Plan For A Healthier America
Current mood: enlightened
Category: News and Politics

Baracks Plan For A Healthier America

Change We Can Believe In...

The Problem

Millions of Americans are uninsured or underinsured because of rising medical costs: 47 million Americans — including nearly 9 million children — lack health insurance with no signs of this trend slowing down.

Health care costs are skyrocketing: Health insurance premiums have risen 4 times faster than wages over the past 6 years.

Too little is spent on prevention and public health: The nation faces epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases as well as new threats of pandemic flu and bioterrorism. Yet despite all of this less than 4 cents of every health care dollar is spent on prevention and public health.

Barack Obama's Plan

Quality, Affordable and Portable Coverage for All

• Obama's Plan to Cover Uninsured Americans: Obama will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. The Obama plan will have the following features:
  1. Guaranteed eligibility. No American will be turned away from any insurance plan because of illness or pre-existing conditions.
  2. Comprehensive benefits. The benefit package will be similar to that offered through Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the plan members of Congress have. The plan will cover all essential medical services, including preventive, maternity and mental health care.
  3. Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles.
  4. Subsidies. Individuals and families who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but still need financial assistance will receive an income-related federal subsidy to buy into the new public plan or purchase a private health care plan.
  5. Simplified paperwork and reined in health costs.
  6. Easy enrollment. The new public plan will be simple to enroll in and provide ready access to coverage.
  7. Portability and choice. Participants in the new public plan and the National Health Insurance Exchange (see below) will be able to move from job to job without changing or jeopardizing their health care coverage.
  8. Quality and efficiency. Participating insurance companies in the new public program will be required to report data to ensure that standards for quality, health information technology and administration are being met.
• National Health Insurance Exchange: The Obama plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase a private insurance plan. The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and help reform the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status. The Exchange will require that all the plans offered are at least as generous as the new public plan and have the same standards for quality and efficiency. The Exchange would evaluate plans and make the differences among the plans, including cost of services, public.
• Employer Contribution: Employers that do not offer or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan. Small employers that meet certain revenue thresholds will be exempt.
• Mandatory Coverage of Children: Obama will require that all children have health care coverage. Obama will expand the number of options for young adults to get coverage, including allowing young people up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parents' plans.
• Expansion Of Medicaid and SCHIP: Obama will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function.
• Flexibility for State Plans: Due to federal inaction, some states have taken the lead in health care reform. The Obama plan builds on these efforts and does not replace what states are doing. States can continue to experiment, provided they meet the minimum standards of the national plan.

