Policy & Parenting:Reflections on Virginia's 2026 Autism Legislation and the Work Ahead

This year I had the privilege of attending Governor Spanberger's disability-focused bill signing ceremony, where Virginia honored the legacy of Conner's Law and advanced several important initiatives impacting individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. As a mother, behavior consultant, community leader, Autism Advisory Council member, and collaborator on HB469, I viewed the ceremony not simply as a celebration of legislation, but as a reminder that policy only achieves its purpose when it improves everyday lives.

My Work on HB469

The passage of HB469 acknowledges a reality many providers already understand: direct support professionals need specialized autism competencies to effectively support individuals with complex communication, behavioral, and sensory needs. The next challenge is implementation. Training requirements alone do not guarantee improved outcomes. Virginia must ensure competency development translates into reduced crises, improved community participation, stronger workforce retention, and increased quality of life.

***Whitney King & Laura Jane Cohen 15th District County of Fairfax (part) hold the copy of bill HB469 that was signed by Governor Spanberger during the ceremony.***

My Lessons from Serving on the Autism Advisory Council The Autism Advisory Council held quite a few meetings this year. A few recurring themes that were discussed include:

• Workforce shortages

  
  

• DSP turnover

  
  

• Training gaps

  
  

• Family navigation challenges

  
  

• Fragmented systems

  
  

• Long waitlists for various services

  
  

• The impact of service changes for programs such as ABA & personal care attendants

  
  

• Crisis response concerns

  
  

• Law enforcement involvement

  
  

• Limited autism-specific crisis resources

  
  

• Service quality inconsistencies

Throughout my year on the Council, one lesson became increasingly clear: Virginia does not lack committed professionals. We often lack consistent systems that connect policy, training, service delivery, and accountability. 

One of the most significant discussions during my tenure on the Virginia Autism Advisory Council centered on the future of autism policy leadership within the Commonwealth. While individual pieces of legislation can create meaningful change, lasting progress requires a permanent structure dedicated to monitoring implementation, identifying service gaps, and advising policymakers on emerging needs. The Council's work has demonstrated the value of bringing together self-advocates, family members, service providers, educators, healthcare professionals, and state agencies to address challenges facing Virginians with autism across the lifespan. As a result, there has been growing support for transitioning the Autism Advisory Council from a body with a sunset provision into a permanent commission. A permanent commission would provide continuity, preserve institutional knowledge, strengthen accountability, and ensure that autism-related issues remain a priority regardless of changes in administrations or legislative sessions. More importantly, it would create a formal mechanism for translating community experiences into policy recommendations and monitoring whether enacted legislation is achieving its intended outcomes.

HB246/SB335 – What the Affirmative Defense Conversation Revealed

One of the most discussed autism-related bills of the 2026 legislative session was HB246/SB335, which sought to address situations where disability-related factors may contribute to behavior that results in criminal charges. While I understand the concerns surrounding the legal structure of the proposed affirmative defense, the broader conversation revealed an issue that deserves continued attention: how Virginia responds when disability-driven behaviors intersect with the criminal justice system.

Anyone who has followed my work over the last several years has seen firsthand examples of why this issue matters. In just the past month alone, I have found myself advocating for individuals during behavioral crises, helping families navigate complex systems, and working alongside providers and community partners to prevent situations from escalating further. These experiences have reinforced my belief that we must focus not only on what happens in a courtroom, but also on what happens long before an arrest occurs.

If I am fortunate enough to contribute to Virginia's ongoing discussions around affirmative defense and disability-related justice reform, my recommendations would focus on prevention, diversion, and system coordination. These include:

• Developing autism and developmental disability crisis response pathways;

• Expanding disability-informed training for prosecutors, magistrates, and law enforcement officers;

• Increasing access to specialized behavioral health and developmental disability crisis teams;

• Incorporating behavior consultant review when disability-driven conduct is alleged; and

• Strengthening collaboration between public safety, behavioral health, and developmental disability service systems.

The conversation should not begin and end with whether a courtroom defense exists. The larger goal should be preventing unnecessary criminal justice involvement before charges are ever filed. By investing in crisis response, early intervention, and disability-informed decision-making, Virginia can improve outcomes for individuals and families while reducing burdens on an already overextended behavioral health and criminal justice system.

