JP Morgan Chase

Autism Light #333 is JP Morgan Chase & Company.

JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) is a banking and financial services company that was founded in 1799, in New York, New York by JP Morgan, starting as the Manhattan Bank. The corporation does business currently under the name of Chase and in 2000 it's companies became known as JP Morgan Chase & Company. Chase is the largest bank in the United States in terms of assets. Beginning on January 1, 2014, Chase started offering the autism insurance benefit to it's employees who have children with autism. Since Chase's medical plan is self-insured they are not required by any law to offer this. JP Morgan Chase is an Autism Light for it's voluntary assistance to autism families who are employed at their corporation by offering autism coverage in their employee health insurance plans.

Stephen Cutler, who serves as General Counsel at Chase and an Advisor to Access Ability, the Business Resource Group for Chase employees affected by disabilities, said this about the announcement.

JP Morgan Chase is excited to offer ABA Therapy and provide this important treatment alternative for the children of our employees. One in 88 children is diagnosed with Autism. With almost 160,000 employees enrolled in our U.S. medical plan, we are confident that this important new offering will change the lives of many of our employees (Business Wire, JP Morgan Chase Adds Autism Benefits to Employee Health Plans, November 26, 2013).

The following video presentation explains the business of JP Morgan Chase.


Bernadette Ulissi Branosky, JPMorgan's head of benefits, said, "Adding this type of benefit has been the biggest request we've heard from employees in recent years, and the outpouring of gratitude has been overwhelming (Reuters, JP Morgan, other employers move to cover costly autism therapies (December 16, 2013)."
The following are links to news stories on JP Morgan Chase offering autism insurance for it's employees.

• Autism Speaks, JP Morgan Chase to Introduce Autism Benefits in 2014 (November 26, 2013)
• Business Wire, JP Morgan Chase Adds Autism Benefits to Employee Health Plans (November 26, 2013)
• Reuters, JP Morgan, other employers move to cover costly autism therapies (December 16, 2013)

Twitter: You can follow Chase at their Twitter for Chase @Chase.
Wikipedia: You can learn more about Chase at their Wikipedia Page.
Special thanks to JP Morgan Chase for being an Autism Light and providing autism insurance for the families of it's employees. They are setting an example for other Fortune 500 companies to make a difference for by providing employee autism insurance, even when it is not legally required. We hope one day soon it will be commonplace for every insurance plan in the United States to have coverage for autism. 
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and the author of this blog post received no goods or services for writing this. While the author is a customer of Chase Bank, that relationship started prior to the company offering this autism benefit in their health plan.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Autism Light #184 is the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are a Major League Baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They were an expansion team that had their first season in 1998. During their 14 years as a team they have been very supportive of community charities through their Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. One of the beneficiaries of their funding has been the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center. The Arizona Diamondbacks  are Autism Light for their assistance with Arizona autism programs as well as their hosting of an annual Autism Awareness game.

The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation's top grant each year is called the Grand Slam Award. The Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SAARC) was the first ever recipient of the Grand Slam Award and in 2010 they became the first organization to win the Arizona Diamondbacks Grand Slam Award a second time. The 2010 grant is used for the SARRCs Good Deeds program for teenagers. The following video explains what the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center did with their grant.

The Arizona Diamondbacks or D-Backs as they are sometimes referred to won the World Series in 2001. Playing in just their fourth season, they hold the record as the fastest expansion team to win a World Series.  Kirk Gibson is the current manager of the team.

On April 20, 2012 the Arizona Diamondbacks will host their 5th Annual Autism Awareness Game. The event is sponsored by Autism Speaks, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. For information on purchasing a ticket to this special game visit this page of their website.

Social Media: You can follow the Arizona Diamondbacks on the following social media.

• Twitter @Dbacks
• Facebook
• Google+

Wikipedia: You can also find out more about the Arizona Diamondbacks at their Wikipedia page.

Special thanks to the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for supporting autism. Their help has made a difference in the capacity of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Snip-its Salon

Autism Light #169 is Snip-its Salon.

Snip-its is a kids hair salon with 26 locations across the United States. It was founded by Joanna Meiseles in 1995. Snip-its' corporate office is in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Snip-its is an Autism Light because they have devoted the effort to train their employees on the special needs surrounding the experience of cutting hair of children with autism.

