Team Jesse James and the Outlaw Walkers will once again participate in the Western New England Walk Now For Autism Speaks. The walk is set for Sept. 20 at Stanley Park. Teams can register at www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/wne. (Photo by Becca & Kat’s Photography)
WESTFIELD – Many parents of children – and adults themselves – with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) find themselves navigating insurance coverage and Individualized Education Plans (IEP) with little local support and numerous questions.
Autism Speaks’ New England Chapter is reaching out to area families with a free Parent Advocacy Seminar July 21 at Genesis Center, 53 Mill St., at 7 p.m.
A roundtable panel of local experts will address insurance coverage and changes in MassHealth, best practices for prepping for the IEP process, and other services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, and Applied Behavior Analysis.
Registration is free, but RSVP is required at http://bit.ly/1l3ZQig.
Judith Ursitti, CPA, Autism Speaks’ director of state government affairs who works out of the Boston office, will be a featured speaker.
Ursitti spends much of her time traveling the country urging legislators to improve healthcare for people with autism.
“Navigating the healthcare maze for individuals on the spectrum is complicated at best,” said Ursitti.
Ursitti said the seminar will provide an explanation about:
1) What sort of health insurance coverage you should expect, 2) What efforts are in place to improve existing coverage and 3) Where to find information and support.
MassHealth will soon change, and Ursitti can expertly advise individuals with autism and parents of children with ASD.
“Efforts are in place to strengthen Medicaid coverage for autism in Massachusetts,” she said. “We will discuss where we are in this process at the meeting.”
Individuals with autism, their caregivers, parents, siblings, friends and providers are those Ursitti believes would benefit from the free program.
Westfield’s Stanley Park is the site of the annual Western New England Walk Now For Autism Speaks, a fundraising and awareness walk that draws thousands. This year’s walk is Sept. 20 and teams have already begun fundraising efforts.
For more information on the walk, or to form or join a team, visit www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/wne.
A free kick-off walk event is set for July 24 at the Children’s Museum at Holyoke from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
This exclusive, sensory-friendly evening, includes a light supper and the opportunity for families to explore the museum after hours and speak directly to walk committee members and Autism Speaks staff. RSVP for the kick-off at http://events.autismspeaks.org/WNEKO2014.
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that impairs an individual’s ability to communicate, form relationships with others and relate to their surroundings. Seventy-three percent of every dollar raised goes back to Autism Speaks’ mission, to change the future for all who struggle with ASD. In March the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its latest autism prevalence findings and reported that one in 68 children – including one in every 42 boys – is diagnosed with autism.
