WELCOME TO GRANT A GIFT!

5K Time Race Results
Click here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Learn More About Our TeenWorks
Vocational Volunteer Program & Other Programs
Click Here


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Parent Corner

Concerned About Your Child's Development
   Get Your Free Milestone Booklet Here 

          77th Legislative Session 120 Calendar Click Here             

New Medical Insurance Legislation Overview
Effective January 1, 2011 
Parent Overview

Community Resources for Southern Nevada
ClickHere
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     

A Letter From Our President/Executive Director
Lynda Tache



Grant a Gift Autism Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity that benefit's children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or suspected to have ASD, and the people who care for them.  Our foundation will work hand-in-hand with the community and other local organizations that support Autism.  We are currently accepting donations to start operations and service scholarship funding in Spring of 2010.

The foundation was formed in Nevada to primarily help fund diagnostic and support services that children 0-12 years of age, on the autism spectrum, so desperately need to hopefully live as independent adults and/or have a functioning role in our community.  The foundation will also provide grants to other organizations that support children with autism to deliver services or gifts that will enhance the child and family’s quality of life.

As a parent of a child living with autism in the state of Nevada, over the years I have come into contact with 100's of families that experience first hand the huge gaps in services delivered to their children due to lack of financial resources.  As a result, the Autism Task Force was put into place by the state to study this epidemic...a portion of the following information is sourced from the 2008 The Report of the Nevada Autism Task Force.   

Autism, whose cause remains unknown, is being diagnosed at an accelerating pace, and affects more children than AIDS, diabetes, and cancer combined.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the developmental disorder is now affecting 1 of 110 children nationally.  The rate may be a little higher in Nevada.  Recent statistics from public schools, published in 2007 by the research group Fighting Autism, showed the condition occurring more frequently in Nevada— the 12th highest in the country.

The tragedy is that in the state of Nevada there is a tremendous shortfall in funding for these services and insurance companies can discriminate by not covering this medical condition.  The average child with ASD needs multiple services that can cost anywhere from $10,000-$40,000 per child per year.  Unfortunately this causes families to go into major debt or carry the burden of not treating their child.

Left untreated, Autism is a disease that breaks up families, sentences individuals to a life of dependency, isolation and discrimination, and costs society billions of care dollars every year—90 percent of which are spent during a person’s adult years.   The price tag for a lifetime of care for one untreated person with Autism Spectrum Disorder and intellectual disabilities could be as high as $6 million.  Most of the expense is in adult care and falls on the state.  As these children grow up, is Nevada prepared to bare this expense?

Grant a Gift Autism Foundation’s mission is to help subsidize or help fill the funding gap for services for these children and their families with the goal of granting the possibility of a better quality of life and productive role in society.     

With early intervention and ongoing treatment, many children with ASD will be able to lead productive and independent lives saving potentially $1 million per adult.  According to CDC stats, the current Nevada population, and continued population growth, today there could be approximately 6,000 plus children in Nevada on the autism spectrum and growing.   By supporting our children through this foundation and other organizations supporting autism, you could be part of the solution to help change a life while saving our community billions of dollars in the future!
 

Thank you for your support in helping this organization help our children with ASD in Nevada!
Everyone Deserves the Opportunity To Reach Their Full Potential!

Sincerely,

Lynda Tache

President and Founder

Grant a Gift Autism Foundation