FEDERAL

The Autism Society of Greater Akron (ASGA) advocates for people living with Autism on the local, state and federal levels. As an affiliate of the Autism Society of America, ASGA is part of a nationwide network that works to mobilize our grassroots network to affect laws and regulations that improve the quality of life for individuals with Autism and other disabilities.

Each year, we travel to Capitol Hill to advocate for laws that positively impact everything from education to Medicaid, to healthcare. Our national organization leads this effort through the Ignite for Autism campaign. Get involved, including signing up for advocacy alerts, so you can make your voice heard!

STATE ISSUES

ASGA works with the Autism Society of Ohio (ASO) – the coalition of the Ohio affiliates of the Autism Society of America – on state-wide advocacy initiatives. Priorities are determined each year through the Board of Directors and an Advocacy Committee made up of individuals from across the state.

COMMENTS SUBMITTED 

The Autism Society of Ohio (ASO), a coalition of the Ohio affiliates of the Autism Society of America, thanks the Ohio Department of Medicaid for publishing the public notice regarding amending the HCBS waiver program to permanently include flexibilities allowed through Appendix K during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many individuals in our community valued the flexibility of paying family caregivers, primarily due to the shortage of direct support workers. We appreciate that the Department wants to make this a permanent option. We urge that the process to apply for this payment be seamless and not cumbersome, as families already have so much to manage, including no additional assessment tool for parents of minor children to qualify. Similarly, please consider increased services for family caregivers, including respite and adult day health services — as at least five other states have done to better support overly-stretched families. READ MORE ...