Military moms Rebecca Estepp and Nashota Jackson play with Jacksons kids
SAN DIEGO Some military families say they fear needed treatment for their autistic children will soon be cut.
TRICARE, the militarys health care program, is making policy changes that impact autism therapy. Marine Corps wife Nashota Jackson whose six-year-old son has autism said she was frustrated when she found out.
I was angry that a therapy that works so well for our son and has really begun to draw out who our child is inside is threatening to be taken away, said Jackson.
The changes will affect a treatment called Applied Behavioral Analysis or ABA.
ABA is the cornerstone of autism treatment, said Rebecca Estepp, Communications Director for Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy (EBCALA).
Estepps 15 -year-old son has autism. Its estimated more than 23,000 Tricare beneficiaries have autism, with treatment averaging around $16,000 a year.
The changes take effect July 25 and require children who need more than two years of treatment to get a waiver. Children who need care after age 16 also need a waiver. The new rules also require standard testing every six months, where children must demonstrate progress. Jackson said providers already submit monthly progress reports, and she takes issue with the standardized test.
The test isnt going to show that without ABA he wouldnt be partially potty trained at six years old, said Jackson of her son. Without ABA he wouldnt be saying any words.
TRICARE sent Fox 5 a statement that reads in part:
Read the original here:
Military families fear cuts to autism treatment