TARZANA, CA, September 18, 2011
/24-7PressRelease/ -- ACT Today! (Autism Care and Treatment Today!), a national non-profit organization that provides resources and funds grants for autism care and treatment, announces today that Major League All-Star Pitcher Eddie Guardado and his wife Lisa, have awarded ACT Today! with a $27-thousand dollar grant. The grant is dispersed from the The Eddie Guardado Foundation. Funds from the grant will be used to provide iPads to children with autism with limited communication skills. To date, ACT Today! has distributed 43 iPads to children in need around the country.
"Because of Eddie's career we've been blessed with the resources to get our daughter Ava the therapy and treatment she really needs," says Lisa Guardado, co-founder of The Eddie Guardado Foundation. "We also know that's just not the case for the vast majority of families affected by autism. We are so happy to be able to help organizations like ACT Today! who share our concern and are making a difference in the lives of children with autism."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 110 children in America is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), making it more prevalent than pediatric cancer, juvenile diabetes and childhood AIDS. Researchers have found that children with autism tend to be visual learners who gravitate toward technology and screens and can make significant gains via certain educational technologies such as iPads and Skills .
ACT Today! has recently established an Assisted Technology Program which to address specific needs of children diagnosed with ASD. "We're committed to providing the families we serve with the opportunity to access these new tools which will ensure their children with autism continue to gain new abilities and reach their full potential," says ACT Today!'s Executive Director Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson. ""We are grateful for Eddie's and Lisa's generosity, compassion and support which allow us to continue our mission. The response from those who have received assistance is overwhelming."
"We have downloaded many wonderful apps that help my son Max with reading, math, and telling time. Despite years of different therapies, Max still struggles with his play skills, but the iPad has sparked his imagination with creative the apps and has become quite the social tool. We believe that Max, like his new iPad, has limitless potential. Thank you for helping him," says Rachelle, Max's mother.
"I saw Dustin yesterday and was excited to see him in action with his new iPad! He was so excited to show me how to use it. I love that it is an easy way to help him communicate, but hadn't even thought about the appeal of the fun apps on there in terms of motivating his peers to interact with him," says Behavior Therapist Taira Lanagan, MS, BCBA. "He showed me how he can use to help him talk. I have known Dustin for 6 years and have never seen him so excited. Thank you!"
Contributions by entities like The Eddie Guardado Foundation enable ACT Today! to continue its mission of providing resources and fund grants for autism care and treatment. In the past year, ACT Today! has distributed over $240,000 in grants to families. For more information about ACT Today!, visit http://www.act-today.org. For more information about The Eddie Guardado Foundation, visit http://www.eddieguardadofoundation.org.
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