An advocate is - "someone who takes action on someone else's behalf"

Educational advocacy

The ASRC believes that parents should 1) have an understanding of special education laws that affect their child's learning, 2) develop knowledge about their child's strengths and needs, 3) develop skills such as self-confidence, negotiation, and presentation which are needed to advocate effectively, and 4) be prepared to work as, and hold the responsibility of, a team member.

Legislative advocacy

The ASRC is involved in many projects involving state agencies and commissions, as well as working with legislators to promote better and more comprehensive service delivery in Connecticut.

We encourage family members to actively participate in the process of obtaining state-funded services for people with developmental disabilities, which includes the autism spectrum. There is a lot that you, as a voting constituent, can do to influence our legislators. For more information, click on Legislative News. For other photos taken around the state click here.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO EVERYONE:
It has come to my attention that a rumor is being passed that the ASRC has been sued by the State for advocacy work (because of this topic I assume they refer to the State Dept. of Education). I want to assure anyone who hears this information that it is categorically false. Neither the ASRC, nor Lois or myself, nor any employee of ASRC, has ever been sued, or is in the process of being sued by any state agency or anyone else. Let me repeat: No lawsuit has ever been filed against us on any topic. We do not do direct (1-1) advocacy and we do not hire or employ advocates. We do run classes on advocacy, which are highly regarded by professionals in the autism field, many of whom come and speak to our classes. We also have as speakers each year consultants from the State Department of Education itself. If anyone has doubts, they can request any possible paperwork involved in a lawsuit from the State Dept. of Education or any other state agency under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). I would be happy to discuss this with anyone who might be concerned. I am distraught to think that this false information could tarnish our reputation, and so I am hoping to put this rumor to rest as quickly as possible.

Our ASRC folks meeting with Fairfield legislators around support for our ASD adults and their families. (L to R) ASRC Advisory Board Member Maggie Casciato, Representative Tymniak, Senator McKinney, Representative Stone and ASRC Co-Director Lois Rosenwald. All legislators are from the town of Fairfield.