State Budget Update: The NC Senate passed SB 105, their version of the state budget bill, on Friday, June 25. This year’s budget contains a mix of state appropriations and allocations of federal funding that has come to North Carolina through several “recovery act” bills. The NC House is expected to release their budget bill sometime in mid-July. The House and Senate will have to reconcile differences between their budget bills though the conference committee report before sending the final budget to the…
Come Play with your Local Chapter!
It’s almost summer, and hope is blooming alongside the flowers! The improved weather means many of our Chapters are scheduling outdoor events, giving our families a chance to resume meeting in person and enjoy some fun together. We have more than 70 Chapters and Support Groups serving families in 72 counties across the state. See…
Supporting Individuals through the Vaccine Experience
The Autism Society of North Carolina is partnering with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) and organizations across the state to educate our community about COVID-19 vaccines as part of the #BringingBackSummer campaign. On June 8, we presented a free webinar, The COVID-19 Vaccine and the Autism Community, with our…
Understanding the ISP
Because my adult son receives services through the Innovations Waiver program, we contribute to his ISP, or Individual Support Plan. During the school years, we were familiar with the IEP (Individualized Education Program), but since we transitioned into the post-school era, the document that we work on every year is the ISP. An ISP is…
POSTPONED: Day of Action for Direct Support Professional Wages
Please see this blog post for the rescheduled date. ————————————————– The Autism Society of North Carolina and a coalition of groups across Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD), aging, and home and community-based health services will be rallying at the General Assembly on May 19 in support of increased wages for direct support professionals (DSPs). NOTE,…
Toddler Tantrum or Meltdown?
If you spend any time scrolling parent blogs or social media, you’ll inevitably come across anecdotes of toddlers having tantrums over their toast being cut the wrong way or leaving a favorite park. Tantrums are a big burst in anger or frustration in young children. They are typical and expected part of toddler development, and…
My Journey of Understanding a World of Misunderstanding
Throughout my life when I was asked to describe myself, I constantly had no clue as to what to do. I had masked myself into a corner, To myself I was even a foreigner. Then at thirty-one the dials on the locks began to click, Suddenly it all fell into place so quick. How…
Our Position on Applied Behavior Analysis
There is confusion and controversy regarding Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), particularly when used as a comprehensive treatment for individuals with autism. Applied Behavior Analysis within the autism community is endorsed by many and criticized by others. It is a topic that evokes passion and emotional responses because of the perceptions, sometimes inaccurate, of how ABA…