Autism and the Importance of Knowing the Funding Options

Ever since autism spectrum disorder has come to the public's attention, funding for research and education has increased dramatically. There was a time when ASD when misdiagnosed and extremely misunderstood, but as more and more cases were reported, the world realized that this was an epidemic of global proportions.

Government funding increased, along with private donations for scientific research and education, has had an a huge impact on the development of children and families how deal with this malady on a day to day basic. A large increase has come at the state level, with school districts now seeing the immense growth in students diagnosed with ASD. Some schools have hired autism specialists and teachers whose primary duty is focusing on the sensory needs and educational variances of the individual students. Tax dollars are responsible for this these extra funds, and with improvement rates skyrocketing, this funding appears to be a permanent fixture in the state schools.

Scientific research money is provided often at the federal level, with government grants making up more the ¾ of all funding. Private donations and fund-raising help to pick up the shortcomings in money needed to fully understand the disorder. Gift giving foundations, such as the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation, raise the funds for scientists and researchers to try to find any genetic links or environmental factors that could be linked to the increase in numbers of reported cases. Autism Speaks gathers funds from various public and private donors for research, education, and family support.

The U.S. Department of Education has taken a proactive role in funding at the educational level. The grant money often goes to Early Childhood Intervention programs that offer services to children as early as the age of two. Some state Medicaid programs help offset any shortage in funding that may occur, providing a consistent support to children and families. This is due to the realization the these programs indeed do make a difference, since discovering the rates of improvement in ASD children who get educational assistance at an early age.

On a yearly basis, foundations are being set up to advance scientific knowledge and research in order to serve the community at large and to protect our most vulnerable of children. Special education classes globally have stepped up their curricula to serve those students with ASD, as their needs often differ from those with other disabilities. As children advance in school, the use of classroom 'shadows' have shown to make a difference as children with ASD are integrated into the mainstream curriculum.

For example, The Kinney Center Operating Fund collects funds for sensory camps and summer day camps, up to $35,000, as well as training for emergency responders, such as EMTs and police, with up to $30,000. State funding for CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training in ASD modalities have also risen.

For parents, caregiver and educational specialists, knowing the funding options available can make a difference in the care and teaching of children diagnosed with this epidemic disorder.

Jason Alan Franklin has been working as a freelance writer ever since escaping the corporate time-clock in 2009. He is a content ghost writer for many web sites around the world, a music writer for OnixLink, and an envornmental writer for DetectEnergy.
He currently lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife and two children.

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