Autism New Jersey thrives on the power of connection — connection to fellow autism experts, policy makers, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, and most importantly, individuals in the autism community. Our work would be impossible without the participation, input, and feedback of thousands of people throughout the state.
Help us make New Jersey the most autism-friendly state in the nation. We need your input; we want to hear your stories; and we want to serve you better.
Here is how to inform our work:
Contact our helpline
All our agency’s work is informed by individual calls and statewide trends. While we keep all personally identifiable information (including names, addresses, and medical information) confidential, we track the general topics that callers ask about to help inform our programs and advocacy. For example, when several callers needed basic information about getting screened for an autism diagnosis and what to do once their child was diagnosed, we decided to offer regular “Start Here” webinars.
By contacting our helpline, you will not only get compassionate, expert insight and answers for whatever barrier you’re facing, you’ll also help our organization better respond to issues faced by families across the state.
Call 800.4. AUTISM, or email our team at information@autismnj.org.
Organizations interested in being listed in our helpline’s referral database should fill out this form→
Self-Advocates & Families
Share your autism story
We’ve been around for 60 years, and in that time, we’ve served thousands of families and individuals through our helpline, family wellness services, information sharing, professional development opportunities and more. If we’ve been a positive part of your story, let us know! We may be interested in using what you share in our marketing and fundraising materials to help us reach more families! Read our 9 New Jerseyans’ stories →
Take our healthcare survey
Individuals with autism often need more healthcare and receive less. We’ve heard from individuals and families that there are often barriers to accessing even simple, preventative procedures. But we know providers across the state are making great strides in helping their facilities and practices to be more autism friendly. What have your experiences in healthcare and dental settings been like?
Email us at stories@autismnj.org
Inform our Law Enforcement Initiative
Share your experience with law enforcement interactions. (Those with urgent issues are encouraged to call our 800.4.AUTISM Helpline for more personalized assistance.)
And if you are in law enforcement or a related field, email Law Enforcement Initiative Director Doreen Yanik to learn more about how you can get involved.
Take our survey on interactions between law enforcement
Join our list of individuals who want to share their story with the media
We often get requests from reporters and public-interest groups who want to hear from individuals with autism, and their families and caretakers. If you are interested in sharing your experiences (both good and bad, and everything in-between), please email us with your name, contact information, and what kinds of topics you are available to speak about. Reporters often want to hear from families about: their Medicaid and insurance experiences, adult services and employment programs, special education programs, managing severe challenging behavior, among other topics. We may occasionally reach out to individuals on this list to see if they are interested in co-authoring opinion pieces or collaborating on similar projects.
Email us at stories@autismnj.org
Experts & Professionals
Likewise, if you are a New Jersey-based professional working with autistic individuals or in an overlapping field, and you want to be added to our list of professionals willing to give media interviews or other public advocacy opportunities, please reach out as well.
Email us at media@autismnj.org
Pediatricians & healthcare leaders: explore our Healthcare Initiative
Are you a doctor, nurse, healthcare professional or industry leader? Do you have a passion to make your practice, hospital system or institution more autism friendly? Tell our Director of Public Policy and Clinical Partnerships Darren Blough who can share our Autism-Friendly Healthcare Practices: Self-Assessment and Quality Improvement Tool to inform your work and our statewide efforts.
Law enforcement officers: inform the Law Enforcement Initiative
Our law enforcement initiative promotes autism-friendly policies and practices in every corner of the state. Maybe you’ve heard about the Blue Envelope Program and the optional driver’s license designation program — and we’re just getting started!
Learn more about the initiative
Take our professional survey here to tell us more about your department
Become an Organization Member
We’re experts in autism-related policies. Our team follows every legislative twist and turn and we shape lawmakers’ and government leaders’ decisions — with a singular focus of advocating for New Jersey residents with autism.
But we need your input. Representatives from treatment centers, healthcare systems, educational programs, adult service providers and more are eligible to become Organization Members. Organization Members align with our vision to make every New Jersey community autism friendly, have access to our policy team, and financially support our statewide efforts. Learn more about organization member benefits here.