A look back at Autism New Jersey’s impactful year — highlighting our new logo, statewide initiatives, expanded support services, and the power of connection that drives our mission.
November 2025
Mission
From the desk of the Executive Director
Autism New Jersey drives statewide change and creates connections through compassionate support, expert guidance, and a deep commitment to an autism-friendly New Jersey.
Vision
A New Jersey where people with autism thrive in their daily lives within fully supportive communities.
Dear Autism New Jersey Community,
I’ve always believed in the power of connection — that when we come together and share information, talent, and resources, we become collectively stronger. I’ve worked for and led Autism New Jersey for 25 years now, and this year, more than any other year in our history, exemplified that power of connection. In a year marked by uncertainty and shifting federal priorities, I’ve never been more certain in our staff and our broader community. We were able to find clarity amid confusion and offer sound, up-to-date guidance to families and lawmakers alike.
Values
WE ARE: • COMPASSIONATE : We approach everyone with empathy. We strive to understand the unique and sometimes painful experiences of those we serve. • HOPEFUL : We are realistic optimists and problem-solvers. We envision a better future and design practical ways to get there. • COLLABORATIVE : We believe in the strength of partnerships. We work together to create a more supportive statewide community. • INNOVATIVE : We are guided by evidence and research. We challenge the norms, seek new solutions, and explore better ways to serve our communities. • RESOLUTE : We advocate for people with autism and their families. We won’t stop until they succeed.
To celebrate this power of connection, I’m pleased to unveil our new logo. It’s inspired by a few important themes: individuality, interconnection, and ripple effects. Individuality refers to the unique strengths, challenges, personalities, and needs of each person on the autism spectrum. Interconnections highlight the importance of partnership and collaboration in achieving progress for the autism community. Ripples represent how small actions can lead to transformation across the spectrum, across the lifespan, and across the state. As we approach our 60th anniversary this fall, we refined our vision and doubled-down on our goal to make New Jersey the most autism-friendly state in the nation — and you are invited to join us. Whether you connect with us through our helpline, read our monthly e-news, participate in our ambassador or fundraising efforts, utilize our professional trainings, meet us at our annual conference, or participate on one of our advisory boards, you are a vital part of what makes Autism New Jersey so strong.
5 Highlights from Fiscal Year 2025
• Our agency served more than 217,000 people and their families through our 800.4. AUTISM Helpline and website.
• We distributed our autism-friendly practices for law enforcement publication to all municipal and county members of law enforcement across the state. • We hosted our first-ever “Complex Causes of Autism” webinar series and our 868 participants responded with great interest and enthusiasm! • Our 42nd Annual Conference was a success, drawing more than 1,400 attendees to Atlantic City. • We spearheaded a new law that requires criminal background checks for behavior analyst licensure applicants. The Power of Connection
As you peruse these pages, please remember that every success, every milestone was possible because of partners and supporters like you.
Thank you.
INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES Educate | Support | Protect | Prevent Harm
Community Engagement New Jersey residents have unequal access to services and information. Underserved communities experience delays in diagnosis and access to treatment, rural areas often have no specialists and language barriers can impede them from communicating clearly with providers and schools. Autism New Jersey provides comprehensive supports and referrals, but to contact us, communities need to know about us. Autism New Jersey’s Community Engagement efforts introduce our agency to communities across the state and let them know we’re here to help.
“My helpline staff member was the exact right person to speak to. He listened. He understood. He asked great questions. And he made sure we both made a list of follow-up items to complete before our next conversation. I could not be happier with our interaction today. I felt heard and supported.”
Helpline Autism New Jersey’s flagship 800.4.AUTISM Helpline offers comprehensive assistance to individuals with autism and their families on a wide range of topics including: individual and family supports, treatments, diagnosis, special education, the adult service system and more. Parents often call after their child is diagnosed to find specialists and get help with an IEP, and then they call back throughout their lives to learn about adult services or make end-of- life plans. The helpline is unique — staff will listen for as long as a person needs and make customized recommendations. We’re here for individuals with autism and their caregivers every step of the way.