A reason that Snip-its is so deserving to be an autism light is that, "All of Snip-its' stylists are certified to work with children with autism and other special needs, including sensory issues (Source)." Autism Speaks also lists Snip-its as a Family Services Resource on it's website.The following is a training guide that Snip-its developed in partnership with Autism Speaks and Melmark New England.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/24/2682722/kid-friendly-franchise-opens-its.html#storylink=cpHere is an autism training video developed by Snip-Its in partnership with Autism Speaks

To find out more about Snip-its visit their website at www.snipits.com. You may also read the following articles on how local franchises are adopting the corporate culture at Snip-its of being autism friendly.

• Kid Friendly Franchise Opens Its Doors in Aventura 
• Helping Kids with Autism One Haircut at a Time

The following is a news story on the Snip-Its in El Segundo, California helping children with autism (Source).

Social Media: You can follow Snip-its on Twitter. Some local franchises also have their own Facebook page.

Special thanks to Snip-its for being an Autism Light. Snip-its provides a valuable service by making it easier for children with autism to get their haircut.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor have we received any return of goods or services for writing this post.

Photos: The logo and photos in this post were used with permission of the Snip-its corporation.

Philadelphia 76ers

Autism Light #165 is the Philadelphia 76ers. 

The Philadelphia 76ers are a National Basketball Association franchise located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1963 the Syracuse Nationals moved to Philadelphia and the franchise became known as the Philadelphia 76ers (they are commonly called the Sixers). The Philadelphia 76ers are an Autism Light because in September, 2011, when a 11 year old Mt. Airy boy with autism named Ojay Harris had his basketball hoop stolen, they replaced it for him.

On September 21, 2011 the Philadelphia 76ers replaced a treasured basketball hoop that was taken from a boy with autism named Ojay Harris. They also gave the boy new tennis shoes and other gifts. You can view pictures of this event on the Philadelphia 76ers Flickr Page. The news story was featured by the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia. The following is the news story on the generosity of the Philadelphia 76ers and what it meant to Ojay Harris.


Social Media:  To follow the Philadelphia 76ers on social media visit these pages.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

For more information on the Philadelphia 76ers visit these links:

• Official NBA Website of Philadelphia 76ers
• Wikipedia Page of Philadelphia 76ers

Special thanks to the Philadelphia 76ers organization for being a light to a boy with autism. This gift meant so much to his life and he and his family will always remember it.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Walmart Stores in Springfield, Illinois

Autism Lights #138 are the Walmart Stores in Springfield, Illinois.

There are three Walmart Stores in Springfield, Illinois. Through the Walmart corporation's regional donation program, the Springfield stores gave 10 flat screen televisions to the Hope Institute for Children and Families on October 24, 2011. The televisions are being used to outfit the school's group homes with latest technology. The Walmart Stores in Springfield, Illinois are Autism Lights because the donations of these television will improve the lives of children in the group homes and many of those children have autism.

Here is a video of a news story on this donation to the Hope Institute by Walmart.

The Hope Institute for Children and Families was founded in 1957. They have a multi-faceted program for people with disabilities in Springfield, Illinois. Many of the children in the program have autism and the organization led the development of the Autism Program of Illinois.  Mr. Clint Paul of The Hope Institute said:

Thanks to today's generous donation from Walmart, our youth will have access to state-of-the-art television receives which can be used for educational and entertainment purposes. We want to thank the entire Walmart organization, particularly Mr. Winkler and Ms. Farr, for their generosity in supporting the children of Hope (Source).

To learn more about what this donation has meant to the Hope School visit this news story at their website. Walmart's charitable commitment is explained on their website at this link.

Social Media: You can follow Walmart on the following social media areas.

• Twitter
• Google+
• Facebook

Special thanks to the Walmart stores in Springfield, Illinois for the donation of televisions you made. Your generosity will help many children with autism to learn and recreate.

Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor have we received any return of goods or services for writing this post.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Allstate

Autism Light #87 is Allstate.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the United States' largest publicly held personal lines insurance company with headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. They are known for their slogan, "You're in Good Hands with All State".  This year they celebrate their 80th anniversary as a corporation.  Allstate is an Autism Light because of a fundraising program called "Quotes for Autism Speaks".

How the program works: Allstate will donate $10 to Autism Speaks for every quote they give for insurance between Nov. 14 and December 14, 2011. No purchase is necessary. People just need to get a quote to help Autism Speaks. Quotes may be obtained by calling 1-866-998-4488 or a form filled out online at www.autismspeaks.org/allstate.  Allstate has a goal of donating $500,000 to Autism Speaks from this program.

