The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), the world’s leading training and certification provider for autism and cognitive disorders, announced today the appointment of New York Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara to its advisory board.

Santabarbara’s devotion to helping and enriching his community combined with his passion for improving the lives of those with autism aligns with IBCCES’ mission to improve the overall quality of life for individuals with cognitive disorders. Santabarbara held public office as a county legislator for five years before being elected to the New York State Assembly in 2012. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Autism Society of the Greater Capital Region and was the recipient of the Autism Society of America’s Distinguished Leadership Award.

“It’s a distinct privilege for me to serve on this board and have this opportunity to contribute to their mission,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara. “People with disabilities and special needs should have every opportunity to pursue the life they want to live. Kids like my son Michael may the face unique challenges of autism; however, that shouldn’t prevent them from realizing the American Dream,” said Santabarbara. “As a state, we must do more to ensure these individuals are treated with respect and equality, and are given every opportunity to live healthy, independent lives and work towards their goals,” Santabarbara added. “This incredible opportunity to work with people from across the country on this important issue will strengthen our state on this important issue and gives all New Yorker’s with disabilities a stronger voice.”

Santabarbara has long been an advocate for disability rights and has championed legislation to protect and empower individuals with autism. He introduced Autism Action NY in 2016 with a mission to better help individuals with autism by increasing job opportunities, providing independent housing options, improving access to information, assisting in communication and creating a centralized location for services in New York State.[1] Santabarbara has already made great strides in achieving these goals. Earlier this year, he sponsored legislation to help law enforcement find people who have a tendency to wander, including people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alzheimer’s and other related conditions (A.1648). Last year, he authored and passed a law making a New York State Autism/Disability ID card available to families and individuals to use as a communication tool for emergency situations and interactions with law enforcement or first responders (Ch. 209 of 2018).

For almost 20 years, IBCCES has been the industry leader in autism training for licensed healthcare professionals and educators around the globe. Based in Florida, IBCCES works in all 50 states and over 70 countries to provide certification and training programs in cognitive disorders such as autism, ADHD, and mental health, to education, healthcare and corporate professionals and organizations. The IBCCES Board represents a wide range of experts in areas such as neurology, psychology, applied behavior analysis, and special education, as well as leading autism advocates who are on the autism spectrum.

“We’re very excited to welcome Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara to the IBCCES Board of Advisors. We believe in best practices from a variety of specialties and take a multi-disciplinary approach with our programs. We work hard to ensure we have leaders with a variety of training, backgrounds, and experiences to ensure many voices are heard. Assemblyman Santabarbara will be the first state official to join the IBCCES Board and we know the addition of his impressive legislature experience combined with his passion for helping those with autism will bring a wealth of knowledge to our programs so we can continue to impact the lives of those with cognitive disorders,” said Myron Pincomb, Board Chairman IBCCES.