Expanding the Vision Behind HB1097/SB309: From Traffic Stops to Community Trust

Among the autism-related legislation signed this year, HB1097/SB309 represents an important step toward improving interactions between autistic individuals and law enforcement. The legislation recognizes the importance of autism-informed communication during traffic stops and helps equip first responders with information that can lead to safer, more effective interactions.

While this legislation focuses on driving-related encounters, I believe it highlights a much larger opportunity for Virginia.

The same principle should apply long before a traffic stop occurs.

Many of the most significant interactions between autistic individuals and first responders do not happen during routine traffic stops. They occur during behavioral crises, emergency calls, community incidents, and situations where families are seeking assistance for a loved one in distress. In these moments, familiarity, understanding, and trust can make all the difference.

This belief is what inspired the creation of Brave Buddies, a collaborative initiative between Destination Family Services, the Autism Society of Tidewater Virginia, and the Virginia Beach Police Department. Brave Buddies creates opportunities for autistic children, their families, and police officers to engage with one another in positive, supportive environments before an emergency ever occurs.

By building relationships through play, conversation, and shared experiences, children become more comfortable interacting with law enforcement, families gain confidence in local public safety resources, and officers develop a deeper understanding of autism and developmental disabilities beyond what can be learned in a classroom training alone.

As I look toward the 2026-2027 legislative session, I believe Virginia has an opportunity to build upon the vision behind HB1097/SB309 through the development of a Virginia Autism Community Response Initiative. Such an initiative could:

• Expand autism awareness efforts beyond traffic stops and driver's education programs;

• Support community engagement programs that connect first responders and autistic individuals outside of crisis situations;

• Develop autism competencies for law enforcement, EMS, dispatchers, and other first responders;

• Promote early relationship-building between families and public safety agencies; and

• Increase positive interactions before crisis events occur.
  

Too often, a person's first interaction with law enforcement occurs during one of the most stressful moments of their life. By creating opportunities for connection before a crisis, we can improve outcomes for families, strengthen community trust, and better prepare first responders to support individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.

Through Brave Buddies, we are already demonstrating what this model can look like at the local level. The opportunity now is to scale these efforts statewide and create a framework that helps communities across Virginia build safer, more inclusive relationships between autistic individuals, their families, and the professionals who serve them.

Looking Ahead: My Priorities for the 2026–2027 Legislative Session

As Virginia continues to advance policies that impact individuals with autism and developmental disabilities, I remain committed to ensuring that legislation translates into meaningful outcomes for families, providers, and communities. My advocacy efforts during the 2026–2027 legislative session will focus on four key priorities:

1. Moving Autism Competencies from Training to Outcomes

HB469 represents an important investment in workforce development. The next step is ensuring that competency-based training leads to measurable improvements in quality of life, crisis prevention, community participation, and service delivery outcomes.

2. Strengthening Disability Crisis Diversion Pathways

Virginia must continue exploring solutions that reduce unnecessary criminal justice involvement for individuals experiencing disability

-related behavioral crises. This includes crisis response pathways, diversion opportunities, disability-informed training, and stronger collaboration between behavioral health and public safety systems.

3. Expanding Autism-Informed Public Safety Initiatives

Building on the vision of HB1097/SB309, I will continue advocating for community-based programs that strengthen relationships between autistic individuals, families, and first responders before emergencies occur.

4. Supporting a Permanent Autism Commission

I support ongoing efforts to transition Virginia's Autism Advisory Council into a permanent commission. Sustainable progress requires a long-term structure that can monitor implementation, identify emerging needs, promote accountability, and ensure autism remains a policy priority across administrations and legislative sessions.

Attending Governor Spanberger's bill signing ceremony was a reminder that meaningful change requires more than passing legislation. It requires collaboration between policymakers, families, self-advocates, providers, educators, first responders, and community leaders who are committed to improving outcomes for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.

Throughout my career, I have worked at the intersection of behavioral health, developmental disabilities, public safety, workforce development, and community engagement. Whether I am supporting families through crisis, training professionals, developing innovative programs such as Brave Buddies, or contributing to policy discussions at the state level, my focus remains the same: creating practical solutions that help individuals live safer, more independent, and more meaningful lives.

As Virginia prepares to enter the 2026–2027 legislative session, I look forward to continuing these conversations, contributing field-based expertise, and working alongside leaders across the Commonwealth to ensure that autism policy moves beyond awareness and toward measurable impact.