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JLARC Home for Autism hearing

Nov 10, 2008
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JLARC had a hearing this evening to discuss the state of autism in Virginia and what to do about autism.  The JLARC staff started it off and were especially interested in hearing about the parent’s viewpoints.  I was very comforted by that.  There were about 20 speakers, a majority of them parents.  Del. David Poisson from Loudoun spoke about HB 1588 and a new bill that will create ratio requirements for BCBAs in schools and incentive programs for teachers to take BCBA certifications.  This was new and I hadn’t heard of it before.

Most, if not all,  parents who spoke wanted a dedicated agency for autism.  They wanted focus on autism just because of the complexity of the disorder. Many parents also highlighted the benefits of ABA.

At the end, the JLARC staff asked a couple of questions about (1) is the challenge to find good people to take care of the kids only specific to autism or is there just a shortage of people who want to help (2) what is the issue related to getting speech services – is it because of lack of resources or lack of training on the part of school districts that the don’t understand why the kids need speech services.

I am sure I missed some..and ask Jim to fill int

4 Comments
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4 Comments

  1. colleen2328  •  Nov 11, 2008 @7:42 am

    It is empowering to hear about a receptive hearing of a strong, consistent parent voice for a dedicated autism agency, modeled on the Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Autism Services, whose mission is to “establish statewide diagnostic, assessment, training and intervention standards, and to begin the process of training individuals at every level in the system to meet the lifetime needs of [residents] living with autism.”

    Autism is a spectrum disorder, and its complexity means that there is no “one size fits all” solution. However, there are evidence-based practices such as ABA which prove cost-effective when implemented consistently.

    The JLARC staff’s emphasis on parent input and on staff development is very encouraging. As in Pennsylvania, training and working conditions for staff at all levels are key to improving the quality of life of families coping with autism.

  2. Jim  •  Nov 11, 2008 @2:37 pm

    The JLARC staff is receptive to all ideas for a new approach for the Commonwealth to join parents in the fight against autism. The insurance coverage issue is important but the “home for autism” issue is one which will have a serious long-term effect.
    I favor an independent agency because I fear autism will get lost in the broad responsibilities which DMHMRSAS handles so poorly.
    It was good to see Del. Poisson there last night. He is devoted to our cause and will be in this fight over the long haul.

  3. teechamp  •  Nov 12, 2008 @7:29 pm

    Hi all, This is my first time on a blog. Hope this works….. My feeling about the JLARC public hearing is: in a perfect world, we would have packed that room. Those people are making recommendations that will affect us for the rest of the time we live in Virginia with a child on the spectrum. Whatever shape this “home for autism” takes will either be the bane of our existence or the blessing in our efforts. this is the place that will govern, control, dole out….services to this community. These are the people that will represent the autism community at the state level. They will manage the tangle of regulations and rules that we will have to live by. Yikes! We need LOTS of people to write in to JLARC and tell them what services are missing and what service DELIVERY plan we need. There isn’t a lot of coordination now, actually there isn’t any coordination now, but tell the truth, doesn’t that give us more freedom? we definitely don’t want to be under DMHMRSAS… our kids don’t have mental health issues such as bipolar disorder or emotional disabilities, not all have mental retardation and none I know of have substance abuse issues….so why put us in that department?
    But, what sort of “deal” will we be getting? We have to make sure our voices are heard in this. take care.

  4. chitras  •  Nov 12, 2008 @9:24 pm

    Welcome Teresa! I agree that we need to fight for our own agency in VA and we all need to fight this together!

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