Advocacy
Your Story Matters! We strive to unify the voice of the autism Community.
For over 50 years, the Autism Society of Northern Virginia has led the way, advocating at the local, state, and national levels in collaboration efforts to improve the quality of life for all in the disability community. We provide free education programs and many forms of support for those on the spectrum to enjoy a lifetime of dignity and respect while making meaningful connections within our community and beyond. We cannot do these things without you. Thank you for being that connection!
Our advocacy work includes:
-
Disability Candidate Forums
-
Developmental Disabilities Advocacy Day in Richmond
-
Autism Advocacy Day in Richmond
-
Autism Society Day on the Hill
-
Townhalls in person and virtual
-
Budget hearings
-
Rally’s
-
Introduction at House/Senate
-
Legislator calls, texts
-
Virtual and in person testimony
-
Advocacy training
-
Advocacy alerts
Know our 2026 State Legislative Priorities
We are dedicated to educating policy makers on current priorities that impact our local autism community. We are proud to represent a very diverse community of individuals across the entire autism spectrum and their families, and we strive to empower individuals with autism and their families to advocate for the best possible services and support structures for themselves and/or their loved ones.
ASNV partners with several fellow advocacy organizations across Virginia, including the Arc of Northern Virginia, the Arc of Virginia, Virginia Autism Project (VAP), Commonwealth Autism Services, Didlake, Autism Societies of Central & Tidewater, and many others. We strive to unify the voice of the autism community and integrate legislation in a coordinated manner.
This only happened because all of you stood up, showed up and made your voices heard. As we look forward, we know we aren’t done, but right now, we will celebrate together and take pride in a job well done.
2026 Legislative Priorities
General: Support establishment of an Autism Commission
SB280- Senator Aird (Chief Patron) HB231- Delegate Laura Jane Cohen (Chief Patron)
Addressing gaps in services and empowering individuals with autism.
Increase Rates for Essential Nursing and Direct Support Services
Why: Immediate investment is needed in Personal Care, Respite, Skilled Nursing, and
Private Duty Nursing to protect the health, safety, and stability of people with the most significant
support needs, while also supporting fair and sustainable rate increases across all
developmental disability waiver services.
Align Supported Living Rate to 4-person Group Home
Why: Corrects a reimbursement inequity that limits provider participation in this underused
service.
Fund the Community Collaborative Provider Incubator
Why: Builds provider capacity and expands community-based options in areas with the greatest
service shortages.
Increase funding for the State Rental Assistance Program*
Why: Expands access to stable housing as rising costs have reduced availability for people with
developmental disabilities.
Study the Feasibility of a “Core Services” Waiver
Why: Provides one-time funding to explore essential supports for people in Priority 2 and 3
that promote stability, prevent crises, and reduce long-term costs.
Expand Access to Medicaid Works Program
Why: Expands employment opportunities by allowing people to work without losing critical
Medicaid coverage.
Continue the SSDI Disregard Policy* HB37 (Shin)
Why: Ensures people can work without losing access to critical waiver services.
Maintain the Live-In Caregiver Exemption from EVV*
Why: Protects privacy and continuity of care for people supported by live-in caregivers while
avoiding requirements that do not add value for families or the state.
Protect Voting Rights HB 1014 (Tran) | SB 34 (Favola)
Why: Protects civil rights by ensuring people under guardianship do not automatically lose their
right to vote.
Early Diversion* HB 247 (Watts) | SB 416 (Boysko, Stuart)
Why: Allows courts to consider diversion at the initial hearing, helping prevent unnecessary
criminal records and long-term system involvement when behaviors are related to a
person’s disability.
Provide an Affirmative Defense* HB 246 (Watts) | SB 335 (Boysko)
Why: Ensures a person’s disability is appropriately considered in criminal proceedings when
behaviors are directly related to a disability or mental health condition.
* These policy items are shared or co-led priorities with one of the following organizations: VirginiaHousing Alliance, Autism Society of Central Virginia, or Decriminalizing Developmental Disabilities.
Subscribe to our email list
Stay informed of ASNV news, events, and programs by subscribing to our email list below! ASNV sends out newsletters on a monthly basis, and occasionally sends other important monthly updates. Subscribers should only receive an average of 2 emails per month. Subscribing to the ASNV email list guarantees that you will be the first to hear about and sign up for our upcoming ASNV programs and events!