Washington Autism Alliance - WAA

10/30/2025

Join us on November 10th for our next Supporting Parents of High-Masking Autistic Students, where we will be leading a discussion on what "Autism Levels" really mean and how understanding them can help parents/guardians advocate for their student's needs! https://washingtonautismalliance.org/events/supporting-parents-of-autism-spa-111025/?occurrence=2025-11-10

10/28/2025

With Halloween just a few days away, here are some ideas for making the evening fun and safe for everyone!
📍Plan your route ahead of time! This allows you to identify any factors that might cause obstacles and potential escape routes if your trick-or-treater becomes too overwhelmed. Walking this route together also helps set expectations!
🏠 Talking to your neighbors can help you determine which homes might be too overstimulating to trick-or-treat at. It also allows you to provide the people in your neighborhood a heads-up about your trick-or-treaters' needs.
💙 Reminders for community members: Some trick-or-treaters might look older than you would expect, but you should still treat them with the same level of kindness and enthusiasm! Some people might not be able to say "trick-or-treat" or "thank you". Still give them candy and a smile!

10/20/2025

Things that everyone might benefit from today. Go M's! ⚾

10/17/2025

"Washington remains steady. Services for students with disabilities will continue." We are grateful for the commitment to providing students with the support they need to thrive, and we are hopeful that the temporary blockage of these layoffs will mitigate the negative impact on our students. Please continue to make your voices heard! https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-layoffs-trump-unions-b312b3ca77cbdbc72e778ece3b2cbffcwe

10/15/2025

A broad coalition of national, state, and local disability, civil rights, and education organizations expresses profound concern regarding the extensive layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education. These reductions have significantly diminished crucial offices, including the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). Such actions jeopardize decades of progress in safeguarding the rights of students with disabilities. Effective advocacy is more crucial now than ever. We We must avoid unproductive online arguments and focus our efforts. https://washingtonautismalliance.org/calling-for-reversal-of-layoffs-at-department-of-education/

10/13/2025

The most recent round of federal layoffs is greatly impacting the Department of Education, and these cuts will affect critical services that students need to thrive. We encourage our community to speak out and contact their representatives to advocate for the protection of our students' education.

Multiple divisions will lose staff members, according to the union representing agency staffers.

10/10/2025

Today is World Mental Health Day! The intersection between autism and mental health is a complex one, and we are advocating for a better mental health system for people of all abilities. These changes include having more neurodiverse affirming therapists, creating more support group opportunities for families, and working to build a strong community of individuals to offer care and support. If you are in need of mental health resources, our resource directory includes providers that have attested that they are neurodiversity affirming!

10/07/2025

Join us on November 13th (English) or November 19th (Spanish) for our online workshop all about maximizing your insurance benefits! We will cover common reasons for claim denials, methods for resolving disputes, misconceptions among therapy providers, and more!

November 13th (English): https://washingtonautismalliance.org/events/maximizing-insurance-english-nov25/?occurrence=2025-11-13

November 19th (Spanish): https://washingtonautismalliance.org/events/maximizing-insurance-spanish-nov25/?occurrence=2025-11-19

10/05/2025

It's October, which means it's Microsoft Giving Season! This month, employees at Microsoft will choose nonprofits to fundraise and volunteer for, including the Washington Autism Alliance. Thank you to the Device Partner Sales team for taking the time to create birthday cards that we can send to community members!

09/26/2025

We loved getting to gather as a team this last weekend and spend time together with our families! ❤️