EARTHLY ANGELS AUTISM FUND
of the Luzerne Foundation


"Continuously working to provide help and support to local autistic individuals"

Welcome to the website of the Earthly Angels Autism Fund of the Luzerne Foundation. Ron and Brenda D'Eliseo started this Autism Fund in 2001 to honor their son Robert, who has autism, and to help other families facing autism through awareness, support services and education. As parents and having experienced the heartbreak and confusion that accompanies autism, they decided to turn this tragedy into something worthwhile. Having a child diagnosed as autistic enables them to reach out to many local families in a knowing and caring way. The Earthly Angels Autism Fund is not a support group, however, their goal is to find ways to help the lives of autistic individuals and their families. It is their hope that this site will provide you with a point of reference and resources that will assist you in your personal journey.

The Earthly Angels Autism Fund's MISSION is to proactively increase autism awareness; provide funding to qualified nonprofit organizations for autistic services, support programs and education; and to bring hope to those families who deal with the hardships of this disorder.

 

Thanks to the continued support from personal and corporate sponsors and the local community, fundraising efforts have been very successful. Since the Fund's inception, 2001, the Earthly Angels Autism Fund has donated in excess of $100,000 to local non-profit organizations to benefit local autistic individuals!

 

Top 10 Terrific Traits of Autistic People If you’re sick of hearing about all the “deficits” challenging people on the autism spectrum, join the club. But for every down side to autism, there seems to be a positive — an unusual trait that rarely appears among the “typical” community, but shines out among artistic folk. These plusses are well worth celebrating. 1. Autistic People Rarely Lie We all claim to value the truth, but almost all of us tell little white lies. All, that is, except people on the autism spectrum. To them, truth is truth — and a good word from a person on the spectrum is the real deal. 2. People on the Autism Spectrum Live in the Moment How often do typical people fail to notice what’s in front of their eyes because they’re distracted by social cues or random chitchat? People on the autism spectrum truly attend to the sensory input that surrounds them. Many have achieved the ideal of mindfulness. 3. People with Autism Rarely Judge Others Who’s fatter? Richer? Smarter? For people on the autism spectrum, these distinctions hold much less importance than for typical folks. In fact, people on the spectrum often see through such surface appearance to discover the real person. 4. Autistics People are Passionate Of course, not all autistic people are alike. But many are truly passionate about the things, ideas and people in their lives. How many “typical” people can say the same? 5. People with Autism Are Not Tied to Social Expectations If you’ve ever bought a car, played a game or joined a club to fit in, you know how hard it is to be true to yourself. But for people with autism, social expectations can be honestly irrelevant. What matters is true liking, interest and passion — not keeping up with the Joneses. 6. People with Autism Have Terrific Memories How often do typical people forget directions, or fail to take note of colors, names, and other details? People on the autism spectrum are often much more tuned in to details. They may have a much better memory than their typical peers for all kind of critical details. 7. Autistic People are Less Materialistic Of course, this is not universally true — but in general, people with autism are far less concerned with outward appearance than their typical peers. As a result, they worry less about brand names, hairstyles and other expensive but unimportant externals than most people do. 8. Autistic People Play Fewer Head Games Who was that woman, and why were you looking at her? I know I TOLD you I didn't mind if you went out, but why did you believe me? Most autistic people don’t play games like these — and they assume that you won’t either. It’s a refreshing and wonderful change from the Peyton Place emotional roller coaster that mars too many typical relationships! 9. Autistic People Have Fewer Hidden Agendas Most of the time, if a person on the autism spectrum tells you what he wants — he is telling you what he wants. No need to beat around the bush, second guess, and hope you’re reading between the lines! 10. People with Autism Open New Doors for Neurotypicals For some of us neurotypicals, having an autistic person in our lives has had profound positive impact on our perceptions, beliefs and expectations.

 

**SPECIAL BULLETIN** CDC Reports Autism Prevalence Rate of 1 In 110 American Children, 1 In 70 Boys  In the wake of today's new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stating that autism now affects 1 in every 110 American children, Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, called on the federal government to immediately step up its efforts – and dramatically increase funding – to address the growing national autism public health crisis.  The CDC report, published in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), states that 1% or 1 in every 110 children has been diagnosed with autism, including 1 in 70 boys. This represents a staggering 57 percent increase from 2002 to 2006, and a 600 percent increase in just the past 20 years. Other significant findings include that a broader definition of ASDs does not account for the increase, and while improved and earlier diagnosis accounts for some of the increase, it does not fully account for the increase. Thus, a true increase in the risk for ASD cannot be ruled out. Even though parents typically express concerns about their child's developmental progress before age three, the average age of diagnoses is not until 53 months, although diagnoses are occurring earlier than found in the 2002 study. The report uses the same methodology that produced the CDC's 2007 prevalence findings of 1 in 150 children with autism. These new findings reinforce that autism is an urgent and growing public health crisis that affects most individuals across their lifespan and demands a commensurate level of action from both the public and private sectors.

 

Quick Path to Information & Services  

AUTISM SIGNS & CHARACHTERISTICS

DIAGNOSIS

FINANCIAL AID/MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

SUPPORT GROUPS

TREATMENT & SERVICES

LOCAL AGENCIES

PROGRAMS

COMMUNITY EVENTS

FUNDRAISING EVENTS

STATE RESOURCES/LINKS

MERCHANDISE

AUTISM SUCCESS STORIES

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