ASA-ASO ACTION ALERT: Autism Early Screenin Pilot in Jeopardy! Act Now!

[Guest guest]

Dear Friend of ASA-ASO:The Autism Early Screening pilot is in jeopardy and we need your help TODAY! PLEASE act as soon as possible!

In the last budget, ASA-ASO worked successfully, thanks to the efforts of Rep. Bacon (R-Columbus) and Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), to secure an appropriation for an Autism Early Screening and Diagnosis Education Pilot Project. This was a recommendation of the Ohio Autism Taskforce, created by the legislature under HB 95.The appropriation was made to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) under the Bureau of Early Intervention Services. ODH contracted with the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, an organization for and run by doctors that specializes in doctor training. The purpose of the pilot was to develop a public awareness and training model to screen children for autism in Ohio; to establish a standard practice of autism diagnosis; and to improving the regional capacity to provide a timely medical diagnosis of autism. The pilot was run in five diverse Ohio counties - Warren, Cuyahoga, Wood, NW lin and . It has been very successful, training 26 practices and 400 doctors in those counties. Additionally, it created dialog and collaboration between local entities serving children with autism including Help Me Grow, the Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps; the Department of Jobs and Family Services Bureau of Child Care; local school districts; local county boards Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities; local Mental Health providers; local Family and Children First Councils; Head Start; and the local Autism Society of America chapters - something that has been sorely lacking in Ohio.

The Department of Health was very pleased with the project and had continued to fund it in the upcoming budget to roll the program out throughout the rest of Ohio - $600,000 over the next two years.However, with the short fall in income to the state, funding to the Bureau of Early Intervention Services is in jeopardy and this includes the Autism Early Screening pilot. Please call or email members of the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee today - especially Republican members, and ask them to keep funding for the Autism Early Screening Pilot and use the following talking points:â— The Pilot program has increased the number of primary care professionals who screen for delayed development, including autism and social-emotional concerns. There are 24 new practices that are now routinely screening for autism and other developmental disabilities. There are 5 new entities that can screen and diagnose for autism - 3 in counties where there was no previous capacity to do so (in one county, people had to leave the state to get screening). Over 400 potential practitioners (including residents) have been trained to do routine screening.â— It has increased access to local diagnostic services for children with delays in language and social development - especially in those areas where there was no previous capacity. â— It has educated the doctors of today about the screening tools of tomorrow.â— It has improved care collaboration between public entities serving children.â— It has provided a new public awareness campaign for doctors, families and the general public on the importance of early screening.

Members of the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee include:

Carey - R, Chair - 614-466-8156, Email: SD17@...Mark Wagoner - R, Vice Chair - 614-466-8060, Email: SD02@...

Cates - R - 614-466-8072, Email: SD04@...

Faber - R - 614-466-7584, Email: SD12@...

Tom Niehaus - R - 614-466-8082, Email: SD14@... F. Patton - R - 614-466-8056, Email: SD24@...Bill Seitz - R - 614-466-8068, Email: SD08@...Jimmy - R - 614-466-8076, Email: SD20@...Chris Widener - R - 614-466-3780, Email: SD10@...

Dale - D, Ranking Minority Member

Ray - D

Shirley - D

H. - D

It would also be helpful to contact Senate President Bill as well at 614-466-8086, Email: SD19@...If the Senators have any additional questions, please have them contact the ASA-Autism Society of Ohio or you can refer them to Dodge of Dunn and Associates, a lobbyist who works with ASA-ASO pro bono.

Please contact your Senators today about preserving these important services!

Thanks so much for your help.Sincerely, Autism Society of America - Autism Society of Ohio Chapter701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...web: www.autismohio.org

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