As they do for disabled people, states support residents autism Thanks to various technology efforts, digital resource poles to the use of virtual reality.
The country’s governments work at Improve the accessibility of digital servicesSince data collection has emerging technology.
The American Department of Health and Social Services (HHS) announced its intention on April 21 to collect data on health for autism studies and the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Jay Bhattacharya said The NIH would create a “new register of diseases” of people on a national scale with autism, which aroused defenders’ concern. HHS has since denied He will create such a register. The HHS secretary was Criticized by defenders For a declaration Call “an end of” autism.
While the federal government solidifies its strategy to support autistic people, states take advantage of technology to better serve this population.
Platforms to centralize autistic resources
In California, officials launched theAutistic Resource Center In November 2024, to support the growing number of people with a diagnosis of autism, according to Lauren Libero, a specialist in the autistic program in California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) which oversees its branch of autistic services.
This trend is not unique to California; According to 2022 data, 1 out of 31 children At autism. Attribute experts The higher prevalence of autism in recent years has better access to screening and a better understanding of autism.
About half of the persons supported by California regional centers have a diagnosis of autism, said Libero. Due to increased support demand, DDS formed the branch of Autistic Services and launched an autistic assistance line in 2023.
“What we have heard through our lines of assistance are individuals and families had trouble finding useful information on autism,” said Libero, explaining that this led to the creation of the hub.
There, users can find resources for autistic people, family members, caregivers and professionals. Resources include support applications for children, employment aid for professionals and a information sheet on privacy rights. The HUB also offers value to decision -makers, said Libero, including information equipment and data on the characteristics of the workload and state activities to support this population.
“Autistic individuals are part of their communities and deserve to be appreciated and included in the development of policies,” said Libero.
California seeks to develop additional resources such as updated screening and diagnostic guidelines, which should be published later this year, said Libero. The state also explores additional video content – including translations – to support people with low literacy.
DDS works with other state departments to shed light on the development of the hub, and it also hosts a quarterly autistic discussion group of defenders served by the California regional centers, which offer an overview to improve the platform.
The state uses Google Analytics to monitor the use of platforms, said Libero. He had thousands of visitors and commitment is increasing by the month.
Minnesota online resources hub, the Minnesota autistic resources portallaunched in January 2020, and has since been updated and enlarged. The objective, according to the leader in the autism policy of the Minnesota Social Services Ministry (DHS), is to create a centralized access point for reliable resources that could be used by various entities and state departments that serve people with autistic people. The platform offers decision-makers about policies that can apply and data and research on key areas.
To inform the creation of the portal, the DHS has worked with other state departments, advisory groups and autistic adults. Officials have prioritized the conservation of basic support information such as medical assistance programs, housing and economic assistance in its first plan, said Berning. They also prioritized the display of frequently sought -after content such as screening and diagnostic resources.
Minnesota uses Google Analytics to monitor the use of the platform, said Berning. In the past year, he has seen more than 46,000 visitors and around 120,000 views, which, she said, demonstrated that users returned.
The DHS focuses on early intervention to provide screening, diagnosis and support. The State also explores additional features that would allow users to filter resources by their role, such as the caregiver or the family member.
For other states that develop similar platforms, Berning advises them to prioritize community contributions and to be aware that needs can evolve over time: “Be flexible, but know your goal.”
A new reality (virtual)
Resource centers are not the only way for states that support autistic people. In 2023, the Department of Human Services of Colorado (CDHS) launched a pilot Use of virtual reality (VR) Technology to train the staff of one of its regional centers to better serve people with disabilities.
Since this launch, the use of virtual reality has been extended to the three regional centers, said Elaine Fisher, director of staff development of the Colorado regional centers division by e-mail.
The state mainly uses VR in the orientation of new employees, said Fisher; In the comments, 88% of respondents said they felt prepared for their roles after training, and 93% would recommend this orientation process to others.
“These results underline the value of traditional and immersive learning technologies to prepare our workforce and support high-quality individual care,” she said.
CDHS has worked in close collaboration with embodied laboratories to develop a new autism module for its VR training program, which should be launched later this year, said the vice-president of clinical innovations of the company, Carrie Cusker, by e-mail. The module includes three separate accounts – including a medical appointment – to offer learners an overview of someone autistic.
The immersive experience, said Cusker, “serves both as an educational and plea tool”.