Virginia Institute
of Autism

Thank you to the sponsor of the bill, Delegate Greason, the General Assembly, and to the Governor. This law now makes it possible for BCBAs and BCaBAs to become licensed in the state of Virginia. The licensure regulations can now be created.

We are excited that children ages 2-6 with Autism can access ABA services covered by insurance once these regulations are completed. While the process will still take time before services can begin, we are pleased that more children will be able to access services. (It will take 280 days to write the regulations and some additional time for license application review and processing.)

Share this:

Legislation on autism insurance reform is currently in the House of Delegates in Richmond. VIA has been an active participant in all aspects of this legislation. Ethan Long, Executive Director, helped to write the bill. Peggy Halliday, Director of Outreach, and Annie McLaughlin, Outreach Program Supervisor, have been in Richmond twice over the past week lobbying with delegates and attending committee meetings. Other BCBAs and staff members have emailed their delegates.

Things are heating up as the full House prepares to debate the bill Thursday and vote on it Friday. If passed, it will cross over to the Senate, and the whole process will begin again.

Last year, the legislature passed a bill requiring insurance to cover services (ABA, OT, SLP, PT) for 2-6 year olds with autism (up to $35,000/yr). The governor signed the bill into law but amended it to require that licensed professionals provide the services. BCBAs have a national certification but there is no state license. This bill, HB 1106, is the bill that creates a Virginia state license for BCBAs. The governor’s office, the insurance lobby, and the Virginia Autism Project (BCBAs) have agreed on the language in the bill.

Peggy Halliday states, “Of course, we would like the bill to cover more children and have children covered sooner than the 280 days the licensure process will take. However, the governor will not sign the bill if it has any additional changes. It is critical that the bill goes through so kids can start receiving services.”

Once this passes in the house, more advocacy will need to occur through the Senate. For more information, contact VIA or sign up for email alerts at: http://www.autismvotes.org.

Share this:

VIA is now providing interactive workshops in a new Focus Series. These series will explore a variety of topics in depth. The first few workshops in our Focus Series will be led by Dr. Annie McLaughlin and will cover Toilet Training and Overcoming Sleep Challenges. It is open to all members of the public (i.e., parents, teachers, other professionals). For more information, visit our Focus Series page.

Share this:

VIA is launching the Viability Day Support Program for adults with autism and related developmental disabilities. Recognizing that learning is a life-long endeavor, VIA is committed to serving individuals with autism throughout their lives. The Viability Program offers a safe, supportive environment for learning life and vocational skills that enable clients to live as happily and independently as possible. In the first year of the program, VIA anticipates serving 2 clients, then building to 4 in year 2, and 6 in year 3, etc. This is a giant step for VIA and one that has been made possible through the generosity of Dr. Alice P. Turner and Sarah P. Hendley. These two special donors, who are the grandmother and great aunt of teenagers with autism, recognize from personal experience the necessity of giving hope to families throughout the lifetime of their loved ones with autism.

Share this:

On November 18, 2011 VIA staff attended and presented at the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis Conference in Baltimore, MD. The conference consisted of a number of presentations by a distinguished group of behavior analysts who represent an array of areas of work, both basic and applied. To learn more about the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis visit the website at www.marylandaba.org.

Share this: