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Author Archives: JuliaBascom

ASAN Unveils Toolkit for Advocates on New Home and Community-Based Settings Rules

| JuliaBascom

ASAN has published a toolkit for advocates, families and administrators on how to ensure that people with disabilities receive Medicaid-funded Home and Community-Based Services in integrated settings that offer full access to the community. Home and community-based services are an important source of support for many people with disabilities who need...

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ASAN Statement On Dr. Phil Episode Featuring K. Stapleton

| JuliaBascom

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network issued a statement on Friday, September 19th, condemning Dr. Phil for recent segments featuring Kelli Stapleton. Stapleton is currently standing trial and has pled guilty to the charge of first-degree child abuse for the attempted murder of her autistic daughter, Issy Stapleton, age 14....

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ASAN Applauds Build-a-Bear Ending Support for Autism Speaks

| JuliaBascom

ASAN applauds Build-A-Bear Workshop’s decision to end their partnership with Autism Speaks. For years, self-advocates and families have urged corporate donors to reconsider their funding to Autism Speaks, pointing out the organization’s lack of autistic leadership, offensive advertising and other unethical business practices. In making this decision, Build-A-Bear has demonstrated...

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ASAN Statement on Abuse of the Land Twins and recent Washington Post coverage

| JuliaBascom

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is deeply concerned by both the recent case of abuse in Rockville, Maryland and the Washington Post’s reprehensible article calling the abuse of autistic adults the “least bad” decision for families. For the last six years, the children of Janice and John Land allegedly...

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ASAN, Disability Rights Organizations Urge Changes to Combating Autism Act

| JuliaBascom

On Monday, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network released a joint letter to Congress, signed by fourteen other organizations, urging changes to the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act, H.R. 4631. June 2, 2014 Dear Chairman Pitts and Ranking Member Pallone: We, the undersigned organizations committed to advancing equality of opportunity for people...

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ASAN, Disability Rights Orgs File Amicus Brief Challenging Withholding Medical Care Due to Disability

| JuliaBascom

On Friday May 23, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Not Dead Yet, and 12 other disability rights organizations filed an amicus brief in a case challenging the University of Wisconsin Hospital Center’s alleged practice of counseling families of people with developmental disabilities to withhold care for treatable but potentially...

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ASAN Statement Opposing House CAA Re-authorization Legislation H.R. 4631

| JuliaBascom

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is deeply concerned by the recently introduced Combating Autism Re-authorization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4631). H.R. 4631 fails to address many of the longstanding problems in the CAA, including the lack of funding and attention to research on services and the needs of adults,...

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ASAN Testimony to the Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee of the FDA

| JuliaBascom

ASAN President Ari Ne’eman gave the following testimony urging the ban of aversive-conditioning devices to the Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Good morning. My name is Ari Ne’eman, and I am testifying here in my role as President...

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Written Comment to the Food and Drug Administration on the Banning of Electrical Aversive Conditioning Devices

| JuliaBascom

ASAN submitted written comment to the Food and Drug Administration, strongly urging the FDA to ban the use of electric  aversive conditioning devices. These comments are available here....

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