SECTION 3
EXPLORING ISSUES AND CHOOSING A NEXT STEP
What this section is for
This section helps you connect what matters to you with possible ways to engage in state advocacy, and supports focus and choice while allowing you to move at your own pace.
You are not expected to care about every issue. You are not expected to do everything.
Use this section to:
- See common state policy issue areas
- Notice which ones stand out to you
- Choose whether to take a small next step, now or later
Words to know
Stakeholder A person or group affected by a policy decision or who has an interest in how it turns out. This can include individuals, families, service providers, advocacy groups, agencies, and others connected to the issue.
Policy issue area A topic or category of public policy that focuses on a specific set of concerns, such as health care, education, housing, or safety.
State policy issue areas
Autism Speaks works on several issue areas at the state level but does not currently have enough staff to work everywhere. So you and other advocates in your state may take these ideas to explore and work on without the presence of Autism Speaks staff.
Each set of policy issue areas below includes a short overview. It also includes a link for more details. This is for readers who want additional context and examples of policy work, such as sample legislation, which may be helpful if you want to work on that issue in your own state. You can skip ahead if you are not interested in an issue area.
Ways to engage
People engage in different ways, depending on timing, comfort, and capacity.
Different approaches matter at different points in the policy process. Choose options that fit your time, energy, and comfort.
Examples include:
- Learning more about an issue
- Learning how to view bills of interest, that get filed in your state
- Sharing personal experience in structured ways – like at a committee meeting where lawmakers are discussing an issue you care about
- Participating in trainings, advisory groups, or community meetings where people affected by the issue share input
- Connecting with your state’s Developmental Disabilities Council and/or relevant state agencies
- Staying informed through updates – sign up to be on Autism Speaks Advocacy newsletter
- Register and make a plan to vote
- Signing up to receive your legislators’ newsletters, attend their town hall meetings, etc., from those who send or hold them – it’s a great way to stay current on their calendar, votes they’ve cast, and issues they care about
Finding state-specific information
State advocacy happens inside state systems. These systems look different depending on where you live.
The next section of this guide includes links to:
- Your state legislature’s official website
- Your state’s Developmental Disabilities Council
- Your state’s Medicaid program
- Your state’s agency for autism and developmental disabilities
- Other state-level advocacy resources
Use these links when you are ready. You can return to them later.
Optional practice
- Choose one issue area to study
- Choose one next step
Those two choices are a complete next step.
What you've accomplished so far
- You reviewed Autism Speaks’ top state policy issue areas
- You noticed which issues stood out to you
- You considered whether a small next step feels right now or later
You can pause here, return to this section, or explore available tools.