Young man with autism thrives as dad joins him in college art classes
Ken Blahetka decided to give his son, Kevin, some one-on-one help by enrolling in classes with his son at Joliet Junior College.
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Ken Blahetka decided to give his son, Kevin, some one-on-one help by enrolling in classes with his son at Joliet Junior College.
Ken Blahetka decided to give his son, Kevin, some one-on-one help by enrolling in classes in photography, sketching, and other disciplines with his son at Joliet Junior College. CBS 2's Joe Donlon introduces us.
Debra Vines, CEO and founder of The Answer Inc, a local autism awareness and support agency, is working to help families impacted by autism, especially those who might not have access to critical services.
A recent study found that nearly 27% of kids with autism have "profound autism," which means they are nonverbal, minimally verbal, or have an IQ of less than 50. The study found that those with “profound autism” were more likely to be girls, come from a lower socioeconomic household, and be from minority racial and ethnic groups. Debra Vines, CEO and founder of The Answer Inc, a local autism awareness and support agency, is working to help families impacted by autism, especially those who might not have access to critical services.
Researchers are finding greater awareness and advanced diagnostic capabilities driving an increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism. CBS News’ Michael George introduces us to a family taking part in the world’s largest ongoing study on the subject.
For the first time, rates are higher among some racial and ethnic groups. CBS News' Bradley Blackburn reports.
As the wheelchair lift is moving, the bus aide walks over, points to the boy, and says: "He can't play. He going to sit right there and be tied up like a slave."
A bus attendant tried to restrain 9-year-old MaCaulay Frye, who has autism, in what the boy’s lawyers say might have involved tying his hands together. CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports.
The Autism and Developmental Differences Expo starts at 10 a.m. at Malcolm X College and runs through 1 p.m.
The day school works with students from Chicago and the suburbs, from ages 5 to 21.
Have you visited the Chicago Auto Show yet? Here's something you might not know. Besides all the shiny new cars, each year the Auto Show raises money for several local charities. One of this year's recipients is a not-for-profit school in Naperville that is educating individuals with autism.
It still pains Josue Roblez that not a single classmate showed up. But his community stepped in thanks to a Facebook post from his mom.
When Josue Roblez's heart was broken on his birthday, the community turned out with more than just gifts – they showed love to an 8-year-old with autism. CBS 2's Jermont Terry reports.
Dave Carlin of CBS 2 in New York went behind the scenes of the autism-friendly off-Broadway musical.
Sometimes people can speak volumes without saying a single word. A young man who isn't able to talk has a lot to say about something that can save lives in an emergency.
A teenager with autism was humiliated to the point where he did not want to return to school – and his parents say it is for a good reason.
Free money is on the way to dozens of families with children on the autism spectrum.
A day after a Plainfield mother told CBS 2 she was keeping her special-needs son home from school because a bus driver shortage had stretched the commute time to four hours, the school district emailed her offering solutions.
The bus driver shortage has reached critical mass for one southwest suburban school district, which is now offering thousands of dollars to parents to help fill that gap.
It is nightmare fuel for parents - your child coming home from school with mystery bruises and being unable to explain what happened. A Belmont Heights mom said she lived that nightmare, and the fight that followed to get her out of that school made things worse. So she called CBS 2's Marie Saavedra and got quick results.
"They just told me, someone watched the video, from CPS and they called the DCFS hotline."
The tragic story of Kyrin Carter, the 12-year-old with autism found dead in the Little Calumet River Tuesday, serves as a very important reminder to educate those around us about autism elopement -- when a child or adult with autism wanders away.
Hammond Police said Kyrin was visiting with his family from Kansas City, when he walked out the back door of the Best Western near 179th Street and Cline Avenue around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Police in Hammond, Indiana were searching Saturday evening for a missing 12-year-old boy with autism.
We're in the middle of National Autism Awareness Month and a suburban police sergeant hopes to make departments across the country aware of his special needs tool.
The 2026 Chicago Auto Show kicks off at McCormick Place on Saturday.
A man was shot in the leg inside a home on Chicago's West Side early Saturday morning.
Chicago helped shape the nation in so many ways, including the pioneering of skyscrapers – the big, beautiful buildings the city of big shoulders introduced to the world.
A Chicago bus driver is out of a job after he was caught on camera with his hands off the wheel and his eyes glued to his cell phone.
Police in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs are teaming up to target thieves targeting video gambling machines, which have become an increasingly popular target for burglary crews.
The footage is included in a video that promotes false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against Mr. Trump.
