Washington Autism Alliance - WAA

03/08/2026

Navigating the Special Education Maze can be overwhelming. Join our "IDEA: Blueprint for Special Education" sessions to simplify the legal process and learn your child’s rights directly from expert attorneys. Register now to secure your spot.

Join us for an in-depth explanation on how to use the building blocks of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to develop appropriate services for your child or student.

03/04/2026

As we start to see more blue sky and flowers bloom, we are reminded of the importance of springing into action to support our community! Our legislative team has been hard at work advocating for vital bills that directly impact individuals with autism and their families. With your recurring support, we can continue our efforts in working towards systemic change 💙

03/02/2026

March is Women's History Month! Our Founder/CEO, Arzu Forough, started the Washington Autism Alliance in 2007 (almost two decades!) out of necessity to fight for the right to autism health benefits for her family. Since then, she has spearheaded countless advocacy efforts and fostered an organization dedicated to expanding access to vital care, resources, and services to people with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are so grateful to have such a smart, driven, and passionate woman at the helm!

02/28/2026

As we near the end of February, we want to highlight a few organizations that support people of color in the autism community and their families! Do you know of other organizations? Give them a shout out in the comments!
- FOCS - Families Of Color Seattle connects families, caregivers, and children of color through peer-led parent support groups, spaces to share culture, skills, and resources, and racial justice education and advocacy.
https://www.focseattle.org/
- The Autistic People of Color Fund exists to provide direct support, mutual aid, and reparations by and for autistic people of color.
https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/
- Working at the intersection of disability support, cultural understanding, and community empowerment, Open Doors for Multicultural Families provides resources for multicultural individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.
https://opendoorswa.org/

02/26/2026

Join us on March 9th for our next Supporting Parents of High-Masking Autistic Students session! Apraxia and Dyspraxia are common co-occurrences that impact balance, coordination, and motor skills. This session will dive into how this can impact your child and what supports are possible to put in place. Register now at https://washingtonautismalliance.org/events/supporting-parents-of-autism-spa-030926/?occurrence=2026-03-09

02/26/2026

We're celebrating major advocacy wins as key public policies—addressing student isolation, missing persons alerts, special education records, and student mental health—successfully passed legislative policy committees! Thanks to your support, proposed cuts to the vital Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program were also blocked, and we now push forward through the final stages of the Washington State Legislative Calendar.

Today marked a significant cutoff in the Washington State Legislative Calendar. We are pleased to report that, with your collective support, several crucial

02/25/2026

The R-word causes real harm and reinforces painful stereotypes. Everyone deserves respect, dignity, and to be valued for who they are.

Let's choose language that empowers and includes.

Read more from Sara and join the movement: https://brnw.ch/21x0edS

Best Buddies International
Special Olympics Wisconsin, Special Olympics North America

02/25/2026

Join us at the Kirkland Library (308 Kirkland Ave) on Tuesday, March 3rd, from 12pm to 3pm! We will be addressing birthday cards for our autistic community members, and need extra hands. Stay for fifteen minutes or three hours! We will also have Day Out for Autism flyers on hand for anyone willing and able to share them around their neighborhood.

Please email engage@washingtonautismadvocacy.org if you have any questions. We hope to see you there!

02/22/2026

Some important reminders from a previous presentation on autistic burnout! Did you know you can access a wide variety of recorded workshops on our website with a FREE membership? See all we have to offer at https://washingtonautismalliance.org/online-academy/

02/21/2026

We are just under one month away from Blueprints to Special Education! This workshop, presented by special education attorneys, will provide in-depth training on understanding your child's program, needs, and rights. Learn more and register at https://washingtonautismalliance.org/events/blueprints-to-special-education-how-to-build-effective-school-services-2/?occurrence=2026-03-21

02/20/2026

We are looking for entertainers from the autism community to showcase their skills at Day Out for Autism on April 18th! If you or someone you know is a musician, singer, dancer, or another type of entertainer, please reach out to engage@washingtonautismadvocacy.org for more information!

02/19/2026

Just two months away from Day Out for Autism! We can't wait to see you there 💙