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…
What is Tailored Care Management?
The Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) is now a provider of Tailored Care Management (TCM), a Medicaid program that officially launched across the State of North Carolina in December of 2022. Tailored Care Management (TCM) is a new Medicaid service that seeks to integrate care for individuals covered by Medicaid services managed by…
Epilepsy Awareness is Part of Our World
Just before my son received his autism diagnosis at the age of five, he was diagnosed with a partial complex seizure disorder. When we took him to the Children’s Developmental Service Agency, or CDSA, as a three-year-old, to learn more about his behavior and language differences, the psychologist suggested we schedule testing with a neurologist…
Applied Behavior Analysis: Misconceptions and Quality Indicators
At the Autism Society of North Carolina, we believe that every autistic individual and their family has the right to high quality, person-centered, autism-informed services that recognize and value the individual’s neurodiversity. For individuals and families who pursue applied behavior analysis (ABA), we encourage you to advocate for a provider offering modern ABA. ABA represents…
Finding Connection and Understanding in Support Groups
Being an autism parent can be a challenge when you don’t have a community of support and understanding. We are in a different phase of life than many of our friends who want to support us, but don’t truly understand the joys, tribulations, extreme victories and moments of defeat. It can be a lonely journey,…
Eye Exams and Autism
My youngest son, Daniel, was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3 1/2 years old. Our family was thrown into our own “how to navigate our autism” journey. Although my son has limited language now, he was essentially non-verbal in those early years. Communication was difficult. Thankfully, here and there, we met wonderful providers,…
Support Groups: Finding Common Ground One Front Porch at a Time
We find common ground through our Support Groups, which continue to meet needs through all seasons of life, mine included, throughout our state. I am from the big city of Greensboro; still, seasons of isolation were pervasive in our family for many years. Having fulfilling relationships and experiences seemed frustratingly close and far all at…
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Factors to Guide Decision Making
An estimated 25-30% of children with autism are considered minimally verbal. Communication delays can be directly related to the core characteristics of autism or the result of commonly co-occurring conditions like verbal apraxia. Difficulty communicating wants and needs can be distressing for both autistic individuals and their families, impacting social relationships, access to education, and…