Families' autism
costs expected to rise : State projects a $13
million shortfall for services for children with
developmental disabilities.
Associated Press
October 16, 2006
TRENTON
- Some parents of children with autism
and other developmental disabilities are worried
about a state proposal that would make them pay more
for early intervention services.
For a family with a
child receiving a typical 10 hours per month of
therapy, their contribution would increase from $115
to $310 per month, according to Eddy Bresnitz,
deputy state health commissioner.
It's a bad
situation for Tara Banuls, a North Arlington
resident who has two children with autism.
"No one's thinking
about the future. It's going to cost more to educate
the children if they don't get this jump-start
because they're going to be further behind," Banuls
said.
Early intervention
by experts in behavior, speech and occupational
therapy has been shown to dramatically improve the
learning and communications potential of a child
because a human brain can rewire itself early in
life to compensate for a disorder.
The federal
government has mandated that states offer early
intervention services for children from birth to age
3, with treatment covering not only autism but also
disorders such as hearing impairments, mental
retardation and cerebral palsy.
Some of the costs
are covered by the federal government, with the
state and parents covering the rest.
New Jersey's budget
for the program has tightened, however, as the
number of children referred to the program doubled
over six years to 13,788 in fiscal 2006.
Meanwhile, the cost
of services is up to an average of $100 per hour.
Treatment for autism or hearing impairments can cost
more than $100,000 per year. Other problems with
speech and behavior can cost $15,000 to $20,000 a
year in services.
For fiscal 2007,
the Legislature has allocated $78 million, more than
triple the $22 million in 2000. But state officials
are still anticipating a $13 million shortfall.
Bresnitz says
lawmakers have directed that families' share of the
program should be doubled to $6 million a year.
"The state is not
the only funding resource for families," Bresnitz
said. "The families have to participate, as well.
Those who can, should contribute."
The state health
department's proposal would spare increases for
families in the program who make less than $70,000 a
year for a family of four. For the rest, the amount
of the increase would rise according to family
income.
Those making more
than $221,000 per year would have to pay 100 percent
of costs, unless the costs are more than 10 percent
of income.
The health
department is accepting comments on the proposal
through the end of the month.
Parents with
autistic children will be especially hard-hit by the
proposal, said Art Ball, government affairs director
for the New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services
for the Autism Community and the father of an
autistic child.
"If they want me to
pay a little more, I don't have a problem," Ball
said. "But don't take me from $800 a year [in
contributions] to $10,400 a year, which I absolutely
can't afford. Don't bankrupt me. Don't make me
choose."
