Task Force on Autism

I would like The first representative Keith Brooks could not be here today and he will be serving in the next session as a co chair of the Senate co chair and I think you'll be in great hands with of representative Brooks of and I have a note from representative Marsha Davis who has been co chair of the last couple of years and he says dear committee serving as a co chair on autism task force has been an honor and privilege part of the reason I became a legislator was because my son Jackson has autism he is now twenty years old and doing quite well I want to thank all the people present here today for your tireless work I pray that each of you can be a continuing hope for the children of the world with autism god bless all of you sincerely marsh Davis state representative district to. So we're sorry that Mars could be with us today but I certainly I wanted to read his thoughts and the impact that you've had on on his child as well as so many more of the next item is co consideration to approve the may twenty four twenty twenty two in October tenth twenty twenty two meeting minutes I assume everyone has had a chance to review them of if they have is there a motion that they'd be adopted as submitted. There's a motion there's a second all in favor please signify by saying aye. Motion carries the next item Melissa I think we will go to you two of talk about item D. on the agenda. Sorry. Senator Ingram I had asked for an. It's been a long week. Thank you I ask keeper or vendor to do an updated report of what they had run that care and I looked at last time I wasn't crystal clear and the due date so I'll have that in the next thirty minutes hopefully I but we and so I can go through the numbers but we have decided internally that we're going to draft a manual in the the first time I'll have an opportunity to run and policy again is this summer so but that'll give us time we're actually looking at the rates for autism right now for autism labor rates and for autism rates for AB eighty M. outside of the waiver so and we filed an extension for the autism waiver while we look at drafting the renewal so there'll be a lot of activity we will need to file a new autism waiver this summer. Promulgate and a be a manual a separate manual and we will need to and enacts new rates. And again I apologize I do not have that date or poor but hopefully I'll get it before we end of any questions of Melissa if not we'll come back to this when she gets her update of do we want to talk about the white paper regarding the assistance to families in qualifying for ABA treatment of care and you want to maybe touch on that sure as part of that I'd like to introduce Dr Elizabeth or who is here from the university of Arkansas she is in the program at the university that provides the training for behavior analysts this committee has met Dr Peggy Schaefer Whitby before Liz works in the same area and so we're pleased that she can be here today and we are are planning to work together to develop this white paper that just identifies for families some of the characteristics or qualities that they may want to to know about as they look at vendors to choose a quality ABA program I think there's a lot of confusion out there you know in the families don't necessarily have the information that they might want so we were thinking that we would probably include in there information about where they can seek those services so funding options in the state for A. B. eight there because there's you can get it you can get services through EPS D. T. or if their child is in a pass it's a different process and then some of the characteristics of services to look at like location of services involvement of parents and guardians how much will they be able to participate in that and have training as part of that so they understand what's being done with their children interdisciplinary collaboration between the board certified behavior analyst and the other professionals that will likely be involved with that child maybe a speech pathologist in O. T. MPT there are multiple people on I mean these are children that it takes a village and so. One of the things we'd like to see happen is for all of the people that are working with that child to have some sort of collaborative relationship so that they know what's going on so just an introduction at this point that we're interested in doing this what that the plan is is to develop something and then bring a draft back to this a committee this task force for people to endorse and then it would be distributed through the U. of a in three partners and threw a rock to parents and through the council and the P. and I and anybody that is interested in disseminating that information. And that would be done on a statewide basis yes. Because of questions regarding that. And you're you're going to bring this back to the task force so that we can look at the draft and everybody has the chance for input on that as well okay. On the of any questions or any any other questions regarding that. K. then let's move to item else it's only agenda discussion of task force membership we have a number of slots that are open they're designated slides such as parents of or from certain department from the state of my suggestion would be that staff we put together of a list of in working with the the Committee of of what up slots that are open that need to be field of you know we've got a lot of parents that have you know the that came on originally with the task force that that they've sort of rolled off their children or or not it involved is much it is before and they've sort of moved on and and so we need to fill those slots and I do know that there are some slots there or of certain departments within the