Did you know that…

• About 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.
• ASD is almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 42) than among girls (1 in 189).
• About 1 in 6 children in the United States had a developmental disability in 2006-2008, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism.
• It is estimated to cost at least $17,000 more per year to care for a child with ASD compared to a child without ASD. Costs include health care, education, ASD-related therapy, family-coordinated services, and caregiver time. For a child with more severe ASD, costs per year increase to over $21,000. Taken together, it is estimated that total societal costs of caring for children with ASD were over $9 billion in 2011.

Source: (2014, March 20). Re: Facts about ASD. Division of Birth Defects, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, autism – or more precisely the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) – represents a broad group of developmental disorders characterized by impaired social interactions, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors, or severely limited activities and interests. It is an important critical health issue that impacts millions of lives. The Affordable Care Act contains important provisions for individuals with autism and related conditions and their families.  Under the new health care law:

• Most health insurance plans are no longer allowed to deny, limit, exclude or charge more for coverage to anyone based on a pre-existing condition, including autism and related conditions.
• All Marketplace health plans and most other private insurance plans must cover preventive services for children without charging a copayment or coinsurance. This includes autism screening for children at 18 and 24 months.

There is no cure for ASD but early detection and treatment services at a very young age can help improve a child’s life overall.

Uniform Advantage’s (UA) uniforms travel the hallways of any offices and hospitals that wear scrubs on a daily and nightly basis. Our valued customers generously support UA’s worthy causes with South Florida and national charitable organizations. This Fall 2014, Uniform Advantage will be donating $1 from the sale of designated scrubs tops and jacket prints to a chosen charity they partnered with. One of their partners is The Dan Marino Foundation in recognition of Autism Awareness. To help support Autism programs, Uniform Advantage is donating $1 from the sale of each of its Autism Awareness White prints and will be contributing over $2,000.00.

About The Dan Marino Foundation

The Dan Marino Foundation, Inc., a 501(c) 3 organization was established in 1992 by Dan and Claire Marino, motivated by their experiences in raising their son, Michael, who is diagnosed with autism.  The Foundation’s mission is “empowering individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.”  For over 22 years, the Foundation has served individuals with disabilities in South Florida through therapies, research, education, and employment, and raised more than $50 million to create unique and impactful initiatives in the community.  Among these “first-of-their-kind” initiatives are the Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center, Childnett.tv, the Marino Autism Research Institute, Marino Adapted Aquatics, Summer STEPS Employment Programs, and Marino Campus, a new post-secondary educational opportunity for young adults, ages 18-28, with autism and other developmental disabilities.  For more information, please visit www.danmarinofoundation.org or www.marinocampus.org.

Marino Campus

Marino Campus is an exciting post-secondary educational opportunity for young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Although new, Marino Campus offers students all of the academic and social opportunities that make college a unique, life-changing experience.

The Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center

The MCH Dan Marino Outpatient Center is a center for the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of children with autism and other special needs.

Marino Adapted Aquatics

In April 2006, House Bill 1319 created the Marino Swim Central Adaptive Aquatics Certification. This bill requires certification of swimming instructors working with people with developmental disabilities and is imperative to the safety of these individuals.

Marino Autism Research Institute (MARI)

In 2006, the Foundation introduced the Marino Autism Research Institute, established with an endowment from the JM Family Foundation. MARI is an institute without walls or overhead designed to sponsor cross-university, collaborative research. This “Virtual Institute” was formed when the Foundation invited two of our nation’s premier research programs in autism – the University of Miami and Vanderbilt University – to become inaugural members.

Uniform Advantage is excited to partner with The Dan Marino Foundation on raising awareness about this significant health condition and look forward to seeing major breakthroughs in the future.

Help support and be part of this dynamic movement!