PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Tony Burke was an energetic 2-year-old who loved drawing purple pictures of Barney and jumping on trampolines. But then his parents began to notice how he would grunt instead of talk, and couldnt look anyone in the eye. Before his third birthday, in 2005, he was diagnosed with autism.
It felt like my heart had been ripped out, said his mother, Suzanne Burke of Philadelphia.
Seeking the best care, his parents found applied behavior analysis (ABA), a one-on-one therapy considered the most effective treatment to date for autism.
While doing ABA, Tonys grunts became words like cookie and juice, which later evolved into sentences, such as Can I have some juice? The intensive therapy was working.
But then the familys insurance started denying claims.
Even though laws in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey require insurers to pay for ABA, Tonys therapy wasnt covered in school, where he most needed help. And it was impossible for the Burkes to pay the nearly $80,000 a year this therapy costs.
Without ABA, Tonys language skills plummeted. His behavior spiraled out of control. You feel helpless, said Tonys father, John Burke.
While autism laws were enacted before 2010 in both states, families like the Burkes are still finding large gaps. Coverage for ABA, considered the gold standard of care for autism, can be hard to obtain. Payments can be delayed. And the laws do not even apply to autistic adults.
These problems will continue to fester, even as the developmental disorder grows more common. Though its not clear why, autisms prevalence is about 120 percent higher than estimates from 2000, with 2010 data showing that it now affects one in 68 U.S. children.
In New Jersey, the prevalence is even higher, at one in 45 children. Estimates in 2008 put Pennsylvanias prevalence at one in 75 children. A 2005 census identified 5,510 individuals with autism in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Here is the original post:
Unscrambling autism laws