SchaferAutismReport: Autism Diagnoses Bring Slew of Costs for Families

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Autism Diagnoses Bring Slew of Costs for Families

As part of the PBS NewsHour's Autism Today series, which begins airing

on April 18, we explore some of the basics of autism, including the

costs of treatment and therapy.

By Lea Winerman xrl.in/8t29

When Carol Santiago's son Ralphie won

admission to New York City's first charter school for children with

autism in 2007, it was, she says, "like winning the lottery." The

school, with a nearly 1-to-1 teacher-student ratio, could provide the

kind of intensive personal instruction that Ralphie, now 9, needs to

learn and thrive.

Santiago's lottery analogy is apt. She

and her husband, who are profiled in the NewsHour's Autism Today

series, found that Ralphie's place in the charter school eased not only

their worries about his education but also a significant financial

burden.

According to a 2006 study by health

economist Ganz, the direct costs to raise a child with autism

to age 22 are more than $500,000 -- and that's in 2003 dollars.

The gold-standard treatment for autism,

especially for young children, is a kind of behavioral therapy called

applied-behavior analysis (ABA) that involves up to 40 hours per week

of one-on-one work with a trained therapist. Then there's speech

therapy, occupational therapy, doctor bills for gastrointestinal and

other medical issues that can go along with the disorder, bills for

respite care -- hiring babysitters qualified to watch children with

autism -- and other expenses.

"The cost associated with Ralphie's

autism is something that we never anticipated, even at the initial

diagnosis point," Santiago said. "It doesn't hit you until you're deep

into it. For us, it wasn't until we began to look back a year into it

that we realized that it was going to eat up a lot of our resources."

Caught between 'Medical' and 'Educational'

Ganz's study measured autism's cost to

society overall. And of course, not all of the costs are paid directly

by families. Health insurance coverage pays for some treatment, as it

does for many families with a child who has a chronic health condition

and who also have medical coverage. And much of the cost is borne by

school systems, because the 1990 Individuals With Disabilities

Education Act requires all school districts to provide a "free and

appropriate" education for children with disabilities, including autism.

+ Read more: xrl.in/8t29

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TREATMENT

Autism's $100,000 Question

By Maura Lerner - Star Tribune

(Minneapolis) xrl.in/8t24

It all started with a scientist and 19

autistic children.

Ole Ivar Lovaas, a psychologist at the

University of California, wanted to see if he could change the way the

children behaved, given enough time and effort. So he lavished them

with intensive therapy for 40 hours a week for two years or more.

At the end of the experiment, Lovaas

reported that nine children - 47 percent - had no visible sign of

autism by first grade.

Today, almost 25 years later, therapists

are charging up to $100,000 per year for the treatment Lovaas

pioneered, and some parents believe it is the answer to their prayers.

Now a battle is raging in some areas,

including Minnesota, about whether taxpayers and health insurers should

be forced to pay for the treatment, known as Applied Behavior Analysis

(ABA).

At a time when autism diagnoses are

soaring nationwide, many parents and professionals insist that ABA

therapy is the best way to help these children live normal lives.

Larsson, a Minneapolis psychologist

and leading advocate, says ABA is more than just a treatment - it's a

way to rescue children "from the ravages of autism." He tells parents

that nearly half of children can recover if they start ABA soon enough.

"They're coming to us because they want

to cure their child," he said. "Just like you or I would do if we had

cancer."

But other autism experts say the

benefits of ABA treatment have been blown out of proportion.

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MEDIA

Autism Diagnoses Bring Slew of Costs for Families

TREATMENT

Autism's $100,000 Question

RESOURCES

'Best' Places To Live With Autism All In Major Metro Areas: Survey

NEWS

N.S. Adopts Tracking Program For People With Autism, Dementia

Feds Charge Researcher With Stealing Grant Money

Ariz. Senate Passes Health Insurance Bill

Illinois Activists Want Autism-Specific Funding

PUBLIC HEALTH

FDA To Take Another Look At Artificial Food Colorings

RESEARCH

Autism Speaks Awards $770,000 For Gastrointestinal Research In Autism

Spectrum Disorders

PEOPLE

Mom Who Withheld Meds From Son Found Guilty of Attempted Murder

land Judge Excludes Audio Portion Of Babysitter Video

EVENTS

Autism One Conference: Dinner Compliments Of Dr. Amy!

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