National Council on Severe Autism

10/09/2026

Thank you Alison Singer for this update.

10/09/2026

In other news, water is wet.

The review, which focuses on younger age groups, warned there was a risk society was moving from an era of under-diagnosis to over-diagnosis or mis-diagnosis.

10/02/2026

It's AAC awarness month. Lauren does a great job every year putting together a flyer to let people know what sales are going on. If you have been thinking of trying an AAC app (you can put one on an ipad, it doesn't have to be an AAC "device", check this out.

10/02/2026

This week, NCSA’s ED Jackie Kancir answered on aggression with catatonia. Intense aggression can close doors to care precisely when it is most needed.

At one psychiatric emergency department over 10 years, aggression more than tripled the odds that patients with autism or intellectual disability were sent home without a needed inpatient bed (Hong et al., 2026).

Sudden behavior change can have many causes—catatonia is only one. Use NCSA's Diagnostic Overshadowing resource guide to help access accurate diagnosis and treatment more quickly: NCSAutism.org/diagnostic-overshadowing

At NCSA, we have honest respectful conversations about the most stigmatized areas impacting our community because families should not suffer in shame, and silence won’t acquire the urgent reform these issues demand. Add your voice at NCSAutism.org/take-action

If you are a family experiencing intense aggression, know you are not alone, not to blame, and neither is your child. We are stronger together, and our collective voices will effect the meaningful changes so many families need.
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Hong, V., Miller, F., Kentopp, S., Reynard, H., Biermann, B., Beser, C., Shamshair, S., Fay, B., Shobassy, A., Stanley, M., Weston, C., Ghaziuddin, M., & Ghaziuddin, N. (2026). Patients with autism spectrum or intellectual disability in the psychiatric emergency department: Findings from a 10-year retrospective review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 56(5), 1892–1901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06658-y

10/01/2026

October is AAC Awareness Month, and that means some of the best deals of the year! 💰

NCSA supports efforts to help people with severe forms of autism communicate their own needs, preferences, and choices. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can supplement or replace speech, with tools and approaches tailored to each person.

This October, several companies are offering discounts on AAC apps and related products:

PRC-Saltillo | October 1–14
50% off eligible versions of LAMP Words for Life, TouchChat, Unity AAC, Dialogue AAC, Predictable, Scene & Heard Pro Lifetime, and Avaz AAC.
https://prc-saltillo.com/blog/2026-fall-app-sale

Choiceworks and Choiceworks Calendar Apps | October 5–7
U.S. sale prices:
iOS: Choiceworks $19.99; Choiceworks Calendar $12.99; bundle $24.99.
Android: $7.99 per app.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FSjfcnLZZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Smartbox AAC - US | October 13–23
50% off the one-time purchase of Grid for iPad. Monthly subscriptions excluded.
https://thinksmartbox.com/news/grid-for-ipad-50-off-app-sale-october-2026/

AssistiveWare | October 14–21
50% off Proloquo2Go, Proloquo4Text, Pictello, and Keeble. New Proloquo users receive 50% off monthly or annual subscriptions for the first year.
https://www.assistiveware.com/aac-app-sale

Spoken - Tap to Talk AAC | Throughout October
50% off Spoken Premium monthly, annual, and lifetime options.
https://spokenaac.com/blog/aac-awareness-spoken-october/

Save these dates and share this post with families and professionals who may find them useful.

COMMENT: If your child has a favorite AAC app or device, let other families know which one and what features you love about it.

09/25/2026

Have you preordered your copy for our next book club yet? All In Your Head is “an indictment not only of the failures of the deinstitutionalization movement but also of those who refused to change course long after that failure became clear….More than anything, this book is a record of the cruelty of good intentions” (deBoer, pg. 11).

Learn more, preorder your copy, register for the book club, and enter our giveaway all here: https://www.ncsautism.org/book

Book releases Oct 27. Book club starts Nov 15. Sunday evenings 7pm ET via Zoom. A book club designed by and for busy caregivers.

The NCSA National Grassroots Network Book Club: reading with advocates who understand. Next club begins November 2026 with All in Your Head by Fredrik deBoer.

09/24/2026

Missed our Government Benefits webinar? The replay is here.

SSI or SSDI? Medicaid or Medicare? Financial advisors and special needs parents Genevieve Cornish and Michael Beloff, CFP break down the benefits available to autism families, including what changes at 18, how to protect SSI when your adult child lives at home, and why applying before 22 matters.

Watch the replay: https://youtu.be/fMyFtMR4YTY

Confused by SSI vs. SSDI, or Medicaid vs. Medicare? Financial advis...