ANNAPOLIS (May 5, 2014) — Gov. Martin O’Malley today signed a professional licensing bill for behavior analysts, the final step in Maryland’s multi-year effort to require insurance coverage of medically necessary autism treatment. By virtue of the bill-signing, Maryland became the 37th state to enact autism insurance reform.

The bill-signing by O’Malley followed the enactment of new regulations in March by the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) that require coverage of autism treatment by fully funded small and large group plans, the state employee health plan, and coverage purchased through Maryland’s health insurance marketplace created under the Affordable Care Act.

Coverage is required through age 18 for psychological care; speech, occupational and physical therapy; and behavioral health treatment, including applied behavior analysis (ABA). A minimum of 25 hours weekly of ABA has to be covered through age 5; from age 6 through 18, the requirement drops to 10 hours weekly.

The law signed by O’Malley,  created a state licensing process for behavior analysts. Without the law, access to ABA therapy was limited to a smaller pool of practitioners licensed in other fields, such as psychology.

“Autism Speaks applauds Governor O’Malley, our legislative champions and partner organizations for bringing this process to a successful conclusion, delivering urgently needed insurance coverage to Maryland kids with autism,” said Judith Ursitti, Autism Speaks director of state government affairs. “In particular, we thank Senators Kathy Klausmeier and Mac Middleton, Speaker Mike Busch and Delegates Kirill Reznik, Ariana Kelley, and Pete Hammen for their many hard years of work on this issue.

Maryland followed a different path than the 36 other states which have enacted autism insurance reform. While debating a bill that would have required the coverage in 2012, the Legislature chose instead to pursue regulatory changes to its existing habilitative care law.

Following a year of study, MIA first proposed regulations in September 2013. But the proposal drew so many demands for changes that a revised set was issued early in 2014, incorporating a number of the requested changes.

Autism Speaks, Pathfinders for Autism and the Maryland Association of Behavior Analysts will host a series of information session thsi month to familiarize families and providers with the new regulations. Learn more here.

Maryland joins Nebraska and Utah which have enacted reform this year; the North Carolina Senate next week starts work on finalizing a bill approved last year by the state’s House of Representatives.

For the original article published on Autism Speak’s website, see the link below:

The implementation of autism insurance laws has been frustrated at times by demands that practitioners of applied behavior analysis (ABA) gain a state license before their services can qualify for reimbursement — even in states that do not have licenses for behavior analysts. The Autism Speaks Legal Resource Center joined recently in a lawsuit that successfully overturned such a demand in California. Dan Unumb, executive director of the center, weighs in.

In a case brought by Consumer Watchdog, the California Court of Appeals ruled on April 23 that the state’s Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) erred by allowing insurers to deny coverage of ABA therapy provided by behavior analysts who are nationally board certified, but for whom no license has been created under California law.

Because only a small number of persons licensed in other professions in California are trained to provide ABA, DMHC’s policy led to delays and denials of medically necessary treatment.

The DMHC policy was also contrary to the position of the state’s other regulator of insurance—the California Department of Insurance—and the terms of California’s 2011 autism insurance law which applies to other insurance policies not involved in the case. That statute requires coverage of ABA when provided or supervised by Board Certified Behavior Analysts certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), a professional accreditation organization which certifies behavior analysts nationally and internationally.

Similar to state licensing laws, BACB certification requires meeting rigorous education, fieldwork, and examination requirements, as well as continuing education requirements and adherence to ethical standards.

The Autism Speaks Legal Resource Center filed a friend-of-the-court brief which I authored along with Robert Barnes of the national law firm Kaye Scholer.

In the brief, we noted that while an increasing number of states have adopted a license for behavior analysts, the vast majority of states still do not have such a license. Instead, they provide that insurance-reimbursed ABA services can be provided or supervised by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs).

Absent a state license for behavior analysts, BACB certification is the only credential that reflects and requires expertise in behavior analysis. Even in states that have created a state license for behavior analysts, BACB certification is the key prerequisite to obtain a license.  States requiring insurance coverage of ABA also follow the BACB-approved and clinically validated tiered delivery model where a BCBA supervises behavior technicians who provide line therapy to the child who may need as much as 30 to 40 hours a week of therapy to achieve effective long term results.

