In San Jose California in March 2012, a mother of a child with autism shot her son and then herself I wrote this piece that evening WHERE Were We? (A professional's introspection on that awful day) I shot my son with autism and then I shot myself How did we fail this mother? How did we fail this mother? How did we fail this mother? I cannot get this thought out of my mind Where were we? Where were we? Where were we? When she reached out for guidance When she requested When she asked When she searched When she connected When she pleaded When she hoped & perhaps prayed for just one solution Why did we not see? Her frustration Her anguish Her desperation Her pain Her hopelessness This is 2 012!!!! PEOPLE We have IDEA, ISP, IEP, ITP, IPP FAPE, 504 plans, Workability Services, Department of Rehabilitation We have Regional Centers & a Department of Developmental Services We have millions of web site addresses focused on autism resources, training and information We have The California Senate Select Committee on ASD ...

In 2012, a mom with an autistic child in San Jose committed murder-suicide, sparking a plea for better support systems for parents.

Throwing Parents a Life Preserver

  In San Jose California in March 2012, a mother of a child with autism shot her son and then herself     I wrote this piece that evening     WHERE Were We? (A professional's introspection on that awful day)    I shot my son with autism and then I shot myself   How did we fail this mother? How did we fail this mother? How did we fail this mother?   I cannot get this thought out of my mind   Where were we? Where were we? Where were we?   When she reached out for guidance   When she requested   When she asked   When she searched   When she connected   When she pleaded   When she hoped & perhaps prayed for just one solution    Why did we not see?      Her frustration Her anguish Her desperation Her pain   Her hopelessness     This is 2  012!!!! PEOPLE     We have IDEA, ISP, IEP, ITP, IPP FAPE, 504 plans, Workability Services, Department of Rehabilitation     We have Regional Centers & a Department of Developmental Services     We have millions of web site addresses focused on autism resources, training and information      We have The California Senate Select Committee on ASD   ...

PRESENTS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM THE THIRD ANNUAL AUTISM CONFERENCE FOR PROFESSIONALS AND FAMILIES NOVEMBER 3, 2011 Special Guest back by popular demand: Eustacia Cutler Speakers: Ricki Robinson, M.D., M.P.H. and Sue Rubin, Nonverbal Woman with Autism and Self-advocate "I stopped going to autism conferences years ago because they told me the same thing every time. But yours had emotion coupled with specific, helpful and NEW information. Thank you!" -Judy Mark, parent
 Vista Del Mar Campus 3200 Motor Avenue • Los Angeles CA 90034 • www.vistadelmar.org 8:00 a.m. – Registration 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Conference Lunch will be included • C.E.U. credits available $100-Professionals $85-General $50-Students and Seniors ($10 discount if registration received by 10-7-11 for Professionals and General Admission Only) Regional Center Funding Available WRC # PW5788 Guest Speakers Ricki Robinson, M.D., M.P.H. is Co-Director of Descanso Medical Center for Development and Learning in La Canada, California. A nationally sought-after expert, she has appeared on the Today Show, Larry King Live and Good Morning America Health in support of the needs of children and families with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is the author of Autism Solutions – How to Create a Healthy and Meaningful Life for Your Child.
 Sue Rubin, Self-Advocate. Ms. Rubin was considered "low functioning and mentally retarded" before acquiring an effective commu nication system. She now holds an academic scholarship at Whittier College. Sue is a dedicated advocate, a facilitated communication consultant, and...

Vista Del Mar's 3rd annual autism conference with speakers E. Cutler, R. Robinson, and S. Rubin on Nov 3, 2011 in LA.

Conference: Vista Del Mar Autism Conferences

PRESENTS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM THE THIRD ANNUAL AUTISM CONFERENCE FOR PROFESSIONALS AND FAMILIES  NOVEMBER 3, 2011 Special Guest back by popular demand: Eustacia Cutler Speakers: Ricki Robinson, M.D., M.P.H. and Sue Rubin, Nonverbal Woman with Autism and Self-advocate    "I stopped going to autism conferences years ago because they told me the same thing every time. But yours had emotion coupled with specific, helpful and NEW information. Thank you!"  -Judy Mark, parent
 Vista Del Mar Campus 3200 Motor Avenue • Los Angeles CA 90034 • www.vistadelmar.org  8:00 a.m. – Registration 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Conference Lunch will be included • C.E.U. credits available $100-Professionals $85-General $50-Students and Seniors ($10 discount if registration received by 10-7-11 for Professionals and General Admission Only)   Regional Center Funding Available WRC # PW5788  Guest Speakers    Ricki Robinson, M.D., M.P.H. is Co-Director of Descanso Medical Center for Development and Learning in La Canada, California. A nationally sought-after expert, she has appeared on the Today Show, Larry King Live and Good Morning America Health in support of the needs of children and families with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is the author of Autism Solutions – How to Create a Healthy and Meaningful Life for Your Child.
 Sue Rubin, Self-Advocate. Ms. Rubin was considered "low functioning and mentally retarded" before acquiring an effective commu nication system. She now holds an academic scholarship at Whittier College. Sue is a dedicated advocate, a facilitated communication consultant, and...

