The "Combating Autism Act" finally passed

[lokheed]

Last night the US Senate again passed unanimously the Combating Autism Act. The version passed last night is a compromise version, slightly different from the one also unanimously passed several months ago in the Senate. After months of stalling and preventing the bill from coming to a vote in the House, Rep. Joe Barton (R) finally agreed on a compromise version that actually authorizes slightly more spending but is less specific on when and where the money should be spent. The truth is that in one more month Barton would not have chaired the relevant committee and could no longer have prevented it at all, but a delay to the next session would have meant starting from scratch. I am obviously pleased that this legislation has finally passed, as are groups like Autism Speaks, Cure Autism Now, and the Autism Society of America.

Newsweek has the full story here.

Comments

[damashita.livejournal.com]

i saw that! It is wonderful, as far as it goes.

My concern is something that doesn't seem to be addressed as fully (or maybe i am missing it as i don't get as many updates as you do).... what to do to help all these young people when they aren't young anymore. With the dramatic increase in people who are autistic what are we going to do in 20 years when they are grown and their parents are now moving towards senior-hood. Or in 40 years when their parents start passing away. We need to have some system in place to help provide a safe place for autistic adults.

[lokheed.livejournal.com]

Yes, there is indeed a looming crisis particularly with the Social Security Disability program. At age 21, autistics become eligible for SSI. There is a giant wave of autistic children heading for that mark over the next decade.

This, by the way, stands as an excellent argument to those who claim that there is no real increase in the rate of autism, only an increase in the diagnosis. My question to them is, where are the 1 in 166 autistic adults? The vast majority of them would not be able to function independently and would be drawing SSI benefits. So where are they?

[damashita.livejournal.com]

Exactly! Although there was a... difference of diagnosis (mental retardation and the like), you still don't see 1 in 166 adults in general w/ that severity of disability in the adult population now.

[damashita.livejournal.com]

While they may get SSI, at what rate? As they never paid in, is it based on their parents' incomes? i know your mom's SSDI is barely enough to live... but definitely NOT enough to pay for assisted living and other necessities that would be on the list of requirements but yet not necessarily covered under medicare/medicaid. And if they go by a minimum-wage-all-their-life mom of a child - how could they survive?

[lokheed.livejournal.com]

Ask me that question again next week. On Tuesday night I am going to a two hour seminar on Legal Estate Planning for Special Needs Children. I am sure that question will come up.