Tag Archives: Autism

Whole Foods Treats Autistic Man Like Dog

Wrong at any age

Whole Foods is a market that prides themselves on their environmental and social awareness.  However, one of their employees didn’t get the memo about the “social” awareness.  Emily Goldman and her autistic brother Michael were the victims of extreme insensitivity while shopping at a Whole Foods Market in Milwaukee, WI.  Michael (who has difficulty communicating) swiped some food while the two were shopping.  The security guard on duty saw Michael stealing food and confronted the two shoppers.  When Emily realized what had transpired she immediately apologized, explained her brother’s condition, and offered to pay for the food Michael had taken.  But the security guard responded with a hateful comment.  The security guard exclaimed that Emily and Michael were to leave the store immediately and that they were not allowed to return unless Michael was “on a leash”.  This mentality doesn’t seem very consistent with Whole Food’s core value of “delighting customers”.

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Hand-holding Zone by Flickr user J.Elliott, licensed by Creative Commons

Mother Speaks Up About Mental Illness and School Shooting

We need to educate ourselves

Tragedy struck on Friday, December 14 in Newton, Connecticut.  There were 20 children and 6 teachers murder by the hands of Adam Lanza.  I think after this shooting we all have come to understand the importance of safety in schools and gun control.  But a lot of people are missing the real issue, mental health.  One mother reached out to provide some understanding for the situation because she too deals with a troubled son.

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Aetna to Settle with Missouri for $1.5 million After Violating Strict Insurance Requirements

Medical insurance

Aetna, an health insurance agency, has recently agreed to settle with the State of Missouri for $1.5 million after violating strict requirements regarding abortions, contraception, and autism in insurance policies.  Missouri has unique laws that outline what insurance agencies are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do involving these three touchy subjects.  In 1983 a law was made that prohibits abortion coverage from basic insurance policies and instead requires payment of an additional premium.   A 2001 Missouri law states that birth control prescriptions should be covered under policies with pharmaceutical benefits.  That law also allows people to purchase a plan with contraception coverage if their employer’s plan does not offer it.  Aetna provided coverage for contraceptives and abortions without allowing employers to opt out.  According to officials, Aetna had also excluded coverage for autism spectrum disorders.

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