By RACHEL ZAMZOW August 17, 2014 Tony Burke was an energetic 2-year-old who loved drawing purple pictures of Barney and jumping on trampolines. But then his parents began to notice how he would grunt instead of talk, and couldn't look anyone in the eye. Before his third birthday, in 2005, he was diagnosed with autism. "It felt like my heart had been ripped out," said his mother, Suzanne Burke of Philadelphia. Seeking the best care, his parents found applied behavior analysis (ABA), a one-on-one therapy considered the most effective treatment to date for autism. While doing ABA, Tony's grunts became words like "cookie" and "juice," which later evolved into sentences, such as "Can I have some juice?" The intensive therapy was working. But then the family's insurance started denying claims. Even though laws in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey require insurers to pay for ABA, Tony's therapy wasn't covered in school, where he most needed help. And it was impossible for the Burkes to pay the nearly $80,000 a year this therapy costs. Without ABA, Tony's language skills plummeted. His behavior spiraled out of control. "You feel helpless," said Tony's father, John Burke. Read the original here: Families seek changes … Continue reading →

Parents dispute insurance, treatment guidelines By RACHEL ZAMZOW August 18, 2014 PHILADELPHIA (AP) Tony Burke was an energetic 2-year-old who loved drawing purple pictures of Barney and jumping on trampolines. But then his parents began to notice how he would grunt instead of talk, and couldn't look anyone in the eye. Before his third birthday, in 2005, he was diagnosed with autism. "It felt like my heart had been ripped out," said his mother, Suzanne Burke of Philadelphia. Seeking the best care, his parents found applied behavior analysis (ABA), a one-on-one therapy considered the most effective treatment to date for autism. While doing ABA, Tony's grunts became words like "cookie" and "juice," which later evolved into sentences, such as "Can I have some juice?" The intensive therapy was working. But then the family's insurance started denying claims. Even though laws in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey require insurers to pay for ABA, Tony's therapy wasn't covered in school, where he most needed help. And it was impossible for the Burkes to pay the nearly $80,000 a year that this therapy costs. Without ABA, Tony's language skills plummeted. His behavior spiraled out of control. "You feel helpless," said Tony's father, John … Continue reading →

Autism now effects 1 in 68 children. Although there are many theories on what causes the onset of autism, there is still no absolute answer. And, with all the advancements in diagnosis and treatment, there is still no cure. Research has shown that a vast amount of children with autism respond very well to music therapy when used in conjunction with a comprehensive treatment program. Music therapy is often used to address non-musical goals and often mirror speech, occupational, and behavior therapists. We Rock For Autism was founded to assist families in allowing their children, which have been diagnosed with autism, receive music therapy sessions that they would otherwise not be able to afford on their own. We are honored to have the support of 80s In The Park, said Chris Wilson, President of We Rock For Autism. To embrace the music them of our foundation and promote our cause at such an iconic event has us all thrilled. The promoters of the event could not be more supportive of our efforts and we hope to see everyone who attends stop by our booth and say hello. The popular 80s In The Park event, which takes place in Melbourne FL … Continue reading →

By Barbara Bronson Gray HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Children who are prescribed human growth hormone may be at greater risk of a stroke in early adulthood than their peers are, a new study suggests. While the study raises important questions about the safety of human growth hormone treatments, the study's French researchers encouraged parents to discuss the pros and cons of treatment with their child's physician. "For children and adolescents currently on growth hormone treatment, the treatment should not be stopped, but the doctor prescribing the treatment should be consulted," said study author Dr. Joel Coste, head of the biostatistics and epidemiology unit at Hotel Dieu at the University of Paris. One expert agreed that the finding should give parents pause. "The study represents a kind of yellow light that should make people stop and think about [the potential risks]," said Dr. Rebecca Ichord, director of the pediatric stroke program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "People view technology in medicine as a way to fix things, but the bad news is that when we try to fix things sometimes there is a price," said Ichord, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. The research … Continue reading →