Autism services: demonstration program.

The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and support to individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism. This bill would authorize, until January 1, 2019, the establishment of a demonstration program that would be known as the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP) program to provide improved services, supports, interventions, and other resources to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders, and their families, who are regional center consumers and who reside in underserved communities, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to contract with a University of California or California State University campus to serve as a coordinating center to develop the program. The bill would authorize the coordinating center to establish guidelines by which regional centers participating in the program would implement measures in underserved communities, in a linguistically and culturally competent manner, to promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with autism, improve the early screening, diagnosis, and assessment of autism, and increase access to evidence-based interventions and treatments for autism, as specified.