Most policies are born through good faith, but without direct experience informing those policies, people with severe autism are suffering the negative impacts of unintended consequences. It is long past time to challenge the tired false binaries that dominate our disability discourse: community vs. institution, autonomy vs. guardianship, employment vs. dependency. These are not helpful when they erase nuance and deny the reality that many need 24/7 specialized support, meaningful daily activity, integrated multidisciplinary healthcare, and purpose-built safe housing options.
We must update our definitions of inclusion to account for choice, dignity, safety, and realism.
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As Tennessee’s Chattanooga neglect case sparks debate, families of people with severe autism highlight a deeper crisis: denied safety equipment, untrained staff, punitive policies, and systemic failures that create dangerous, nationwide disparities in care and disability rights.
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A newly released report from the New Jersey Ombudsman exposes systemic failures in group home oversight, including concealed abuse, unreported critical incidents, underpaid and understaffed care, and investigations that let providers police themselves. These aren’t isolated lapses but signs of a broken system that leaves families in crisis. The New Jersey Chapter of NCSA is responding with strong advocacy—documenting family experiences, demanding transparency, partnering with legislators and journalists, and pushing for meaningful reforms to protect individuals with severe autism.
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Sunday night, House Republicans dropped their latest plan for Medicaid reform, and it’s got a lot of people asking: Should we be worried? Should we panic? And what should we be doing? Here’s what you need to know—without the spin.
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My daughter shares about as much in common with a Mensa-level PhD candidate as a fish does with a chicken. Nobody’s handing chickens supreme authority to make decisions for fish just because chickens can bawk while fish cannot.
Society never claims that if only fish grew up in chicken-designed “animal-affirming” environments, they’d suddenly take up roosting and learn to crow at sunrise. There’s no assumption that every fish thrives in the same tank conditions, either. Some need fresh water. Others need salt. Certain fish want solitude, others survive best in schools. The important point: experts don’t consult chickens when they want to understand fish. They study the fish themselves. Wild concept, right?
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The fundamental flaw in this approach is not that we celebrate independence—it's that we've allowed independence to become a prerequisite for human dignity. The true antidote to eugenic thinking isn't proving that disabled people can be productive; it's rejecting productivity as a measure of human value altogether.
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The intersection of privacy rights and protection measures for individuals with severe disabilities presents a complex challenge in disability advocacy. Recent legislation proposed in Kentucky has brought this debate to the forefront, highlighting the critical need for nuanced approaches to safeguarding our most vulnerable populations.
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