Talking Points for Visiting or Writing Your Representative and Senator

State that you are a constituent who is the parent of a child on the autism spectrum and would like to talk to with your Senator, Representative, or their aide about the needs of children with autism.

Start by briefly describing your child - it is important for your legislator to understand ASD

• Tell them your child's age and diagnosis
  
  
• Briefly, explain your child's needs (language, social, behavioral, safety, academic and his/her strengths)
  
  
• Briefly describe what it is like to have a child with ASD and the impact on your family
  
  
• Give an example of how particular services really helped your child (i.e. an appropriate educational placement, behavioral services, received ABA, Floor Time, social skills / pragmatics programming, or home services) that led to improvement in which particular skill areas
  
  
• Summarize any difficulties you've had obtaining necessary services for your child

Ask your legislator to support initiatives that assist children and adults with ASD

• Stress the growing numbers of children with ASD who are in need of services
  
  
• Funding DMR Family Supports 5920-3000
  
  
• Funding for Division of Autism (Including Children's Medicaid Waiver) 5920-3010
  
  
• Increased Funding Turning 22 5920-5000
  
  
• Funding DOE/DMR Collaboration 5948-0012
  
  
• An Act to Improve Teacher Training in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (S. 278)
  
  
• An Act to Relative to Children's Autism Medicaid Waiver/Intensive In-Home Services for Children with ASD (H. 493, S. 281)
  
  
• An Act to Provide Access to Information for Parent Evaluations (H. 391)
  
  
• An Act Establishing a Pilot Employment Program for Adults with Asperger's Syndrome and Autism (HD 460)
  

Click here for AFAM's Legislative and Budgetary priorities for Fiscal Year 2008.

Discuss the items most important to you and your family. Consider leaving the AFAM Legislative and Budgetary Priorities with whomever you meet. There is space for you to fill in your name and other contact information

Click Here for letter to send or give to your elected officials.

Sponsored by: Advocates for Autism Massachusetts (AFAM), Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, Asperger's Association of New England, Autism Alliance of MetroWest, Inc., Autism Resource Center of Central Massachusetts, Autism Society of America, Massachusetts Chapter, Autism Support Center, Boston Families for Autism, Inc., Community Autism Resources, Inc, Community Resources for People with Autism, Family Autism Center, The ARC of Massachusetts, Autism Speaks/NAAR and Massachusetts Advocates for Children