Share Your Story During Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month and is the perfect time to help raise awareness about Autism and the benefits of Nutrition Intervention. Want to get involved? One way you can help raise awareness is by contacting your local media and sharing your story with them. If you need help or have questions about the best way to get in contact with newspapers and TV stations in your area, email us at Nutricia@ecius.net.

Zinc

Zinc deficiency is associated with decreased immune function, impaired growth, loss of appetite and diarrhea.¹ Some studies show that children with autism may be especially susceptible to being zinc deficient.² The RDA of zinc for children age 1-10 ranges from 2-8 mg/day. Each 8 oz serving of Neocate Junior and E028 Splash contains 2.36 mg and 1.8 mg of zinc, respectively. Other good GFCF sources of zinc include red meats, poultry, beans, nuts and whole grains.

Hummus

15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 scoops of Neocate Junior Unflavored (per serving)
Lemon & salt to taste

Combine all ingredients (except Neocate Junior) into the food processor.  Blend on low speed, gradually adding reserved garbanzo bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved.  Divide into servings.  Add the Neocate Junior powder prior to serving, and mix well.  Add seasonings to taste.  Enjoy with fresh veggies or GFCF crackers and chips!
Serves 6 (1 serving = 3 tbsp) 

Calories	Protein	Carbohydrates	Fat
160	6g	19g	7g

The Washington Post recently wrote several articles on a bill that would give insurance coverage for therapies for children with autism in the state of Virginia. Unfortunately, the legislation did not pass. Click here to read the whole story. To see how this bill progressed, you can look below for a link and brief summary of the articles that appeared throughout the month of February leading up to the final voting.

February 2 – This article is about parents in the state of Virginia advocating for Virginia Bill, HB 1588, which would require insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism and related disorders. If the Bill passes, Virginia would join the District of Columbia and 27 other states that already mandate the coverage. Click here to read the entire article.

February 5 - A follow-up article indicated that Virginia Bill, HB 1588, died in a House subcommittee, but that a companion bill, SB1260, is pending in the Senate. Click here to view this article.

February 7 – To try to revive the bill, Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) said he would seek a discharge petition to bypass the committee and bring the measure to a full House vote. Click here to view this article.

February 10 – The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted to forward the bill for further consideration but amended the measure to limit coverage to children under the age of 6. Click here to view this article.

2009 Insurance Legislation Updates

Interested in insurance coverage for autism services? The Autism Bulletin, a blog for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders, posted a new entry on insurance legislation updates for 2009. Click here to read the entry.

The entry also includes a map created by Autism Speaks illustrating the 2009 autism insurance initiatives state-by-state. Click here to see the map and find out the status of reimbursement in your state.

¹The National Institutes of Health: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet. 2008. ²Akay et al. “Zinc Status in Autistic Children. J. Trace. Elem. Exp. Med. 17:101-107, 2004.

Upcoming Autism and Asperger's Syndrome Conferences

March 13, 2009
Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 20, 2009
Baltimore, Maryland

April 17, 2009
Austin, Texas

Upcoming Walk Now for Autism Events

3/28/2009
Walk Now for Autism Tampa Bay

4/04/2009
Walk Now for Autism West Texas

4/18/2009
Walk Now for Autism Sonoma

Walk Now for Autism Broward County

Walk Now for Autism Cumberland Tri-State

2009 Walk Now for Autism Lehigh Valley

Upcoming What's in Your Lunchbox (WIYLBOX) Workshops

F.E.E.D. The Kids Program
Northridge, California

March 28, 2009
April 4, 2009
April 11, 2009

Email info@whatsinyour
lunchbox.net for more information.

Pasadena Child Development Associates Workshop
Pasadena, California

Pediatric Feeding: Special Topics in Autism (for Professionals)

April 24, 2009

Email barb@pasadena
childdevelopment.org for more information.

Free Archived Special Diet Webinars

Special Diets for Autism Part I: A Simple Piece to a Difficult Puzzle

Special Diets for Autism Part II: The Critical Role of Amino Acids

Need help with a special diet?

You can contact our nutrition specialists for advice or check out our Frequently Asked Questions.