Search Results: MCH Organizations

Annotation: ARI is the hub of a worldwide network of parents and professionals concerned with autism. ARI was founded in 1967 to conduct and foster scientific research designed to improve the methods of diagnosing, treating, and preventing autism. ARI also provides referrals and disseminates research findings to parents and others worldwide seeking help. The ARI data bank contains nearly 30,000 detailed case histories of autistic children from over 60 countries. Some materials are available in languages other than English. ARI publishes the Autism Research Review International, a quarterly newsletter covering biomedical and educational advances in autism research. ARI also sponsors conferences and training seminars.

Keywords: Autism, Developmental disabilities, Information dissemination, Medical research

Annotation: The Autism Society (formerly the Autism Society of America) provides information and referral services, education, and increase awareness to parents and families of people with autism. The society sponsors an annual national conference on autism and promotes advocacy and education through various publications including the bimonthly newsletter Advocate. Some materials are available in Spanish, French, Chinese and Vietnamese.

Keywords: Autism, Developmental disabilities

Annotation: Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 and is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

Keywords: Advocacy, Autism, Children with special health care needs, Families

Annotation: First Signs is a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating parents and pediatric professionals about the early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders. The organization works to improve screening and referral practices and to lower the age at which young children are identified with autism and other developmental disorders. First Signs also serves as a model for states in disseminating key information about early warning signs, the need for routine screening, and the treatment options available to parents of children diagnosed. The program provides practitioners with tools and training, and parents with education and support, to help young children stay on a healthy developmental path. The Web site includes research summaries, state progress reports, articles, columns, and book reviews, as well as links to additional resources.

Keywords: Autism, Developmental disabilities

Annotation: The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) was established in January 2006 at Kennedy Krieger Institute. IAN's goal is to facilitate research that will lead to advancements in understanding and treating autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). It comprises the IAN Community, an online environment designed to act as an inviting library and meeting place where everyone concerned with autism spectrum disorders can learn more about autism research, and IAN Research, where individuals with ASDs, their families, and qualified researchers throughout the United States work together to understand autism spectrum disorders. It offers information related to the Simons Simplex community, the newly diagnosed, challenging behaviors, therapies and treatments, research, a newsletter, and a glossary. It is sponsored by Autism Speaks, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Simons Simplex Foundation.

Keywords: Autism

Annotation: The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) was established in accordance with the Combating Autism Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-416) and was reauthorized by the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-32). Federal agencies represented on the committee include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Education. The Committee develops and annually updates a summary of advances in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research, monitors federal activities with respect to ASD and makes recommendations for changes to activities, makes recommendations on public participation in decisions relating to ASD, develops and annually updates a strategic plan, and submits the plan and plan updates to Congress.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorders, Federal agencies

Annotation: The Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center (ITAC) on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, part of the Combating Autism Act Initiative, works to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents who have, or are at risk for developing, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and other developmental disabilities. The Center provides technical assistance to interdisciplinary programs that will better train professionals to use valid and reliable screening and diagnostic tools and provide evidence-based interventions for children with ASD and other developmental disabilities. The Web site provides links to related resources and materials plus a state-by-state directory of related programs.

Keywords: Autism, Developmental disabilities, Information dissemination, National MCH resource center, Resource centers, Technical assistance, Training

Annotation: Maap Services is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information and advice to families of more advanced individuals with autism, Asperger's syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder. MaapServices also provides a quarterly newsletter and sponsors conferences. Some materials are available in Spanish.

Keywords: Autism, Developmental disabilities, Health education

Annotation: The Nancy Lurie Marks (NLM) Family Foundation helps people with autism lead fulfilling and rewarding lives and is committed to understanding autism from a scientific perspective, increasing opportunities available to the autism community, developing novel ways to ameliorate the difficulties of those with autism while enhancing their abilities, and educating the public about autism. The NLM Family Foundation funds peer-reviewed research projects, supports autism advocacy organizations, supports the production of educational materials about autism, and provides infrastructure and training grants to hospitals, universities, and other research institutions.

Keywords: Autism, Foundations

Annotation: The State Public Health Autism Resource Center (SPHARC) is a resource center for state Title V agencies (supported through the MCH Block Grant) and others interested in improving systems for children, youth, and families with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities. The SPHARC Web site provides state snapshots, promising practices, and other resources to support states as they develop and implement systems to improve the health and well-being of infants, children, and adolescents with autism and other special health care needs.

Keywords: Autism, Block grants, CSHN programs, Child health, Children with special health care needs, Developmental disabilities, Federal MCH programs, Maternal health, Models, National MCH resource center, Resource centers, State programs, Technical assistance, Title V

Annotation: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has been established in accordance with the Combating Autism Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-416) to develop and annually update a strategic plan for the conduct of, and support for, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research, including proposed budgetary requirements. Committee membership consists of these Federal agencies: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),Administration for Children and Families (ACF); Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Institutes of Health (NIH); Office on Disability; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); and the Department of Education (ED).

Keywords: Autism, Children with special health care needs, Federal agencies, Federal initiatives, Research, Strategic plans

Annotation: The UC Davis MIND Institute (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) is a collaborative international research center, committed to the awareness, understanding, prevention, care, and cure of neurodevelopmental disorders. The Institute brings experts from neuroscience to education, from molecular biology to developmental pediatrics, from occupational therapy to psychiatry, to work together toward a common goal: curing neurodevelopmental disorders, starting with autism. Research projects also include Tourette syndrome, fragile X syndrome, ADHD and chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Keywords: Autism, Children with special health care needs, Family support services, Infants, Neural development, Neurologic disorders, Organizations, Research