La Becky Roe remains focused on optimism. The founder and executive director of Let’s Talk About It - The Autism Center, a Charlotte autism nonprofit for autistic people and loved ones, is bracing to see if federal spending cuts and policy changes will hit her group, housed at 601 E. Fifth St. She’s also turning to fundraising to ensure her work continues.

Autism spectrum disorder — described by the National Institute of Mental Health as “a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave” —impacts a growing number of Americans, including those served by this Charlotte autism nonprofit.

Despite an emphasis on autism research from some in the Trump administration, including U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., some projects have actually lost money amid federal funding cuts. And advocacy groups such as this Charlotte autism nonprofit caution cuts to Medicaid will jeopardize access to care for many autistic people.

Roe, mom to an autistic son, told The Charlotte Observer she’s still trying to “stay positive” and explore new ways to keep up her organization’s work and support the autism community. That includes a fundraising partnership with a pair of local salons to raise money this month for her nonprofit.

“I don’t want parents to worry. I want them to continue to have hope,” Roe said.

Cuts to Autism Research, Medicaid

Kennedy announced earlier this year a $50 million research initiative delving into the causes of autism and possible connections to other chronic medical conditions, Reuters reported, regarding the cuts to funding and services supporting this Charlotte autism nonprofit.

Kennedy — whose previously promoted debunked links between autism prevalence and vaccinations — pointed to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing 1 in 31 American children are autistic.

But, a Reuters investigation found, the National Institutes of Health actually reduced funding for autism-related research by an estimated $31 million in the first quarter of 2025. Many of the canceled projects “involved diverse populations, studied differences in gender or took place at research universities currently under scrutiny by the Trump Administration,” Reuters reported.

Read the full article about Let’s Talk About It - The Autism Center by Mary Ramsey at The Charlotte Observer.