Direct Support Professional: a formal name that doesn’t evoke the dedication and love that our hundreds of staff members show every day. Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) carry many more titles; they are Community Skills Instructors, Employment Supports Instructors, General Instructors, Residential Instructors, Camp Counselors, and more. But even these names do not tell the true…
Run/Walk for Autism: A Day “I Can Just Be Me!”
Two years ago at the 2014 Triangle Run/Walk for Autism, 7-year-old Abigail was in tears after crossing the finish line. She told her worried mother that she was sad because she didn’t win the race. Abigail’s parents explained to her that finishing first was not their goal. The little girl with autism took the lesson…
Promoting Healthy Eating
“When he’s hungry enough, he’ll eat.” How often have we heard this from well-meaning family, friends, and medical providers? While most young children exhibit food preferences and some food selectivity, other children display persistent and highly restrictive eating patterns. Almost 70% of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder exhibit selective and restrictive eating patterns. Some children’s…
Gavin’s Gang Walks for Resources and Awareness
Gavin Beale didn’t say his first word and screamed in frustration until after his third birthday. From the time he was about 10 months old, his parents, Jenny and Jason Beale of Greensboro, were very concerned about him. “It was a very dark time because we didn’t know what was going on with him,”…
2016 Legislative Wrap-Up: Other Highlights
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. It is the third of three parts wrapping up the NC General Assembly’s 2016 short session. IDD Caucus: Establishment of a bipartisan, bicameral IDD caucus: North Carolina is the fourth state in the United States to have an officially established…
2016 Legislative Wrap-Up: Education Budget and Bills
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. It is the second of three parts wrapping up the NC General Assembly’s 2016 short session. Teacher and school staff raises, education programs and supplies: The budget adjustments bill adds $240 million for teacher and school staff raises, plus an…
Make 2016-17 Your Child’s Best School Year Yet
It’s almost here again – back-to-school time! Are you ready? Or does the mere thought of a new school year make you anxious? The Autism Society of North Carolina wants to partner with you and your child for a successful school year. Please take advantage of the resources we offer. Toolkits: We have many easy-to-use,…
2016 Legislative Wrap-Up: The Budget
This article was contributed by Jennifer Mahan, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at ASNC. It is the first of three parts wrapping up the NC General Assembly’s 2016 short session. The NC House and Senate agreed on a budget adjustments bill for the second year of the state’s two-year budget, which allocates a total of…
Join SPARK to Support Research
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC) are excited to announce SPARK, a new genetics research project aimed at learning more about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We invite the North Carolina autism community to join the UNC SPARK cohort to move autism research forward. SPARK’s mission…