Practicing one’s faith is important to many families of children and adults with autism and other disabilities. Families often turn to their faith communities for understanding, acceptance, and support as they work to meet the needs of the person with autism and understand his or her strengths and gifts. Yet often they struggle to find…
ASNC Offers Free JobTIPS Classes
October is recognized as National Disability Employment Awareness Month by the U.S. Department of Labor. The national campaign aims to raise awareness about disability employment issues and celebrate the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. The Autism Society of North Carolina has made it a priority to help individuals with autism to secure and maintain…
Recognize Your Direct Support Professional
This article was contributed by Kerri Erb, Senior Director of Quality and Programs. Direct support professional (DSP), community skills instructor (CSI), habilitation technician (hab tech), CAP worker – whatever their names, these individuals should be recognized. Every day, they work one-to-one with individuals with autism, teaching skill acquisition and supporting them in reaching their goals….
State Wants to Hear from You on IDD Services
The NC Department of Health and Human Services is seeking public input as it works to create a better way to provide services for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. The Division of Mental Health Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services and the Division of Medical Assistance will be holding listening sessions across the state….
Closer Look: NC Budget Appropriations Act of 2014 and Medicaid Reform
This article is the second of several wrapping up the 2014 legislative session. Look for more details on the budget and issues related to education in coming days. The NC General Assembly passes two-year budgets during its long sessions in odd calendar years. During the short sessions, like this year, they make adjustments to the…
State Budget Package Finalized; Autism Insurance Reform Set Aside
This article is the first of several wrapping up the 2014 legislative session. Look for more details on the budget and information on other legislation passed during the session in coming days. The NC House and Senate agreed on a budget package to adjust the final year of the current two-year budget and passed the…
Selecting a Board Certified Behavior Analyst
This article was contributed by Leica Anzaldo, Training Manager for the Autism Society of North Carolina. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has gotten a bad rap over the years, and up until a few years ago, I too had some misconceptions. Common assumptions are that ABA: creates robotic results is very rigid and does not allow…
Autism Insurance Reform Gets Another Chance
This week, the NC House passed S493, Health and Safety Regulatory Reform. The House had been debating various regulatory reform bills for the past week, and on Tuesday, they introduced a new version of S493 that included autism insurance reform with very similar bill language to House bill 498, which was passed last year, as…
House Approves its Budget Adjustments Bill
As we wrote about in a previous budget update, the NC Senate passed its version of the budget on May 30. That Senate bill contained a number of cuts and policy changes that would negatively affect people on the autism spectrum and people with disabilities. The House responded with its version, which passed Friday, June…