Action Alerts

March 2007
We Need Your Voice: SUPPORT Illinois House Bill 2041

Families of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

WE NEED YOUR VOICE!!!

Legislators need to hear from our families, not just from providers and their lobbyists, to let them know what our families need:

SUPPORT Illinois House Bill 2041

Please get the word out to everyone you know impacted by autism. Send your letters and emails to ASI, addressed to your legislators:

Autism Society of Illinois
2200 S Main Street, Suite 205
Lombard, IL 60148
Email: info@autismillinois.org

The Autism Society of Illinois believes that the only way to provide for the wide differences among persons with autism across their lifespan is to give them and their families choices and control over how and where state support funding should be spent. Unfortunately, we live in a state that continues to provide most of our families with no choices and almost no funding. We believe in funding families first and we want to change the way Illinois treats (or ignores) our families.

We need your help to do this. Please take a moment and write your letter TODAY.

Here are some questions to help guide your letters to us:

1. What is life like in your homes?
a. Describe a day in your life, include details—most legislators don’t know what it’s like.

2. How much does autism cost you and your family?
a. How much money do you spend on services/supports for your loved one with autism?
b. What have you had to do to pay for services (empty bank accounts, debt, lost jobs, etc.)?
c. What effect has autism had on siblings?
d. Describe the ultimate cost to your family.

3. What would you like to see?
a. Would you like to see direct funding to your family?
b. Would you like to have some choices in what your child can use?
c. What kind of support do you need?
d. What has been recommended that you can’t access because of financial resources or availability of support?
e. Are you on waiting lists, which ones, or have you been declined at the door?
f. If you got any of this support, how might that impact your family?
g. What might happen if you do not get these supports?