5,000 autistic Nevadans, two bills that could help them

By Marshall Allen (contact)

Saturday, June 2, 2007 | 7:11 a.m.

The percentage of autistic children reported in Nevada school districts has increased nine fold in the past decade, according to a UNLV study - statistics that, health activists say, put even greater urgency on two legislative bills that would provide financial relief for their families and create a strategy to combat the problem.

The legislation, which may win approval in Carson City this weekend, would help Nevada's 5,000 autistic residents, most of whom are children.

Autism Spectrum Disorders may affect social interaction and communication, cause repetitive behaviors and unusual responses to sensory stimulation. The symptoms may be barely perceptible or totally disabling and can be diagnosed when a child is 1 to 3 years old.

John Tuman, an associate professor of political science at UNLV who led the study into the reports of autism in Nevada school districts, said the rate of autistic children increased from one in 3,750 in 1995 to one in 422 in 2004. Tuman's research did not examine the cause of the increase, but verified that it is genuine and not the result of changes in reporting or other factors.

The National Institute of Mental Health says the cause of the disorders is unknown, but research suggests autistic children are genetically predisposed to the condition.

Autistic children can improve with treatment, but it's costly and rarely covered by insurance companies.

Ralph Toddre of Reno, president of Sunbelt Communications Co., formed the Autism Coalition of Nevada in November to unify advocacy efforts for the legislative session. He spent $111,000 in 2006 for behavioral, language, occupational and speech therapy for his two autistic children, ages 6 and 8.

Parents who pay to treat autistic children often go bankrupt and the divorce rate for such couples is 80 percent, Toddre said.

Nevada is one of three states that provide no financial assistance to parents with autistic children, Toddre said. At least 17 states provide 100 percent funding for therapy through Medicaid, he said.

In 2005 a Nevada bill that would have provided $4.5 million to help parents pay for treatment died on the last day of the legislative session . He is hopeful legislative efforts will be more successful before Monday's end of the 2007 session, though the money would be a pittance compared with the need.

Assembly Bill 525 would provide about $6.4 million to screen for autism, open new treatment centers and help parents pay for evidence-based treatment for their autistic children. Senate Bill 368 would create an autism task force and provide about $4.5 million for pilot programs to combat the disease.

Toddre is optimistic the bills will pass. But the two combined would provide only about $2,000 per autistic child in Nevada.

"It's a drop in the bucket, no question," Toddre said.

But at least it recognizes a "massive issue" in Nevada, he said.

Scott Craigie, a lobbyist advocating for the bills, said there is hope that, spurred by the state's action, nonprofit organizations and individuals will provide matching grants to maximize the funds.

Treatment can help autistic children act in socially acceptable ways even if they do not understand why they should. If children are diagnosed and treated at a young age, about half of them can live a somewhat normal life, Toddre said. About 80 percent of those who do not get treatment require custodial care their entire lives, he said.

It makes sense to "pay a small amount now to avoid paying billions in the future," Toddre said.