Autism Movie Family Seeks to Help Military Families Pass Autism Legislation
We have today the privilege of sharing with you some thoughts directly from one of the families in the US of Autism movie about healthcare for the military and specifically about a new bill they hope to see passed through Congress soon so that families can get much needed access to coverage. Enjoy and best of luck to the Huhtanen family and thousands of families out there just like them looking to make this a better world for our loved ones on the autism spectrum! God Bless!
Time for Change: Battles on the Homefront
Shelly L Huhtanen
There has been a misconception that Tricare, the healthcare provider that provides medical entitlements to the military, covers all or at least the majority of the services for our military children. In fact, what little services that are covered are not even in the Tricare plan. Our families have to go through the ECHO program which is the extended healthcare option. From this program, our children receive a small percentage of care that does not come close to what the American Academy of Pediatrics deems as medically necessary for our children with autism to improve.
Many people may say that we should be grateful for what little services we may receive. Many of our families who have paid the ultimate price by losing family members overseas or who have had to say goodbye to our spouses not knowing when or if we will see them again, feel that it is not an unreasonable request for our healthcare provider to give our families the resources to care for our children. It is frustrating for military families to learn that civilian insurance companies are providing more medical services for children on the spectrum through current improvements in legislation than what is provided to our military families.
One issue that is not known is the loss of services once our soldiers retire or who are forced into medical retirement due to injuries sustained from the two wars our men and women in uniform have been fighting. Once you are no longer considered active duty, you are dropped from the ECHO program. This, in turn, means their children on the spectrum no longer are able to receive insurance coverage towards ABA services.
I know of soldiers who have served 26 years in the military or who have been severely wounded from combat to only come home and find that their children with autism are no longer covered for ABA services. The first question that comes to my mind is, “What message does this send to our military families who have fought the battles for our children on the home front while our spouses have fought the battles overseas?”
My hope is that this will soon change. HR 2288 is a bill that has already gained momentum through our legislature with several co-sponsors in support of this must needed change. This bill will force Tricare to cover all necessary ABA services for our military children with autism. It will no longer be in the ECHO program meaning soldiers who have retired will still receive services to enable them to care for their children. I ask that you contact your congressmen and urge them to support this bill. It is long overdue and will support military families in their fight for their children with autism.
An organization that my husband and I fully support is ACT Today for military families. Since the hardships with military families can be indescribable, this organization dedicates itself to raising money for our families. Due to the lack of support of Tricare, ACT Today for military families, provides grants to families so they can care for their children on the spectrum.
On April 7, Mark and I will be running for Team Broden to raise money for ACT Today for military families in San Diego. I encourage you to support this wonderful organization. If you would like to support Team Broden, please click on this link.
http://acttodayformilitaryfamilies.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=996112&lis=1&kntae996112=CC4CCA60ED7F475F9490BC120C1F0223&team=4858810 Whatever you can provide to these children is greatly appreciated.
Hollywood Talent Brings Creative Vision to Autism Movie
Rene S. Duran is a documentary filmmaker who works in television post production in Los Angeles. He was co-producer, cinematographer and writer on STREET DOGS OF SOUTH CENTRAL, a documentary picked up for distribution by Lionsgate and scheduled to air on Animal Planet and the Oprah Winfrey network in 2012. Rene has also worked on television shows such as NANNY 911, HELL’S KITCHEN, THE BACHELOR, BIG IDEAS FOR A SMALL PLANET, and most recently with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Antony on Q’VIVA: the chosen. Rene majored in The Studies of Images & Narratives, a special studies major that he designed himself with his advisor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster Pennsylvania.
We wanted you to get a chance to hear more from this talented visionary who shared this film experience as part of the crew as the Director of Photography for The United States of Autism Movie.
Question: Why did you become involved in the US of Autism film project?
Rene: I became involved with the US of Autism because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to capture the stories of families across America who experience autism on a daily basis & share their courage with the rest of the nation.
Having been friends with Rich & Sugey since the college days I was honored when they asked me to join the US of Autism team. I believe in them and was delighted to contribute in the making of the documentary film.
Question: What was the biggest thing you took away from being involved in the project?
Rene: The biggest thing I came away with from working on this project was being able to see the resilience and strength of the families who live with autism. I was inspired by them. They stand as a testament to what is good in humanity. It was such a wonderful experience to be invited into their homes & share their lives with us.
