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The Financial Side of an Autism Diagnosis: What Families Should Know
Receiving an autism diagnosis for your child may bring an overwhelming amount of new information. Families quickly find themselves learning about therapeutic recommendations such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and additional medical care. ABA, for...
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Plan for a Lifetime: How to Build Financial Security for an Autistic Person
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to financial planning. Every person and family brings different goals, resources, responsibilities, and ideas about what financial security looks like. That is especially true when planning for or alongside a loved one on the autism spectrum. For an...
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A First in American History: What the Education Freedom Tax Credit Could Unlock for Autism Families
Meet Ryan. He and his family had a waitlist letter for an evaluation for augmentative communication, with an opening that didn't come for seven months. When that moment finally came, the communication device he needed cost over $750, and insurance covered none of it, claiming it wasn't...
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How Digital Health Ecosystems Are Shaping the Future of I/DD Support
The disability service sector finds itself at a crossroads. The current federal administration is working with Congress to reduce the size of government and overall spending levels. It is likely that this will affect Medicaid Long Term Service and Supports in many states, creating concern within...
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Wellbeing Over Standardization: A Better Approach to Clinical Training
As autism care continues to evolve, one of the greatest challenges has been moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. Emotional wellness and overall wellbeing are deeply personal, varying from individual to individual, and any effective treatment must reflect this truth. Catalight Classroom is...
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Tapping Your Strengths for Autism Services Advocacy
When most people think of advocacy, they think of lobbying, lawsuits, or legislation. Legislative advocacy has significantly increased access to autism services over the years. However, if it isn’t something you’re already experienced with, it’s outside of your comfort zone. What you might...
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From Parent to Advocate: My Mission to Help Other Families
When my son Oliver was about nine months old, I noticed some milestone delays. I also realized that he had a tic. He would get very excited - wailing - when he saw something that caught his attention. It was also around that time that I knew I had to quickly become his advocate. Naturally, I...
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Thriving During COVID-19: Transitioning to Virtual Programming for Individuals with Disabilities
In this ever-changing health crisis, the world has been altered. Our daily patterns have been changed and the ways in which we connect with and support others has shifted. For those with a disability, maintaining a sense of community and human connection is more important than ever. Organizations...
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Telehealth Program for People with I/DD Launches in New York
A new way of delivering healthcare to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) has come to New York. Launched in September, Premier HealthCare’s Telehealth Services enables patients with autism and other types of I/DD to access mental and physical health services without a...
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Home-Based Services as a Means to Increasing Community Engagement in Individuals with Autism
Community engagement is a broad term that is informed by an ecological perspective that one’s behavior is impacted by larger social, cultural and physical environments. Community engagement has been defined as “the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated...
