News

Last chance this session to save these bills!

Please ask the Senate Committee on Education to either have a hearing on these bills and support the bills, or vote them out of the Committee.

Make calls or send emails now through this weekend! 

HB 166 by Rep. Dr. M. González (Educational Representative for Students with Disabilities) – This bill will provide students who are 18 or older with disabilities with the rights to make educational decisions. This bill will also mandate school districts to contact the parents and the students at least a year in advance before they turn 18 about the new rights, information and resources about guardianship and alternatives. It will also allow the appointment of an educational representative and any other support that the student may need. 

Read more about the bill here. 

HB 2234 by Rep. S. Thompson (Use of Video Cameras in Classrooms) – This bill is regarding policies and procedures for the placement and use of video cameras in certain classrooms, including classrooms that provide special education services. This bill adds language about accessing and releasing the video to the parents for viewing, or having school provide written notification regarding non-release of the video. 

Read more about the bill here.

HB 3867 by Rep. Bucy (Requirements of Behavior Management and the use of Restraint) – This bill will mandate school districts to adopt procedures for the use of restraint and time-out. The procedures must be consistent with professionally accepted practices, health and safety standards, and identify disciplinary practices that require school professionals to be trained. The bill will also require school districts to provide written details about the restraint to parents. 

Read more about the bill here.

Specific Action Needed: Ask members of the Senate Committee on Education to either have a hearing on these bills and support the bills, or vote them out of the Committee. If you’ve been personally impacted by any of these issues below, please let them know how this affected your family or your loved one with Autism.

Who to Call/Email: Please call or email the Senate Committee on Education. Contact the members of the Senate Committee on Education and the Clerk (Abby Johnson) using the instructions above! It is important to note that our priority contacts are the Chair, Vice-Chair, and the Clerk:

Email – If you’d like to email the Senate Committee on Education, please copy and paste the text below & feel free to add your own story or experience. 

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Dear Members of the Senate Committee on Education,

Autism issues are important to me and my family, therefore, I ask that you either have a hearing on these bills and support the bills, or vote them out of the Committee.

HB 166 – Educational Representative for Students with Disabilities

HB 2234 – Cameras in the Classroom: Improves parent access to video footage

HB 3867 – Requirements of Behavior Management and the use of Restraint 

Thank You,

Your Name_______

For more information you can contact the Autism Society of Texas at advocacy@texasautismsociety.org or 512-479-4199, Ext. 4

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Thank you! If you complete the alert,  please let us know by contacting advocacy@texasautismsociety.org or calling us at 512-479-4199, ext. 4.\

Ask the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services to have a hearing and support the bills or vote them out of Committee! Please call and email throughout the weekend! 

HB 211 by Rep. González (Inclusive Child Care) – This bill promotes inclusive practices in a child-care facility or registered family home so that children with special needs are integrated into the general activities of the facility or home.  

Read more about this bill here. 

HB 4506 by Rep. Cortez (Autism Insurance Equity) – This bill updates the Autism insurance mandate to remove a required diagnosis before the age 10, and removes the $36,000 cap on therapy benefits to align with Federal Mental Health Parity regulation and Texas Mental Health Parity laws.

Read more about this bill here. 

HB 140 by Rep. González (Co-Navigation services for individuals who are deaf-blind) – This bill will provide individuals who are deaf-blind with trained specialists (co-navigators) that will assist them in physically assessing their environment and making informed decisions. 

Read more about this bill here. 

HB 4702 by Rep. Campos (Peer Support for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities) – This bill will provide individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities with peer services and for those under Medicaid.

Read more about this bill here. 

Specific Action Needed: Ask the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services to support the following bills & either have a hearing or  vote “for” them. If you’ve been personally impacted by any of these issues below, please let them know how this affected your family or your loved one with Autism.

Who to Call/Email: Please call or email the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. Contact the members of the Senate Committee on Education and the Clerk (Kimberly Robertsonl) using the instructions above! It is important to note that our priority contacts are the Chair, Vice-Chair, and the Clerk:

Email – If you’d like to email the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services, please copy and paste the text below & feel free to add your own story or experience. 

