The Arc of Anchorage

Candidates touch on Autism

2008-04-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

April is National Autism Awareness Month and on April 2 (World Autism Day) several advocacy groups across the country asked the 2008 presedential candidates to respond.

The candidates for the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton both released statements to mark the first ever United Nations World Autism Awareness Day.

An Excerpt from Senator Obama's World Autism Awareness Day Statement:

“I am proud to add my voice in support of World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month, and to outline the steps that an Obama administration will take to address the problem of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) on every level. Autism Spectrum Disorders have quietly become some of the most serious public health issues in the United States and the world today. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects 1 in 150 children; 1 in 94 boys, in the United States. It is estimated that tens of millions have autism world wide.

Autism not only jeopardizes the future of our children, but also has a devastating impact on all levels of government here at home and around the world. Today, autism costs our nation alone $90 billion dollars each year. In current dollars, the cost of simply caring for each person with autism will be over $3 million — a devastating burden for virtually every family who is affected by this disorder.

While the statistics are staggering, these numbers are compounded with autism’s impact on our families and communities. The divorce rate of parents of children with autism is far above the national average, as is the bankruptcy rate. Autism taxes our families in many ways - not just financially, but emotionally as well.

Many insurance companies have failed to assume their responsibilities. Individuals with autism are routinely denied insurance benefits for their treatments.

How can we allow our nation to deny children with special needs the support their health depends on? That is not the America we believe in. While some states have been successful in restoring basic insurance benefits, we as Americans have an obligation to our citizens with special needs and I intend to lead in that effort with the most comprehensive ASD policy of any candidate running for president.

As President, I will appoint a Federal ASD Coordinator, an “Autism Czar” to oversee and coordinate a nationwide effort to deal proactively with ASD. This effort will include diverse but credible research, treatment, personal care/assistance and family support and will work with existing national and state organizations and taskforces. We need to ensure that combating autism, once and for all, receives the recognition and priority it deserves at the highest level of government. This appointee will also have a mandate to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles that may be delaying implementation of important measures and will ensure that all federal funds are being spent in a manner that prioritizes results. We need to build effective communication and collaboration among federal, state and local agencies. Right now, our government is just trying to keep up and, as any family who faces autism will tell you, we are not even doing that. What we know and what we have seen is that America can and must do more.

Americans with special needs require and deserve meaningful resources to succeed in early and later life. While roughly 90 percent of infants in the U.S. 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. This means we have to set a national standard to provide re-screening for all two-year olds, the age at which some conditions, including autism, have already begun to appear.

Our nation and our world deserve an immediate and focused four-prong approach: research, intervention, life-long support, and an end to discrimination. As a result of the crisis, there is much debate as to the cause of autism and how to address it. What we need to do is devote ourselves to a solution built from a comprehensive plan that is research-based, inclusive, and effective. And we have to do this right now.

Those who face autism - or whose loved ones are facing it - are some of our most courageous Americans. They face daily struggles, praying that their school district has the resources and personnel to help their child, hoping that their pediatricians know how help, fearful of what their child’s future will be, and knowing full well the very limited services available to adults with special needs. We must replace these uncertainties with hope - hope that we can and will bring about a brighter day.

Excerpt from the Statement Of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton On World Autism Awareness Day:

I am pleased to join the United Nations in recognizing the inaugural World Autism Awareness Day. Today offers us the opportunity to reaffirm a commitment to addressing the need for increased treatment, services, and research into autism spectrum disorders.

In the United States and other countries, we have seen a rise in the number of individuals diagnosed with autism. Throughout my time in public service, I have met with families who have shared their experiences in dealing with autism, and trying to seek the best possible care for their loved ones with the disorder. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 150 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder. In order to respond to these increases, we need to have a commensurate investment in services and programs for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. I also believe that we should increase our efforts to research autism, so that we better understand the causes and the best treatments for this condition.

We need to know what works and start investing in those efforts. I will also expand access to post-diagnosis care so that once children have been identified as autistic, they receive appropriate evidence-based treatment immediately. No child should experience a delay in receiving services that can improve his or her quality of life. But too often today, children are forced to wait for months for care. I’ll also provide funding to school districts and universities to train teachers and other health and social services professionals in how to work most effectively with autistic children, since the number of children with autism in our public schools has skyrocketed in recent years. I’ll make sure every young person has a transition plan before they leave high school. I will also ensure that both children and adults with autism have access to the services they need - including housing, transportation, employment - to live rich and full lives. In all, I will commit $500 million annually to provide services to improve the quality of life for all people living with autism.

