SUBJECT LINE: VOTE YES on Delegate Cohen's HB231 Dear Members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Government and Capital Outlay, Please Vote YES on HB231. I am a parent of a daughter who is autistic. I am very grateful to the Behavioral Health Commission, the Autism Advisory Council, and the Disability Commission for endorsing the concept and/or recommending an Autism Commission. An Autism Commission could address the unique and diverse needs of the autism community. Virginia's services are fragmented and insufficient to provide families with consistent support. A dedicated commission could streamline and improve service delivery by recommending comprehensive systems that bridge these gaps to the autism community. This bill is important to me because I have struggled with disproportionate burdens on families and significant financial, emotional, and logistical burdens due to the high cost of therapies, inadequate public support, and limited crisis support options. Becoming a Commission means there will be staff to assist with research on complex issues and look for data-driven answers. Please VOTE YES on HB231. Sincerely, Piumini Wanigasundera.

I support creating this group to help people like me who have Autism and need help in getting our voices heard.

I support creating this group to help people like me who have Autism and need help in getting our voices heard.

As Vice President of the Virginia Autism Project and parent of an adult daughter with profound autism, I would strongly encourage the subcommittee to support this bill. Our community needs a comprehensive autism commission that is adamantly focused on targeted issues that are important to the autism community, without delay and without a gap in time or resources.

I am the parent and advocate of a 28 year old non speaking autistic with seizures. I also work with Our Stomping Ground, a nonprofit in NOVA that supports people with disabilities in inclusive housing and community. I support HB231, which would elevate the Autism Advisory Council to an Autism Commission. This was a recommendation from both the Behavioral Health Commission and the Autism Advisory Council. An Autism Commission could address the unique and diverse needs of the autism community. Virginia's services are fragmented and insufficient to provide families with consistent support. A dedicated commission could streamline and improve service delivery by recommending comprehensive systems that bridge these gaps to the autism community. Outcomes in employment and education are still quite abysmal for this population and an Autism Commission could take the Commonwealth a long way in improving lives for this vulnerable population. Thank you for your consideration.

I support HB231, which would elevate the Autism Advisory Council to an Autism Commission. This was a recommendation from both the Behavioral Health Commission and the Autism Advisory Council. An Autism Commission could address the unique and diverse needs of the autism community. Virginia's services are fragmented and insufficient to provide families with consistent support. A dedicated commission could streamline and improve service delivery by recommending comprehensive systems that bridge these gaps to the autism community. Adult autistics often require job support, communication support, or more intensive levels of care in the community and the home. The needed support is non-existent and families are unable access the services.

I am both a Parent and service provider. I support HB231, which would elevate the Autism Advisory Council to an Autism Commission. This was a recommendation from both the Behavioral Health Commission and the Autism Advisory Council. An Autism Commission could address the unique and diverse needs of the autism community. Virginia's services are fragmented and insufficient to provide families with consistent support. A dedicated commission could streamline and improve service delivery by recommending comprehensive systems that bridge these gaps to the autism community. A Commission will allow for research of proven and effective methods to address autism-specific challenges.

Please vote YES on HB231: The Virginia Autism Project joins with the Behavioral Health Commission, the Autism Advisory Council, the Arc and other autism advocacy groups in the Commonwealth to ask that you VOTE YES ON HB231 by Delegate Cohen. This will elevate the Autism Advisory Council to an Autism Commission and allow for staff to do research and thus enable the Commission to provide autism focused recommendations to the legislature to address the gaps in Virginia’s policies for job support, housing options, crisis services, communication needs, and Medicaid Waiver services, to name a few. Virginia’s autism community needs proven and effective methods to address autism-specific challenges within the multiple support networks of agencies providing services. One example is the gaps in crisis services that result when an autistic individual is sent to an inappropriate placement, like a jail or a mental health hospital, when they are in crisis. JLARC has reported inappropriate admissions to state psychiatric hospitals: “These inappropriate admissions include individuals with neurocognitive disorders (i.e., dementia) and neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., autism spectrum disorder), who accounted for 10 percent of state psychiatric hospital discharges in FY23. While they are a small percentage of state hospital patients, they stay for relatively long periods, even though state hospital staff generally do not have the expertise to appropriately care for them. In addition, state psychiatric hospital staff frequently reported concerns regarding the safety and well-being of patients with neurocognitive and neurodevelopmental diagnoses.” https://jlarc.virginia.gov/pdfs/summary/Rpt584Sum-1.pdf Rates of autism in the population are increasing rapidly. This population has unique and diverse needs. The needs of this community permeate throughout society as the autistic population ages into adulthood. Integration with support and acceptance of diversity does not happen without a focus on improving public policy. No other commission currently exists in Virginia that can and will provide this research based autism focused scrutiny. Please vote YES on HB231.

Our Virginia Autism Foundation is in full support of this legislation and respectfully ask for your support as well. Our Autism community will benefit from a full commission and will serve many in our commonwealth. Thank you, Mark Llobell Virginia Autism Foundation Founder CEO