Autism hearing today at church
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 By STEVE DOYLETimes Staff Writer steve.doyle@htimes.com
Task force aims to boost funding, public awareness
Alabama's struggle to provide enough services for autistic children is the topic of a public hearing in Huntsville today.
The Alabama Autism Task Force, created by the state Legislature in March, is scheduled to meet from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Whitesburg Baptist Church's education center, 7300 Whitesburg Drive.
State Rep. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, the task force chairman, said he wants to hear from parents, teachers and others touched by autism. Ward's 5-year-old daughter, Riley, is autistic and is being treated at a private center in Birmingham.
"We have some wonderful programs out there," he said Monday, "but we're still way behind based on the demand. The biggest reason is awareness. Until recently, most people just didn't know what autism was."
Autism is a brain disorder that typically strikes before age 3 and can cause severe social interaction and communication problems. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 150 children nationally are affected.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued new guidelines recommending all children be screened for autism twice by their second birthday. Early intervention can improve a child's chances for effective treatment, the group said.
Ward said task force members have met several times in Montgomery and are holding public hearings across the state to gather ideas for stemming what he calls a health care "epidemic."
"What's surprised me is the number of people affected by this," said Ward, who represents parts of Bibb and Shelby counties. "I've been shocked."
The task force already has some preliminary recommendations, Ward said, including adding $1.1 million to the state education budget to hire an autism specialist for each of Alabama's 132 public school systems. Also, the state should revive a two-day autism training course for parents and special education teachers that fell victim to budget cuts several years ago, he said.
"A lot of people are relying on the public school system to help them because they can't afford a private (autism treatment) center," Ward said.
Private autism diagnosis and treatment programs in the U.S. cost $60,000 a year for a child, on average, and generally are not covered by health insurance.
Huntsville's nonprofit Riley Behavioral & Educational Center is the only private autism treatment facility between Birmingham and the Tennessee line. The Golf Road clinic serves 24 preschoolers; several others are on a waiting list.
Dr. Heather French, the center's education director, said today's meeting "gives parents an opportunity to tell legislators what a great need there is for extended services for children faced with autism and related disorders."
Youngsters at the Riley Center receive four hours of daily intensive behavioral therapy aimed at curing their problems before kindergarten.
North Alabama is suspected to have a higher autism rate than other parts of the country, French said, and CDC officials are checking for any links to toxins in the atmosphere