This plan builds on my work in the Senate to help individuals and families impacted by autism. Last year, I introduced the Expanding the Promise for Individuals with Autism Act, which would increase the availability of effective treatment, services and interventions for both children and adults living with autism. I was also a cosponsor of the Combating Autism Act, and have worked to secure funding for the research programs authorized by that act.

I hope that today’s commemoration will once again allow us to highlight the needs of children, adults, and families impacted by autism, and I look forward to working to continue to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorders,’ said Senator Clinton.

Although we searched the internet we did not come across a statement for World Autism Awareness Day by Republican Presidential Candidate, Senator John McCain.

Senator McCain had spoken about autism on the campaign trail, “It’s indisputable that autism is on the rise among children,” Senator McCain said while campaigning recently in Texas. “The question is what’s causing it. And we go back and forth and there’s strong evidence that indicates that it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines.”

For more information about Autism and advocacy efforts, visit

The Autism Society of America.

Key Campaign Marches on Juneau

2008-03-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

The 21st Annual Key Campaign has descended up Juneau this week in full force. An advocacy effort to persuade the Alaska Legislature to fund services for people with disabilities, this year's Key will kick off early this year.

"Here Comes the Sun" is the theme for this year and highlights that it's time to end the four-year rate freeze for the funding of disability services.

Campaigners will be meeting with lawmakers and going over the campaign's legislative priorities for 208, which include: a $3.5 million increase for caregiver pay and an authorization for Disability and Senior Services to begin taking 50 people off the statewide wait list every quarter in the coming year.

Photos and updates will be available here next week. Stay tuned!

Friends in good places

2008-02-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

Sen. Johnny Ellis, longtime friend and supporter of The Arc of Anchorage, was named the new majority leader of the Alaska State Senate this month. Ellis, a Democrat from Anchorage, is the first member of his party to hold the powerful position in more than a decade.
Ellis' move to the new position was set in place when Sen. John Cowdery, an Anchorage Republican, gave up his position as chairman of the powerful Rules Committee on the first day of the legislative session.
Ellis has been an active and outspoken proponent for The Arc since he began serving in the Alaskan legislature and was an early participant of Key Campaign when it began 21 years ago. To this day, Ellis keeps a basket of keys in his Juneau office as a reminder of the event’s importance to Alaskans with disabilities and their families.

Read about it
here.

Autism screening for toddlers

2008-01-30T09:21:00.000-08:00

In a story released yesterday on MSNBC.com, the American Academy of Pediatrics is calling for all children to be screened twice for Autism before their second birthday.

The country’s leading pediatricians group is making its strongest push yet to have all children screened for autism twice by age 2, warning of symptoms such as babies who don’t babble at 9 months and 1-year-olds who don’t point to toys.

The advice is meant to help both parents and doctors spot autism sooner. There is no cure for the disorder, but experts say that early therapy can lessen its severity.

Symptoms to watch for and the call for early screening come in two new reports. They are being released by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday at its annual meeting in San Francisco and will appear in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics and on the group’s Web site (www.aap.org).

Read the entire story
here.

Staff happenings: Barbara Rath in the news

2007-10-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Barbara Rath on her promotion from Team Leader II to Director of Operations. The event was featured in this week's edition of Business People in the Anchorage Daily News.

Read it here.

Good Things: A Blog Worth Reading

2007-10-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

From Megan:

"Nodakwheeler's Blog" is the creation of one Mark Boatman, a 32 year old man who lives in Missoula, Montana. He uses a ventilator and a wheelchair 24/7 because of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

His blog's tagline says it all:

"Chronicling my life of independence in western Montana after escaping a North Dakota nursing home."

His entries range from the daily musings of preparing for college (he begins this Fall) to the outright funny (see: getting locked inside a van by his Pug. "A Naughty Pug" is one of the funniest blog entries in a long time.)

Mark is great about frequent updates and lots of pictures.

Read it here.

The Arc on Television

2007-09-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to Channel 2's Angela Blanchard for coming to the Art Room Monday afternoon and observing a pottery class. The station ran a short feature on Thursday's ArtFull Plate benefit, and some of the artists were putting last minute touches on plates for the event.

See a transcript of the feature here.

Good Things: disABILITIES Film Festival & Speaker Series

2007-09-20T09:32:00.001-07:00

From Megan:

I know I'm stealing a catch phrase from Martha Stewart when I label something "A Good Thing," but there's no better way to put it.

An article in a Buffalo, NY business journal talks about a ground-breaking film festival that will feature a big-budget Hollywood release for the first time in the festival's three year history.

The film is "Snow Cake" and features Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. The story centers around Rickman and Weaver, who plays a woman who experiences autism.

The festival has an interesting Web site that has a little background and a list of speakers.

