skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Governor's Budget Includes Funds for People Living with Autism

play audio
Play

Thursday, April 14, 2016   

RALEIGH, N.C. - While he continues to take heat for the controversial House Bill 2, Governor Pat McCrory is getting some praise this week for parts of his budget, which include additional spending to benefit people living with autism.

This week, the governor announced an expansion of funds for Medicaid Innovations Waivers that will create an additional 250 slots for people with developmental disabilities. David Laxton, director of communications for the Autism Society of North Carolina, said everyone wins with the program expansion.

"They will be able to be better learners," he said. "They'll have better communication skills. They'll be better able to manage their daily lives, but also for the families, it's not going to be as much of a financial burden and, overall, it will be cost-effective for our state."

There are as many as 12,000 people on the Innovations Waiver Program waiting list, with some waiting as long as 10 years. In addition, the governor announced that the state will submit a plan to the federal government by fall to include evidence-based therapies for people on the autism spectrum in services available. April is Autism Awareness Month.

According to the Autism Society of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State has a higher rate of autism compared with the national average. Laxton said it's important to remember because so many therapies currently are not covered by insurance and public assistance, and families are left to bear the burden.

"If you have a family member who is on the autism spectrum, you're going to have a lot more bills than most folks," he added. "Families who have a child with autism, the average costs, some of the estimates have been $2 to $3 million more than what a typical child's costs will be over their lifetime."

There are one-and-a-half million people in the U.S. who have an autism spectrum disorder. In North Carolina, there are at least 60,000 people.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021