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Actor Lou Diamond Phillips Introduces Autism Treatment Organization
ACT TODAY! SETS GOAL TO INCREASE TREATMENT ACCESS
Date: September 22, 2005
Contact: Tami Larsen (818) 345-2345, ext 271
Chatsworth, CA - Actor/Director Lou Diamond Phillips announced the creation of a new organization dedicated to raising money for children with autism. Phillips, who is also a board member for the organization, MCed a launch event for ACT Today!TM at a private home in Chartsworth. Participating supporters included actress Pell James, producer Michael Burns, actress Lori Loughlin, designer Mossimo Giannulli, and Dixie Chicks musicians Martie Maguire, Emily Robison and Natalie Maines.
ACT Today!, which stands for Autism Care & Treatment Today!, was founded by motivated parents and therapy providers interested in increasing access to effective treatments. ACT Today! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that will provide grants to families needing assistance accessing proven treatments such as Applied Behavior Analysis and bio-medical treatments.
"The goal of ACT Today! is to facilitate early and on-going autism treatment by providing necessary resources including funding, guidance, referrals and follow up," said Phillips. "Autism is a growing epidemic that can be virtually cured if treated early on. ACT Today! will help fund treatments for children and create a road to recovery for families that might not otherwise have it."
The event was hosted by the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (C.A.R.D.) and the Thoughtful House Center for Children and included presentations from:
- Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who in 1998 uncovered possible links between autism and childhood vaccinations; Dr. Wakefield heads Thoughtful House Center for Children, a treatment/research facility in Austin, TX studying best practices in autism treatment and the potential for improved outcomes when bio-medical and behavioral treatments are used together.
- Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh, who in 1987 worked on the first major autism treatment study found remarkable improvements among participants and the increased potential for recovery with a treatment known as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA); In 1990, Dr. Granpeesheh started C.A.R.D., an international organization providing ABA treatment to children.
At the end of the evening, Phillips was honored for an award winning video presentation in which he interviewed recovered autistic children at an international Autism Conference in Los Angeles last October.
The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc (C.A.R.D.) is among the world's largest and most experienced organizations effectively treating children with autism. With US and international reach, CARD touches the lives of hundreds of children and their families. Through a network of trained therapists, supervisors and researchers CARD develops and implements quality, comprehensive and personalized treatment programs which lead to success, and in many cases recovery. With headquarters in Tarzana, CA, CARD currently runs 14 US offices in California, Texas, New York and Virginia, and 3 separate international companies.
Thoughtful House Center for Children is a new initiative in Austin, Texas, that will provide clinical and educational services for children affected by childhood developmental disorders, in combination with a dedicated research program. The goal of Thoughtful House is to utilize the benefits of past and current research and combine the talents of leading clinicians, researchers and educators in one dedicated facility. Thoughtful House is a data-driven, results-focused environment for generating "best practice" educational models and setting new standards of medical care for children affected by childhood developmental disorders.
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