Legislation would cover autism therapy

[unhappycamper]

Legislation would cover autism therapy
By Bart Jansen - Gannett Washington Bureau
Posted : Wednesday Dec 9, 2009 16:38:15 EST

WASHINGTON — Julian Irby was initially told his autistic son would never speak. But intensive therapy has taught 17-year-old David not just to speak but to handle basic chores like taking out the trash and putting away the dishes.

“He can at least put together basic sentences to ask for things,” said Julian Irby, a professional engineer in Pensacola, Fla. “The only reason that he’s been able to learn to do those things is because we’ve had therapists and workers work with him one-on-one.”

Irby retired about five years ago as a commander in the Navy’s civil engineer corps, before the Pentagon’s Tricare health program began covering expensive autism therapy for dependents of active-duty military personnel. He relied on Medicaid for the “applied behavior analysis” that David needed.

Tricare still doesn’t cover autism therapy for the children of military retirees, and Irby says that needs to change. Republican Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida agrees.

“It’s a huge inequity,” Miller said. “It doesn’t cost a lot of money.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/gns_autism_children_military_retirees_120909w/