Starting December 1, 2023, North Carolina will expand health insurance coverage under Medicaid to people up to 138% of the federal poverty guidelines. This means more people will qualify including people who were not eligible previously.  NC Medicaid covers most health services. It includes doctor visits, check-ups, emergency care, hospital services, maternity and postpartum care,…
Epilepsy Awareness is Part of Our World
Just before my son received his autism diagnosis at the age of five, he was diagnosed with a partial complex seizure disorder. When we took him to the Children’s Developmental Service Agency, or CDSA, as a three-year-old, to learn more about his behavior and language differences, the psychologist suggested we schedule testing with a neurologist…
Sarah Waller, an ASNC Registered Behavior Technician Who Goes Above and Beyond
One hot summer day, Sarah Wallerâs car broke down on her way to work. Waller is a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) who implements Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) plans for the Autism Society of North Carolina. Rather than cancel the session with the client and their family, Waller walked three miles in 100-degree heat to make…
Legislative & Policy Update – NC Passes a State Budget
The NC Senate and House passed the budget conference committee report for H259, the Appropriations Act for 2023-2025 on September 22nd, ending several months of negotiations that delayed the state budget nearly three months into the fiscal year. The budget includes significant amounts of funding for behavioral health and developmental disabilities services and funding for…
Applied Behavior Analysis: Misconceptions and Quality Indicators
At the Autism Society of North Carolina, we believe that every autistic individual and their family has the right to high quality, person-centered, autism-informed services that recognize and value the individual’s neurodiversity. For individuals and families who pursue applied behavior analysis (ABA), we encourage you to advocate for a provider offering modern ABA. ABA represents…
Finding Connection and Understanding in Support Groups
Being an autism parent can be a challenge when you donât have a community of support and understanding. We are in a different phase of life than many of our friends who want to support us, but donât truly understand the joys, tribulations, extreme victories and moments of defeat. It can be a lonely journey,…
Governor Cooper: LiNC-IT employs neurodiverse professionals reaches milestone of serving 100 North Carolinians
LiNC-IT works with 44 employers to help employees on the autism spectrum succeed at work, recognized as national model. RALEIGH: North Carolinaâs employment program for early career autistic professionals, LiNC-IT, has achieved an important milestone, Governor Roy Cooper announced. Since the Governor launched the program in 2018, LiNC-IT has supported 100 individuals with autism spectrum…
Eye Exams and Autism
My youngest son, Daniel, was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3 1/2 years old. Our family was thrown into our own âhow to navigate our autismâ journey. Although my son has limited language now, he was essentially non-verbal in those early years. Communication was difficult. Thankfully, here and there, we met wonderful providers,…
Moving to North Carolina as a Spanish Speaker
I moved to North Carolina from Puerto Rico, and people often ask me how I ended up moving here. Falling in love got me here. I met my sonâs father in Puerto Rico and it was love at first sight. We dated long distance and then we decided for me to âjumpâ and move to…