The helpline staff welcomed a third specialist this year, who went through a comprehensive six-month training program before fielding calls. All helpline staff members have deep knowledge about all things autism, and their areas of individual expertise include government benefits, estates, insurance and end of life concerns; employment, mental health and secondary education; and sedation dentistry.
2,046 CALLS, EMAILS OR WEB INQUIRIES 32,711 REFERRAL SEARCHES 197,000 ACTIVE VISITORS TO THE WEBSITE
19 INFORMATION FAIRS ACROSS THE STATE INCLUDING IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 25 INFORMATIONAL
DIRECTOR OF HELPLINE AND FAMILY ADVOCACY JON GOTTLIEB, ESQ. IS A FORMER SPECIAL EDUCATION LAWYER AND USES THAT EXPERTISE TO ASSIST HELPLINE CALLERS. HE LEADS A TEAM OF THREE HELPLINE SPECIALISTS.
PRESENTATIONS GIVEN COVERING THE BASICS OF AUTISM AND HOW WE CAN HELP
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR KAYLA TORRES, MPA, HAS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE DELIVERING IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS FOR URBAN COMMUNITIES.
“I learned that no matter how stressed I am, I have the power to do something about it such as meditate for a few minutes or exercise on a regular basis. Being part of the group and having weekly sessions helps to motivate me.”
Family Wellness Parenting a child with autism presents unique challenges, and caregivers often feel isolated and can often forego taking care of their own mental and physical health. Autism New Jersey’s new family wellness programming offers caregivers a place where they can feel understood and receive practical expert advice. We are proud to offer free Health and Wellness Coaching Sessions which offer strategies to promote motivation and positive habit- formation as well as Wellness Connection Sessions, virtual support groups that focus on topics to enhance caregiver health and wellness.
Severe Challenging Behavior Roughly one-third of children with autism engage in self-injurious behavior, and about half engage in aggressive acts including biting, kicking and hitting. This is more severe than a typical toddler tantrum; individuals with autism and their family members are often at risk for serious injury. Parents often don’t know where to turn and have limited options for qualified therapy providers.
That’s where Autism New Jersey steps in. We provide the families’ government-contracted care managers with clinical insights and guide them to behavior analysts and other therapists who can help. Plus, we provide exhausted families with informal counseling and self-care guidance as they navigate this huge parenting challenge. New this fiscal year is the Severe Challenging Behavior Think Tank, which brought together key stakeholders to identify systemic barriers for individuals with severe challenging behavior. We’re creating a list of priorities and working with our government and policy partners to increase access to treatment.
1 in 3 CHILDREN WITH AUTISM ENGAGE IN SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR, AND WITHOUT PROPER SUPPORTS MOST CONTINUE THIS BEHAVIOR INTO ADULTHOOD 59 REFERRALS FROM GOVERNMENT- CONTRACTED AGENCIES FOR CHILDREN WITH EMERGING CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR 15 FAMILIES RECEIVING ONGOING IN-DEPTH SUPPORT 36 CHILDREN WITH SEVERE CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR WHOSE CARE MANAGERS ARE BENEFITING FROM OUR EXPERTISE
85 PARENTS ATTENDED NEW DIAGNOSIS WEBINARS AND WELLNESS CONNECTION SESSIONS 22 PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS COMPLETED A HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACHING GROUP SERIES
EMERGING CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR MANAGER JENNA GLENNON, MAT, BCBA, LBA, HAS MORE THAN 22 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE COACHING TEACHERS, PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS ON HOW TO REDUCE AND MANAGE SEVERE CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR.
6 TEENAGERS AND ADULTS ON OUR SIBLING PLANNING COMMITTEE
DIRECTOR OF FAMILY WELLNESS AMY GOLDEN, M.S., BCBA, LBA, NBC-HWC, IS A LICENSED BEHAVIOR ANALYST & NATIONALLY BOARD CERTIFIED HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACH WITH MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ACROSS HOME, SCHOOL, AND CENTER-BASED SETTINGS.
