Military families affected by autism get help in Defense Authorization Act
Friday, May 30, 2008
By: Carin Yavorcik

Bill passes House; includes autism amendment

On May 22, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5658, the Defense Authorization Act, by a vote of 384-23. The bill included an amendment introduced by Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA) that would increase the current cost-share program limit for dependant children of military personnel who have been diagnosed with autism.

From Congressman Sestak's Web site:

"This amendment addresses the difficulty faced by thousands of armed forces personnel and their families who are unable to obtain appropriate care for autistic children through the military’s Extended Care Health Option (ECHO). With passage of this legislation, autistic children of servicemen and women will receive a minimum of $5,000 per month of autistic services, which is double the current limit of $2,500 per month.

Approximately 8,500 children from these families have autism, which is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.; however, a recent estimate by the Congressional Budget Office shows only 700 autistic children are enrolled in ECHO because of long waits and limited coverage. ECHO’s limit on autistic care allows only five hours of therapy per week, while studies by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Research Council show that these youth need from 25-40 hours per week.

This amendment also requires a study by the Secretary of Defense that examines ways to improve autistic services."

ASA thanks the overwhelming number of people who participated in our action alert on this issue and wrote their representatives in support of the bill.