Getting Insurance Coverage

One of the biggest struggles a number of families face is getting insurance coverage for ABA therapy. Speech therapy and occupational therapy are often approved despite the lack of data of their effectiveness compared to ABA.

Why?
There are a few thoughts on this. Often speech or occupational therapy only recommended at 30minutes to 2 hours a week. This is much less than the 20-40 hours of recommended ABA.

But State Laws Have Been Passed!
There are many states which have state laws requiring at least some ABA be covered by insurance companies (when recommened by a doctor of course.) In Texas, HB 1919 was passed in 2007, and insurance companies were supposed to start providing coverage in 2008. However, they found a caveat. They stated that they would defintely pay for it if it was being provided by a state liscensed provided. The certification for ABA, BCBA, is a national certification. There currently is no state license. Basically, they were saying that unless you had a psychology license from TX and your BCBA, or perhaps your MD and BCBA, they weren't going to cover it due to a technicallity.

Is that Really Fair?!
No. And now the courts of California have official ruled on this issue. They stated that failing to provide coverage due to a lack of a state licensed person (repeat: there isn't a state license!) is against the California Mental Health Parity Act. In essense, it is not fair to not treat a whole population due to a lack of state licenses, when the provided are adequetly trained due to their national certification.

Now we just need that ruling to slowly make its ways around the country!

A&M Offering a Distance Learning BCBA Program

Starting in the fall of 2010 Texas A&M University will offer a distance learning Master's program that provides the needed coursework for BCBA as well.

Check it out here for more information

Aspergers vs. Mild Autism

Yesterday the World of Psychology blog had a piece on the new DSM removing Asperger's as a specific diagnosis. Instead it what was Asperger's would just be moved to "mild Autism." The rumor is the DSM is moving to more continous, spectrum classifications. For example, severe Autism, moderate Autism, mild Autism. So is Asperger's the same as mild Autism?

Personally, I think the Pervasive Developmental Disordered needed to be broken up and defined more clearly. I do think Asperger's is different than high functioning Autism. The main diagnosistic difference right now is presence of language (vs. a speech delay) at age 3. But how does knowing that provide any difference in treatment?

I believe that one day the Autism Spectrum Disorders will be distinguished based on neurobiological differences. Some of these individuals have severe bowel issues. I know individuals with mitochondrial disorders, chromosonal deletions, severe allergies. By looking at them in this way, it is easier to match treatments.

What do you think?

Maximum Potential Group's Video Based ABA Program

It was just announced that Maximum Potential, an online autism resource group has received a seal of approval from Dr. James W. Partington. Dr. Partington is one of the creaters of the ABLLS assessment and director of Behavior Analyst, Inc.

The video trainings by Maximum Potenital are designed to provide a more affordable options to families who cannot afford to hire qualified therapists to conduct all the therapy sessions. There is also an option of training videos for school districts.

Personally, I would be curious in the different between learning from the video and being able to have a professional there to give on site feedback. Would it be cheaper and more effect for a district to just have this videos, or to have a BCBA on staff?

Has anyone used these videos?