Reno Gazette Journal reporter Mark Robison won the prestigious Story of the Year award at the Nevada Press Association's annual awards ceremony this past weekend.

The judges rewarded Robison's coverage of a Sparks family struggling because of the lack of services for their son, whose profound autism requires 24/7 care.

Nevada has about 5,200 profoundly autistic children but no residential facilities for them, even as families find themselves unable to provide care. When families can no longer care for a child with such needs, it can cost the state $250,000 a year.

Pointed to as a possible solution in the Reno Gazette Journal stories , state lawmakers passed a bill this summer that allows properly trained parents to become paid caregivers for their children with profound disabilitie

See Full Page