There’s an endless stream of advice online about how to make friends as an adult. The listicles and blog posts often mention that it’s harder for twentysomethings to form meaningful friendships. Making friends can be even harder if you’re on the autism spectrum, especially if you don’t live in a major city. But one group is trying to build those connections in rural America.

The Autism Program on the University of Illinois Urbana campus is a statewide network of agencies that provides resources and services for children and adults with autism. Illinois Public Media spoke with the program’s director, Linda Tortorelli, about the challenges people with autism face living in central Illinois and how The Autism Program aims to help.

Across the United States, parents of children with severe mental health issues can face an excruciating decision: If they can't afford costly healthcare, they may have to sign over custody to the state. That way, the government will pay for the child's care. Now those parents are fighting for change, and a chunk of Ohio's budget.

Working with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, like Down syndrome or autism, can be complex and challenging even for those with years of training. But one group — law enforcement — often encounters people with these conditions in high-stress situations, with little or no training at all. Patti Saylor knows all too well what the consequences of that can be.

Approximately one in 59 children is diagnosed with Autism in the U.S. About a decade ago, Illinois started requiring private insurers to cover autism treatment.