In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families. As many posts have discussed, the challenges are especially great for military families.
Karen Jowers at Military Times:
Defense Health Agency officials should formally authorize Applied Behavior Analysis, a widely recognized intervention to help children with autism, as a basic Tricare benefit, according to a report on the findings of a congressionally mandated independent study.
The report, conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, debunks DHA officials’ repeated assertion that ABA services don’t meet their standards for reliable medical evidence.
The researchers lay out their analysis of why ABA meets Tricare’s own standards, defined in law.
Researchers recommend this major shift in Tricare’s policies for military family members diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, citing problems with an 11-year-old demonstration project that in effect limits the care available for these children.
“It’s time for ABA to be a basic benefit in the Defense Health Agency,” said Dr. Eric Flake, a retired Air Force colonel who is a member of the committee that conducted the study, during a webinar Tuesday.