Lower Costs by Modernizing The U.S. Health Care System

• Reducing Costs of Catastrophic Illnesses for Employers and Their Employees: Catastrophic health expenditures account for a high percentage of medical expenses for private insurers. The Obama plan would reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a threshold if they guarantee such savings are used to reduce the cost of workers' premiums.
• Helping Patients:
  1. Support disease management programs. Seventy five percent of total health care dollars are spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Obama will require that providers that participate in the new public plan, Medicare or the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) utilize proven disease management programs. This will improve quality of care, give doctors better information and lower costs.
  2. Coordinate and integrate care. Over 133 million Americans have at least one chronic disease and these chronic conditions cost a staggering $1.7 trillion yearly. Obama will support implementation of programs and encourage team care that will improve coordination and integration of care of those with chronic conditions.
  3. Require full transparency about quality and costs. Obama will require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care. Health plans will also be required to disclose the percentage of premiums that go to patient care as opposed to administrative costs.
• Ensuring Providers Deliver Quality Care:
  1. Promote patient safety. Obama will require providers to report preventable medical errors and support hospital and physician practice improvement to prevent future occurrences.
  2. Align incentives for excellence. Both public and private insurers tend to pay providers based on the volume of services provided, rather than the quality or effectiveness of care. Providers who see patients enrolled in the new public plan, the National Health Insurance Exchange, Medicare and FEHBP will be rewarded for achieving performance thresholds on outcome measures.
  3. Comparative effectiveness research. Obama will establish an independent institute to guide reviews and research on comparative effectiveness, so that Americans and their doctors will have the accurate and objective information they need to make the best decisions for their health and well-being.
  4. Tackle disparities in health care. Obama will tackle the root causes of health disparities by addressing differences in access to health coverage and promoting prevention and public health, both of which play a major role in addressing disparities. He will also challenge the medical system to eliminate inequities in health care through quality measurement and reporting, implementation of effective interventions such as patient navigation programs, and diversification of the health workforce.
  5. Insurance reform. Obama will strengthen antitrust laws to prevent insurers from overcharging physicians for their malpractice insurance and will promote new models for addressing errors that improve patient safety, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and reduce the need for malpractice suits.
• Lowering Costs Through Investment in Electronic Health Information Technology Systems: Most medical records are still stored on paper, which makes it hard to coordinate care, measure quality or reduce medical errors and which costs twice as much as electronic claims. Obama will invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records, and will phase in requirements for full implementation of health IT. Obama will ensure that patients' privacy is protected.
• Lowering Costs by Increasing Competition in the Insurance and Drug Markets: The insurance business today is dominated by a small group of large companies that has been gobbling up their rivals. There have been over 400 health care mergers in the last 10 years, and just two companies dominate a full third of the national market. These changes were supposed to make the industry more efficient, but instead premiums have skyrocketed by over 87 percent.
  1. Barack Obama will prevent companies from abusing their monopoly power through unjustified price increases. His plan will force insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums for patient care instead of keeping exorbitant amounts for profits and administration. His new National Health Exchange will help increase competition by insurers.
  2. Lower prescription drug costs. The second-fastest growing type of health expenses is prescription drugs. Pharmaceutical companies are selling the exact same drugs in Europe and Canada but charging Americans more than double the price. Obama will allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower outside the U.S. Obama will also repeal the ban that prevents the government from negotiating with drug companies, which could result in savings as high as $30 billion. Finally, Obama will work to increase the use of generic drugs in Medicare, Medicaid, and FEHBP and prohibit big name drug companies from keeping generics out of markets.

Fight for New Initiatives

• Advance the Biomedical Research Field: As a result of biomedical research the prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer and heart disease is better today than any other time in history. Barack Obama has consistently supported funding for the national institutes of health and the national science foundation. Obama strongly supports investments in biomedical research, as well as medical education and training in health-related fields, because it provides the foundation for new therapies and diagnostics. Obama has been a champion of research in cancer, mental health, health disparities, global health, women and children's health, and veterans' health. As president, Obama will strengthen funding for biomedical research, and better improve the efficiency of that research by improving coordination both within government and across government/private/non-profit partnerships. An Obama administration will ensure that we translate scientific progress into improved approaches to disease prevention, early detection and therapy that is available for all Americans.
• Fight AIDS Worldwide. There are 40 million people across the planet infected with HIV/AIDS. As president, Obama will continue to be a global leader in the fight against AIDS. Obama believes in working across party lines to combat this epidemic and recently joined Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) at a large California evangelical church to promote greater investment in the global AIDS battle.
• Support Americans with Disabilities: As a former civil rights lawyer, Barack Obama knows firsthand the importance of strong protections for minority communities in our society. Obama is committed to strengthening and better enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so that future generations of Americans with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities. Obama believes we must restore the original legislative intent of the ADA in the wake of court decisions that have restricted the interpretation of this landmark legislation.
  
  Barack Obama is also committed to ensuring that disabled Americans receive Medicaid and Medicare benefits in a low-cost, effective and timely manner. Recognizing that many individuals with disabilities rely on Medicare, Obama worked with Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) to urge the department of health and human services to provide clear and reliable information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to ensure that the Medicare recipients were protected from fraudulent claims by marketers and drug plan agents.
• Improve Mental Health Care. Mental illness affects approximately one in five American families. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that untreated mental illnesses cost the U.S. more than $100 billion per year. As president, Obama will support mental health parity so that coverage for serious mental illnesses are provided on the same terms and conditions as other illnesses and diseases.
• Protect Our Children from Lead Poisoning. More than 430,000 American children have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Lead can cause irreversible brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma and death. As president, Obama will protect children from lead poisoning by requiring that child care facilities be lead-safe within five years.
• Reduce Risks of Mercury Pollution. More than five million women of childbearing age have high levels of toxic mercury in their blood, and approximately 630,000 newborns are born at risk every year. Barack Obama has a plan to significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.
• Support Americans with Autism. More than one million Americans have autism, a complex neurobiological condition that has a range of impacts on thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. As diagnostic criteria broaden and awareness increases, more cases of autism have been recognized across the country. Barack Obama believes that we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism. He has been a strong supporter of more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research on the root causes and treatments, and he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind.
  
