This page explains who writes this site, how claims are checked, what happens when something here is wrong, and what this site will not do. If you are about to take something from here into a meeting with an agency, a provider, or a legislator, you are entitled to know how it was put together.
Who writes this
Jim Palasty. One person, no editorial staff, no agency behind it. I am a single father to Felicia, my adult daughter with Level 3 autism, and we live in Michigan, which is why the reporting here starts with Michigan and works outward. Everything published on this site goes out under my name. More about how this started is on the About page.
How claims get verified
The standard I ask of agencies is make them show their work, and it applies here first.
- Every load-bearing number is traced to a primary source: statute text, the Code of Federal Regulations, agency documents, CMS guidance, KFF, ANCOR, National Core Indicators, GAO, or peer-reviewed research.
- Anything that cannot be sourced gets cut, not softened. A shaky figure does not survive by being hedged.
- Lived experience, reported research, and my own analysis are labeled as what they are. A projection is never presented as a finding.
- Policy changes, so articles name the state and the date they describe. An answer that was correct in 2026 can be wrong by 2028 without a single word changing.
Corrections
If something here is wrong, out of date, or no longer true in your region, tell me through the Contact page and I will fix it. Corrections are made in the article itself rather than quietly, and the review date is updated when a piece is checked again. Case managers, provider staff, and agency employees are welcome to send corrections, and doing so does not get you named.
What this site does not do
Nothing here is legal, medical, or financial advice, and nothing here can promise an eligibility outcome. Programs are administered by states and counties, and two families with identical paperwork can get different answers. This site explains how the process works and where families most often lose. Your attorney, your doctor, and your caseworker decide your case.
This site does not publish cure or treatment claims, and it does not run content promising recovery from autism.
How AI is used here
AI tools assist with drafting, research organization, and producing the printable sheets, audio briefings, and video overviews that accompany articles. The argument, the sourcing, the judgment, and the final word are mine, and every article is reviewed before it publishes. The derivative formats are produced from finished articles, so nothing appears in a sheet or a recording that is not in the piece it came from.
The disclosure in the site footer says the same thing in short form. It is there on purpose. An audience that is routinely handed generated material about their own children should be able to see the seams.
Independence and funding
This site is independent. It is not affiliated with any provider agency, state department, or advocacy organization, and it accepts no payment for coverage. Where advertising appears, it is served by a third-party network and no advertiser has any say in what gets written. Ad categories that conflict with the purpose of this site, including autism cure marketing, chelation, stem cell treatments, and supplement sales, are blocked.
Reader privacy
From The Heart essays are published anonymously, and anonymity is maintained structurally by leaving out identifying facts rather than by writing vaguely. Submissions collect as little information as possible. What is collected, and what happens to it, is set out in the Privacy Notice.
