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Today, The Arc of North Carolina and Proof Alliance NC announced that Governor Roy Cooper has signed a state proclamation recognizing September as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Month. In North Carolina, 56% of women drank alcohol before becoming pregnant and 14% continued drinking during pregnancy. This means an estimated 16,600 babies are born in NC with alcohol exposure each year. In North Carolina, 44% of all pregnancies are unplanned. Studies show that up to 1 in 20 US school children may have an FASD, a rate that is higher than autism.

“It’s important for the public to understand FASD and the dangers of drinking while pregnant,” said Lauren Borchert, Program Coordinator, Proof Alliance NC. “This is a developmental disorder that is 100% preventable.”

We are re-launching our blog series on Medicaid Transformation. The series will address topics related to Medicaid Transformation, answer questions, and give you the most current information.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services continues moving forward with the implementation of NC Medicaid Managed Care. In March 2021, open enrollment for the Standard Plan began and will close on May 15, 2021. The Standard Plan will go live on July 1, 2021. If you are not familiar with the Standard Plan, it is like an insurance company that has a “standard” set of services for people who have basic medical and health-related needs. It does not have the kinds of community services you might receive now.

It’s Developmental Disability Awareness Month and we want to highlight some success stories.

Here’s another success story from one of the people receiving services through The Arc of North Carolina! #DDAM2021

When Eliza was 3 years old, she was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. After the tumor was removed, she began to have cognitive and physical challenges. There was a not a known cause for these issues and by age 4, Eliza began receiving therapies. Eliza’s mom, Kathryn, says that as a young mom, she was not sure how to characterize Eliza’s issues. Eliza was sensitive, she liked rigid routines, and she had anxiety. By the time Eliza was in the 4th grade, Kathryn felt like Eliza’s symptoms resembled those of autism. Eliza began having frequent, emotional outbursts.

It’s Developmental Disability Awareness Month and we want to highlight some success stories.

Our first story is about Noah and his parents, who have had quite the journey.

Noah is an amazing young man with dedicated parents, Chris and Cheri. When Noah came into the world Cheri said, “he had a special spirit.” As he got older, his parents knew that there was something different about Noah. When he was eight years old, Noah was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Shortly after receiving the dual diagnosis, Cheri set up therapy appointments and enrolled him in social groups for kids with autism. She also worked with Noah’s school and discovered therapeutic sports through the local Parks and Recreation Department. This was a breakthrough, not only for Noah, but it helped Cheri and Chris meet other parents who had children with intellectual/developmental disabilities.

The Arc of North Carolina continues to work closely with families and community organizations to ensure all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are prioritized in the COVID-19 vaccine schedule. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) met with a group of leaders from I/DD organizations, including members of our staff, to discuss vaccine prioritization.

Our concerns were heard; however, NC DHHS made the decision to leave the current vaccine schedule in place.

The Arc of North Carolina has been advocating for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families for almost 70 years. We have developed strong partnerships with local, state, and federal organizations to ensure their issues are heard and addressed.