————

Dear Members of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services,

Autism issues are important to my family, therefore, I ask that you support the following bills and please have a hearing and support them or vote them out of Committee:

HB 211 – Inclusive Child Care

HB 4506 – Autism Insurance Equity

HB 140 – Co-Navigation services for individuals who are deaf-blind

HB 4702 – Peer Support for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities

Thank You,

Your Name_______

For more information you can contact the Autism Society of Texas at advocacy@texasautismsociety.org or 512-479-4199, Ext. 4

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Thank you! If you complete the alert,  please let us know by contacting advocacy@texasautismsociety.org or calling us at 512-479-4199, ext. 4.

Our May Newsletter is out! Some highlights include:

• SATS Presentation “Autism as a Qualifying Condition for Low-THC Cannabis in Texas” on 05/24

• Jack Stephens Scholarship Fund Opens May 19th!

• ¡Nuestra Página de Internet Ahora está Disponible en Español!New Spanish Website has Launched!

• Connections CREATED! Read Our AST April Recap

Read more of our May newsletter here! 

Please act today, Tuesday 5/9/23 or Wednesday morning! This may be our last opportunity to get these bills to move!

Ask: Ask your Texas State Representative to support the following bills & vote “for” them. If you’ve been personally impacted by any of these issues below, please let them know how this affected your family or your loved one with Autism.

The following House Bill is up for a full House vote ASAP- possibly this Tuesday, May 9, 2023 (but could be Wednesday!), so please include it in your call/email:

HB 2234 – by Rep. Thompson (Cameras in the Classroom) – This bill is regarding policies and procedures for the placement and use of video cameras in certain classrooms, including classrooms that provide special education services. This bill adds language about accessing and releasing the video to the parents for viewing, or having school provide written notification regarding non-release of the video. 

Read more about the bill here.

The following House Bills are up for a full House vote this Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

HB 4506 by Rep. Bucy (Autism Insurance Equity) – Health benefit plan coverage for treatment of autism. This bill updates the Autism insurance mandate to remove a required diagnosis before the age 10, and removes the $36,000 cap on therapy benefits to align with Federal Mental Health Parity regulation and Texas Mental Health Parity laws. 

Read more about the bill here.

HB 773 by Dr. Allen (Prevent schools from requesting Early Pickups by parents) – This bill prohibits the practice of school districts or open-enrollment charter schools calling parents and caregivers to pick up a child due to behavioral issues or for disciplinary reasons.

Read more about the bill here.

HB 211 by Mary Gonzalez (Inclusive Child Care) – This bill promotes inclusive practices in a child-care facility or registered family home so that children with special needs are integrated into the general activities of the facility or home.  

Read more about the bill here.

Who to Call/Email:

Find your Texas State Representative here (we are not contacting U.S./Federal Representatives):  https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home

Email– If you’d like to email your Representative, please copy and paste the text below & feel free to add your own story or experience. 

————

Dear Representative___________,

I am in your district, and Autism issues are important to my family, therefore, I ask that you support the following bills and vote “for” them:

HB 2234 – Cameras in the Classroom: Improves parent access to video footage

HB 4506 – Autism Insurance Equity: Removes the $36K cap on benefits & removes a required diagnosis by age 10 to align with federal & state mental health parity laws

HB 773 – Ends Early Pickups: Prevents schools from requesting parents to pick their child up early due to behavior or disciplinary reasons 

HB 211 – Inclusive Child Care: Promotes inclusive practices in child-care facilities so children with disabilities are integrated and included

Thank You,

Your Name_______

For more information you can contact the Autism Society of Texas at advocacy@texasautismsociety.org or 512-479-4199, Ext. 4

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Thank you! If you complete the alert,  please let us know by contacting advocacy@texasautismsociety.org or calling us at 512-479-4199, ext. 4.

April was a super busy month here at Autism Society of Texas!

We had two big events as part of our Autism Acceptance Month celebration. On April 4th, we  convened on the Texas Capitol for Texas Autism Advocacy Day where we worked with advocates to support them in educating representatives on the needs of the Autism community. On April 23rd, we came together as a community for the Texas Autism Walk where we raised over $44K to support Autistic individuals and their loved ones!

