It’s almost summer, and hope is blooming alongside the flowers! The improved weather means many of our Chapters are scheduling outdoor events, giving our families a chance to resume meeting in person and enjoy some fun together. We have more than 70 Chapters and Support Groups serving families in 72 counties across the state. See…
Supporting Individuals through the Vaccine Experience
The Autism Society of North Carolina is partnering with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) and organizations across the state to educate our community about COVID-19 vaccines as part of the #BringingBackSummer campaign. On June 8, we presented a free webinar, The COVID-19 Vaccine and the Autism Community, with our…
June 9: Legislative Day of Action for Direct Support Wages
ASNC and a coalition of groups across IDD, aging, and home and community-based health services will be rallying at the General Assembly on June 9 in support of increased wages for direct support workers. Legislators have heard our decade of advocacy for increased access to services, and we expect to see more waiver slots in the upcoming budget. Access to waivers must go…
Understanding the ISP
Because my adult son receives services through the Innovations Waiver program, we contribute to his ISP, or Individual Support Plan. During the school years, we were familiar with the IEP (Individualized Education Program), but since we transitioned into the post-school era, the document that we work on every year is the ISP. An ISP is…
POSTPONED: Day of Action for Direct Support Professional Wages
Please see this blog post for the rescheduled date. ————————————————– The Autism Society of North Carolina and a coalition of groups across Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD), aging, and home and community-based health services will be rallying at the General Assembly on May 19 in support of increased wages for direct support professionals (DSPs). NOTE,…
Policy Pulse Update
State Budget Update: There is still no budget legislation from the NC Senate. The budget process is moving slower than in previous years, however House and Senate leadership are said to be much closer to agreeing to a spending amount, so we hope to see a budget bill in the next two weeks. “Crossover” Week…
Toddler Tantrum or Meltdown?
If you spend any time scrolling parent blogs or social media, you’ll inevitably come across anecdotes of toddlers having tantrums over their toast being cut the wrong way or leaving a favorite park. Tantrums are a big burst in anger or frustration in young children. They are typical and expected part of toddler development, and…
Virtual Run/Walk for Autism Results
Thank you to everyone who made the Virtual Run/Walk for Autism a success! This event, held April 17-24, benefitted Beaufort, Greenville/Winterville, and Wilmington. We would like to say a special thank you to our spring sponsors. Competitive 5k Results Greenville 1st place overall female, Angela Suter 2nd place overall female, Heidi Laurion 3rd place…
Policy Pulse Update
Federal Actions HR 2373 Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (H.R. 2373), a bipartisan bill introduced in Congress on April 6th , phases out the use of subminimum wage certificates for people with disabilities, which many people view as outdated and unfair. The bill authorizes funds to help states transform their employment systems to…