Which states are good for autism support? I compared four measurable parts of access [OC] Visualization

What This Visualization Shows

This data visualization displays "Which states are good for autism support? I compared four measurable parts of access [OC]" and provides a clear visual representation of the underlying data patterns and trends. The visualization focuses on Original source: [https://www.buddingfuturesaba.com/which-states-are-good-for-autism-support](https://www.buddingfuturesaba.com/which-states-are-good-for-autism-support)

Data source: KU State of the States in I/DD, KFF Medicaid HCBS waiting-list data, BACB region-specific certificant data, CDC Autism Data Visualization Tool, and U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.

Method:

I created an original state comparison using four factors: state I/DD funding commitment (30%), family-support reach (30%), reported waiting-list access (25%), and BCBA provider availability (15%). Each factor was converted to a state percentile before applying the weights.

States shown as gray were not scored because KFF does not identify their waiting-list reporting as screened for eligibility, making the reported numbers less comparable.

Important limitations:

The weights are subjective. Funding, family-support, and waiting-list data cover broader I/DD systems that include some autistic people but are not autism-only. BCBA count does not measure appointment availability, insurance acceptance, or care quality. Source years differ because there is no single current national dataset covering all four factors.

Tools:

Python, Tableau Hyper API, Beautiful Soup, matplotlib, and shapely.

Full formula and source links are documented in the methodology file included with the chart., which allows us to understand complex relationships and insights within the data through visual storytelling.

Deep Dive into the Topic

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Data Analysis and Insights

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Significance and Applications

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