state provide of members of this task force so my suggestion would we bring we would make up get get that organized and mail out to the task force members and be prepared at the next task force the two of bring back names of people that that would be good to serve on the committee and so so so so we could move ahead with that. Of. Any questions regarding that. Okay of then the next item is is the discussion of task force co chairs for the ninety fourth General Assembly again I think representative Brooks will do a great job as we know he has a child with autism that so I believe the fourteen he's been very engaged in and will be a great co chair on the Senate side of Senator Greg Leding has agreed to serve as co chair Senator Leding is down at the end of the table to distinguish man with a beard and it you know it really comes full circle because the real vision and driving force behind the autism task force was Senator you of all the lands C. up from faithful and Senator of Leding took center of Lindsey's place and so I think four years ago I sit in this room and and you Bali was of winding down his last a committee meeting in one of he asked me to of the server and so it's truly we've come full circle Senator Leding has family members that that that that have autism so he's very familiar with it and uh will be a great co chair up Senator Leding we anything what you'd like to share with the group. I appreciate the comment about looking distinguish because my wife uses a different word but yeah with one of the some of the very first committee meetings I attended even before I was sworn into office were meetings of the task force again because my predecessor in the Senate and at the time of the House colleague if all the lands he was so heavily involved in again because I have family with autism so um go back quite a ways for this particular body and and have incredible shoes to to try to fill I don't know that I will ever be able to but we'll certainly do my best and I am honored to have the opportunity thank you. Thank you senator letting of do we have of people signed up to speak. Thank you. A delayed appearance. DO nata the card. What in the you just sign in to sign in okay well let's I'm not going to touch that that at least at least you're here to sign me and you know that this is great. And so Ricky reporter that that that that covers Rick and of. Per night you just you just sign here all right and Liz it is there anything that you'd like to share with some of the stuff that you're doing with Karen that while you're here. What you just take a seat right there next to her and and talk about of what's going on in the U. eight U. R. ET you. I don't have anything formally prepared but. carrying an remain nine nights of few weeks ago to talk a little bit about some of the data that Mr Worthington shared with you all at the last task force meeting and from that conversation decided that it would be good for some professionals and behavior analysis and folks in the UK in the folks from partners. To drive to white paper kind of easing our collective consciousness about what's going on in terms of hours recommendations and Lack of interdisciplinary work and things of that nature so we're really excited to have the opportunity. To work with the folks in partnership and you all right to do that. Really glad to have you here with us and I know you'll bring a wealth of experience and knowledge thank you. Of. From Blake Hamilton school district is it Haley hatch. It is okay there you go. What up here. I'd like to just say a little bit about the need to get from the Department of it and what she's doing we've mentioned before I think that the focus that the education folks have toward inclusion nail and Denny that has been one of the people interest instrumental in creating a state task force around their inclusion initiative and some of the work that they're doing over there is just really really top quality I couldn't be more pleased to be involved with them to see what's happening in their early childhood programs with inclusion they've got some great people and doing training it's it's really good quality information they're approaching the integration of their related services professional so rather than the speech paths and the PT's nineties pulling kids out of classrooms into a closet somewhere to do therapy they're working toward and trying to enable all of those folks to be delivering those services inside the classroom on the playground in those natural environments and it's just I can't say enough good about what they're doing so I'd like to just officially say thank you and thank you for them to be here Mr soul is ill and couldn't be here and they came to represent him and they're doing some great work at the department in right now. Well. To echo of Karen to watch. The transformation of how that is viewed by the schools has been dramatic and I appreciate and we all do and I think that you know one of the things that this committee is done is monitored this and have urged of the Department of Education is well as of others to understand nationally how. Best practices are and of certainly Department U. cation and in my tenure here has come a long long way in how of we are of how we are addressing viewing and delivering up for our kids in a in a school environment so I care and I think it's very will set up Melissa any word from your folks. Hi there or what have the report okay says mom back office sorting it for me real quick okay I've seen a few more missed all the more minutes of is anybody got any concerns questions or things that they would like to share with the task force. Please. Thank you so much senator Ingram and while we're and having some turn over here on the task force I think you'd be