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 contextsâfrom…
Looking Through the Right Lens: Autism-Informed Support
ï»ż 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 âBlack excellenceâ as âa 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.â Many African American family systems value Black excellence…
New Study Highlights the Value of Investing in Direct Support ProfessionalsÂ
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 2024 Conference | Building the Foundation: Best Practices in Autism
The Building the Foundation Conference hosted by the Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) was a big success this year. More than 300 people were in attendance for this annual event held on Friday, March 8, at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center on the North Carolina State University campus in Raleigh. Energy was…
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 WaiverâsâŻcurrent 5-year cycle period will expire on June 30, 2024. NC Medicaidâs 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…