Autism Resources

Center in Boise Closes

It takes resources to help people on the spectrum. The Idaho Center for Autism closed its doors because of an issue with resources. The center's director, Stephanie Spencer told KTVB that insurance companies are not required to cover therapy for autism. That means many families are dependent on Medicaid to cover the cost. According to Spencer, how the state covers autism through medicaid has been changing. Students were seeing a therapist two to four hours a week. "It simply is not enough to make progress."

It will be up the schools and parents to pick the slack.

More People Need to Care

This would all change if more people were aware of the need for funding to diversify revenue sources for autism treatment programs like the one in Boise. A starting point would be the realization that contributions to large charities like Autism Speaks do not directly benefit treatment centers like The Idaho Center for Autism.

Wake Up

One in 68 children diagnosed as on the spectrum is the average. In places like New Jersey and Delaware the rates are much higher. School systems cannot keep up. For those who age out of the system...very little help is in place. In some places, insurance is not required to cover the coasts of therapy. The system is being overwhelmed. Wake up! The schools are overburdened and non-profits that specialize in the therapies that offer the chance for children on the spectrum are underfunded. There is no cure. There is no drug to treat autism. 

The example below is just one case of how a school system is bending under the burden. But, it isn't really about the schools. It should be about the children and their families.

Autism surge creates special education teacher shortages