The holidays are coming up, and the pressure is for managing anxiety! There are gifts to purchase and wrap. The house needs to be decorated. Peopleās feelings need to be accommodated. Bills pile up from cranking the heat. Weight wants to cling to your belly from all those cookies. Visitors come and overstay their welcome….
North Carolina Public Policy Update: State Budget Passes, Tailored Plans Delayed
Medicaid Transformation Delay While the news below about the budget is very good, delays in passing a state budget coupled with the realignment of county MH/DD/SAS management among LME MCOs mean that the long-awaited Medicaid Tailored Plan rollout will be moved from July 1, 2022, to December 1, 2022. Tailored Plans are an integrated health…
A Letter of Love and Gratitude from the Clinical Team
During this Thanksgiving season, members of our Clinical team reflected on their gratitude for the individuals and families they serve. The Clinical Team is thankful to provide support to all members of the North Carolina autism community. As one member of the team wrote to parents: āIām grateful for your trust in me because I…
Join a Family Chapter for Support, Education, and Fun
Now that the kids are settled into the new school year and the holidays are approaching, are you looking for some activities with families that āget itā? Check out our more than 70 Chapters and Support Groups serving families in 73 counties across the state! They are offering many events and meetings ā outdoor, online,…
āDonāt Forget Me!ā The Importance of Sibling Support
Rachelās face lights up anytime she talks about Josh, her younger brother with autism. āHeās so funny,ā she says. āHe goes around the house making sure all the lights are turned off ā even when weāre still in the room.ā When Rachel is feeling down, Josh is quick to cheer her up with a dog…
Common Back to School Questions ā Answered!
On August 19, the Autism Society of North Carolina held a webinar panel discussion to address issues related to returning to school in 2021. The panel discussion featured Autism Resource Specialists Vickie Dieter and Nancy Nestor and Clinical Department members Deb Leach and Louise Southern. We know that a lot of uncertainty still exists around…
Counselor Spotlight: Grant Clark
Grant Clark first attended Camp Royall in 2012 as a camper. That summer, he decided that he would return one day as a counselor. This year, he fulfilled that promise. āItās been really special seeing the other side of things, to see how much effort goes into making sure that these campers have an amazing…
Itās Time for the Dentist!
What feelings does this title bring to you? I can tell you that just writing about the dentist brought up all the anxiety-induced emotions that having a loved one with autism spectrum disorder, I/DD, and/or anxiety can bring. I (Kim) vividly remember my three-year-old son needing to have his blood drawn. It took a papoose…