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1. Moving from Louisiana to Connecticut. Louisiana . Connecticut. Full Inclusion here OT & Speech Best Practices Services Silo Discouraged by organizations where our family was looking for help . Medicaid waiver for ASD In home services School Services. CAAC History.
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Moving from Louisiana to Connecticut Louisiana Connecticut Full Inclusion here OT & Speech Best Practices Services Silo Discouraged by organizations where our family was looking for help • Medicaid waiver for ASD • In home services • School Services
CAAC History • Children’s Behavioral Health Advisory Council Subcommittee • FAVOR’s Strategic Planning included Autism Goals • Several employees' had children with ASD • Many briefs and cases were about ASD • Provide a Unified Voice to the Legislature • Need to work together 3
About CAAC • Brings together: • family organizations • community providers • state agencies • Works together to: • organize and host Autism Awareness Day at the Capitol • support numerous state agencies and community providers • attend trainings • participate on task force and advisory councils, and more. • Identify gaps in the system and find ways to fill them! • Supported by: • FAVOR, a statewide family support organization, provides organizational and fiduciary support to CAAC. 4
MISSION STATEMENT • To provide one unified voice, supporting CT in the development and improvement of service access and quality for all individuals who are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. VISION STATEMENT • A world in which Autism, is so clearly understood, that it is seen as a character trait not a disability, allowing the talents and strengths of an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorders, to be identified, utilized and embraced by the community in which they live. 5
CAAC Some of our Members • Farmington Valley Asperger’s Network (FAVAN) • FAVOR—Statewide Family Advocacy • FOCUS Center for Autism • Friends of Autistic People (FAP) • Helping Hands CT • The Litchfield County Autism Spectrum Association (LACASA) • The Kennedy Center Inc. • Lighthouse Psycho-educational Services • North Central Community Collaborative (NCCC) • North Star Support Group • PATH Parent to Parent/Family Voices CT • Roses for Autism/UCONN • Sacred Heart University • University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) • Autism Center at HSC • Autism Speaks • Autism Services & Resources Connecticut (ASRC) • Behavioral Compass Group, LLC • CT Bureau of Special Education • CT Center for Child Development (CCCD) • CT Children’s Behavioral Health Advisory Council(CBHAC) • CT Department of Developmental Services (DDS) • CT Department of Public Health (DPH) • CT Families for Effective Autism Treatment (CT FEAT) • CT Family Support Network (CTFSN) • CT Special Education PTO Alliance (SEPTO) • Family-to-Family Health Information 6
CT Collaborative for ASD:Project Manager Role • Coordinate the CT Collaborative for ASD (State Implementation Grant for Autism Spectrum Disorders and other Developmental Disabilities and the CT Medical Home Initiative) • Organize contract to five family and provider organizations • Collect and aggregate reports • Provide technical assistance to contractors, intermediary between grantees and DPH to work towards grant goals • Link to community partners • Participate at national grantee meeting and CAAI National Meeting in Washington, DC 7
Autism Awareness Day at the Capital • Annual event during Autism Awareness Month • Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, Representatives, Senators (several have relatives on the spectrum) • Parents, advocacy groups, providers, state agencies, educators, anyone who works with or loves individual(s) with autism • Attendance and participation has grown every year as has the number of CAAC Resource bags handed out by young adults on the spectrum 8