You've searched for local support groups in your area and found nothing. Or the groups that exist don't match your situation: wrong diagnosis, wrong age group, meetings at impossible times. You're ready to create something yourself, but you don't know where to start. Starting a support group isn't about having professional training or therapeutic credentials. It's about structure, consistency, and clear boundaries. The groups that survive their first year share specific characteristics. The ones that collapse within months make predictable mistakes. Here's what works. Define Your Mission Before You Recruit Anyone. A vague mission produces an unfocused group. "Support for special needs families" doesn't tell potential members what they'll find when they show up. Be specific about who the group serves and what it does. Decide on scope: Condition-specific or condition-agnostic? A group for parents of children with autism creates immediate common ground. A group for any parent navigating special education includes more people but less shared experience. Both models work. Pick one and stay consistent. Name the format: Drop-in conversation, structured discussion topics, guest speakers, or skill-sharing workshops? The format determines who shows up and what they expect. A facilitated discussion with rotating topics attracts different members than an open-ended share circle. Set geographic boundaries: Neighborhood-only, citywide, or regional? Distance matters when members need to get home for bedtime routines or rely on accessible transit. A 20-minute drive is feasible. An hour isn't. Write your mission in two sentences. Test it by asking: could someone read...

Step-by-step guide to creating a sustainable local support group that lasts beyond the first few meetings.

How to Start a Support Group for Families with Special Needs

You've searched for local support groups in your area and found nothing. Or the groups that exist don't match your situation: wrong diagnosis, wrong age group, meetings at impossible times. You're ready to create something yourself, but you don't know where to start. Starting a support group isn't about having professional training or therapeutic credentials. It's about structure, consistency, and clear boundaries. The groups that survive their first year share specific characteristics. The ones that collapse within months make predictable mistakes. Here's what works. Define Your Mission Before You Recruit Anyone. A vague mission produces an unfocused group. "Support for special needs families" doesn't tell potential members what they'll find when they show up. Be specific about who the group serves and what it does.  Decide on scope: Condition-specific or condition-agnostic? A group for parents of children with autism creates immediate common ground. A group for any parent navigating special education includes more people but less shared experience. Both models work. Pick one and stay consistent.  Name the format: Drop-in conversation, structured discussion topics, guest speakers, or skill-sharing workshops? The format determines who shows up and what they expect. A facilitated discussion with rotating topics attracts different members than an open-ended share circle.  Set geographic boundaries: Neighborhood-only, citywide, or regional? Distance matters when members need to get home for bedtime routines or rely on accessible transit. A 20-minute drive is feasible. An hour isn't. Write your mission in two sentences. Test it by asking: could someone read...

NIH autism research funding dropped 26% under the recent administration. Cerebral palsy research averaged $22.7 million annually from 2014 to 2023, with only 2.3% allocated to adult and lifespan research. When federal funding contracts, families advocating for their child's condition face a question they shouldn't have to ask: where else do we look? The answer isn't always NIH. State innovation grants, condition-specific foundations, and regional disability councils fund research families can access directly or advocate for through partnerships. Most parents don't know these channels exist. What Kinds of Research Grants Can Families Access? Not every research grant is structured for academic institutions. Small grants under $250,000 are accessible to family-led advocacy organizations, nonprofit collaborations, and community-based research partnerships. These aren't institutional R01 grants requiring university infrastructure. They're targeted funding streams for pilot studies, community surveys, registry development, and quality-of-life interventions. State disability councils fund innovation grants for projects addressing gaps in services or data. The Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council and New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities both operate annual grant cycles open to nonprofits and coalitions that include families. Condition-specific foundations like the Simons Foundation (autism spectrum research) and FRAXA Research Foundation (fragile X syndrome) fund targeted studies when federal agencies deprioritize them. The Simons Foundation SFARI program has funded over 2,100 publications across 360+ investigators. When NIH funding declines, these foundations fill gaps federal budgets leave open. State-Level Innovation Grants: Where to Start. State developmental disabilities councils exist in every state and territory. They're federally mandated but locally...

State grants, foundation funding, and NIH alternatives for families advocating for disability research after federal cuts.

How to Find and Apply for Research Grants in Special Needs and Rare Disorders

NIH autism research funding dropped 26% under the recent administration. Cerebral palsy research averaged $22.7 million annually from 2014 to 2023, with only 2.3% allocated to adult and lifespan research. When federal funding contracts, families advocating for their child's condition face a question they shouldn't have to ask: where else do we look? The answer isn't always NIH. State innovation grants, condition-specific foundations, and regional disability councils fund research families can access directly or advocate for through partnerships. Most parents don't know these channels exist. What Kinds of Research Grants Can Families Access? Not every research grant is structured for academic institutions. Small grants under $250,000 are accessible to family-led advocacy organizations, nonprofit collaborations, and community-based research partnerships. These aren't institutional R01 grants requiring university infrastructure. They're targeted funding streams for pilot studies, community surveys, registry development, and quality-of-life interventions. State disability councils fund innovation grants for projects addressing gaps in services or data. The Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council and New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities both operate annual grant cycles open to nonprofits and coalitions that include families. Condition-specific foundations like the Simons Foundation (autism spectrum research) and FRAXA Research Foundation (fragile X syndrome) fund targeted studies when federal agencies deprioritize them. The Simons Foundation SFARI program has funded over 2,100 publications across 360+ investigators. When NIH funding declines, these foundations fill gaps federal budgets leave open. State-Level Innovation Grants: Where to Start. State developmental disabilities councils exist in every state and territory. They're federally mandated but locally...

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Special Needs
Articles

Throwing Parents a Life Preserver

Conference: Vista Del Mar Autism Conferences

How to Start a Support Group for Families with Special Needs

How to Find and Apply for Research Grants in Special Needs and Rare Disorders

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs Articles

Throwing Parents a Life Preserver

Conference: Vista Del Mar Autism Conferences

How to Start a Support Group for Families with Special Needs

How to Find and Apply for Research Grants in Special Needs and Rare Disorders

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs
Articles