The FBI has arrested "one of the key participants" behind the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 that killed four Americans.
A new push to pass a GOP elections bill known as the SAVE America Act is underway in Congress, but Democrats warn the proposal could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.
As immigration sweeps expand nationwide, the work of justifying detentions is overwhelming federal prosecutors, who are being forced to sideline a range of other cases in order to keep pace.
Marimar Martinez, the Chicago woman shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in October, plans to attend President Trump's State of the Union address to Congress later this month, according to her attorney.
This week marks Identity Theft Awareness Week, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza emphasized some safety tips Monday for avoiding and dealing with identity theft.
A controversial data center in Naperville, Illinois, could be the cause to pack a city council meeting there on Tuesday night.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
Protesters on Tuesday were cranking up the heat on Peoples Gas over a recently proposed rate hike that would add an additional $10 to $11 a month to utility bills.
A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald's to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a grant from The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation for a new cancer center.
Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital said Tuesday that it is no longer initiating gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.
A Near West Side diner known for drawing in Blackhawks fans and players is up for sale.
January may be the coldest time of the year, but Chicago is already looking forward to summer farmers' markets.
A development proposal issued this month calls for the replacement of a building housing a Giordiano's pizzeria in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood with a new mixed-use building with 28 residential units.
United Airlines flight attendants picketed outside Chicago's Willis Tower Thursday morning as they fought for a new contract.
WSCR-AM, 670 The Score, will begin a simulcast on 104.3 FM next month.
Gamers across the world can now recreate drone strikes in Ukraine from the comfort of their own home, with this newly released game.
The members of Ratboys were teenagers when they met by chance, and now in their 30s, the Chicago band formed by two college friends almost two decades ago appears to be on the brink of something big.
Chuck Negron, a founding member of Three Dog Night whose lead vocals powered a string of hits for one of the top rock acts of the late 1960s and early '70s has died. He was 83.
Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and call for the end of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
The 2026 Grammy Awards recognized the best of the best in music from last year, with big wins for Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny. Here's the full list of winners and nominees.
The 2026 Chicago Auto Show kicks off Saturday with over 700 cars on display. You can even get registered for your Real ID.
The FBI is investigating a new message related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has the extended forecast.
Meet 6-moth-old Baloo, he is looking for his forever home. Adopt him today at PAWS Chicago.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
The 2026 Chicago Auto Show kicks off at McCormick Place on Saturday.
A man was shot in the leg inside a home on Chicago's West Side early Saturday morning.
Police in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs are teaming up to target thieves targeting video gambling machines, which have become an increasingly popular target for burglary crews.
An eagle-eyed drone pilot helped spot a missing foster puppy who had been out in the cold for more than two weeks in Chicago's northwest suburbs.
A source close to the investigation said the woman worked for the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
Fewer Chicago kids are getting the dental care they need, and some dentists are blaming Chicago Public Schools.
Cynthia Eason recounted the moment Chicago police officers raided her family's home in 2018.
Water bills could be going up in several Chicago suburbs and other parts of Illinois, as Illinois American Water seeks a rate increase to fund infrastructure improvements.
The case involves a Chicago grandmother, her daughter, and her four grandchildren, who all said that Chicago police officers pointed guns at them during the botched raid.
Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel no longer will have to testify about an alleged "code of silence" at the Chicago Police Department, after a federal judge reversed an earlier ruling that would have allowed him to take the stand in a lawsuit over a botched police raid.
Two west suburban high schools have something extra to celebrate Sunday, when alumni from their schools make their Super Bowl debuts.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are underway after the lighting of the Olympic cauldrons and the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony.
Caleb Williams certainly had plenty of big throws to celebrate in 2025, but it wasn't hard to pick his most memorable one after he launched a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore to beat the Packers in overtime in Week 16.
Brandon Ingram scored 33 points, Immanuel Quickley had 24 and the Toronto Raptors beat the new-look Chicago Bulls 123-107.
Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney was named the NFL's top offensive lineman of 2025 on Thursday, winning the inaugural Protector of the Year Award.
Local and federal authorities said "investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity" regarding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
A South Side community came together on Friday, hoping for justice after a woman was shot and killed while her baby was in the back seat of their car earlier this week.
A Chicago city employee was found shot to death Friday morning inside an apartment in the West Ridge neighborhood.
Actor Timothy Busfield has been indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, officials said Friday.
A burglary crew smashed into a restaurant in Chicago's southwest suburbs, leaving the owner cleaning up a big and frustrating mess.
