AutismCares

Autism Light #238 is AutismCares.

AutismCares is a consortium of organizations that has been helping individuals with autism during times of both natural disasters and personal crisis since 2005.  They focus on helping anywhere a disaster occurs and recently they have been working to help victims with autism who were in the path of Hurricane Sandy.

According to their website, the mission of AutismCares is this.

---

AutismCares is a consortium of leading autism organizations who have come together to support individuals with autism and their families during natural disasters and other catastrophic life events (Source).

---

AutismCares' first national press release was in 2005 as a response to Hurricane Katrina (Source).  Here was a PSA's for AutismCares uploaded in 2007 on YouTube.


Partners: AutismCares 2012 partners include Autism Speaks, Doug Flutie Foundation, Talk About Curing Autism, FedEx, and the Lisa Higgins Foundation.

AutismCares provides information, resources, and grants to individuals with autism who have a need during a time of crisis. One may register online to apply for a grant at the AutismCares application login page.  AutismCares has the following notice on their website where people may go for more information.

The Autism Speaks Autism Response Team is taking calls from families affected by autism and Sandy. Trained staff (both English and Spanish speaking) are available to provide support and to direct callers to information, resources and assistance. Families can call the Autism Response Team at 1-888-288-4762, En Español at 888-772-9050, or email familyservices@autismspeaks.org.

If your family requires access to disaster help and resources: please visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call (800) 621-3362. If there is an emergency, please call 911. (Source)

For more information on the work of AutismCares visit their website at http://www.autismcares.org.

AutismCares is available not just during a disaster but also during castrophic life events for families with autism. Families facing foreclosure or having emergency needs for things like car repairs have been helped. You can read several testimonies of people helped by AutismCares on their website.  Here is one testimony.

"I wanted to send a note of thanks for giving us much needed help through Autism Cares. It hardly seems enough. The money you sent is going to help us more than you can imagine. We so appreciate Autism Cares and your ability to help those with autism and their families." - LA (Source).

Special thanks to AutismCares and all of it's partners who are helping meet needs for those with autism in times of disasters or personal need. They are truly a light and Hurricane Sandy has reminded us how much they are needed.

Note: There are many other organizations/foundations that have the resources to support people with autism in times of disaster or crisis. They may focus on a specific local, regional, or national area or target a specific group of families, such as military families. In the future Autism Light hopes to share about other organizations that are doing good work and following in the spirit of AutismCares to help those with autism in such needy times.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.