Health Providers say wages may still be too low for free treatment program to succeed.
Before they even start, tutors in a state autism pilot project may be getting a raise.
Utahs Medicaid department is looking into increasing how much it will pay tutors who will provide free applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to children with the social and communication disorder. Authorized by the Utah Legislature, the pilot program will cover 250 children ages 2 through 6, through June 2014.
Applied behavior analysis
ABA It has been used since the 60s to help people with autism. Through positive reinforcement, children can acquire basic skills, including looking, listening and imitating, the advocacy group Autism Speaks says.
In some cases Preschoolers who have intensive therapy can eventually participate in regular classrooms with little extra support. But some show no improvement, so it is hard to predict how much each child will benefit.
Medicaid set the rate for the tutors, who would provide 20 hours of in-home therapy a week, at $21.52 an hour. But they could make as little as $14.42 an hour because of insurance and other training costs.
Few existing ABA therapists were interested in applying, saying the pay was too little for their experienced employees and wasnt enough to train less-qualified applicants. The rate is also lower than other two state-funded pilots through the Public Employees Benefit and Insurance Program and the Autism Treatment Account.
Supporters hope the pilot projects will show good results and lead to broader autism therapy coverage.
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Utah Medicaid considers higher pay for autism tutors