The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities and Meet the Need NC are organizing advocates to attend a Listening Session at the NC Legislative I/DD Caucus meeting on Tuesday, May 14. The I/DD Caucus is working to educate legislators about the needs of the I/DD community, in particular the 17,500+ waiting list for Innovations waivers…
ASNC Public Policy Update
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…
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…
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…
Innovations Waiver Up for Renewal – Public Comments Needed
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has notified us that the Innovations waiver is up for renewal. In NC our Innovations (1915c) waiver is generally approved for five years. The NC 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Innovations Waiver’s current 5-year cycle period will expire on June 30, 2024. NC Medicaid’s goal is…
Elections 2024: Voting Deadlines and Changes
There are three ways to vote in North Carolina: from home, in person and in a facility. North Carolina made changes to legislative districts, to voting laws for absentee voting, and a 2022 court decision made changes to laws regarding voting a as a person with a disability. These changes are outlined below. Voting in primaries…
FACES | Family-Centered Care for Black Autistic Children
The Autism Society of North Carolina is partnering with FACES for Autism to offer 5-week training courses designed to improve knowledge, advocacy, and empowerment among underrepresented parents of children with autism. The FACES Framework is family-centered care with a focus on Fostering Advocacy, Communication, Empowerment, and Support to improve your child’s outcomes and your family’s…
Focus | BFAST and Supporting the Black Autism Community
The Autism Society of North Carolina has some exciting news to share. After many months of collaborating with The University of North Carolina’s TEACCH program, we are excited to announce the creation of a new website for North Carolina families. BFAST was created in partnership with members of the Black community to create easily accessed, culturally sensitive, and…