Marc N. Brandt, Executive Director

In November of last year, we launched the Where We Stand series on the NYSARC News Blog, an initiative of our Issues & Positions and Membership Committees. The series attempts to present our Organizational positions on key issues in a more understandable manner.

Read it now: http://blog.nysarc.org/category/where-we-stand-our-issues-and-positions/

Our hope is that by presenting our positions on the Blog, we give each of you, the members of NYSARC, Inc., an opportunity to fully understand the reasons behind our positions and open up the issues to discussion. A series of questions is included in each Where We Stand post, intended to stimulate the conversation.

Our “Positions Statements” document (download it now) represent our collective mission and present our distinct Organizational opinion on the predominant issues that we face. In many ways, our position statements serve to define who NYSARC is  and for what we stand.

That’s why we have made it a top priority to engage our entire membership in a conversation about our positions. We encourage you to visit our blog, click on the “Where We Stand” category, and add your comments and thoughts to the discussion. By broadening the conversation, we hope we can further refine our positions and make sure they best reflect the concerns and opinions of our membership as a whole.

Thank you for getting involved and letting us know how you feel!

Marc N. Brandt
Executive Director, NYSARC, Inc. 

On a regular basis, NYSARC will present an important issue facing the field of intellectual and other developmental disabilities and explain the Organization’s position on the issue. For a complete and more detailed description of our Issues and Positions, please visit our Advocacy page and click on the “Read Our Position Statements” link.

Autism and the full range of autism spectrum disorders, as a field, has received a tremendous amount of attention over the past decade by many advocacy and service organizations.  Autism is, at its most basic roots, another classification under “intellectual and other developmental disabilities.” Autism is treatable and with the right services and supports, people on the autism spectrum can lead full, healthy, and meaningful lives.

Given that the need for services to people on the autism spectrum is rapidly increasing, it is NYSARC’s position that the same supports and services we provide to other people with intellectual and developmental disabilities must be provided to people on the spectrum in a way that is appropriate and accessible to their specific needs, no matter the strain on resources. Furthermore, we feel that the education and service networks in New York State must develop strong diagnostic resources to accurately identify people on the spectrum and their specific needs. Finally, research must be done to study the diagnostic and treatment models to provide the greatest supports to people on the spectrum.

This position was last adopted with amendments on October 21, 2011 at the NYSARC, Inc. Delegate Assembly

Topics for Discussion

Please use the commenting system below to respond to these questions or, if you have another question that we have not raised below, we encourage you to ask it.

• Are you on the autism spectrum? If so, what do you feel are the most important issues you face?
• What can NYSARC do to provide better supports, services, or advocacy on behalf of people with autism spectrum disorders?
• Why do you think that autism has received so much attention nationally?
• How well do you think movies and TV shows portray the lives of people with autism?

If you would like to get involved with NYSARC, Inc.’s efforts towards providing supports and services to people on the autism spectrum, we encourage you to become a member of your local Chapter today.

On a regular basis, NYSARC will present an important issue facing the field of intellectual and other developmental disabilities and explain the Organization’s position on the issue. For a complete and more detailed description of our Issues and Positions, please visit our Advocacy page and click on the “Read Our Position Statements” link.

Inclusion is very much a core tenet of our Organization and speaks, in many ways, to the mission of our founders.

For the past 35 years, people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities have seen incredible progress made towards more inclusive communities. Prior to that, these individuals often lived in institutions where they were completely cutoff from society.

NYSARC believes that inclusion needs to be more focused now, than ever before, on true “inclusion,” not just community “education.” People with intellectual and other developmental disabilities should be integral parts of their community and have choices in all aspects of community life, from recreation to relationships and from living arrangements to life-long learning. NYSARC believes very strongly that the supports to access these choices need to change as the individual’s life changes.

Topics for Discussion

Please use the commenting system below to respond to these questions or, if you have another question that we have not raised below, we encourage you to ask it.

• What is your stance on inclusion?
• Do you believe that “incredible progress” has been made towards more inclusive communities?
• What issues do you think our field will continue to face in creating greater inclusion?
• Is there something missing from our position statement that you think NYSARC should address?

If you would like to get involved with NYSARC, Inc.’s efforts towards creating more inclusive communities, we encourage you to become a member of your local Chapter today.