We also took part in multiple events across the state. Adriana & AST Board Secretary, Berenice, attended the Any Baby Can Walk in San Antonio and our AST Board Member, Cescilly, was invited to speak at the DeSoto Autism Walk! Adriana also presented “Autism 101” in Spanish at the Region 13 Special Education Conference in Austin, and Jacquie and Board Members attended the TX ABA Conference in San Antonio.

We are so grateful for the multiple organizations that came forward to raise funds for AST: Spec’s, Jamba Juice, Spark Learning, and Least of Saints MC Austin! 

We also spent a lot of time at the Capitol fighting for the needs of individuals in the Texas Autism community.

House Bill 5274 will be heard in the House Committee on Human Services Tues. April 25th at 8 AM. 

Issue:

The credentialing process to get therapists approved to provide a Medicaid benefit under a managed care organization (MCO) can take an excessive amount of time, sometimes many months to over a year.  This can lead to having a shortage of therapists to provide therapy to children and teens, creating waitlists for some therapies which causes families of children on Medicaid to have to wait many months or worse to begin therapy.

Bill:  HB 5274  Rep. John Bucy                                                  

Would allow “expedited credentialing” for Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) which allows qualified therapy providers to serve Medicaid recipients on a provisional basis while their credentialing application is pending. Read more about the bill here. 

Specific Action Needed:

Ask the House Committee on Human Services: “Please vote in favor of HB 5274! Allow expedited credentialing so children and teens with Medicaid don’t have to experience long wait times to begin therapy.”

Who to Call/Email:

Let us know if you were successful or if AST Advocacy staff need to do any follow-ups at 512-479-4199 Ext. 4 or advocacy@texasautismsociety.org.

House Bill 4506 will be heard in the House Committee on Insurance Tues. April 18, 2023 at 8:00 AM.

Issue:

According to current Texas law, a person must receive their autism diagnosis prior to their 10th birthday to receive coverage for treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition, there is an annual maximum cap of $36,000 per year for a person who meets coverage qualifications for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy. However, the Texas Insurance Code requires a health benefit plan to provide coverage for all generally recognized services prescribed in relation to autism spectrum disorder, including ABA and other therapies, in the treatment plan recommended by the physician. ABA treatment is included in the Mental Health Parity law, requiring that ABA services be covered if any other services are covered (HB 10). Finally, some policies require an Autism diagnosis re-evaluation every three years. These policies are overly burdensome and result in barriers that delay or prevent people with autism from receiving needed therapies and services. 

House Bill 4506 amends Texas Insurance Code to require that health benefit plans do the following:

• Limit the ability for health plans to force families to reevaluate or reassess the covered individual any more than once every 10 years. (Families should not have to regularly prove their child has Autism to continue services).
• Provide coverage for treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder to an enrollee who is diagnosed with ASD from the date of diagnosis. (People who are diagnosed after the age of 10 can still benefit from therapies, so age cap should be removed).
• Honor the physician’s prescribed treatment plan regardless of an annual dollar amount limit 

Bill:

HB 4506 – Rep. Phillip Cortez.  Read the full bill text here.Read our information sheet with additional details and background here.

Specific Action Needed:

Ask the House Committee on Insurance: “Please vote in favor of HB 4506! People with Autism deserve insurance equity that will remove barriers and provide greater access to therapies!”

Who to Call/Email:

Please call or email members of the House Committee on Insurance using the “ask” above! It is important to note that our priority contacts are the Chair, Vice-Chair and Clerk:

Let us know if you were successful or if AST Advocacy staff need to do any follow-ups at 512-479-4199 Ext. 4 or advocacy@texasautismsociety.org.

Join our team! We’re looking for a part time Bilingual Support Specialist (Spanish) with experience in working with people with Autism or knowledge about Autism. Please review complete job description and requirements below, and send resume with cover letter to office@texasautismsociety.org or apply on Indeed.com.