Question: Did you have any knowledge of autism and related conditions before becoming involved?
Rene: My first hand knowledge of autism came from being friends with Rich & Sugey & knowing their autistic son Tommy. My knowledge of autism came from watching Tommy grow up and knowing his story.
Question: What was a “typical” day like on the road with the crew?
Rene: While filming the US of Autism there were typically two types of days that the crew experienced. The first type was shooting days. On these days the crew would rise early in the morning, get ready, and drive to the location. I always looked forward to spending the day with the families.
The second type of day the crew experienced were driving days. We saw many beautiful and breathtaking sunsets as we drove west from Pennsylvania. At every state border the crew would stop and film themselves dancing in front of the state sign. It didn’t matter the time of day or night. The crew was determined to dance across America.
Question: What projects are you working on currently?
Rene: I am currently working as an editor the show Q’VIVA the chosen & am in preproduction on the first of three short films. I will be making fairy tales. The first is set in South Central Los Angels, the second is a love story in the desert, and the third will be shot in Mexico & explore indigenous folklore.
It was a privilege to work with Rene on this project. He played an enormous role in cementing the vision for this project–arduously working alongside Director/Producer Rich Everts. We are excited to share their vision with all of you soon!
Alex Plank among ’50 Most Inspiring Autistic People’
One of the 50 Most Inspiring
We are super excited to announce that one of the individuals featured in the upcoming “The United States of Autism” film, has been named among the 50 Most Inspiring Autistic People of 2011 alongside folks like Temple Grandin herself!
Alex is the founder of Wrong Planet, one of the largest and most important communities for people with Asperger’s syndrome and autism. He is also the producer of Autism Talk TV, which is a media effort supported by Autism Speaks.
Next up, Alex will be seen in New Jersey for the upcoming ASPEN Spring Conference on April 29, 2012. ASPEN (Asperger’s Syndrome Education Network) offers professionals the opportunity to join us at meetings where speakers are scheduled and provides Professional Development Hours to those who attend. ASPEN is registered with the NJ Department of Education as a Professional Development Provider.
Congratulations Alex and keep up the hard work!
Behind the Scenes of the United States of Autism Film
We here at the United States of Autism are excited to announce that we’re moving forward faster then ever. We’re about to surpass 6,000 fans on Facebook, and our trailer is almost to 10,000 views! Truly, things are hopping.
Yet, many of you out there keep asking us when the film will be ready. You keep asking about how can you get a hold of a copy of the DVDs or how you can help promote the film. Well, we are incredibly excited to bring you the latest update about the United States of Autism film, and we’re going to give you a quick behind the scenes of where we are!
Also, starting November 1st, we begin the United States of Autism Money Bomb, where we try to build the final pieces of our award winning production and get our submissions ready for the Tribeca Film Festival. Stay tuned here for the link.
Here’s some behind the scenes, and we can’t wait to show you more!
Sci-Fi Writer Katie Bridges Writes About Growing Up With Aspergers
I grew up thinking of myself as simple-minded. Other people thought of me as simple-minded too. I never had much to say and what I did have to say seemed simplistic.
“Did you know that Disney World employs over 55,000 people and covers 47 square miles?” I would say, interrupting whatever conversation was going on.
As a girl with Asperger’s syndrome, facts were highly significant to me, especially if they involved Disney World. I always thought that others would be thrilled to hear them too. Sometimes people were interested in hearing the facts, but not when I went on and on about them, as I was prone to do.
“Simple-minded,” people would say. “The girl is simple-minded.”
Imagine their surprise when I came out with a 111,000 word science fiction novel that was so detailed and complex it received the Rising Star award. I called it Warriors of the Edge: The Search for Stone (Amazon | Barnes and Noble).
“I had no idea you had all that inside you,” people told me. “Where did you get all these ideas?”
How did I go from being simple-minded to highly complex? It happened because I loved Disney World so much. It wasn’t enough for me to visit it every few years. I wanted to experience it every day. And so I talked about it, dreamed about it, and wrote about it nearly every day for twenty years. After that much time, you’re bound to develop some complex thoughts on the subject, even if you started out rather simple-minded. Those thoughts evolved until I had created my own futuristic theme park, which became the premise for my novel.
There’s nothing wrong with being simple-minded. You can develop a wonder for life that way. But complexity has its benefits too. It helped me write an entire novel. — Katie Bridges