ABA Today 5/22: The Battle Over Autism Data, Dollars, and Direction
Plus, new autism research & free CEU for BCBA supervisors.
This week’s updates reflect an industry grappling with its growth — and with who gets to define the future of autism care: policymakers, providers, families, or patients themselves.
Let’s get into it.
📰 Top Stories This Week
NIH & CMS plan $50M autism data initiative. HHS says Medicare and Medicaid claims will feed a secure research platform to study autism’s causes and long-term outcomes, rather than creating a stand-alone national registry. Read More.
Illinois blocks sharing autism data with the feds. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order barring state agencies from sending residents’ autism-related information to any new federal registry, citing privacy and disability-rights concerns. Read More.
Federal budget shifts slash autism research funding by 26%. A Reuters analysis finds NIH grants for autism studies have dropped sharply amid wider cuts targeting DEI-related projects. Autism researchers fear funding cuts will delay progress in discovering the possible causes and best treatments for autism. Read More.
HEADs UP Act re-introduced in Congress. Bipartisan House bill H.R. 3409 would designate people with autism as a “Medically Underserved Population,” unlocking new federal resources for behavioral, medical, and dental care. Read More.
Passage Health raises $8M to scale all-in-one ABA practice software. The New York startup will use the Series A funds for hiring and product R&D as it expands its tech platform for provider workflow, billing, and data tracking nationwide. Read More.
💡 New Research Spotlight
Giving Children With Autism a Voice in Their Own Therapy Helps Them Overcome Everyday Challenges
University of Missouri researchers found that when autistic children help choose their own therapy goals during caregiver-coaching sessions, they show better problem-solving and everyday-skills gains. Learn More.
“The feasibility of occupation-based coaching for autistic children and primary caregivers” was published in Occupational Therapy Journal of Research.
🎓 Free Supervision CEU
From BCBA Supervisor to BCBA Company Owner
Many BCBAs reach a point in their careers where they consider opening their own ABA practice.
But making the leap from clinical supervisor to business owner is more than just a job change—it’s a transformation in mindset, responsibility, and scope.
Join Raizy Izrailev, Head of Compliance @ Brellium and Founder of Gryd Consulting, to learn what it takes to go from BCBA supervisor to company owner — without sacrificing clinical quality or burning out.
Date: June 5, 2025
Time: 11:30 AM ET
CEUs: 1 BACB LRN, 1 BACB SUP
Join the Community
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See you in the next update!