Note: The following is a primer on several issues happening at the same time in our Medicaid system. For background information on Medicaid as a whole, and how Medicaid works in North Carolina, please refer to the “Medicaid Basics” information at the end of this post, content re-published from our public policy papers available on…
Public Policy Update
Legislative Mini Session Wrap Up The North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) returned to Raleigh on Wednesday, September 2 to allocate more than $900 million in federal Coronavirus money in a quick two-day process. Governor Cooper is widely expected to sign the bill; however, his office did note that they are still reviewing the legislation. Legislative…
Telling Your Child about an Autism Diagnosis
I was seated on my daughter’s bed. A few minutes before, she had asked me a question that gripped my heart. “Do I have autism?” Since her diagnosis near her third birthday, I had imagined all the ways this discussion would go. Now in middle school, she was into theater, movies, and rewriting screenplays. Being…
The Health of Our Aging Adults
Over 30 years ago, after our suspicions were confirmed that our young daughter did indeed have autism, we asked a question that many of you also may have contemplated: “What is the normal life expectancy of someone who has autism?” We were given a fairly encouraging yet vague answer: “We really don’t know for sure,…
Weekly Policy Update: COVID-19 edition
This is the Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) weekly update on policy changes and legislation related to local, state, and federal COVID-19 emergency orders. This post covers May 19-25. For daily updates, information, and help during the emergency, we recommend the following sources: NC COVID-19 page CDC COVID-19 page News & Observer Coronavirus coverage…
Weekly Policy Update: COVID-19 edition
Below is the Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) weekly update on policy changes and legislation related to local, state, and federal COVID-19 emergency orders. This post covers May 13-18. For daily updates, information, and help during the emergency, we recommend the following sources: NC DHHS COVID-19 page CDC COVID-19 page News &Observer Coronavirus coverage…
New Adventures in These Challenging Times
As a Direct Support Professional working with a young adult on the spectrum, I found myself looking for ways to offer fun and engaging structure during this season of unavoidable change. Particularly, I wanted to build a new routine that wouldn’t replace our previous busy schedule of community outings and routine volunteer commitments, but rather…
Weekly Policy Update: COVID-19 Policy Changes
Below is this week’s Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) weekly update on policy changes and legislation related to local, state, and federal COVID-19 emergency orders. We Need Your Help! The North Carolina General Assembly, our state’s legislature, is back in session and focused on COVID-19 related needs. Funding in the draft bills for COVID related needs does little to address…