From the day her son was diagnosed with autism nine years ago, Stacie Funk has made it her full-time job to find him the best possible help. Hiring lawyers and experts to press her case, she established herself as a mother whose demands could not easily be dismissed.

For some kids and adults with autism the iPad has been akin to a miracle. From helping with developing language to refining fine motor skills the iPad is revolutionizing the way many with autism experiece the world around them.

Researchers have shown for the first time that if a child is diagnosed with autism as early as 18 months of age, offering the toddler age-appropriate, effective therapy can lead to raised IQ levels and improved language skills and behavior.

Contrary to popular fears that half of autistic children will never speak, new findings by the University of Michigan show just 14 percent of autistic children are unable to talk by age 9 and 40 percent can speak fluently.

WESTCHASE –When Kimmie Fine’s son Jacob was diagnosed with autism at age 2, she had no idea the amount of doctor visits, therapy sessions and medical bills she faced.

Roughly 17 percent of children under the age of 18 are affected by a developmental, behavioral or learning disability. Now a Westchase family is doing something to help.