  More than anything, autism remains a profound mystery with a broad spectrum of effects on autistic individuals, their families, loved ones, the community, and education and health care systems. Obama believes that the government and our communities should work together to provide a helping hand to autistic individuals and their families.

Barack Obama's Record

• Health Insurance: In 2003, Barack Obama sponsored and passed legislation that expanded health care coverage to 70,000 kids and 84,000 adults. In the U.S. Senate, Obama cosponsored the Healthy Kids Act of 2007 and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007 to ensure that more American children have affordable health care coverage.
• Women's Health: Obama worked to pass a number of laws in Illinois and Washington to improve the health of women. His accomplishments include creating a task force on cervical cancer, providing greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helping improve prenatal and premature birth services.

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Eczema Awareness
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Life

Eczema Awareness

My Youngest Son 'Mason' Suffers From Eczema...

Eczema is a very common skin ailment, and one that causes much unnecessary suffering. It is also known as dermatitis, and is in fact not one skin condition but several. Eczema comes in very different types and comes with various severity of symptoms, but all types of this skin ailment has one thing in common - unpleasant skin symptoms that include a rash and itchy and irritated skin. The affected skin areas may be isolated or a flaky rash may develop all over the body.

Eczema is an extremely painful and embarrassing problem that can affect anyone–male or female. It is estimated that 15 million people in the United States alone are affected by symptoms of this disease.

Although Eczema usually appears when a person is still in infancy or childhood, a person of any age can develop symptoms of the disease. When you start to develop symptoms of Eczema, dry, red, itchy rashes appear on the skin. Eczema can be isolated to one area or be present in several areas on your body. Scratching or rubbing often irritates the condition, and can even make it itch more.

Although this skin condition is not life-threatening, dermatitis carries many psychological and physical risks with it. Those who suffer from any of the types of eczema are often self-conscious about their skin's appearance - to the point of isolating themselves. Further, this illness can be very uncomfortable and painful. For both these reasons, this skin ailment should not be treated lightly. If you have any symptoms of dermatitis, visit your doctor. Any skin rash that is persistent and does not heal should be treated and examined by a doctor as it could indicate an underlying condition such as dermatitis.

If your doctor determines that you do have one of the types of eczema, there are treatments available to you. There are a number of topical treatments that you doctor may prescribe for your illness. Many sufferers of this ailment have also found that more natural treatments are as effective and carry fewer side effects. You may want to discuss herbal topical creams with your doctor, or consider Epitrex, a treatment that has offered relief to many who suffer from eczema.

For pictures and/or more information please Google Eczema Awareness.

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Autism Walk - At Central High School
Current mood: excited
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Autism Walk - At Central High School

Saturday, April 19th, At 9am...

You are more then welcome to join us. It is 10$ for a T-Shirt, but everything else is free. That means free food, free drinks, free activities, free to walk, except the souvenirs of course. I don't know who all is going with us yet, but I know Dante's therapist Laksmy is going. The Autism Walks are so much fun.


Send Me A Message For More Information!!!!

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Brain Awareness Week ’March 10 - March 16th’
Current mood: productive
Category: Life

Brain Awareness Week 'March 10th - March 16th'

Here Is A List Of Brain Disorders...

Addiction: An estimated 14.8 million Americans have used illicit drugs (sedative-hypnotics, barbiturates, opiates, hallucinogens or stimulants) within the past 30 days. Alcohol addiction (alcoholism) is a progressive disorder that affects approximately 8.2 million adults and youth in the U.S. An estimated 3.6 million people meet the diagnostic criteria for drug dependence.

Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum: A rare disorder present at birth affecting the structure of the brain connecting the two hemispheres, and one that can have mild to severe effects depending upon the extent of brain abnormalities.  Gender-specific characteristics may be present, as well as other related malformations of the body.

