Summer slump. Chunks of time when kids have the house to themselves. Downtime becomes a void. Hours will slip by as the children disappear into technology. They will meld with the computer and all chance of talk is dropped. Good use of free time? Well, some time to zone out is helpful, and people who…
Public Policy Update – North Carolina General Assembly UpdateÂ
State Budget Adjustments Act Introduced: The NCGA is in the process this week of passing a brief budget adjustments act, HB 103. A reminder that the state passed a two-year budget for fiscal years July 2021-June 2023 last November which included additional waiver slots, increases to wages for direct support professionals, and an increase in…
Public Policy Updates – May 2022
Services in NC Medicaid Plan NC plans to offer additional services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as others, under (i) services plan through the Medicaid program. When Tailored Plans begin operation December 1, 2022 as part of the state’s Medicaid Transformation some of the services that LME-MCOs offered under b(3) such…
The Impact of Nutrition on Physical and Mental Health
Note: This blog was written by Juliette Heim, Autism Resource Specialist, and Kristy Myers, Health Consultant at the Autism Society of North Carolina. Juliette Heim’s reflections on her experience as a parent to a son with autism are in italics. Health is broadly defined as “a state of physical, mental and social well-being, in…
Win-win: Brother wins contest, builds autism acceptance
Colin Maxwell has always had a way of talking to his sister, who has autism. “Because Kayleigh is 18, and he’s 11, he doesn’t know anything else but having a sister who has autism. He does amazing with her,” says Stephanie Maxwell, their mother. “She responds so well.” Colin always has patience and gives Kayleigh…
Parent-to-Parent Support – It Will Change Your Life
What is support? As a verb it means: To bear all or a part of the weight of, hold up. Give approval, comfort, or encouragement. When families first call an Autism Resource Specialist, we encourage them to get involved with a local support group, such as the ASNC Chapters. Why do we do this?…
Register to Vote by April 22 for May 17 Primary
The Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) is updating and re-publishing its series of articles on elections and voting in North Carolina. ASNC encourages you to understand when and how you can exercise your right to vote. The North Carolina Primary election will be held on May 17, 2022. Primaries determine which candidates will…
Ten Handy Tips to Toilet Training (Without Tears!)
Toilet training can be challenging for many caregivers and professionals, but it should never be stressful or upsetting for the child. Some children are ready to toilet train around the same time as their peers, and others are not.  For some children with autism, the process will be fairly quick – they will just “get…