National Council on Severe Autism

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National Council on Severe Autism

Abbreviation	NCSA
Founded	January 23, 2019; 2 years ago (2019-01-23)[1]
Founders	Jill Escher, Feda Almaliti, Amy Lutz, Alison Singer
Tax ID no.	83-0665732[2]
Legal status	501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Purpose	Autism awareness and advocacy
Headquarters	San Jose, California, US
President	Jill Escher
Secretary	Amy Lutz
Volunteers (2019)	9
Website	www.ncsautism.org

Autism rights movement
Philosophy Bodily autonomy Disability rights movement Independent living movement Neurodiversity paradigm Self-advocacy
Organizations Aspies For Freedom Autism National Committee Autism Network International Autistic Self Advocacy Network Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network National Autistic Society
Events Autistic Pride Day Disability Day of Mourning
Issues Ableism Anti-autism All in a Row Applied behavior analysis Augmentative and alternative communication Autism-friendly Autism Speaks Communication Shutdown Community integration Controversies in autism Deinstitutionalisation Disability-selective abortion Ethical challenges to autism treatment Eugenics Facilitated communication Filicide Inclusion in education Inclusion as a right Judge Rotenberg Educational Center Ole Ivar Lovaas Social model of disability Societal and cultural aspects of autism Universal Design for Learning
People Mel Baggs Simon Baron-Cohen Julia Bascom Lydia Brown William Davenport Michelle Dawson govy Temple Grandin Roy Richard Grinker Morénike Giwa-Onaiwu Daniel Lightwing Thomas A. McKean Ari Ne'eman Shain Neumeier Alex Plank John Elder Robison Stephen Shore Steve Silberman Jim Sinclair Donna Williams
Films Citizen Autistic Loving Lampposts Neurotypical
Criticism Pro-cure perspective National Council on Severe Autism Matthew Belmonte Manuel Casanova Jill Escher Michael Fitzpatrick Bruce Hall David Miedzianik Jonathan Mitchell Jonathan Shestack Alison Singer
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The National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA) is a non-profit organization that pursues recognition, policy and solutions for individuals, families and caregivers affected by severe forms of autism and related disorders. The organization was founded in May 2018 by Jill Escher, Feda Almaliti, Amy Lutz, and Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation.^[3] The NCSA is the first group to advocate exclusively for the needs of autistic individuals needing high levels of support.^[4][5] The organization is already controversial concerning its views on low-functioning autism, with some supporting its goals of medical treatment and additional support, and others believing that the organization detracts from autistic people.^[6]

Formation[]

In an article on Psychology Today, Lutz wrote that the Council was set up to advocate for suitable housing arrangements, adequate developmental services, and scientific research.^[7] The National Council on Severe Autism has issued position statements on issues such as guardianship, crisis care, employment and what qualifies as a community-based setting.^[8] The NCSA supports the option of appointing a guardian to make decisions for severely autistic individuals when necessary. Additionally, they note that the number of studies that focus on severe autism have declined dramatically.^[6]

Kimberlee McCafferty, an autism parent and writer, wrote that as a parent of a severely autistic child, she supports the organization because it gives her the opportunity to discuss the challenges of severe autism. She claimed that those challenges are not adequately portrayed in the media, as the media tends to mainly focus on successful autistic individuals.^[9]

Advocacy[]

The NCSA has created a series of webinars in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide advice and answer questions about the effects of the pandemic on autistic children.^[10]

Opposition[]

Shannon Des Roches Rosa, the senior editor for the news site Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, claims that the organization will take away autonomy from autistic people. She claims that the organization wants parents or guardians to make decisions for autistic individuals, and that there are no autistic people on the board of directors. Amy Lutz, the organization's secretary, stated in response that most autistic individuals served by the organization cannot advocate for themselves, saying “We fully support self-advocates pursuing the support that they need, but this is completely separate.”^[6]

See also[]

• List of autism-related topics

References[]

External links[]

• Official website