By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
Monday, Nov. 20, 2006
TOPEKA
State social service officials want to expand Medicaid services for young children with autism.
“It”s become clear to us that there”s a gap in services for kids with autism,” said Kyle Kessler, a deputy secretary at Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.
Autism is a brain disorder that hinders a person”s ability to communicate, form relationships and adjust to their surroundings.
Currently, children with autism are eligible for Medicaid services at age 5.
But research has shown that chances for reducing autism”s toll decline significantly between ages 4 and 5.
“That”s been one of the real challenges,” Kessler said. “Right when these kids are eligible for services is when the window starts to close on them.”
The expansion would make children eligible for services occupational and speech therapies, social skills training and respite care from the time of their diagnoses.
“If we can keep kids from needing our services as they get older,” Kessler said, “not only will it enhance their lives and their families” lives, it”ll save the state a lot of money. It”s a win-win.”
The initiative is part of SRS” proposed budget for FY 2008, which begins July 1. If approved, it”s expected to cost $1.2 million in state funds, triggering an additional $1.8 million in federal support.
If approved, the funding would be available Jan. 1, 2008.
About 200 children would benefit, Kessler said.
Children would be eligible regardless of their families’ income.
Services would be provided through local mental health centers or programs for the developmentally disabled, depending on the child”s diagnosis.
“We don”t yet have a solid blueprint for what it”ll look like,” he said.
“The autism spectrum of disorders ranges from autism on one end to Asperger”s Syndrome on the other. Different people, I suspect, will access services at different points in the system.”
Children with autism often display anti-social behaviors that make group settings classrooms, for example difficult.
“These kids have significant communications problems,” said Lee Stickle, autism coordinator at the University of Kansas Medical Center and a member of the Governor”s Commission on Autism. “Typically, that means they communicate in other ways often through behaviors that don”t always fall within the norms of society.”
Twenty years ago, roughly one in 2,000 children was thought to have autism. Today, projections run as high as one in 166.
Researchers have struggled to explain the increase. Many cite increased awareness, a few point to the presence of mercury in certain medications.
Though Stickle welcomed news of the proposed expansion, she said professionals to deliver services are in short supply.
“There are private-pay people out there now, especially in the rural areas, who have the money but can”t find the services,” she said.
Parents, too, welcomed the initiative.
“We”re supportive of anything that helps parents of children with autism because there”s no doubt that early intervention is important,” said Andy Schlapp, an active member of the Autism Society of Kansas, a Wichita-based support group.
It”s also likely to reduce the state”s long-term costs, he said.
“When you”re looking at one out of 160-some kids having autism, the potential is there for these kids to flood the system,” Schlapp said. “Something has to be done.”
The expansion is expected to also be endorsed by the
Governor”s Commission on Autism
and the
Kansas Coalition for Autism Legislation
.
Contact Dave Ranney at
dranney@khi.org
or (785)-233-5443.