COMMUNITIES Build Connections | Convene Healthcare
Law Enforcement
20 NJ COUNTIES NOW OFFER THE BLUE ENVELOPE PROGRAM 12 AUTISM-FRIENDLY PRACTICES PROMOTED STATEWIDE 2,750 COPIES OF OUR FIRST LAW ENFORCEMENT PUBLICATION DISTRIBUTED TO 550 LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND WHICH IMPLEMENTED A VOLUNTARY STATEWIDE DRIVER’S LICENSE DESIGNATION PROGRAM 22 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS REPRESENTING LOCAL, COUNTY AND STATE AGENCIES SERVE ON OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE COUNTY OFFICES 1 NEW LAW PASSED,
Individuals with autism need more healthcare and get less. In addition to providers such as behavior analysts and speech therapists, individuals with autism need traditional care from dentists, family doctors, pediatricians and specialists, too. But these doctors often do not
It was a banner year for Autism New Jersey’s Law Enforcement Initiative, which helps law enforcement officers better understand the needs of individuals with autism and create positive interactions between the two communities. This year we published a first-of-its-kind autism-friendly practices booklet and saw departments across the state pledge to implement these practices into their everyday protocols. Notably, we also launched the Supporting Autism- Friendly Enforcement (SAFE) network with 20 members and Law Enforcement Autism Planning Sessions (LEAPS), which offer law enforcement agencies peer-to-peer support in implementing autism-friendly practices, and free-of-charge consultation with Autism New Jersey staff.
have training in providing care for individuals with autism, and the difficulties that come with novel experiences at a doctor’s office often mean families can’t get the care they need. Autism New Jersey’s Healthcare Consortium and public policy team are working to fix that. We are creating a self-assessment tool for healthcare systems to identify their weak spots and become more autism friendly. The goal is to make tangible improvements to both providers’ physical spaces and their patient care processes so individuals with autism get the care they need. Families seeking an autism diagnosis often experience months-long wait times, when their local pediatrician could make the diagnosis. To help those pediatricians be more comfortable identifying the signs of autism and correctly diagnosing their patients, we launched our Pediatrician Resource Hub this year. Plus, we host a Timely Diagnosis Workgroup with developmental behavioral pediatricians around the state so they can share ideas and, ultimately, reduce diagnostic wait times. To help families find providers who are committed to being autism- friendly, we regularly update the referral listings on our website.
18 ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR HEALTHCARE CONSORTIUM 7 NEW HEALTHCARE TOOLS PROMOTING AUTISM- FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENTS 56 NEW HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS ADDED TO OUR REFERRAL DATABASE 100 ATTENDEES FOR OUR WEBINAR GEARED TOWARD PEDIATRICIANS 20+ NEWSLETTER ARTICLES AND PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES AUTHORED FOR THE NJ CHAPTER, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
DOREEN YANIK, ESQ., A FORMER COUNTY PROSECUTOR, KNOWS HOW TO GET RESULTS. AS OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE DIRECTOR, YANIK HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES IN MAKING NEW JERSEY ONE OF THE MOST AUTISM-FRIENDLY STATES IN THE NATION FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AND CLINICAL PARTNERSHIPS DARREN BLOUGH, MSW, BC aBA, LaBA, HAS DECADES OF EXPERIENCE AS A SENIOR LEADER OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS.
“We sometimes run into challenges when dining out as a family. Because autism isn’t always visible, when my daughter needs to move around or adjust salt and pepper shakers at another table, people sometimes stare or seem uncomfortable. At Patrick’s Grille, they just let her be herself. The staff and guests embrace her, making it the one place where we feel truly accepted—almost like family.”
Ambassador More awareness and acceptance means more compassionate and supportive communities. Every April, Autism New Jersey does our part and leads the state’s premiere Autism Ambassador program. Across the state, residents coordinate community gatherings, athletic events, and bake sales to raise awareness and celebrate the unique contributions individuals with autism bring to our state. This year, long-time Ambassador Angie Tener kicked off the month by giving a speech at the State Board of Education meeting and accepting their official proclamation!
Professional Education Whether we are helping to change law enforcement policies, guide healthcare professionals to become more autism friendly, or give families and professionals insights on which treatments have evidence behind them, everything we do is infused with our team’s deep knowledge of and regard for evidence-based practice. This is especially the case with our annual conference, the state’s largest autism event. Professionals and families return year after year because they trust us; they know we are committed to putting on a world class event with regional experts in autism.
