Raising Awareness for Autism
Parents of children with autism in Alabama are fighting a fight for access to care.
“Services are difficult to find and secondly they are very, very expensive and as for us, we’re paying out of pocket for services quite frankly we feel like individuals with autism are being discriminated,” says Drew Powell.
Autism Matters, Legislative Day is their time to get the attention of legislators.
“We feel like if they were aware of what’s going on in the autism community i certainly feel like and hope that there would be some support,” says Powell.
That’s why they are standing in the gap for not only their own children but also for others.
“Not a lot of people know what autism is,” says Elaine Krift.
The disease effects 1 in 68Â children and alabama is one of only five states that does not have required insurance coverage.
“What we need to do in Alabama is to make sure that they receive treatment where they become functional people and functional citizens of the state,” says Jim Perdue, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health.
Better access to coverage, to these supporters, means a better future for their children.
“We would like nothing more than to see that change and catch up with the rest of the country and most importantly do what’s right for those individuals that a lot of them can’t speak for themselves,” says Powell.
Right now, a bill is being proposed for health insurance to cover autism treatment in Alabama.
