Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) was recently honored by Autism Speaks for his tireless advocacy for individuals with autism.

Senator Fuschillo received Autism Speaks’ Autism Advocacy Award for authoring New York State’s autism insurance reform law. The law will enable individuals with autism spectrum disorders to receive insurance coverage for screening, diagnosis and treatment. The law will save families with autism tens of thousands of dollars a year in out of pocket costs for autism treatment and therapies which many insurance companies refuse to cover. The law takes effect on November 1st.

Autism Speaks also honored Senator Fuschillo’s many years of work on behalf of families with autism by renaming the award the “Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. Autism Advocacy Award.”

Senator Fuschillo (right) is pictured as he receives the newly renamed “Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. Advocacy Award” from Michael Giangregorio (left), Autism Speaks’ Long Island Volunteer Executive Chair and a Merrick resident, and Diane Cahill, Autism Speaks’ New York State Advocacy Chair and a Lindenhurst resident.