In our brief, we pointed out that in addition to the legislature’s approval of BCBA practice under California’s 2011 ABA insurance statute, unlicensed BCBA’s have effectively delivered ABA services for years in California, including under contracts with the state’s Regional Centers which provide services to the disabled.

The Court of Appeals agreed that the lack of a California license for behavior analysts could not be a basis for denying medically necessary ABA therapy by BCBAs. The court held that the “ABA statute constitutes legislative approval of the practice of ABA by BACB-certified providers and individuals under their supervision. That legislative approval effectively qualifies BACB-certification as a “license” to provide ABA.”

The court went on to make clear that the 2011 autism insurance law applied even to therapy delivered under plans not expressly covered by the statute, such as California’s public employee plans (CalPERS). According to the court, “legislative authorization to provide ABA in this state cannot depend upon the health plan in which a patient is enrolled. To hold otherwise would create an irrational inconsistency in our state licensing laws.”

The California ruling may be useful in other states which have not yet adopted a license for behavior analysts. Most importantly, families insured through CalPERS plans will now be able to access medically necessary services just like other families. The children of firefighters, teachers and others covered by CalPERS deserve no less.

Below is the link to the original article posted on Autism Speaks website on Friday, May 2nd.

OVERLAND PARK, KS (April 16, 2014) — Governor Sam Brownback today signed legislation expanding autism insurance coverage beyond the state employee health benefit program, culminating a six-year campaign to enact more meaningful reform in Kansas. Enactment of the law also made Kansas the 10th state to amend its original autism insurance law to make it stronger.

“Autism Speaks applauds Governor Brownback’s support of the autism community,” said Mike Wasmer, a Kansas resident who serves as Autism Speaks’ director of state government affairs.  “This bill is an important step toward providing access to medically necessary treatment for all individuals with autism in Kansas.”

Sponsored by Rep. John Rubin (R-Shawnee), the new law, HB.2744, will require state-regulated large group and “grandfathered” small group individual health plans to cover medically necessary treatments, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), for autism for children up to age 12.

The bill as initially proposed by the House Insurance Committee would have limited ABA coverage to 10 hours per week, but was raised after vigorous opposition from the state’s autism community. As enacted, the new law allows for 25 hours per week of ABA for four years from the time of diagnosis and then reduces to 10 hours per week.

The new law is spearate from the state’s 2010 autism insurance reform law which applies only to state employees. The 2010 legislation when introduced would have covered the private market, but was amended into a pilot program limited to state employees to gauge the impact on health care costs. When the 2010 law was enacted, Wasmer, then president of the Kansas Coalition for Autism Legislation (KCAL), said, “This is not the end, but rather the start of getting autism treatment to all in need in the state of Kansas.”

After being judged a success, the program was made permanent for state employees, but Kansas lawmakers continued to resist efforts to expand the coverage to the private market. In 2012, efforts to force a bill out of a committee fell one vote shy of success.

After Rubin introduced a bill this year that would have provided broader coverage, the insurance lobby filed a second version with much more restrictive terms and would have cut back existing benefits for state workers. After heated opposition from the state’s autism community, HB.2744 was introduced as a compromise measure.

Wasmer said the new law marks a step forward, but that efforts will continue to provide the best coverage for the most children. The existing state employee autism benefit will continue unaffected by the  new law.

The original article can be found on the Autism Speaks website at the link below:

Indiana University has compiled a list of Autism Society of America chapters and additional support groups across Indiana for parents of children across the autism spectrum. This information is provided to help those families trying to locate a group for support. The support groups listed may or may not provide you and your family with the specific kind of support you are seeking. Please call the contact person directly to find out about the specific focus of the support group, and to find out about meeting places and schedules. Certain groups have mailing lists, email listservs, or blogs you can ask about when you call.

See the link below for a list of area support groups by city.

SALT LAKE CITY (April 3, 2014) — — Gov. Gary Herbert today signed legislation making Utah the 35th state to enact autism insurance reform. Utah has one of the nation’s highest rates of prevalence for autism at 1 in 54, or about 2 percent of the state population.

