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President Obama Signs ABLE Act
On December 19, 2014, President Barack Obama signed into law the Achieving Better Life Expectancy (ABLE) Act. First introduced in 2006, and subsequent sessions of Congress, the ABLE Act will allow people with disabilities (with an age of onset up to 26 years old) and their families the opportunity...
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Autism and Science: A View from Across the Neural Divide
I am writing this because I am in the somewhat unusual position of not only being on the autism spectrum and fairly involved in the autism community, but also of coming from a scientific background, even if not in the field of autism (I am a retired electronics engineer with degrees in physics,...
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Someone I’m With Has Autism
“Hey Carrie, it’s me, Sandy. Listen, I had an idea for you—” Sandy is a dog trainer. We started to work with her after we got our puppy, Wolfie, because we have no idea what we’re doing. “Oh, I’m so glad you called! I’m kind of worried he doesn’t like his food. He isn’t...
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Bringing Autism Insurance Mandates into Compliance with the Affordable Care Act
When care isn’t taken, grave problems can arise when a state’s autism insurance mandate is brought into compliance with the ACA. Starting in 2014, “dollar value” limits for essential health benefits are not allowed per the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more frequently called...
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The Massachusetts Autism Commission’s Report: Recommendations to Create a Comprehensive Autism Service System
The bill creating the Massachusetts Autism Commission was signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick in April 2010. Membership was required by law to consist of four members of the Massachusetts state legislature, fourteen representatives from state agencies, and fourteen citizen members including...
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The Critical Importance of Advocacy and Government Relations
The term “advocacy” often elicits many different thoughts. The actual word “advocacy” is defined as “the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal.” We advocate all the time, and for many different things. Most are very worthwhile causes, and others are perhaps more trivial (have...
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The Real Priorities in Advocacy – Keeping the Whole Child, the Whole Family and the Big Picture in Mind
In my observation, an effective Autism Advocate is someone who is often isolated from the rest of the “typical” society because they are the parent of a child with Autism, which is a 25 hour a day job. They become consumed in caring for their child on top of their other life duties such as...
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What You Need to Know Before Your Child Transitions to School
Although it is common knowledge that transitions are hard for most children with special needs, transitions can also be difficult for their parents, especially the transition from services in the home to services in the school. Under the age of three years, children are cocooned in their own...
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How to Effectively Advocate for Your Child’s Transition with Your School District
Parents of children diagnosed on the autism spectrum are often concerned about their child’s transition from the structured environment of a school-based program to the post-secondary world and all of the hurdles that transition entails. A student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is the...
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The Unique Legal Issues That Affect Children and Adults with High Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome
Over the last several years in our Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Advocacy practices, we have seen a significant increase in clients having a family member with high functioning Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. Although not exhaustive, this article is intended to provide an overview of...
