Autism Live Host Will Shave Her Head On Air April 8th to Promote Compassion in Action

Online, March 7, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Autism Live host Shannon Penrod will shave her head on April 8, 2013, at 10:00 am (PDT) on www.autism-live.com to show Compassion in Action during National Autism Awareness Month. The Autism Live web-show host is a parent of a child with autism and hopes her soon-to-be-bald head will be the spark to ignite everyone to step outside of their comfort zone and do something for others in an act of compassion.

"I've never done anything like this before," says Shannon. "Yes, it's daring. But it's the least I can do during Autism Awareness Month to encourage others to do what they can to help someone in need."

Shannon's nine-year-old son, Jem, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two after losing approximately 90 percent of his language and social skills. He is currently receiving intensive applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment, considered by researchers to be the most effective treatment of autism.

"I often marvel at the sometimes complete lack of compassion for what my son has gone through and what so many other families dealing with autism are going through. These moments leave me feeling powerless, and I've decided to do something about it."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every 88 children in America is diagnosed with autism. Autism is more prevalent than juvenile diabetes, pediatric cancer, and childhood AIDS combined.

Starting this week and each week leading up to Shannon's head shaving, Autism Live will highlight individuals and organizations across the country that are demonstrating Compassion in Action.

About Autism Live:
Autism Live is an interactive web show providing support, resources, information, facts, entertainment, and inspiration to parents, teachers, and practitioners working with children on the autism spectrum. Viewers are encouraged to participate by asking question of experts, offering suggestions for topics to be discussed, and sharing progress that their children have made.

About Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc. (CARD):
CARD treats individuals of all ages who are diagnosed with ASD with 23 treatment centers around the globe and a staff of nearly 1,000. CARD was founded in 1990 by leading autism expert and clinical psychologist Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD, BCBA-D. CARD treats individuals with ASD using the principles and procedures of ABA, which has been empirically proven to be the most effective method for treating individuals with ASD and is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Surgeon General. For more information about the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, visit: www.centerforautism.com or call (855) 345-2273.