Here is a video announcing the "Quotes for Autism Speaks" program. It features Mark LaNeve, an Allstate Executive, who is the father of twin boys with autism.

Social Media:  You can follow Allstate at the following social media areas.

• Facebook
• Twitter

For more information on the Allstate corporation visit their website at www.allstate.com.

Special thanks to the Allstate Corporation for this contribution to Autism Speaks.

Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor have we received any return of goods or services for writing this post.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

HP

Autism Light #79 is HP.

HP is a corporation with headquarters in Cupertino, California.  Some people still refer to them as Hewlett Packard, which represents the name of the founders and provided the words for the acronym HP. HP is an Autism Light because they hosted a Hackathon and are a critical sponsor of the Hacking Autism initiative that is collecting ideas to help people with autism use touch screen technology in new and innovative ways.

Hewlett-Packard along with Autism Speaks and the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation are sponsors of the initiative called Hacking Autism. Hacking Autism is set up to encourage ideas for new applications that will help people with autism use touch screen computers, tablets such as the iPad, or various smart phones. On October 11, 2011, Hacking Autism held a Hackathon at Hewlett-Packard's campus. 429 application ideas have been submitted already.  Jim St. Leger who was an Autism Light on Oct. 17, 2011 was at this event and recommended an application. Below is a video providing an introduction to the Hackathon.    

The San Jose Mercury News published an article on HP's valuable involvement in Hacking Autism on October 11, 2011.

Phil McKinney (an HP Executive) said volunteers were free to build on any software platform, including rival Apple's iOS and Google's Android.  McKinney said, "Today is about making technology that gives a voice, and the ability to participate" (Source).

Special thanks to HP for their key role in Hacking Autism and the recent Hackathon. Phil McKinney of HP indicates that volunteers are going to be refining the ideas brought forth at Hacking Autism and then they will be made available free to the public over the Internet. We hope this exchange of ideas on how to improve technology for those with autism will continue to be an ongoing initiative.

While HP has discontinued their production of a tablet, they still make the popular TouchSmart PC. The Hope Technology School has successfully used the TouchSmart PC to reach their students. An article about the Hope Technology School's use of HP products to increase accessibility for children with autism is available at www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/accessibility/Hope_Tech_Lo-res.pdf.

HP also is a corporate donor for the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism. They have donated 115 computers in recent years to the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism and sold additional ones at their cost to the foundation.

Social Media:  You can follow HP on the following social media areas:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube

For more information visit the HP website at www.hp.com or the Hacking Autism website at www.hackingautism.org.

Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor have we received any return of goods or services for writing this post.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Boston Red Sox

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Autism Light Classic
Updated on October 31, 2013. 

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Autism Light #73 is the Boston Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox are a Major League Baseball Team located in Boston, Massachusetts. They were organized in 1901 and were one of 8 charter teams that started Major League Baseball at the turn of the 20th century. The Boston Red Sox have won 8 World Championships to date, including the 2013 World Series. The Boston Red Sox are an Autism Light because of their compassion in lending a helping hand to individuals with autism and their long standing commitment to autism awareness.

The Boston Red Sox have supported autism since 2001, when they held their first fundraiser on behalf of the National Alliance of Autism Research (NAAR). NAAR merged with Autism Speaks in 2005 (Red Sox to Celebrate Autism Awareness Day at Fenway Park, MLB.com).

2013 Light It Up Blue: On April 2, 2013, the facade near Gate A on Yawkey Way at Fenway Park was lit up blue as the Boston Red Sox participated for their 3rd consecutive year in the Autism Speaks Light It Up Blue Initiative (Fenway Lights Up Blue for Autism Awareness, Boston.com). Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, was one of 7,000 landmarks from around the world to be involved in Autism Speaks' Light It Up Blue campaign.

2013 Autism Awareness Day: On April 28, 2013, the Boston Red Sox hosted Autism Awareness Day at their game against the Houston Astros (Boston Red Sox Host Autism Awarness Day, Autism Speaks). The Boston Red Sox hosted over 900 individuals with autism and family members and caregivers at their Autism Awareness Day. Red Sox fan Brian Ferraro whose son Ryan has autism said at the event:

I've been wanting to come here (to Fenway) with my kids for a while--in fact, I have a younger child, who is a typical child, and it didn't feel right just taking him. But now that we have days like this that are welcoming for the intimidated, I think it's going to allow for more families, more families with autistic kids to attend wonderful games like this. I'm really thrilled to say that I have my two kids here with me for the first time in my life, a lifelong dream of mine (Boston Red Sox Host Autism Awarness Day, Autism Speaks).

