Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. Presents Autism Advocacy in Action Award at the Second Annual Long Island Behavior Analysis Conference

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Long Island, New York (PRWEB) December 03, 2013

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. recently awarded the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA) award for legislative leadership, will present the 2013 Autism Advocacy in Action Award to Judith Ursitti, Autism Speaks Regional Director of State Advocacy Relations on Friday, December 6, 2013 at the Second Annual Long Island Behavior Analysis Conference (LIBAC) hosted by The ELIJA Foundation, at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale, NY on December 6 & 7, 2013.

A Take Action for Autism Treatment Rally open to the public will be held on Friday, December 6th from 5PM – 6PM during the conference. Prepared letters urging Governor Cuomo to sign the Behavior Analyst Licensure Bill will be available to parents and professionals, who are encouraged to add their personal messages. The letters will then be delivered to the Governor. Please RSVP to deb(at)elija(dot)org.

The inaugural Autism Advocacy in Action Award recognizes Judith Ursitti’s tireless efforts to pass autism insurance reform legislation in New York State. Currently, parents in New York State have been unable to access quality services needed for their children, specifically Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), because New York State does not recognize licensure of Board Certified Behavior Analysts.

In order to ensure that there are competent, well trained Behavior Analysts to implement effective ABA-based treatment protocols in New York State, Senate Bill S4862, sponsored by Senator Fuschillo, and Assembly Bill A6963, sponsored by Assemblyman Joseph Morelle, were introduced and passed in both the Assembly and Senate. The bill now awaits Governor Cuomo’s signature. It is critical to families affected by autism that he signs the bill into law.

Once the Bill is signed by the Governor, the law governing the field of Applied Behavior Analysis in New York State will be effective on July 1, 2014.

Behavior Analysts will now have a licensed profession in New York, allowing them to provide quality services to children with autism or related disorders.

About ELIJA
The ELIJA Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization serving parents, educators, professionals and caregivers of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on Long Island, New York. Since 2002, The ELIJA Foundation has provided the community with educational opportunities that focus on improving the quality of programs and services available to children with Autism. In 2006, The ELIJA School opened its doors to extend the mission of the Foundation and start helping children with Autism. The Foundation’s focus is to empower families and improve the competency level of professionals, by providing training on the most advanced treatment and educational strategies that maximize the potential of those affected by Autism. The Foundation hosts workshops that give the community access to local and nationally recognized Autism professionals who present topics that will allow those with Autism to more fully participate in their families, communities and educational settings.

About NYSABA    
The New York State Association for Behavior Analysis Inc (NYSABA). is the official representative for behavior analysts across NY. NYSABA is the state chapter of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), an international organization devoted to the study of the experimental analysis of behavior and an affiliate organization of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA). We would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who made NYSABA’s 24th annual conference a huge success! To access the Keynote presentations, you can visit http://www.nysaba.org. NYSABA is looking forward to continuing its efforts to support the field of behavior analysis in NY, representing families, practitioners, and scholars committed to research and practice of behavior analysis.

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