Live Autism Awareness Show in Chicago - Little City TV

In its first season of Little City TV, the non-profit agency hosted fourteen of some of the industry's most prominent thought leaders to discuss timely topics in the world of autism

From career training to state funding and individualized exercise planning to custom-made clothing for hypersensitivities, Little City Foundation (LCF) brought to the television a host of today's leading thought leaders to answer questions and share personal stories with individuals living with autism, their families, friends and neighbors.

In celebration of autism awareness month earlier this year, Little City Foundation launched a 13-week series in an effort to create a live forum and stimulate dialog about topical issues in the world of autism.

"Our goal each week was to take an insightful look into the world of autism, and to learn what we can do as parents, family members and friends to help improve the lives of people affected by this disability," commented Executive Director Shawn E. Jeffers.

In partnership with Chicago Access Networks (CAN TV), Little City TV received access to up to one million viewers in the City of Chicago.

"We immediately posted each episode on Little City's YouTube channel so that viewers outside of Chicago would have an opportunity to learn from the expert we featured," continued Jeffers. "With so many new channels of communication, we wanted to reach out to thousands of individuals and families and let them know they are not alone, and they have support."

Complementing the TV series, Little City Foundation also created a dedicated autism web page at www.littlecity.org/autism to host links to numerous resources provided by Little City TV experts as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The dedicated autism web page, www.littlecity.org/autism also hosted links to each TV segment and provided an opportunity to ask experts questions. The web page invited members of the community to stay involved and keep abreast of the issues as well as to support the most vulnerable local children living with autism today.

"Though research for a cure is critical, there are children abandoned by their families, and children with pervasive needs that require 24/7 clinical support that need help now," commented Director of Communications & Marketing and Little City TV Host Lisa Hoffmann. "If with the series, we were able to serve as a resource for families and increase awareness and compassion for our most vulnerable citizens, then this initiative was certainly successful."

The TV series served as part of Little City's largest awareness and acquisition campaign in its 50-year history informing members of the community about the prevalence of autism. The campaign also aimed to humanize popular statistics and educate the public about critical support needed for Illinois' most vulnerable children living with autism today.

The first season of Little City TV spotlighted the expertise and invaluable insight of the following (in chronological order):

Segment 1 (April 7): Little City TV Premiere! - Shawn E. Jeffers, Executive Director, Little City Foundation

Segment 2 (April 14): An Autism Overview - Dr. Mark Holzberg, Senior Clinical Consultant, IL Department of Children and Family Services, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Segment 3 (April 21): Clothing for Children with Autism - Suzy Kogen Friedman, Owner & Co-Founder, SOFT Clothing

Segment 4 (April 28): Treatment of Biochemical Imbalance - Scott Filer, Executive Director, Pfeiffer Institute

Segment 5 (May 5): Career Training for Adults with Autism - James Emmett, Career Training Specialist, Spectrum Training

Segment 6 (May 12): Career Opportunities for Adults with Autism and the Corporate Benefit - Randy Lewis, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain & Logistics, Walgreens

Segment 7 (May 19): Dental/Oral Care for Individuals with Autism - Dr. Ahmed El-Maghraby, Clinical Director, Northwest Community Hospital

Segment 8 (May 26): Primary Health Care for Patients with Autism - Dr. John McGillen, Medical Director & Kim Hogan, MS, APN, FNP-BC, Northwest Community Hospital

Segment 9 (June 2): Early Intervention and What All Parents Should Know - Dr. Frederika Theus, Director of Clinical Services, Little City Foundation

Segment 10 (June 9): Individualized Exercise for Individuals with Autism - David Geslak, Owner & Founder, Exercise Connection Corporation

Segment 11 (June 16): The Affects of Aging on Individuals with Autism - Dr. Tamar Heller, Director of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental Disabilities, University of Illinois at Chicago Segment 12 (June 23): State Funding and Illinois Initiatives for Individuals with Autism - Lilia Teninty, Director, Division of Disabilities, IL Department of Human Services Segment 13 (June 30): Advocacy for Individuals with Autism - Don Moss, Owner & Founder, Don Moss & Associates

To view all Little City TV segments, obtain timely resources or to ask one of the Little City TV guests a question, visit www.littlecity.org/autism.

To support individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, visit www.littlecity.org/support.

To purchase a DVD copy of all 13 Little City TV segments or for additional information, contact Lisa Hoffmann at lhoffmann@littlecity.org or 847-221-7825.

Visit www.littlecity.org.

About Little City Foundation -For more than 50 years, Little City Foundation has developed innovative and personalized programs to fully assist and empower children and adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. With a commitment to attaining a greater quality of life for Illinois' most vulnerable citizens, Little City actively promotes choice, person-centered planning and a holistic approach to health and wellness. Little City's ChildBridge services include in-home personal and family supports, clinical and behavior intervention, 24/7 residential services and special needs foster care and adoption. Little City's LifePath Adult Services offers a variety of residential options, employment opportunities, home-based services, case management, day supports, Special Olympics, an award-winning Center for the Arts and more. The organization has a 56-acre campus in Palatine and offices in Chicago. Visit www.littlecity.org.

About Little City TV -In celebration of Autism Awareness Month in April of 2010, Little City Foundation, in partnership with CAN TV (Chicago Access Networks), hosted the only live autism awareness show in Chicago with access to more than one million viewers. For 13 straight weeks on CAN TV 21 on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Little City featured experts and industry leaders in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities and served as a much-needed resource answering pressing questions related to the fastest-growing developmental disability affecting the nation autism spectrum disorder. Viewers received an opportunity to gain useful insight as Little City brought timely topics to the table and stimulated the dialog about topical issues in the world of autism. To view all episodes from Little City TV, visit www.littlecity.org/autism.