Ravi's Corner
Any past article or article with a broken link can be found here.
(12/16/08)
Utah legislation would have health insurance companies cover autism therapy.
The Salt Lake Tribune (12/16, May) reports on a grassroots advocacy effort to require " Utah health insurance companies to cover autism therapy." State Senator Howard Stephenson (R) has sponsored a bill in the upcoming session, which "would include an annual coverage cap, likely around $30,000, and a to-be-determined lifetime cap. It will also require families to contribute." As it is currently conceived, the bill would only require insurers "to cover what is known as applied behavior analysis, or ABA therapy," which provides "one-on-one treatment for up to 40 hours a week at home." The measure, however, would likely "not cover alternative therapies, such as hyperbaric chambers and detoxifying diets."
(12/10/08)
Program Offers Life-Skills Education for Young Adults with Autism..
In its "Spirit of America" segment, ABC World News (12/10, story 12, 2:10, Gibson) focused on "some of the challenges of autism" for young adults "learning to be independent." Correspondent John Donvan "found a place where" students with autism "and their teachers are making slow, sure progress." At the University of Arizona-Tucson, in "a program called Chapel Haven West," adults with autism who have "the ambition" of "adult independence" live together "in apartments off campus, guided by educators." The students are "getting a round-the-clock course in taking care of themselves." For the students, the program is more than "Life, 101." It's also a chance to "work on the subtler things that make autism so difficult," such as learning "lessons for making friends, for dealing with roommates, for job interviews," and for learning social skills, such as not behaving inappropriately in certain social settings, or staring at people.
(12/03/08)
Prenatal Exposure to Valproate May Increase Child's Risk of Autism, Study Suggests.
UPI (12/3) reported, "Prenatal exposure to the epilepsy" medication "valproate may increase a child's risk of autism," according to a study "published in the journal Neurology." HealthDay (12/3, Gardner) added that "the study involved 632 live births from 620 women, 296 of those births to women with epilepsy, and 249 of whom took anti-epilepsy" medications "at the beginning of the pregnancy. Controls were 336 live births to women without epilepsy and therefore not taking these medications." Next, "the children were assessed for autism or related conditions at one, three and six years of age." Researchers found that "out of the group of 632 children, nine were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and another [child] with features of these disorders, amounting to a total incidence of 1.6 percent. Seven of the 10 children were born to mothers taking anti-epileptic" medications. In addition, "four of the children were exposed to valproate, one to valproate plus lamotrigine, one to phenytoin (Dilantin among other brand names), and one to lamotrigine alone."
(12/01/08)
Survey Suggests Autism May Put More Stress On Families Financially Than Other Chronic Health Conditions.
The AP (12/1, Tanner) reports that a national survey has found that "more than half a million US children have autism, with costly healthcare needs that often put an unprecedented financial strain on their families." The study, which appears in the Dec. issue of the journal Pediatrics, suggests that, "compared with parents whose youngsters have chronic healthcare needs but not autism, those with autistic children are three times more likely to have to quit their jobs or reduce work hours to care for their kids. They pay more for their kids' health needs, spend more time providing or arranging for that care, and are more likely to have money difficulties." The findings are "from a nationally representative 2005-06 survey of nearly 40,000 children with special healthcare needs. These children have a broad range of chronic conditions, including physical and mental illness, requiring more extensive than usual medical care."