Sen. Brian Shiozawa (at the podium) and Governor Herbert

Sponsored by Sen. Brian Shiozowa, the bill (SB.57) was fiercely opposed by the insurance industry. The enactment of the law culminated six years of effort by the Utah Autism Coalition, providers and families to end insurance company discrimination against people with autism.

“Autism Speaks commends Senator Brian Shiozawa for his leadership in delivering for the Utah autism community,” said Mike Wasmer, Autism Speaks’ associate director of state government affairs. “The Utah Autism Coalition has fought hard to make this day happen and we were proud to be their partner.”

The law requires many state-regulated health plans to cover speech, occupational and physical therapy, psychological and psychiatric care, and behavioral health treatments, including applied behavior analysis (ABA).

The original article was posted on Autism Speaks website here https://www.autismspeaks.org/advocacy/advocacy-news/35-utah-enacts-autism-insurance-reform

Is your toddler repetitive?
Could be Autism. Study warns.
April 2014- The Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology published a new paper that will make each parent sit up and observe their child’s behavior. The study, published by lead researcher Joseph Piven, found that children demonstrating repetitive behaviors like flapping hands, spinning, etc. by their first birthday are four times more likely to have autism than
children who don’t do such repetitive actions. The study adds weight to the theory that repetitive behaviors might be a red flag for Autism that all parents should watch out for. The study, conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, sends mixed signals, as repetitive actions like babbling syllables and wiggling arms are often the
first developmental milestones that children show. Distinguishing them from behaviors that point towards Autism might need sharper observation and definitely more research.

Want to read more? To view the entire April 2014 edition of The Lighthouse Beacon click here.

The nonprofit behind Big Bird, Elmo and Abby Cadabby is launching a new effort to reduce stigma surrounding kids with autism and help those with the developmental disorder learn life skills.

Through a new initiative dubbed “See Amazing in All Children,” Sesame Workshop said it will create digital tools to help children with autism learn to play with others and complete everyday activities like brushing teeth, getting dressed and trying new foods.

In addition, the organization said it will use Sesame Street’s brand and characters to educate the public about autism and emphasize that kids on the spectrum are much like their typically developing peers.

“This has become one of the most widely-discussed topics in childhood development, yet we have found that there’s a lack of understanding among the general public about children with autism,” said Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop’s senior vice president for community and family engagement. “Sesame Workshop has a long history of addressing diversity, acceptance and inclusion, and we felt we could play a critical role in reducing misconceptions by highlighting the commonalities children with autism share with all children.”

Beyond its efforts aimed at children, Sesame Workshop said it also plans to work with Exceptional Minds, a Sherman Oaks, Calif. vocational center that teaches young adults with autism computer animation and post-production skills, to help create content.

The original article was published here on Disability Scoop:  https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/04/04/sesame-street-autism/19257/

Anti-anxiety medications help autism brain, research suggests

 A new study conducted by the University of Washington has found that low doses of drugs used to treat anxiety symptoms can help ‘re-balance’ the brains of children with autism. Dr. Catterall and his team found that the imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory neurons that characterizes autism could be corrected partially with small doses of drugs used to treat symptoms like anxiety and seizures. Published in the prestigious journal Neuron, the study might be a breakthrough for treating the core developmental problems that afflict children having autism.  The group of drugs called ‘benzodiazepines’ was found to restore the altered balance between the inhibitory and excitatory neurons in mice brains.  The team of researchers is hopeful in this discovery helping correct repetitive behaviors and social skills that make autism a challenge for parents.

Group CBT helps reduce depression, stress in youngsters with ASD, study reveals

The value of group therapy has long been used for psychological disorders. Now, a study has shown that group sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT have high potential in reducing the symptoms of stress, depression, etc in youngsters having autism spectrum disorders. Published in the Journal of Autism and Development Disorders,  the study was headed by J. McGillivray and evaluated 32 adolescents ranging from 15 to 25 years.  The study adapted the CBT for a group setting to treat anxiety, depression and stress symptoms for people on the autism spectrum and found significant reduction in the symptoms of stress and depression although the anxiety related symptoms remained unchanged. The benefits of the group therapy were maintained when the participants were evaluated again at 3 and 9 months follow ups.

