Current Status, Challenges, and Opportunities in Legislation of Behavior Analytic Autism Services: Observations and Recommendations from Professionals and Parent Advocates
Judith Ursitti, Autism Speaks
Judith Ursitti is Regional Director, State Advocacy Relations for Autism Speaks. Judith is primarily responsible for managing the relationships between Autism Speaks and the state and local governments of designated states, Autism Speaks constituents and state chapter advocacy leaders, as well as other autism organizations.
Judith has over a decade of experience in tax accounting and has been heavily involved in autism advocacy since her son Jack’s diagnosis in 2005. She participated in the lobbying effort in Texas for the passage of HB 1919, appearing on various local networks to promote the bill and its mandate for autism-related insurance coverage. In addition, she is the Chapter Advocacy Chair for the Boston chapter of Autism Speaks, is a member of the Parent Advisory Council for the recently released Autism Speaks 100-day kit, and is the author of the blog Autismville which is published by Parents.com. Currently she is working to pass autism-related insurance legislation in Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey.
Judith holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Georgia College and State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. She and her husband Andy live in Dover, Massachusetts and are parents to two children, Amy, age 8 and Jack, age 5, who has ASD.