Staff Happenings: Rebekah Moras named Fulbright Scholar

2007-09-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Rebekah Moras, an individual service provider here at The Arc of Anchorage, proves herself to be an amazing employee and phenomenal student with her recent award of a Fulbright Scholarship to study abroad.

Rebekah was recently honored with a "Walk The Talk" Penguin Award at The Arc's 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Read about her Fulbright award here.

Autism and the ability to discern new faces

2007-09-05T11:14:00.001-07:00

From Megan: A story came across the wire today about new research in the way the face recognition ability works in children who have Autism. It's an interesting read, though I do have one complaint.

As an organization, we work hard to move from speaking about people with disabilities as though they weren't people first--that their disabilities should be their distinguishing trait. Our job as advocates is to make "People First Language" more mainstream and into the public's awareness.

The writer of this article does a poor job in that regard. Juxtaposing a child with Autism next to a "normal" child is a pretty poor way to speak of a person with a disability, especially a child.

But the research is fascinating and is another piece of the puzzle in understanding the complex world of Autism.

Read it here:

Children With Autism Don't Adapt As Readily To Unfamiliar Faces

Science Daily — When it comes to recognizing faces, children with autism aren't as readily adaptable as are normal kids, according to a new article. That's despite the fact that kids with autism can identify similarities among related faces just as well as other children, the researchers found.

The findings, from a study conducted by researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Florence, and Western Australia, might help to explain some of the core social deficits associated with the disorder.

"The faces we see in the world seem to be unconsciously coded in the brain as points in a 'face-space'," said Elizabeth Pellicano of the University of Bristol. "In the middle of that space is the average, or most typical, face, with more distinctive faces lying toward the periphery. Those more distinctive faces are easier to recognize than ones that are closer to average."

When people with normal abilities see a face, their brains automatically locate this new face in face-space on the basis of its deviations from the average--perhaps the face has bushier eyebrows, for example, or a greater distance between the nose and mouth. "The really neat bit is that the precise characteristics of what constitutes an average face are continuously updated based on our experiences in looking at other people," Pellicano explained.

Evidence of that flexibility stems from a phenomenon known as the "face identity aftereffect," in which looking at a particular face even briefly biases perception toward people who have the "opposite identity," she added. Upon seeing a person with thicker-than-average lips, the observer's idea of the typical face accordingly develops somewhat plumper lips. As a result, thinner-lipped people become more distinctive than they would have been before because their lips now differ more from the "norm." In practice, such shifting of facial perception occurs for all aspects of a face simultaneously, not just any particular feature.

The new study finds that children with autism don't experience the face identity aftereffect to the same degree that normal children do. In the study, kids were first introduced to two faces, those of Dan and Jim, each of whom they were told were "team captains." They were then shown faces that looked like Dan or Jim to varying degrees. Those other faces were created with a computer so that the two faces gradually morphed with the mathematically calculated average face.

The kids with autism were just as able to distinguish between faces belonging to Dan's "team" versus Jim's "team," researchers found. The children were then shown computer-generated faces representing characteristics that were the opposite of those belonging to either Dan or Jim. After seeing opposite faces, typical kids suddenly found it much easier to place Dan-like or Jim-like faces on their rightful team. But the improvement in recognition was much smaller for children with autism.

The findings suggest that autistic children don't update their perceptions in the way typically developing children do. "Since faces are important for interpersonal communication, these adaptive difficulties could help explain some of the social problems that confront people with autism," Pellicano said.

Celebrate with us at The ArtFull Plate

2007-09-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

This month, The Arc of Anchorage will host the fourth-annual “ArtFull Plate” benefit dinner, a fundraiser for the organization’s art department and resident artisans. The event will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday Sept. 27, 2007 in the gymnasium at The Arc of Anchorage, 2211 Arca Drive.

“One of the most rewarding parts of my job is showing the public that the art we do here at The Arc is quality, professional work,” said Wendy Poss, The Arc of Anchorage’s art and cultural specialist. “It’s so much more than the old-fashioned macaroni and popsicle stick projects.”

This year’s ArtFull Plate will be a barbecue dinner, complete with a pulled pork sandwich made from Poss’ secret recipe. Guests will be served dinner and their ticket price will include an artisan-made pottery plate of their choosing to take home.

Artists will be on hand to chat with guests and examples of their work will be on display throughout the venue—including stained glass, pottery, beading, oil and acrylic painting pencil drawing.

In its 12th year, the art department offers people with disabilities various art classes throughout the year and works more than 70 artisans.

For more information about The ArtFull Plate, contact Megan Baeza at 777-0340 or mbaeza@arc-anchorage.org.

Gold Pan Award Finalist: The Arc of Anchorage

2007-09-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to The Arc of Anchorage on being named a finalist for this year's Gold Pan Award for Community Service by an organization. Other nominees in the category include: Municipal Light & Power, Life is For Giving Foundation, and the Anchorage Home Builders Care Endowment.

