Building a Stronger Bay Area Autism Community
More than two decades ago, California began to recognize a surprising increase in autism cases in its Department of Developmental Services (DDS) system. In 1999, DDS issued a report that showed a startlingly rapid rise over the previous decade in the number of persons receiving services for autism. The DDS is the California agency that is responsible for coordinating services for persons of all ages with qualifying developmental disabilities. In 1999 it reported that its caseload of the most severe form of autism had increased from 3,864 to 11,995, a 210% increase, far greater than the increases in other developmental conditions.
Read the report here.
Read the report here.
Weekly Autism-Awareness-Month Survey:
Stay Informed
2020 Conference SessionsConference sessions are now available to be viewed online! Look through the recordings on the conference page. Did you miss the conference? Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter so you won't miss next year's! Autism Adulthood ChecklistOur popular all-in-one-place guide to the myriad legal, financial, and planning steps parents need to consider as their autistic/DD children age into adulthood.
Spanish version, En Español here Vietnamese version here Tagalog version, Sa Tagalog here Chinese (Traditional) version here Bay Area Autism Nonprofit Guide |
Spotlight On:
Proposition 19 and Planning for a Loved One with a DisabilityGet informed:
Part 1: Parent-Child Transfer Rules - operative February 16, 2021: Video. Part 2: Portability of Property Tax Base - operative April 1, 2021: Video. Part 3: Planning Issues with a Special Needs Trust: Video. Need to Get Away?
San Jose International Airport has launched a new program to make it easier for passengers with disabilities to travel. They're providing free sunflower lanyards to those with less visible disabilities (and their traveling companions) who want a way to signal a need for greater assistance as they travel.
Find the details of their Sunflower Lanyard Program here. Safe travels! Community Events
SFASA Pool PartiesPlease find updates here
SFASA Calls For Statewide Autism Reporting ProgramSFASA has written to the California Department of Public Health seeking the initiation of a statewide autism reporting program.
Autism rates in the state continue to skyrocket, yet the state lacks any meaningful way to report on these critical trends to the public or policymakers. Read our letter here. |
Community announcement
Dental Care Low-cost & CDC-compliant Contact Jamie: 925-348-5333
Diablo Valley College provides low cost, high quality dental cleanings to the surrounding community. As this is a teaching clinic, students enrolled in our Dental Hygiene and Assisting Programs will be conducting the evaluations and cleanings. An initial evaluation of your teeth will be required before you can schedule a teeth cleaning. This initial evaluation will take about one hour, and is a good way to understand the health of your teeth. However, this does not take the place of a dental exam conducted by a licensed dentist. After your initial evaluation, you will know if you qualify to be a teaching patient for our dental students. Civil Rights ProjectA compilation of information regarding civil rights and criminal justice for autism/DD families.
From our blogWhere, oh where, were all the autistic children? By Sue Swezey
Three Strikes... and He's Out? What happens when the regular world has had enough of my son's autism. By Feda Almaliti
Summer 2018 Legislative Update. By Connie Boyar
Why you should pursue genetic testing for your autistic child. By Jill Escher and Denise Haas
We list dozens of nonprofits serving the Bay Area autism community.
Remembering FedaIt is with great sorrow that we inform the community that in the early hours of Saturday, September 26, 2020, Feda Almaliti, Vice President of the San Francisco Bay Area Autism Society, VP of the National Council for Severe Autism, fearless advocate, devoted mother, irrepressible friend, and tireless advocate for ASD families was lost in a tragic, accidental fire at the family home. Her son Mu, found cradled in his mother’s loving embrace, also perished in the fire...
Continue reading here. |