Every Autistic Person Deserves Access To Support and Care Guarantee evaluations, supports, and services for everyone, everywhere Autism affects 1 in 31 children in the United States, yet access to autism evaluations, supports, and services remains out of reach for far too many families. Long waits, limited providers, and high costs leave millions without help.

Autism is lifelong, and support must be lifelong too. Lawmakers must guarantee affordable, timely access to evaluations, supports, and services for every autistic person — no matter their age, income, or zip code.

I’ve lived the struggle that countless families face each day. All three of my kids are autistic, and I’ve spent years fighting for evaluations, supports, and coverage that should have been accessible from the start. I’ve seen firsthand how early support can change everything, and how the lack of it breaks families. No one should have to fight this hard just to get help.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 31 children in the United States, according to the CDC, and millions of autistic adults still go without the care they need. Despite growing awareness, access to autism evaluations, supports, and services is in crisis. Across the country, families wait months or even years for an autism diagnosis. When that diagnosis finally comes, services like speech therapy, occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and applied behavior analysis (ABA) are often limited, unaffordable, or unavailable nearby. More than half of all U.S. counties lack even one autism therapy provider. These delays have real and lasting consequences.

Autism is lifelong, but timely and consistent support can dramatically improve communication, independence, and quality of life. When children and adults can’t get evaluated or treated, progress stalls, stress rises, and families are left to navigate impossible systems alone. This crisis touches every state, with the greatest impact on rural and low-income communities. Access to evaluation and care should never depend on where you live, how much you earn, or how old you are.

We urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state legislatures, and insurance regulators to take immediate action to: Guarantee timely autism evaluations for all ages, including through telehealth and community-based programs. Require nationwide insurance coverage for autism supports and services, with no exclusions or age limits. Expand Medicaid and adult disability programs so autistic adults can access evaluations and ongoing support. Invest in training and recruitment for providers, including developmental pediatricians, psychologists, speech therapists, occupational and physical therapists, and ABA professionals, with fair reimbursement rates that make these careers sustainable, especially in underserved communities.

Early support is essential, not a privilege. With bold action, we can fix this system, end the access crisis, and give every autistic person a real chance to thrive. While this petition focuses on the United States, families around the world face the same barriers. Access to autism evaluations, supports, and services should be universal.

Join me in this call to action. 

Sign and share this petition to help guarantee that every autistic person and their family can access evaluations, supports, and services without unnecessary struggle. Together, we can create a future where help is available when it’s needed most.

This is a sponsored petition. Learn more here.