Mini Grants

Commemorative Signs

Recognize a friend or loved one on the spectrum! $100 will honor your loved one on a commemorative sign. The sign can include photos and words of encouragement for them or a special message about them from you. All signs will have the ASA-NV & Walk for Autism logos and the date of the walk. These signs will be placed along the walk route for all to see and are yours to keep after the Walk. Contact us at (703)859-7777 or [email protected] to place your order for a sign. View Sample Sign here

Walker Resources

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Team Captain Kit
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Offline Pledge Forms

Mini-grant Information

The money raised by the Walk for Autism-Virginia goes into a fund used to award mini-grants to families in the Northern Virginia area. The cost of treating autism can be very expensive, and families often spend tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket each year on treatments for their child. This is because commonly accepted treatments are very often not covered by insurance or provided by local school systems.

The mini-grant application period is advertised each spring/summer through electronic listservs for various groups of parents and caregivers of children with autism. Notice is also given to various providers of typical services utilized by parents of children on the autism spectrum so they can inform their clients who may be eligible to apply. Any parent residing in Northern Virginia with a child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is eligible to apply. New applicants must provide supporting documentation for the diagnosis of autism, PDD or related spectrum disorder with the application. This documentation can be a physician’s letter, test results or other identifying information that includes the date of diagnosis. Applications must be requested from the Walk Coordinator. They are not available for download so the approximate number that will be submitted in a given year can be tracked during the application period. To be considered in the current Mini-grant cycle, applications must be postmarked by 9/15/2009.

The period covered by the mini-grant is November 1 – October 31. Mini-grant amounts are determined after the Walk in October each year and are based on the amount of money raised and the number of applications received. Award letters are sent out as soon after the Walk as possible, typically by mid-November.

Mini-grants are used to reimburse treatment costs after the bill has been settled with the therapy provider. Documentation showing the amounts paid to a provider must be submitted. Valid payments will be reimbursed on a monthly basis until the entire amount of the mini-grant is used.

Mini-grants can be used to help cover the costs of generally accepted autism treatments that are neither fully covered by insurance nor provided by school systems. The treatments and therapies include:
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Relationship Development Intervention (RDI)
Speech Therapy (ST)
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Physical Therapy (PT)
Social Skills Therapy
Auditory Integration Therapy
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Therapeutic Horseback Riding
They can also be used to cover camps offered specifically to address these types of therapies and other needs of special needs children.

Mini-grants cannot be used to help cover the cost of biomedical treatments or recurrent doctor visits such as to a developmental pediatrician.

General Guidelines Regarding Mini-grant Reimbursement:

All payments will be for reimbursement of expenses paid. The mini-grant is NOT to be used to reimburse payments made by insurance providers. For example, if insurance covers the first 25 visits to a speech therapist, reimbursement will only be for the co-payments required at the time of the visit. The mini-grant can pay for any visits above the 25 limit.

Parents are responsible for making the payment to the provider after insurance or other assistance payments have been made.

A copy of the bill from the provider and some proof of payment are both required. Proof of payment can be a copy of a canceled check, a copy of a bank statement that clearly indicates the amount paid and to whom, or a bill from the provider that indicates payment was received. A carbon copy of the check is not sufficient proof of payment.

No cash payments will be reimbursed. All documentation must originate from parents/guardians. No paperwork will be accepted from therapists or other 3rd party.

If the bill from the professional provider includes the name of the child, the name of the therapist, and the dates and times therapy services were provided to the child, a separate time sheet will not be required. Otherwise, the time sheet provided by the Walk must be signed by both the parent/guardian and the therapist, and submitted with the reimbursement request.

Any questions regarding mini-grants should be addressed to the Walk Coordinator, Barbara Wagner at (703)859-7777 or [email protected].

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