Here is Autism Light Gianno Hitsos singing God Bless America at the Boston Red Sox Autism Awareness Game in 2013.


2007 National Anthem: The following event from the Boston Red Sox Disability Awareness Day in the Summer of 2007 epitomizes the organization's inspirational outreach for autism and disabilities. This is a video clip where a man with autism is offered a helping hand in finishing the National Anthem after he gets nervous in the middle of the song.

Two previous Autism Lights with autism were also given the opportunity to sing the United States National Anthem at Fenway Park for the start of a Boston Red Sox game.

• Christopher Duffley (10/9/2011 Autism Light) 
• Listen to Christopher Duffley Sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park (Sept. 4, 2013)
• Gianna Hitsos (9/19/2011 Autism Light) 
• Listen to Gianna Hitsos Sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park (June 29, 2010)

Social Media:  To follow Boston Red Sox on social media visit these pages.

• Facebook Page of Boston Red Sox
• Twitter @RedSox

For more information on the Boston Red Sox visit these links:

• Official MLB Website of Boston Red Sox
• Wikipedia Page of Boston Red Sox

Special thanks to the Boston Red Sox for shining a light on the cause autism through their autism awareness efforts. Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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This Autism Light post was featured on the Boston Pro Sports Daily on October 22, 2011.

This Autism Light post went into syndication at Autisable.

David Humphrey

Autism Light #21 is David Humphrey
Update: This post was updated on October 14, 2011.

David Humphrey is the President of Kirkman Labs, located in Lake Oswego, Oregon. David Humphrey is an Autism Light because of his leadership in guiding Kirkman Labs to create quality tested products that change lives and serve the autism community in new and innovative ways.

On June 25, 2011, Humphrey received the first ever "Champions of Autism" (A.K.A. "Hero of Autism") Award from Northwest Autism Foundation. A press release on that honor is found at this Webpage.

After reflecting on the award David Humphrey said:

"I’m honored to be the first recipient of the foundation’s Hero of Autism award. But really, it’s the kids and the families of the kids with autism that are the real heroes. They are the reason why we all do as much as we can.”

Kirkman Labs was started in 1949 and is a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Oregon that specializes in nutritional supplements for individuals with special dietary needs, including autism.

David Humphrey is a leader in a number of advocacy organizations and is a member of the Health Advisory Board of The Autism Society.  Special thanks to David Humphrey for making a difference for those with autism.


Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

White Castle

Autism Light #19 is White Castle.

White Castle celebrates it's 90th birthday today and Autism Light thinks they are celebrating the occasion perfectly by announcing a new donation of $500,000 to Autism Speaks.  This brings its total giving in the last 18 months to $1 million.  A press release on the event is at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/white-castle-raises-over-1-million-for-autism-research-128342338.html.  Information on their "Puzzle Piece" campaign that made this possible is at their corporate website.   Below is a commercial for White Castle. 

White Castle is an Autism Light because of this critical corporate giving. Their fundraising efforts are applauded. Special thanks to all the patrons of White Castle who gave in their "Puzzle Piece" campaign.  

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Toys "R" Us

Autism Light #8 is Toys "R" Us.

Toys "R" Us (NYSE: TOY) is a corporation with headquarters in New Jersey.  They specialize in children's goods and are both Autism Speaks donors and distributors of autism friendly products.

Supporter:  Toys "R" Us generously raised over $3 million dollars during this year's campaign for the benefit of Autism Speaks. This is the continuation of a National Partnership with Autism Speaks that began in 2007.

The following is a video for the "Be a Hero" campaign that promoted the message that the real heroes of autism are benefactors and researchers and also those with autism, their family, teachers, and care providers.  It features the musical skills of Jodi, a girl with autism.

Autism Friendly Toys: One of the other ways Toys "R" Us help with autism is they publish a Differently-Abled Toy Guide that helps select toys that may be meaningful for children with autism. In addition, Toys "R" Us has obtained exclusive rights to sell the Keepon, a toy to help with autism therapy.  See this video on Keepon. 

Social Media: You can follow Toys "R" Us on the following social media. 

• Twitter
• Facebook

Special thanks to Toy "R"Us for being an Autism Light through their giving and autism friendly product designs. They are making a difference for autism year round. 

Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor have we received any return of goods or services for writing this post. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.