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Bilingual Support Specialist (Spanish) – Part Time

Job Description

OVERVIEW:

The Autism Society of Texas (AST) is a state affiliate operating under the Autism Society of America, a non-profit (501c3) organization whose mission is to create connections, empowering everyone in the Autism community with the resources needed to live fully. AST fulfills this mission by providing education, information, support, and advocacy for people affected by Autism, their families, educators, professionals, and the community-at-large. This part time position will require between 10-15 hours per week and potential candidate must be fluent in Spanish for both written and spoken communications.

The Autism Society of Texas’ Bilingual Support Specialist works directly with families who have children with Autism, as well as Autistic adults in the community. This position often serves as the first line of contact in our Navigating Autism program which provides individualized guidance, support, and information statewide via calls and emails.     

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Bilingual Support Specialist (part time) will report to the Executive Director.  The Specialist is responsible for knowing the vision and mission of the organization and adhering to the standards set by the parent organization, Autism Society of America. This position requires the ability to listen to and assess the needs of callers, as well as provide resources and information to calls and emails received. The Specialist manages all incoming calls and emails in English and Spanish, striving to make sure every inquiry is answered in a timely manner.  Some translation work may be required when providing Autism resources and information to requests for help in Spanish. This is a part-time position with flexible hours, and calls and emails must be answered within 2 business days. The Bilingual Support Specialist may also be called upon to substitute as facilitator for our Spanish Parent/Caregiver Group. Training will be provided.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must embrace the mission of the Autism Society of Texas
• Must have excellent communication skills in Spanish and English
• Must have a deep understanding of Autism and services associated with it
• Ability to manage multiple calls and requests
• Must be able to locate resources in all parts of Texas
• Have the ability to build meaningful relationships to help diversify our resource database
• Must be comfortable communicating via phone and email
• Be organized and able to track data appropriately
• Display a positive attitude, show concern for people and community, demonstrate presence, self-confidence, common sense and good listening ability

ACTUAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Respond to requests for information about Autism Spectrum Disorder and Autism-related resources from a variety of individuals. Inquiries reach AST by phone, email, social media, website, and other means. Enter each inquiry into the Autism Society’s database in a timely and accurate manner
2. Work in a non-discriminatory, culturally-sensitive manner which encourages all community members to access the AST’s services and activities
3. Track demographic data and needs and communicate these needs to the Director of Statewide Education and Outreach and Executive Director
4. Comply with organizational policies, procedures, and regulations. 
5. May be called on as substitute facilitator for Spanish parent/caregiver group (training provided)
6. Some translation work may be required to translate Autism resources when responding to calls and email requests for help
7. Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director

Strong candidates for this position will have:

1. Mastery of both English and Spanish languages
2. Documented work experience in community-based information and referral programming or similar experience and knowledge of Autism
3. Excellent organizational skills including attention to detail, good record keeping, responsible time management, and the ability to juggle multiple projects and deadlines in both an independent and collaborative setting
4. Strong computer skills
5. The ability to maintain confidentiality
6. Associates Degree 

SALARY/BENEFITS:

$15-$18/hr based on experience and other qualifications. Part-time contract position.

Flexible work schedule. Must be able to respond to calls and email within 2 business days. Remote or in-office (Austin, TX).

TO APPLY:

Please send resume and cover letter to office@texasautismsociety.org or apply via Indeed.com.

This March, we were thrilled to launch our new in-person Autism Girls Group in partnership with ACES, happening in Houston, Dallas, Austin,and San Antonio!

We also hosted a Spanish education event,”Toma de Decisiones Basadas en la Evidencia Científica para la Intervención en el Autismo”, which focused on making decisions based on evidence-based interventions!

At the Capitol we worked behind the scenes to ensure Autism lifespan issues are being addressed in the next state Budget, and registered our positions on many bills impacting children and adults with Autism!

We went to Variety Texas’ Kites for Kids event and had a great time meeting the families and creating connections!

At the end of March, Adriana Crostley, formerly a contractor for AST working on many wonderful projects including bilingual education and outreach, moved into the role of Director of Statewide Education & Outreach!

March was also Social Work Month, and we are fortunate to have three interns working on their Masters in Social Work this semester; Aki Mori,Omodele o Ojomo and Sav Kennedy. They are learning to help families and Autistic adults who contact us through our Navigating Autism program. The March Connections quote is from someone who recently received support from one of them! Way to go, MSW Interns!