10 STATEWIDE CONNECTION SESSIONS FOR CSOC PARTNERS 20 TRAININGS SPANNING CLINICAL AND SERVICE NAVIGATION TOPICS IN OUR ON-DEMAND TRAINING LIBRARY 1,400+ ATTENDEES AT OUR 42ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN ATLANTIC CITY
We are also proud to provide training and technical assistance to partner agencies for the Children’s System of Care (CSOC), New Jersey’s public behavioral health system for children. In doing so, we help CSOC system partners better serve children with autism and their families. Whether collaborating through statewide initiatives or supporting professional education for the community at large, our compassion and commitment to science are unwavering.
619 AMBASSADORS FROM ALL 21 COUNTIES 135,128 AUTISM-THEMED $82,107 RAISED TO SUPPORT AUTISM NEW JERSEY’S INITIATIVES SUPPLY ITEMS DISTRIBUTED
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMATIC IMPACT JOE NOVAK, ED.D., BCBA-D, LBA, CCC-SLP, ATP, USES HIS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE AS A DOCTORAL-LEVEL BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYST, SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST, AND EDUCATIONAL LEADER TO GUIDE AUTISM NEW JERSEY’S PROGRAMS, ENSURING EVERY RECOMMENDATION WE MAKE IS EVIDENCE-BASED AND UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT RESEARCH.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT BRYNN ALBERICI HAS A PASSION FOR AUTISM AWARENESS. SHE COORDINATES A MASSIVE MONTH-LONG AWARENESS CAMPAIGN EVERY APRIL, SENDING STICKERS, POSTERS, AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO OUR VOLUNTEER AMBASSADORS ACROSS THE STATE.
STATE Influence Policy | Raise Standards
Policy With unprecedented federal attention on autism, Autism New Jersey’s public policy team analyzed and explained federal proposals such as the key provisions from the One Big Beautiful Act (OBBA). On a state level, our team worked with legislative leaders to champion the passage of legislation that requires background checks for applied behavior analyst licensure applicants, educated ABA professionals about the steps to become licensed,
Communications When national health leaders turned their attention to the autism community, the autism community turned to us. We quickly researched, wrote and disseminated easy-to-understand briefs about how changes to Medicaid, cuts to national research institutes, and an enhanced focus on autism research could impact our community. When misinformation proliferated online, we responded with a series of community letters explaining in simple terms what was
and advised state leaders on legislation in progress. We also advocated for numerous bills, including one that expedites guardianship applications. To address the need for more behavior analysts and psychiatrists in the state, we partnered with the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University to produce a workforce landscape analysis, laying the groundwork for a project to attract, develop and retain professionals. In response to parents who expressed concerns about their adult children’s safety in group homes, we are creating a quality improvement model for group homes designed to increase communication among families, providers, and government officials.
happening at the federal level and how it could impact our community. We were proud to host a popular webinar series on the complex causes of autism featuring three researchers from Rutgers University. The communications team also continues to maintain Autism New Jersey’s monthly e-newsletter; the ever- evolving online library of clinical, legal, and policy articles; a large social media presence; and supports the agency’s content and branding needs. This fiscal year, the team oversaw an agency-wide rebrand, accompanied by a user-centric website redesign.
