NCGA starts legislative short session; NC Center for Safer Schools issues guidance regarding school Threat Assessment Teams; Tailored Plan Reminders North Carolina General Assembly is back in session. Legislators have returned to Raleigh for the start of the “short” legislative session that takes place in even numbered years. During this briefer legislative session, lawmakers consider…
Transitions: Evernham Family IGNITE – Sparking Passion, Fueling Aspirations
Transitions, defined by Webster as “a change or shift from one state, subject, place, etc. to another,” can be challenging in the best of circumstances. For those on the autism spectrum, transitions are especially difficult. Whether changing activities, moving between places, or transiting through life changes, it is critical for autistic individuals to have the…
ASNC Public Policy Update
In this public policy update: Medicaid Tailored Plans move forward; B(3) Services transition to 1915i; Samantha R lawsuit consent order; State releases new Olmstead Plan for 2024-2026. Medicaid Tailored Plans will move forward as the next phase of Medicaid Transformation goes into effect. North Carolina has been changing its Medicaid system for several years. The…
The Power of Consent
AutismSocietyNC · Blog | The Power of Consent by Felicia Williams Brown While much attention has been given to understanding the social and communication difficulties faced by many on the autism spectrum, there remains a particularly sensitive topic that demands exploration. That topic is consent. Consent is a term we encounter in various contexts—from…
Looking Through the Right Lens: Autism-Informed Support
AutismSocietyNC · Blog | Looking Through the Right Lens – 04/17/2024 Recently, I provided autism-informed support and coaching services in a public school, where I visited a first-grade classroom. I watched as a little girl asked for help in tearing her perforated page out of her workbook. A peer offered to help, and she…
Social Stories for the 2024 Solar Eclipse
The Autism Society of North Carolina would like to partner with you during the upcoming solar eclipse to keep your loved ones with autism safe at all times. To help you prepare for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, we have created two social stories; click on the one that you think is most…
Shattering Stereotypes: Intersection of Autism and Black Excellence
Dictionary.com defines the term “Black excellence” as “a high level of achievement, success, or ability demonstrated by an individual Black person or Black people in general. The term is often used to highlight and celebrate specific examples of such achievements and abilities, especially as the hashtag #BlackExcellence.” Many African American family systems value Black excellence…
New Study Highlights the Value of Investing in Direct Support Professionals
New Study A new study on the economic impact of Direct Support Professionals in North Carolina has found that investing in increasing the wages of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who serve people with I/DD, as well as increasing access to DSPs though additional Innovations waiver slots, yields substantial economic benefits to the State of North…
ASNC Policy Update
March 2024 Medicaid Rate Increases and Direct Support Professional Wages In the state budget passed in late September, the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated funding to increase the rates paid for certain types of services under North Carolina’s Medicaid programs to increase the pay of individuals providing the critical supports and services to individuals with…