 Soy and seizures linked in autism, study suggests

Scientist Cara Westmark and her team from the University of Wisconsin Madison have found elevated rates of seizures in children suffering from autism who were raised on infant formulas having soy protein instead of milk protein. The study also found that the seizures were seen more in the female population of the study group compared to males. The study will help understand the relation and impact of food on neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and might pave way for therapeutic research to help control such conditions. The research was published in the journalPLOS ONE last week.

 Is your toddler repetitive? Could be autism. Study warns.

The Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology published a new paper that will make each parent sit up and observe their child’s behavior. The study published by lead researcher Joseph Piven found that children demonstrating repetitive behaviors like flapping hands, spinning, etc by their first birthday are four times more likely to have autism than children who don’t do such repetitive actions. The study adds weight to the theory that repetitive behaviors might be a red flag sign for autism that all parents should watch out for. The study conducted at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sends mixed signals as repetitive actions like babbling syllables and wiggling arms are often the first developmental milestones that children show.  Distinguishing them from behaviors that point towards autism might need sharper observation and definitely more research.

You can find the original article published by Autism Daily Newscast here  https://www.autismdailynewscast.com/autism-research-march-21-2014-week-in-review/9005/dr-narsaria/

Amazon has started a new program called AmazonSmile that will allow various charitable organizations to benefit from your shopping. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. Shop with Amazon and choose from nearly 1 million eligible 501(c)(3) public charitable organizations to support, including St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, the organization Lighthouse has chosen to support!

Learn more about AmazonSmile here:

“The second day of the 2014 Autism Speaks Autism Investment Conference closed with a focus on the need for more employment opportunities for teens and adults with autism.

“Adults with autism have an estimated 90 percent unemployment rate,” said moderator Leslie Long, Autism Speaks assistant director of adult services. “We have to explore all options available to advance employment opportunities for this population, including investing in companies that hire and support adults on the spectrum.”

Long stressed the need for employers to understand the value of hiring employees with autism. She encouraged businesses and organizations large and small to tap into the strengths that adults with autism can bring to the workplace.

More and more businesses are hiring individuals with autism, she noted, and many have seen tremendous success as a result. The companies showcased in the sessions illustrated some of the opportunities to capitalize on the potential of young adults and adults living with autism.

Employment Services Showcase

Last year, Autism Speaks featured AutonomyWorks as an exemplary employer in its Small Business Initiative. The company connects individuals who have autism with companies needing workers in areas such as website maintenance and quality assurance. “There are hundreds of thousands of potential workers with autism spectrum disorders whose skills and abilities are perfectly matched to these business tasks,” said Dave Friedman, AutonomyWorks founder and CEO (at left).

AutonomyWorks currently employs 15 adults on the autism spectrum and provides workers for six clients. These clients range from start-up companies to some of the world’s largest ad agencies. AutonomyWorks’ goal is to employ 10,000 associates, have a service centers across the nation and inspire others to develop similar business models. “Workers with autism want to contribute their talents to the business community and to society,” Friedman said. “AutonomyWorks is here to help.”

Houlton Institute is an innovative online education provider. Thanks to a grant from Autism Speaks, Houlton and the Autistic Global Initiative developed an online course that provides training for residential and daily-living care providers. As part of this partnership, Houlton hired several faculty members and teaching assistants on the autism spectrum, said co-founder Dan Merritts (at left).

MindSpark Technologies founder Chad HahnMindSpark Technologies (Santa Monica, Calif.)  is an outsourced information technology company providing employment opportunities for individuals with specialized abilities – including adults with autism. “At MindSpark, we’re about more than just a job,” said founder Chad Hahn (left). “We believe in both the personal and the professional well-being of our team.  We’re creating a family atmosphere in and out of the office, building bonds we hope will last for a lifetime.” Chad and the company’s other principal owners are working without pay to launch and manage the enterprise. Investment will enable MindSpark to train and hire more employees, who will share in profit distributions. Enhancing the investment opportunity, Hahn explained, MindSpark incorporated as one of California’s nonprofit “benefit corporations.”

This article was published on March 5, 2014 on the Autism Speaks website. The original post can be found at https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/focus-employment-opportunities-autism-investment-conference