Autism Rescue Angels Chosen for Okra Charity Saloon

So honored to have been one of the four charities chosen for a donation booth at Okra Charity Saloon this month!

Autism Rescue Angel’s voting happy hour was held on Monday, November 12 at 4:00pm! A big thank you to Dr. Vesna Arezina and everyone else who came out to support our cause and place a vote.

Voting results will be released at the end of November!

500,000 Teens with Autism to Join the Workforce

Proud of our friends at Aspire Accessories! Their program looks to give this population transferrable business skills by teaching light manufacturing, retail and customer service. Many people with autism are lower-mid functioning and true independent employment is not possible so thinking the statistics are even grimmer than reported.

Read the Houston Chronicle’s full article here.

Hurricane Harvey by the Numbers

Since August 26, 2017:

  • 729 emails answered
  • 574 phone calls returned
  • 468 Facebook messages
  • 23 families (we met in parking lots to hand off therapy supplies and funds when mail was unreliable those first few weeks after the storm hit)

In total, Autism Rescue Angels has granted funds, medical equipment, and therapy supplies to 126 autism families since Harvey hit 13 months ago.

What a journey! Thank you to ALL who have been part of these efforts. We could not have done any of this without your support!

Our prayers are now with all families trying to put their lives back together in Florida.

Sharing a “Thank You”

Sharing a “thank you” from a family we were able to help because of YOUR generosity!

My 6-year-old son was diagnosed with ASD in 2014, ADHD and epilepsy in 2017, and focal cortical dysplasia in 2018. With multiple therapies, doctor visits, tests, procedures, medicine, child care, etc.. During this same time frame, I lost my 6 figure job, went through a divorce, was left with almost $100,000 in unsecured debt, and no income. The reality of all of this hits you in the face going about 1000 mph and to say I was overwhelmed, is an understatement. With insurance, my son’s therapies cost between $800-1000 a month. Testing, ambulatory costs, medical expenses not covered by insurance were mounting up and my savings, all 401Ks, and anything else I had were quickly depleted.

I applied to Autism Rescue Angels because I needed help to get the best care for my son. The grant we received allowed my son to proceed with necessary testing, therapies, and medication. We would be lost without the generosity of ARA.

Thank you to Lisa and the ARA board!

Young & Old, Autistic Individuals Have Nowhere To Go

Adolescents and young adults with severe autism may still have the mental age of a child, and short-term care to stabilize those in crisis who are nonverbal or combative is practically nonexistent. Longer-term care can be almost as hard to find. It must be highly specialized, usually involving intensive behavioral therapy; someone with severe autism gets little benefit from traditional psychiatric services.

Christina Jewett’s article has all good points, but this too stands true for adults with Autism. Many people with autism have serious comorbid conditions. Autism is not just mental health it is medical – a whole body disability.

Read Kaiser Health News’ full article here.