14 POLICY PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS MEETING REGULARLY TO INFORM AND STRENGTHEN OUR ADVOCACY 15 NEWS ARTICLES AND UPDATES PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE, INFORMING THE AUTISM COMMUNITY AND PROVIDERS OF SHIFTS IN FUNDING, POLICIES AND LAWS 21 PIECES OF LEGISLATION ON WHICH WE ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED EITHER ADVOCATING FOR BILLS OR PROPOSING NUANCED AMENDMENTS TO MAXIMIZE IMPACT
454,900 PEOPLE REACHED ON SOCIAL MEDIA 115,000 IMPRESSIONS FOR OUR TOP-PERFORMING SOCIAL MEDIA POST 868 ATTENDEES PARTICIPATED IN OUR THREE-DAY “COMPLEX CAUSES OF AUTISM” WEBINARS IN MAY 36 MEDIA ARTICLES, RANGING FROM NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL PUBLICATIONS WHERE AUTISM NEW JERSEY WAS INTERVIEWED, QUOTED OR MENTIONED
CURRENT AND FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORS, STACIE SHERMAN AND CASSIDY GROM, ARE BOTH JOURNALISTS. JESSICA BARKOSKY, A SKILLED GRAPHIC DESIGNER, AND STACIE LEAD AUTISM NEW JERSEY’S MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS. THEY ENSURE EVERY PIECE OF CONTENT IS UNDERSTANDABLE AND HELPFUL TO THE AUTISM COMMUNITY.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AND CLINICAL PARTNERSHIPS DARREN BLOUGH; MSW, BC aBA, LaBA; AND DEPUTY PUBLIC POLICY DIRECTOR DEVIN BAKER, MPA WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF AUTISM SERVICES IN THE STATE.
FINANCE Charity Rating
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED Experience Our Power of Connection
Charity Navigator compared us to other nonprofits throughout the nation in categories such as accountability and finance; impact and measurement; and culture and community and then gave us their highest ranking: four stars. Charity Navigator says you can give to Autism New Jersey “with confidence,” knowing your dollars will be put to work efficiently.
CALL OUR HELPLINE By contacting our helpline, you will not only get
800.4. AUTISM information@autismnj.org
compassionate, expert insight and information for whatever barrier you’re facing, you’ll also help our organization better respond to issues faced by families across the state. We keep all personally identifiable information confidential.
SHARE YOUR STORY 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! BECOME AN AMBASSADOR Become an ambassador at your workplace, school or in your community during our annual ambassador campaign in April!
stories@autismnj.org
FUNDING SOURCES
Government Grants (46%)
Contributions (Includes in-kind gifts) (23%)
www.autismnj.org/ambassador
Program Fees/Conferences (21%)
Special Events (8%)
CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Engage with us on your favorite social media channels! We love to see your photos, stories and insightful comments.
Membership (2%)
@AutismNewJersey @AutismNJ
ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP Let’s work together to make every New Jersey community autism-friendly! Current members include schools, service providers, law firms, hospitals, companies, and more. Organization members receive premium benefits, including discounts for our annual conference, access to our public policy expertise, free job listings, sponsored content opportunities and listing in our membership directory. IMPACT CIRCLE Interested in making a large donation and establishing a legacy as champion for individuals with autism? Join our Impact Circle and create a lasting impact for families in New Jersey.
www.autismnj.org/membership
YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK
Autism Programs (75%)
Cost of Direct Benefit to Donors (17%)
Fundraising (6%)
Connect with Brynn Alberici at balberici@autismnj.org to set up a time to talk — and envision — a more autism-friendly New Jersey.
Management/General (2%)
The Power of Connection
Amy Golden , M.S., BCBA, LBA, NBC-HWC Director of Family Wellness Michelle Nini Helpline Administrative Assistant Jenna Glennon , MAT, BCBA, LBA Emerging Challenging Behavior Manager Joe Novak , Ed.D., BCBA-D, LBA, CCC-SLP, ATP Director of Programmatic Impact Delmy Serrano BOTTOM ROW (left to right) Suzanne Buchanan , Psy.D., BCBA-D, LBA Executive Director Doreen Yanik , Esq. Law Enforcement Initiative Director Sara Law , MS Helpline Coordinator Chrissy Toth Coordinator of Special Events & Community Relations Operations Assistant Brittany Coleman Development Administrative Assistant
TOP ROW (left to right) Darren Blough , MSW, BCaBA, LaBA Director of Public Policy & Clinical Partnerships Jon Gottlieb , Esq. Helpline & Family Advocacy Director Devin Baker , MPA Deputy Public Policy Director Jeffrey Gaither , MPS Operations Director Claire Wieczerak , MSW Helpline Coordinator Anastasia Sanderson , MAC
Helpline Coordinator Kayla Torres, MPA Community Engagement Coordinator Brynn Alberici , M.A.
Development Director Michael Brockett Conference Coordinator Jessica Barkosky Digital and Creative Director
800.4.AUTISM www.autismnj.org
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