Alzheimer's Disease: Four million people in the U.S. are estimated to have Alzheimer's disease, which usually begins after age 65.  About 3% of men and women ages 65-74 have Alzheimer's, and approximately half of the elderly over age 85 may have the disease.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease): Approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) each year. The incidence of ALS is 2 per 100,000 people, and as many as 30,000 Americans may have the disease at any given time.

Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety disorders, the most common mental illness in America, affect more than 19 million people each year, and cost the U.S. $46.6 billion in 1990 in direct and indirect costs, nearly one-third of the nation's total mental health bill of $148 billion.

Arnold-Chiari Malformation: Chiari malformation was thought to occur in about 1 per 1,000 births. However, increased use of diagnostic imaging demonstrates the disorder may be much more common.

Asperger Syndrome: Asperger syndrome is conservatively estimated to occur in as many as 2 per 10,000 children, with boys 3 to 4 times more likely to have the syndrome.

Attention Deficit Disorder: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder occurs  in as many as 1 in 20 children, with a boy to girl ratio of 3 to 1.

Autism: By recent estimates, as many as 14 out of 10,000 children may have autism spectrum disorders.  In the U.S., about 125,000 individuals have these disorders, and nearly 4,000 families across the country have two or more children with autism. Approximately, 3 times as many boys as girls have autism.

Bipolar Disorder: At least 2 million Americans have bipolar disorder which typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. Although not common, bipolar disorder has been diagnosed in children under age 12.

Borderline Personality Disorder: Borderline personality disorder affects approximately 2% of adults, mostly young women. There is a high rate of self-injury, suicide attempts and completed suicide in severe cases. Patients often need extensive mental health services, and account for 20 percent of psychiatric hospitalizations.

Brain Injury: Each year in the U.S., 1.4 million individuals sustain traumatic brain injury (TBI): 50,000 die; 235,000 are hospitalized; and 1.1 million are treated and released. Among children ages 0 to 14 years, TBI results in an estimated: 2,685 deaths; 37,000 hospitalizations; and 435,000 emergency department visits annually.

Brain Tumor: More than 200,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor each year. Brain tumors are the leading cause of solid tumor cancer death in children under 20 years, and are the second leading cause of cancer death in male adults 20 to 29 years, and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in female adults 20 to 39 years.

Cerebral Palsy: Approximately 500,000 children and adults of all ages in the U.S. have cerebral palsy; in children over 3, the statistic is 2 to 3 per 1,000.

Cephalic Disorders: Rare congenital disorders that stem from damage to or abnormal development of the budding nervous system.

Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome: DePaul University researchers estimate chronic fatigue syndrome affects approximately 422 per 100,000 persons in the U.S. which translates into as many as 800,000 people nationwide affected by this syndrome. The majority (90%) have not been diagnosed and are not receiving proper medical care for their illness.

Colpocephaly: A rare congenital brain abnormality in which the occipital horns - the posterior or rear portion of the lateral ventricles of the brain - are larger than normal because white matter in the posterior cerebrum has failed to develop or thicken.

Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease: The incidence of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the U.S. is thought to be 1 in 9000 adults 55 years and older.  Approximately 85% of the cases are sporadic, which means there is no known cause at present.

Depression: The lifetime prevalence of major depression is 24% for women and 15% for men. Approximately, 1 in 4 women will experience clinical depression in her lifetime, and 1 in 10 mothers meets the criteria for depression postpartum. Although men are less likely to have depression, 3 to 4 million men in the U.S. are affected by the illness. Finally, as many as 1 in 33 children and 1 in 8 adolescents have depression.

Dystonia: Dystonia disorders affect about 30 of every 100,000 persons. Certain types of dystonia in specific populations may have a greater prevalence.  For instance, Ashkenazi Jews have a high prevalence of a specific type of dystonia, approximately 1 in 10,000, due to a mutation in the DYT1 gene.

Eating Disorders: An estimated 0.5 to 3.7% of females have anorexia nervosa and between 1.1% to 4.2% have bulimia nervosa in their lifetime. Anorexia and bulimia are far less common in males (only 5 to 15% of all cases); 2 to 5% of Americans experience binge-eating disorder, 35% of whom are male.

