According to Autism Speaks "Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder and is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimates that 1 in 150 children have autism."

In a document entitled: "Arguments In Support of Private Insurance Coverage of Autism Related Services" by Autism Speaks "Early Intervention is critical to gain maximum benefits from existing therapies. Most private health insurance plans do not provide coverage for Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and other autism related services. Most insurance policies contain specific exclusions for autism. This is a hardship for many families, who are often forced to cope with delayed, inadequiate, and fragmented care throught the Medicaid system. Often families must pay for costly treatments out of pocket or forego the treatment.

This document can be found at:
www.autismspeaks.org/docs/
arguments_for_private_insurance_
coverage.pdf

Here is the great news if your child has recently been diagnosed with autism; Autism is treatable!! The educational treatment is Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). The sad part is that most families cannot afford the treatment. According to Autism Healing Thresholds the average cost for ABA therapy is $30-50,000 per year with a child usually receiving 3-4 years.

Many parents have fought the fight to ensure that their child received ABA treatment, through due process. Check out www.wrightslaw.com for due process cases and court cases on ABA.

Resources:

1. Autism Resource Network at the Website: www.autismbooks.com
2. Pro Ed Inc for books and testing materials at www.proedinc.com
3. Lovaas Institute at: www.lovaas.com
4. Book-Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism by Catherine Maurice. The book can be found at: www.proedinc.com
5. Book--Autism Spectrum Disorders from A-Z  Assessment, Diagnosis and more. Author Barbara Doyle and Emily Dole Iland. Find the book at:
http://www.asdatox.com

State Autism Profiles

Easter Seals and the Autism Society of America have developed state autism profiles for each state in the US. Filled with great information about state services for children and adults not only with autism but other types of disabilities. You can find your state at:
www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_advo-states

In an article in the Seattle Times October 12, 2008 was an article entitled: "Popular autism treatment often goes uncovered."

The article states that according to insurance industry trade groups some autism treatments aren't really medical treatments but are more educational in nature. In education must be paid for by the school district.

JoAnn--Some school districts try and say that ABA is not educational so that they do not have to pay for it. Seems like pass the buck to me!!

The article discusses several families that have suffered severe financial hardship because they are paying not only for ABA, but for biomedical treatments for autism as well.

The article goes on to say that some insurance industry people argue that not enough research has been done on the long term affects of ABA.

JoAnn--Actually there was a study in 1993 by J. Smith McEachin and O Ivar Lovass that finds that "Follow up research in early adolescence showed that children in the 1987 study maintatined their skills and could succeed in life without costly special education services and residential services."

JoAnn--I am so sick and tired of not only insurance companies but also special education personnel stating that their is not enough evidence that Applied Behavioral Analysis is affective to treat children with autism. There is plenty of research, it is just that certain people (insurance companies and some special education personnel) do not want to believe the research.

I was excited to read that one self insured company has decided to cover ABA treatment for children of their employees. This company is Microsoft!! A company spokesman stated that "Microsoft has a long history of striving to offer comprehensive benefits packages."

JoAnn--Good for Microsoft, they got this one right! I hope that other large companies take Microsoft's lead and help children with autism!

Free Articles about autism and autism related issues by JoAnn Collins are available at:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=JoAnn_Collins 

                 Articles:

1. What is Autism and How Do I Know if My Child Has it?

2. What are Positive Behavioral Supports, and Can They Help My Child

3. Knowing the ABC's of Behavior

4. How to Improve Your Child's School Behavior

5. 7 Areas that should be addressed in IEP's for Children With Autism

6. What IEP Teams Need to Consider in 7 Areas for Children With Autism

7. How to Get Needed Methodologies in Your Child's IEP

8.  What is ABA, and can it help my child with autism

9.  Bio Medical Treatments for Autism

10. Sensory Integration Dysfunction; What is it--diagnosis and treatment

11.  Parenting Tips on the Sensory Diet; treatment for Sensory Integration Disorder

12. 5 Areas to Pursue when your child is diagnosed with autism

13. How to Avoid a Fake ABA Program

14. 2 Autism Screening Tools That Every Parent Should Know About

A news story in Boston.com (www.boston.com) about Autism Speaks planning a legislative push in 20 states including Massachusetts to require private insurance companies to pay a portion of the intensive expensive educational treatments that children with autism need. Similar laws have passed in the past several months in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania requiring private insurers to pay toward different therapies including ABA.

The private insurers are balking at the proposed requirement especially coverage of ABA programs, because they say that they are new and unproven.

Of course the insurers say that covering these services for children with autism would push up costs, but they do not give any proof that costs would be increased. Autism Speaks states that its proposal will increase health insurance premiums an average of 1% nationwide.

Check your state and see if they have a law that requires private insurance companies to cover autism treatments including ABA! If there is not get involved with trying to get a law in your state.

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In my state of Illinois Public Act 095-0257 which amended the school code affects the development of an IEP for students with a disability on the autism spectrum.

Advocacy Tip: Check with your state board of education and see if your state has a similar law. I am aware that Texas also has a similar law, which gives 11 points for IEP teams to discuss for children with autism.

This act requires that the IEP team for a child with autism consider all of the following factors:

1. The verbal and nonverbal communication needs of the child.
2. The need to develop social interaction skills and proficiencies.
3. The needs resulting from the child's unusual responses to sensory experiences.
4. The needs resulting from resisitance to environmental change or change in daily routines.
5. The needs resulting from engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements.
6. The need for any positive behavioral interventions, strategies and supports to address any behavioral difficulties resulting from autism spectrum disorder.
7. Other needs resulting from the child's disability that impact progress in the general curriculum, including social and emotional development.

Advocacy Tip:  You can still use these 7 areas to prepare for your child's IEP, even if your state does not have a specific law requiring it!

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Contact Information: JoAnn Collins
PO Box 89 Bradley Il. 60915
Telephone: 1-815-932-9263
E mail: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com

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