Budget Update Senate and House calendars have remained rather empty the past few weeks as we wrap up the third week of July without a budget deal. Last week, the leadership in both chambers exchanged another round of offers, but at the end of the day, there is no final budget adjustments bill. North Carolina…
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 Update
July 15, 2014 Background: Autism insurance reform legislation was passed by the NC House last year (H498) but the bill has yet to be taken up by the NC Senate. The bill would ensure that health insurance sold in North Carolina that is regulated by the NC Department of Insurance covers the diagnosis and treatment…
All Students Count: Testing for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
This article was contributed by Vickie Dieter, ASNC Autism Resource Specialist. All students count. It is a worthy sentiment, but it has not always been the case in terms of students with disabilities participating in state achievement tests. Upon signing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), President George Bush made a statement that might…
Get to Know Joanna Bush, ASNC Bookstore Employee
Joanna Bush excels at spelling and math, and her organizational and clerical skills make her a valued employee of the Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore. But the 31-year-old with autism brings something else to her several part-time jobs: a chance to educate the people around her. “It creates more acceptance for someone like Joanna,…
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…
Keeping Our Cool When Things Get Heated
I am not the parent of a child with autism, but I am a parent. I know that it can be really hard for me to keep my cool sometimes when my young child starts to fall apart – screaming, dropping to the floor, and noncompliant. But I also know that I will never make…
Spotlight on the Moore County Chapter
Editor’s note: For those who have a loved one with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a community of support can be a lifeline. For more than 40 years, ASNC Chapters and Support Groups have provided families who face similar challenges an opportunity to encourage one another, share experiences, find information and resources, and have a place where…
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…