Epilepsy: More than 2.7 million people in the U.S. of all ages are living with epilepsy, and each year 181,000 Americans will develop seizures and epilepsy for the first time.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Spectrum Disorders: The reported rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) vary widely due to populations surveyed and methods used. CDC studies report a range of 0.2 to 1.5 per 1,000 live births for FAS in different areas of the U.S.. Other FASDs are believed to occur approximately 3 times as often as FAS.

Fibromyalgia: Over 6 million Americans, 90% of them women in the prime of their life, have fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and sometimes struggle for years before being correctly diagnosed. Symptoms usually appear between 20 to 55 years of age, but children are also diagnosed with FMS.

HIV-Induced Dementia: Between 7 and 27% of U.S. patients with advanced HIV develop dementia, and it is a common cause of death in late-stage AIDS. The life expectancy for patients who receive no treatment for HIV dementia is approximately six months.

Holoprosencephaly: Holoprosencephaly is a rare congenital disorder caused by the failure of the prosencephalon (the embryonic forebrain) to sufficiently divide into the double lobes of the cerebral hemispheres. 

Huntington's Disease: Huntington's disease affects men and women equally and has a prevalence of about 1 in every 10,000 persons in most Western countries.

Hydranencephaly: Hydranencephaly is a rare condition in which the brain's cerebral hemispheres are absent and replaced by sacs filled with cerebrospinal fluid.  Many born with hydranencephaly die within first year of life, but some children live for several or more years.

Hydrocephalus: Hydrocephalus is believed to affect approximately 1 in every 500 children. However, incidence and prevalence data are difficult to establish since there is no national registry of people with hydrocephalus and closely associated disorders. Most cases are diagnosed prenatally, at the time of delivery, or in early childhood.

Learning Disabilities: In 1992, 3% of adults age 16 and over reported having a learning disability with specific learning disabilities, compared to 2,062,076 students in 1989-90 which represents a 36.6% increase.

Leukodystrophy: The leukodystrophies are rare, and involve progressive degeneration of the white matter of the brain due to imperfect growth or development of the myelin sheath.

Lissencephaly: The prognosis for children with lissencephaly is dependent upon on the degree of brain malformation; many will die before the age of 2, some will survive, but show no significant development beyond a 3- to 5-month-old level, and still others may have near-normal development and intelligence.

Microcephaly: Children with microcephaly may have mental retardation, delayed motor functions and speech, facial distortions, dwarfism or short stature, hyperactivity, seizures, difficulties with coordination and balance, and other brain or neurological abnormalities. Some will have only mild disability and others will have normal intelligence and continue to develop and meet regular age-appropriate milestones.

Multiple Sclerosis: Today there are 350,000 to 500,000 people in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disorder that is more common in women, and appears more frequently in whites than in Hispanics or African Americans, and is relatively rare among Asians and other groups.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Approximately 3.3 million Americans between 18 to 54 years old or 2.3% of the U.S. population in that age group have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in a given year. Men and women are equally affected, and the disease typically begins during adolescence or early childhood.

Ohtahara Syndrome: A rare congenital brain disorder in which most infants show significant underdevelopment of part or all of the cerebral hemispheres, characterized by seizures from infancy.

Panic Disorder: Approximately 2.4 million Americans between 18 to 54 years of age or 1.7% of the U.S. population in that age group has panic disorder in a given year. Panic disorder is twice as likely in women as men and typically strikes in young adulthood.

Parkinson's Disease: At least 1 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have Parkinson's, and perhaps half are thought to be undiagnosed. In general, both men and women are affected equally and the appearance of first symptoms occurs on average after the age of 50.

Periventricular nodular heterotopia: The prevalence is unknown for periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH), a brain malformation, caused by abnormal neuronal migration, in which a subset of neurons fails to migrate into the developing cerebral cortex and remains as nodules that line the ventricular surface.

Phobias: Phobias occur in 7.8% of American adults. Phobias are the most common psychiatric illness among women of all ages and are the second most common psychiatric illness among men older than 25.

Post-partum Depression: Post-partum depression (PPD) is estimated to occur in approximately 10 to 20% of new mothers. It is a major form of depression and is less common than postpartum blues. PPD includes all the symptoms of depression but occurs only following childbirth, and can begin any time after delivery for up to a year after the birth.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is estimated to occur in 7.8% of Americans at some point in their lives, with women (10.4%) twice as likely as men (5%) to develop the disorder. About 3.6% of U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 (5.2 million people) have PTSD during the course of a given year.

