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Autism Speaks strongly supports new rule to reduce barriers to health care services for many autistic people… Autism Speaks joined in coalition with other key health advocacy organizations to strongly support the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) proposed rule , issued by the Department of Treasury, the … such as applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, cannot be excluded from any individual or group health insurance plan subject to MHPAEA. Evaluating network adequacy and design issues We also support the …   … Autism Speaks strongly supports new rule to reduce barriers to health care services for many autistic people …
Virginia passes legislation to expand autism insurance mandate… for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder for children ages two to six under state-regulated, large group plans. In 2015, we passed legislation that raised the age cap to ten years old. This year, the state legislature has … individuals with autism of all ages under state-regulated, large group plans starting in January 2020. We appreciate the support of our legislative champions and the growth in bipartisan support over our ten years of autism insurance work in Virginia, and we are grateful for the collaboration and determination …
Utah autism insurance mandate expanded! … requiring coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder under state-regulated, individual and large group plans. However, this coverage was limited to children ages 2-10 years old. Coverage for behavioral health treatments, … behavior analysis (ABA), was also limited to 600 hours per year (approximately 11.5 hours per week).   Thanks to the support of the Utah state legislature and Governor, these restrictions in coverage for autism have been removed. Effective … and treatment of autism if claims for autism coverage caused premiums to increase in excess of 1%. We are grateful for the support of the legislative champions and local advocates that helped achieve this milestone! Access to meaningful and …
Autism Speaks national board member Dr. Tom Frazier appointed to federal autism committee… has been appointed as one of two new members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee ( IACC ), an advisory group on federal autism activities. He will serve alongside other public stakeholders as well as federal committee members … IACC plays a critical role in deciding where our federal priorities should lie in funding autism services and research to support autistic people across the spectrum and of all ages,” said Dr. Frazier. “I look forward to working to ensure that …
2022 Advocacy Highlights… that ensure billions of dollars are dedicated at the federal and state levels to improving and expanding the services, supports and opportunities available to autistic people. Today, we celebrate the policy milestones and accomplishments that … appropriate for autistic children and young adults enrolled in Medicaid. Oklahoma will require state-regulated small group and individual health insurance plans to provide meaningful coverage of autism services beginning in 2023 thanks to …
Autism & Disparities: Addressing the Needs of Underserved Communities… Asian-American, and Native American communities within the United States. Recognizing the diversity that exists within groups, the panelists did not speak on behalf of all members of their larger communities. However, their voices provide … of people who are also affected by social and economic disparities associated with belonging to a racial or ethnic minority group. Autism Speaks is committed to addressing these disparities by advocating for passage of the Autism CARES Act of 2019 … as well as by partnering with the Ad Council and Sesame Workshop on a new public awareness campaign . We appreciate the support of advocates like our panelists and congressional legislative champions in providing the vision and opportunity to …
A guide to resources we offer from screening to adulthood… an autism diagnosis and in accessing related services. To help reduce this disparity, we are committed to providing support to our Hispanic community. Resources At autismspeaks.org you will find a tab,  ¿Que es el autismo?  which provides … their child’s autism diagnosis. Manual de Defensa  helps autistic individuals and their families advocate for services and supports they need. Manual de Planificación Financiera  provides parents tips on accessing financial support and planning … Tony’s experience  adulting on the spectrum. Social Media Voces Latinas de Autism Speaks is our Spanish speaking Facebook group to support parents and autistic individuals. Through this network, we share resources and experiences to build our …
Autism Speaks commends Tennessee as it becomes 50th state requiring that insurance plans cover autism… On August 1, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance issued a bulletin requiring all individual, small and large group plans to cover medically necessary care for autism, including applied behavior analysis (ABA). "People with autism and … and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes …
COVID-19 survey reveals widespread challenges for autism community and wider disparities for minority communities … community are struggling even more, particularly with basic needs.”  Minority respondents, who made up about half of the group surveyed, reported more struggles with a variety of needs related to the pandemic, basic needs, daily routines and education.  The largest disparities were in the areas of food insecurity and receiving distance learning supports, with nonwhite respondents experiencing twice the food insecurity of white respondents and twice as likely to not receive any distance learning supports. Food insecurity was measured as food for the household having run out and families not having enough money to buy …
Meet Bin F.… to educate others about autism and inform policymakers. He has particularly made an impact in representing, leading and supporting Asian communities. In this Q&A, Bin shares what Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month means to … family business, because my son Vincent is on the spectrum. Vincent is always our top priority. All of us come together to support him. I started to share our stories about 20 years ago after we knew Vincent has autism. First, it was just a note … advice? I remember the words from the movie “The field of dreams”: if you build it, he will come. When I started a parents’ group, started book clubs, started with social media stories, started with website, started with NPO, I always remember this …