ASAN September Newsletter Dear friend, As the autumn days get cooler, our advocacy work is heating up. We’re been hard at work alongside our community this month. Take a look at what we’ve been up to! Our Back to School Learning Sessions were a huge success, thanks to our incredible presenters and to all of...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Click here to read a plain language explainer of this statement. For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 24, 2025 Organizational Contacts: AAPD: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-465-5528 AUCD: Lillie Heigl, lheigl@aucd.org The Arc: dilworth@thearc.org ASAN: media@autisticadvocacy.org Autism Society: press@autismsociety.org WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, September 22, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
On September 22nd, President Trump, RFK, and other members of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leadership held a press conference that contained false and harmful information about autism, acetaminophen, and vaccines. Read our statements in formal language or plain language below to learn more. Click on the arrow next to either title...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
These comments are available as a PDF here. Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)PO Box 66122Washington, DC 20035 September 22, 2025 Federal Trade Commission (FTC)Federal Trade Commission Building600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20580 RE: Request for Public Comment Regarding Gender-Affirming Care for Minors To Chairman Ferguson and Commissioners Holyoak and Meador— The Autistic Self Advocacy Network...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Last week, the Make American Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released a new piece of its flawed plan to address childhood chronic diseases. The September MAHA Strategy outlines the administration’s plan to respond to the findings of the May MAHA Report. The Strategy builds on the Report’s misinformation by identifying problems that do not exist and...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Words to Know Artificial intelligence – When a computer program does things that normally need to be done by humans. We call artificial intelligence “AI” for short. Centers for Independent Living (CILs) – Places that help people with disabilities make our own choices about our lives. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – A...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Written by Marcy Waring for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network ⁂ Notes on language usage: Scope of this article: This article focuses on the intersection of the LGBTQI+ and disability community. I decided to focus on the disability community in a broad sense, rather than solely on the autistic community, to be in line with...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
These comments are available as a PDF here. August 28th, 2025Submitted via regulations.gov Catherine L. Eschbach, DirectorOffice of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Department of Labor200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210 RE: Modifications to the Regulations Implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended(RIN 1250-AA18) and RE: Rescission of Executive Order 11246...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
These comments are available as a PDF here. Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)PO Box 66122Washington, DC 20035 September 2, 2025Submitted via regulations.gov Division of Regulations, Legislation, and InterpretationWage and Hour Division (WHD), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)Room S-3502, 200 Constitution Avenue NWWashington, DC 20210 RE: Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service, RIN:...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
ASAN August Newsletter Dear friend, This month has been full of learning and fighting back together. Read on to see what we’ve been doing and how you can join in this month. This back to school season, educate yourself while empowering self-advocates with the tools they need to know their rights! Our learning sessions are...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
The administration made many bad choices in the past few weeks. The administration is the president and the parts of the government that he can tell what to do. The administration asked to make changes that would hurt disabled people and unhoused people. They also made policies that hurt people living in the District of...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network strongly opposes the Trump administration’s dangerous intrusion into policing in the District of Columbia. Such actions place autistic people and other people with disabilities (including our own employees) residing in the District at risk. They are particularly concerning in light of the President’s remarks regarding people with mental illness –...| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
ASAN June Newsletter Dear friend, June has been a difficult month for so many in our community. It is impossible to celebrate pride month without also grieving the harm and injustice autistic people, trans people, immigrants, and so many others in our community continue to face. Pride is a reminder…| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
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Autism is a developmental disability that affects how we experience the world around us. Autistic people are an important part of the world. Autism is a normal part of life, and makes us who we are. Autism has always existed. Autistic people are born autistic and we will be autistic…| Autistic Self Advocacy Network
ASAN intern Lydia Brown originally published this article on their blog Autistic Hoya under the title The Significance of Semantics: Person-First Language: Why It Matters. At the Adult Services Subcommittee's final meeting last Wednesday, much to do was made about semantic disagreements -- "ASD individual" versus "individual with ASD," and…| Autistic Self Advocacy Network