In 1938, an Austrian pediatrician named Hans Asperger gave the first public talk on autism in history. Asperger was speaking to an audience of Nazis, and he feared that his patients — children who fell onto what we now call the autism spectrum — were in danger of being sent to Nazi extermination camps.

As Asperger spoke, he highlighted his “most promising” patients, a notion that would stick with the autistic spectrum for decades to come.

“That is where the idea of so-called high-functioning versus low-functioning autistic people comes from really — it comes from Asperger’s attempt to save the lives of the children in his clinic,” science writer Steve Silberman tells Fresh Air’s Terry Gross. Read more here: Understanding the History and Pervasive Myths Around Autism

The Obama administration is warning state and local officials not to discriminate against people with disabilities who have children or would like to.

Technical assistance issued jointly this month from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services clarifies that children should not be taken from their moms or dads simply because a parent has a disability. Read more.

In two protest events coordinated in both Southern and Northern California, protesters made their voices heard in extraordinary unison.:

Upwards of 1,000 people from across the state came to Sacramento to hear from key figures in the past and present of California’s developmental services community, and march to the Capitol to #Speak4Justice and urge the Legislature to provide 10%+Reform.

In what they called a last desperate plea, more than 100 protesters gathered in front of state Sen. Kevin de Leon’s district office Tuesday to press him and other lawmakers to boost funding for programs for those with developmental disabilities.

Demonstrators, including those with special needs, were joined by supporters from the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena and all over East Los Angeles. Read more.

On Wednesday, September 2 NBRC welcomes Jose Ayala of Napa to the NBRC Board of Directors meeting starting at 5:00pm at 10 Executive Ct. in Napa, to share his experiences as an Olympian at the World Games. Jose won a silver medal in javelin and a bronze medal in the 4-by-100-meter relay at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games held in Los Angeles. Ayala also placed seventh in the 200-meter dash. “Jose is an amazing athlete with a heart of gold,” said coach Serenity Ryan. As a result of his achievements, Jose threw out the first pitch at a recent Giants game. Join us at the meeting to hear about Jose’s experiences.

See photo in Napa Register here.    See Jose throw out the First Pitch here.

When Kausha King’s son Christian was born with cerebral palsy, along with a seizure disorder and lung disease, doctors told her he would not live past the age of 3. Today, Christian is 18, and although he cannot walk or speak, he is happy and thriving, King says.

She credits much of her son’s progress to a little-known state program known as California Children’s Services, or CCS, which pays for specialized medical care for children with severe illnesses or birth defects.

Beginning next year, state officials essentially want to fold the $2 billion program, which serves an estimated 180,000 children younger than 21, into its vast system of Medi-Cal managed care. Read more.

Santa Rosa, Calif. – The First 5 Sonoma County Commission announces the release of multiple contracts totaling $10.97 million to 12 different community partners. First 5 Sonoma awards this critical funding as part of the Commission’s 2010-2020 Strategic Plan prioritizing support of all children entering kindergarten ready to succeed. First 5 Sonoma specifically focused on areas of critical need in Sonoma County with an emphasis on programs aimed at ensuring early care and education is high quality, engaging with the community on the importance of supporting children ages 0 to 5 and providing a complete system of health care to help our families and their children. Read more here: First 5 Sonoma Services Agreements Release August 7