really great and while looking for new parents if we can and look to parents to have lived experience not just with parent teen and individuals that are artistic but that actually live that life I think I'd be really great to have that here on the task force and let your parents that are artistic and I can bring that and that lived experience here to us I think that we're really missing out on that here on the task force and that we're not being able to give Arkansas the forcible support that we need to and by missing out on and that perspective so I think that's something to really keep in mind and if it's okay if I move on to something else and we are getting great information from listening hearing and information that we would not get we would have to date for that if it wasn't for you guys but I would really like for all of us not just to rely on public commented that really seek out some information from the individuals with lived experience how is how really supports being delivered how do you feel when you're getting the supports out in the community so I think that were missing this side here in the task force so and we know that it's open to public comment that we're having to actually wait for individuals to common talents that is things that I would really like to see if we can get some of those individuals in the seat to really tell us how how all of this actually working from the other side so I think that we're really missing that were not being able to do our due diligence without having hearing that side of the story I think those are excellent suggestions certainly those life stories or have a true meaning and impact and now we're always looking to deliver services a better way and so those come from the ones that are utilizing them who knows better so I think those are excellent suggestion. We're right here it just wait a Melissa let let me go ahead say a few things about of the task force and what an honor it's been to serve of his co chair for four years and we went through COVID and and went through having to you know put off meetings in and not it was a interesting time for all of us especially families that of or or or are dealing with pressures that most of us don't have to face but I think that it's important always remember I we come in here we talk we of we do things we we we review it look but we reach out to our legislators in this task force to serve as a great voice I really believe that without the task force the money that we got for the waiver would to thirty eight million dollars that of the governor pursued it was adult large impact on the governor this task force so are Jews we go forward to utilize this voice of for those that Don't have that voice this is the vehicle and you can make a tremendous difference and I I I think I I would agree with a Karen of about to. The ADA I said or a D. the department of education you know date the impact the information that's provided the way it's provided and the membership of them being a participant of this body of makes a difference it puts it on the front lines and so of donor Rick underestimate the impact that this group is having for DD are autistic children in this state the thing that. My big takeaway will always be that you know the earlier that we can get to these children the better life they can have and that's what we want for any of our children and this is of a shame if we don't address it early on and let it go up into the teen years when we could really do something about it and your the voice for that group so don't take that lightly don't ever underestimate it you can and you have made a difference. Melissa. I've run through about all I can run through appear anywhere due to its song advancements please hurry homes. Okay that was I don't have it is it is so close he's so close and then the whole committees waiting on you Sir. What I can do though is Senator Ingram so we don't have to stare at me some services were. Maybe I could put this together and send it to the your staff and we can distribute that we can do that the that too if it's not going to be here we had a second meeting right you know right behind we were trying to of his year in we were trying to of clean up some some things so that the next group will will have a good slate to start with of is you all know of we will have a new governor will have a a third of the Arkansas Senate will be new of we're about forty percent of the house is going to be nice and we start January the night and so I think the task force needs to be ready to get to these members identified the key key players and make sure that they know of the importance of what this task force does and gives and so with that Melissa will get to staff and will share with you the the review on the applied the old ABA the applied behavioral analysis. Yes you're recognized. Senator I just wanna take a minute as you're leaving to tell you thank you for your leadership and your commitment to this group I know it very well personally and and their every member of this group that I've met and it is very deeply appreciated. Thank you I appreciate that I I didn't really have a choice in the matter I was going to be pretty pretty committed to but I I appreciate that I always have believed that in on to serve as a legislator or is is is a service to the community in your you respond to that and and these are real needs and as I said earlier of we we can make a difference would have made a difference in the lives of of our Kansans with that Senator Leding I will of turn over you for next year and you've got a great group to work with I hope that everyone has a a merry Christmas a happy new year and that of two thousand twenty three brings us hello a good health and happiness. We stand adjourned.