Illinois Home Insurance Online

Help and hope for autism

When Teresa Paul’s son, Sean, was born, she dreamed of the day when he would graduate from college, get married and have children of his own. Like many new moms, she was excited to take her baby home, and she looked forward to watching Sean grow and reach developmental milestones, such as sitting up alone, walking and talking. Nine months after Sean’s birth, Paul, a Taylorville resident, noticed that unlike most other babies his age, Sean was not babbling, nor could he sit up alone. And while most babies take their first steps around 12 months of age, Sean didn’t begin walking until just before his second birthday. Having heard that it is not uncommon for boys to reach developmental stages a little slower than girls, Paul figured that Sean was simply a “late bloomer” and that he would eventually catch up. As Sean continued to lag behind his peers, Paul became increasingly concerned. At two years of age, he received an extensive medical evaluation and was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of neurological disorders affecting an individual’s communication, social interaction and behavior. Sean is currently one of the estimated 1.5 million U.S. residents diagnosed with autism. And according to the national Autism Society, a Maryland-based grassroots organization focusing on improving the lives of individuals with the disorder through education, public awareness and advocating for services, the number is increasing daily. Some maintain that the increase in autism diagnosis means that the disorder is more prevalent today. Others argue that the increase is due to more knowledge among medical providers, which has led to diagnosis of individuals who in the past were undiagnosed, and public awareness efforts from organizations such as Autism Speaks, and the Autism Society, which has more than 20 chapters in various states across the country, including Illinois.

ASD is a complex group of disorders with a vast array of symptoms and behaviors occurring in various combinations and levels of severity, ranging from mild to disabling. Some may have fairly good verbal skills with very little delay in language, while others are nonverbal. Such variation makes the disorder unique from person to person. Children with ASD often do not take part in pretend play, and have a hard time initiating social interactions. Many have “meltdowns,” commonly referred to as tantrums, which are usually caused by sensory stimuli, explained Julie Alderman, training center director of the Springfield regional office of The Autism Program (TAP) of Illinois, which networks with 30 agencies across the state to provide services for those with autism. TAP provides resources, programs, services and support to improve the quality of life for individuals with ASD. It impacts more than 16,000 families each year. In addition to offering services for those diagnosed, TAP also provides training and supports to health care providers and educators to assist Illinois families. Springfield‘s Rebecca Moore recognized that her son, Jacob, had some developmental delays at an early age. By the time Jacob was four years old he didn‘t talk much, and had frequent meltdowns. “I knew in my gut that something was wrong, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what the problem was,” said Moore. Jacob’s pre-kindergarten teacher was the first to tell Moore that her son appeared to have some characteristics of autism, explaining that Jacob isolated himself, had difficulty following simple directions and would only use one particular color during coloring assignments. Several years and examinations passed before an extensive evaluation by a behavioral specialist revealed that Jacob is a high-functioning autistic.

Illinois Home Insurance Online - News

Help and hope for autism

Like many new moms, she was excited to take her baby home, and she looked forward to watching Sean grow and reach developmental milestones, such as sitting up alone, walking and talking. Nine months after Sean's birth, Paul, a Taylorville resident,

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Brush up on your home insurance before disaster strikes

Imagine this while you're thinking about selecting property damage insurance... You drive up to your home and then find out the hard way that your life is about to take a turn for the worse. The coffee pot that you forgot to turn off... well, maybe you should have clicked it off before you went to grab a quick gallon of milk. You're about to have a bad day. It's likely that you could find yourself in this situation at least a single time in your life - hopefully not more. Regardless, that property damage policy that you talked to your insurance agent about is about to become REAL critical to you. Numerous companies offer home insurance and you need to pick the best one. You need to have the right coverages and the most reasonable coverage values. Where should you start?

At it's most basic level, home insurance, usually called HOI in the insurance world, is a kind of insurance policy that provides coverage so that in the case of an event such as water, fire damage, tornado, earthquake, lightning strike, or even an explosion, a homeowner can rest assured that they should be protected from the financial damage that ,without insurance, accompany it. Now, while you may have homeowners insurance, don't kid yourself into thinking that you're unquestionably covered for all losses from all causes. You may or may not be. The best time to figure that out is BEFORE actually needing your coverage! Guided by a good insurance agent, a homeowner should have adequate coverage for whatever happens. Sadly, not every insurance agent is good and not every property damage policy actually has the specific coverages you specifically need. On the down side, you may realize this out after the fact. Insurance companies are famous for their fine print that a lot of folks never even see. You really need to know what the heck that insurance policy covers BEFORE an accident.

Right off the bat, if you haven't done it, sit down and READ the homeowners insurance policy.