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Sept. 15, 2007 at the Hilton. See all nominees here.

The nomination was written by Megan Baeza, director of public affairs at The Arc of Anchorage. Here's an excerpt:

From a small group of dedicated parents who wanted to keep their children with disabilities at home instead of in an institution, The Arc of Anchorage has grown into one of the top 100 employers in the state of Alaska, with more than 350 active employees statewide, and serves more than 550 people with disabilities throughout the state.

Today, The Arc offers people with disabilities the means to live the life of their choosing—whether it’s a job they can be proud of, a home of their own, or recreation and life skills classes at the Arctic Resource Center. Instead of being told what they can’t do or can’t achieve, people with disabilities who come to The Arc are given opportunities to explore any possibility they choose. The Arc excels at providing people who experience disabilities a way to move past others’ expectations and limits and into their full potential.

Jerry GarSalmon on tour and going strong

2007-08-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Sporting a Cosmic Retro Camper covered in flowers and cheap Smiley Face stickers, Jerry and his entourage have hit the streets of Anchorage in a desperate attempt to bring the past to life and rekindle the flames of Free Love and affordable housing! Long Live Tie-Dye!

"Grateful Red" is The Arc’s 2007 entry in Anchorage’s annual Wild Salmon on Parade. Created by Artisans of The Arc Debra Burt, Valerie Mothershead, Clark Hinchey, Andre Hogg, and Dru McAlpine (with technical assistance and a deliciously wacky sense of humor provided by Art Director Wendy Poss), "Grateful Red" is on display for the summer downtown at the corner of 4th Ave. and E St.

His last hurrah before the frying pan will be at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer August -- through September 3. Like his fellow Wild Salmon on Parade, "Grateful" will reach his final spawning ground on September 7 at the annual Fish Fry and Buy dinner auction (you can buy tickets by clicking here).

To cast your vote for the best fish in the sea, visit Wild Salmon On Parade.

Alcoholism, homelessness and disabilities in Anchorage

2007-08-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Melissa Freemon, Anchorage Services Division director with Rural Alaska Community Action Program, wrote the following Compass entry for the Anchorage Daily News on August 13, 2007.

The issue is one our Behavioral Health Services and substance abuse programs deal with on a daily basis--helping an individual overcome an addiction while simultaneously working with their lack of housing and mental or developmental disability.

Read it here.

Medicare and Alaskan Physicians

2007-08-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

This interesting feature from the American Academy of Family Physicians highlights a growing problem facing our local doctors. Not only is the cost of living higher in Alaska than the Lower 48, Medicare reimburses Alaskan doctors at a lower rate than the majority of the contiguous United States. This puts local doctors in a difficult spot...

Read it here.

Arthur Miller and the son he hid from the world

2007-08-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Playwright Arthur Miller stood as a moral beacon for his time. But he had a dark secret. This Vanity Fair article reveals how the playwright cut his son, born with Down syndrome, from his own private drama.

Read it here.

Picnic Celebrates 50 Years

2007-07-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

The Arc Celebrates Fifty Years of Making Dreams Come True with Community Picnic

In 1957, a small group of dedicated Anchorage parents had a vision—to keep their children who experienced disabilities at home with family, instead of sending them thousands of miles away to institutions in the Lower 48.

These early visionaries raised money for services by selling handmade candles and fought for the rights of their children to remain active members of the community with full, rich lives.
Fifty years later, The Arc of Anchorage has grown into one of the top 100 employers in the state of Alaska and serves more than 550 people with disabilities throughout the Anchorage bowl and statewide.

Today, The Arc offers people with disabilities the means to live the life of their choosing—whether it’s a job they can be proud of, a home of their own, or recreation and life skills classes at the Arctic Resource Center.

“It’s an honor for The Arc to be still serving the now-grown children of those early families.” said Gwen Lee, executive director of The Arc of Anchorage. “We take very seriously our responsibility to those families and to every person who experiences a disability. We’re already taking steps to make sure we’re here for the next fifty years, offering hope and a helping hand whenever a family knocks on our door.”

To honor the organization’s beginnings and achievements, a picnic for friends, staff and community members will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, July 13 on the grounds of The Arc of Anchorage, 2211 Arca Drive, off Northern Lights Boulevard.

“Part of taking our responsibilities seriously is making sure there is plenty of time for fun, so we are hoping to have a big crowd for the picnic celebration Friday afternoon.” Lee said.

The event will feature food, games, awards and entertainment, as well as a look back on the road to 50 years of service to people who experience disabilities in Alaska. The picnic is free and the community is invited.