Helping friends on the spectrum fight Autism through the diagnostic & support service connections...
Mission: Providing autism diagnostic scholarships, support service scholarships and gifts to children living on the autism spectrum and their families who care for them. To enhance each child’s development while improving their quality of life and promoting a lifetime of inclusion in the community.
All funds raised in Nevada go directly to help children in Nevada!
Everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. Our organization will always strive to fill in the service and funding gaps not currently being provided to give our children growing up in Nevada a better future and quality of life. We also want to be a positive contributor to our community as a whole, so Nevada can be recognized as a state with quality support for its children and families living with ASD.
Grant a Gift Autism Foundation: Is a fund helping friends on the Spectrum fight Autism through the Diagnostic and Support Service Connection, primarily serving children 0-12 years of age with ASD and their families who care for them. We will connect our families to local licensed and certified healthcare providers and therapists, experienced advocates, non-profit ASD support organizations and governmental agencies, and provide scholarships to help obtain services.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? ASD is a neuro-developmental medical condition associated with unique abnormalities in brain development. ASD is characterized by impairments with moderate to severe delays in: social interaction, fine and gross motor skills, language and communication, repetitive behaviors and compulsive preoccupations.
The Epidemic: Children continue to go undiagnosed and untreated in Nevada. Autism, whose cause remains unknown, is being diagnosed at an accelerating pace. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the developmental disorder is now affecting 1 in 150 children nationally.
The Movement: Autism Spectrum Disorders typically affect a person throughout their lifetime. However, for a child with ASD, an early diagnosis followed up by ongoing support services, can mean the difference between living an independent life or a life dependent on the support of others. Families receive little help to provide for the high expense of treatment...less than 6% of individuals with ASD in Nevada receive funding from state programs. Most insurance companies and state agencies do not provide coverage for ASD’s and Autism-specific therapies. Parents who cannot afford the full cost of care for their children with autism worry, with good reason, that their boys or girls could remain severely disabled throughout their lives. With proper treatment during childhood, those with autism have a good chance of pursuing careers and living personally rewarding, productive lives. Without extensive therapy and other treatment, beyond that provided by schools, there is a risk they will never achieve their full potential and will require lifelong government help!