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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 …
Autism and mental health in young people… to address the special needs of people with autism? Naturally, there is no one treatment for a mental health crisis in any group of people – including those who have autism. Mental health professionals draw from many types of treatments to address … crises in youth with autism. We found that psychiatrists who saw youth with autism felt they lacked the professional support they needed when these young patients were in crisis – for example, support from other mental health professionals with special expertise in crisis management or a crisis-evaluation center. …
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 …
Research to Practice: Expanding Opportunities for Employment… to their specific needs,” said Bridget A. Taylor, PsyD, BCBA-D, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Alpine Learning Group . “As the adult autism population continues to grow, employment opportunities are critical to foster independence, … as potential employers. Assessments from the Alpine Learning Group The Alpine Learning Group of Paramus, N.J., with the support through a grant from NEXT for AUTISM from the proceeds of Comedy Central’s  Night of Too Many Stars , developed two …
Social skills classes produce lasting benefits for adults with autism… or other caregivers received training on how to coach the participants outside of class. Conversation, humor and more The group classes focused on conversational skills, appropriate use of humor and electronic communication, identifying sources … in the study, the researchers propose. “Our study offers encouraging findings that, through an evidence-based, caregiver-supported intervention, adults with autism can improve in ways that may help them be more successful in these aspects of … exist for young adults on the spectrum. “It’s exciting to see a community-based treatment model using caregiver support to help improve social skills,” comments Kara Reagon, Autism Speaks associate director of dissemination science. …
Finding Information on Autism-Related Genes … 15q duplication syndrome, copy number variation Pheland-McDermid syndrome and DiGeorge syndrome . A number of advocacy groups and organizations provide information, parent and child support, research funds and services for those affected by these specific genetic disorders. (See list below.) … aware of an organization that specifically addresses Xp22.31 deletions. There are, however, a few Yahoo and Facebook parent support groups for Xp22.31 deletions. The National Society for Genetic Counselors provides a platform for finding genetic …
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 …
Free Sensory Friendly Holiday Performance… for Allegro that plays off all the popular reality baking shows that we all know and love. Our Allegro Players drama group are the main characters that take us through the story while the dance performances support the story through song and movement! The sensory friendly showcase modifications will include: Lower sound level in …
Transition to college and beyond: A personal story… to emphasize my strengths. It made me more confident to make really meaningful goals that I could achieve with the right supports. My goal was to go to college. The clear best way to do that was to get my GED since my education was not … who also taught a GED class. She led me to taking her class. I also had a communication assistant who attended with me and supported me for the next seven years. Anxiety was tough, but they reassured me. My teacher didn’t judge me on my sensory … me make very deliberate decisions that are well thought through, and I can talk about my feelings. I also attend a social group. Learning about making friends is important to me.  The social group keeps people connected. My therapists have been …