IEP Coaching & Advocacy

Autism Speaks is happy to share that the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Access Act has recently been introduced in the Senate. The bill would make home and community-based care a mandatory benefit under Medicaid, ensuring people have the option to stay in their homes to receive care, instead of institutions.

Right now, more than 600,000 individuals, including individuals with autism, are on waiting or interest lists for Medicaid HCBS. This bill expands access by reducing waitlists, strengthening the HCBS workforce and providing critical support for caregivers.

We want to thank Senator Ben Ray Luján and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine for championing the HCBS Access Act and helping autistic individuals live and participate in their communities.

Learn more: https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-kaine-lead-legislation-to-expand-access-to-home-and-community-based-care-for-older-adults-and-people-with-disabilities/

Fresh opportunities for belonging... and fresh supplies too ✏

Check out our freebies to get started! https://www.inclusiveschooling.com/free-inclusive-education-resources/

Yes...they are not ALWAYS HAPPY!!! That is a HUGE myth.

What is stress? In our Tips for Dealing with Stress video, Cindy defined it as what we feel when we are "edgy and overwhelmed." She described stress as "having too many pictures in the head" and feeling like "pulling [your] brains out."

Everyone experiences stress differently. What causes us stress, how we react to stress, and what we do to manage stress vary from one person to the next. This is true for people with Down syndrome as well.

Our online library has several resources on stress and how to manage stress. They are available for free at the link below.
🔗 https://adultdownsyndrome.org/resources/lifestyle-medicine-pillars-stress-management/

Florida has now placed into effect Chapter 2026-70 (HB 453), effective July 1, 2026. It creates a specific graduation option for a student with a disability: participation in Special Olympics for one school year may substitute for the one-credit physical-education requirement for a Florida standard high-school diploma, when the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines that option. The enacted text places this expressly among the statutory diploma options available to students with disabilities.

A Parent's Back-To-School Prayer for their Child with a Disability:

I pray my child is embraced for who they are. I pray they are wanted not in spite of their differences, but because of them. May their diversity be celebrated.

I pray teachers and staff have a healthy balance of patience and high expectations because they are capable of much.

God, I pray you open up my child's mind with readiness to grow. May they learn more about your world, so they can fully embrace the beautiful life you've given them.

God, I pray kindness abounds. May it flow steadily from both kids and adults through the classroom, playground, and hallways.

Beyond kindness, beyond inclusion, I pray my child makes a real friend. Because life is hard, having a disability in an inaccessible world can be complicated, and we all need someone to lean on.

God, this is my prayer above all, more than academic progress or meeting IEP goals, I pray my child walks into school every day knowing they belong. Amen.