Rett Syndrome: Rett Syndrome was thought to occur in approximately 1 in 15,000 female births until a recent gene discovery. Since that discovery, findings suggest a milder form of the Syndrome occurs in larger numbers.

Schizoaffective Disorder: Approximately 1 in every 200 people (0.5%) develops schizoaffective disorder at some point during his or her life. This disorder is one of the most serious psychiatric disorders.  More hospital beds are occupied by persons with schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia than any other psychiatric disorder.

Schizophrenia: Approximately 1 in every 100 (1%) of Americans have schizophrenia which is usually diagnosed in the late teens and early 20s in men and in the mid-20s to early 30s in women. The illness seldom occurs after age 45, and only rarely before puberty (though cases of schizophrenia in children as young as 5 have been reported).  Men and women are affected equally, and similar rates of the illness occur around the world.

Septo Optic Dysplasia: Septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) is a rare disorder characterized by abnormal development of the optic disk, pituitary deficiencies, and often agenesis (absence) of the septum pellucidum (the part of the brain that separates the anterior horns or the lateral ventricles of the brain).

Sleep Disorders: Sleep disorders include sleep apnea (18 million Americans), narcolepsy (1 million Americans), chronic insomnia (approximately 10-15% of adults), and restless leg syndrome (10% of adults in North America and Europe, and lower prevalence in India, Japan, and Singapore).

Smith-Magenis Syndrome: The exact incidence is unknown, but estimates indicate SMS occurs in 1 out of every 25,000 births, which may be an underestimate as many are thought to remain undiagnosed due to lack of awareness of the syndrome.

Stroke: More than 700,000 strokes occur each year in the U.S. It is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Stroke causes more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease.  Almost 75% of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65, with the risk of a stroke doubling with each decade after the age of 55. Stroke is more common and more deadly in African Americans - occurring more frequently in this group even in young and middle-aged adults.

Stuttering: Stuttering is estimated to occur in over 1 million Americans, and affects individuals of all ages but most frequently occurs in young children between the ages of 2 and 6.  Boys are 3 times more likely to stutter than girls.  Most children outgrow their stuttering, with less than 1% of adults still stuttering.

Tourette Syndrome: An estimated 200,000 Americans have Tourette Syndrome (TS), and possibly as many as 1 in 100 people have a milder form of the disorder, such as chronic or transient tics in childhood. Tourette's affects people of all racial and ethnic groups and males are affected 3 to 4 times more often. It is believed that TS affects 3 to 5 in every 10,000 individuals, and about 10 in every 10,000 school-age children.  Onset of TS and tics typically occurs between the ages of 6 to 8 years old.

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), or prion diseases, are a group of rare degenerative brain disorders characterized by tiny holes that give the brain a "spongy" appearance when brain tissue is viewed under a microscope. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, kuru, fatal familial insomnia, and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease are included among TSEs.

Williams Syndrome: Williams syndrome is a rare genetic condition estimated to occur in 1 of 20,000 births which causes medical and developmental problems, affects males and females equally, and has been identified worldwide in all ethnic groups.

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Babies R Us - Autism Awareness
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Category: Travel and Places

Babies R Us - Autism Awareness

An Event For The Whole Family...

Date: March 22, 2008 10am-2pm

Location: 1235 East Fowler Ave. Tampa, FL

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Autism - The Musical
Current mood: chipper
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

Autism - The Musical

Great Ratings...

Date: March 02, 2008 - 3:50pm

Location : Channelside Cinemas
Theatre 2 615 Channelside Dr Tampa, FL 33602

Contact: (813) 514-9962
 info@gasparillafilmfestival.com

Description: In 1980, Autism was a relatively rare disorder, afflicting 1 in every 10,000 children in the United State. In 2007, that figure had risen to 1 in every 150. Following five Los Angeles children over the course of six months, director Trisha Regan captures the struggles and triumphs of their daily family lives. By allowing these children to write, rehearse and perform in their own full-length musical, the celebrate the joy and hard work these children put forth while exploring their creative side.

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