Sharron Angle Is Back

Lisa Hagen reports at The Hill:

Sharron Angle’s entry into the Nevada Senate race creates a headache for Republicans hoping to sail through a primary and focus on a tough general election.

The 2010 Republican Senate nominee’s decision to run upends the party establishment’s plan to rally behind Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.) in an uncontested primary as the GOP looks to flip the seat being vacated when Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) retires.

If that name sounds familiar, see these excerpts from this blog on September 28, 2010:

 Greg Sargent writes at The Washington Post:

* I wrote earlier that Sharron Angle wasn't mocking autism in that vid that's making the rounds, but Nevada writer Steve Sebelius makes a strong case that she was, in fact, expressing "skepticism that autism is a legitimate disorder."

Sebelius argues the vid reveals "Angle's utter selfishness, and her encouraging that selfishness in others. She doesn't have autism, or autistic kids, so why should she pay for them? And why should you?She's not going to have any more babies, so why should she be forced to pay for other people's? And why should you?"

* And: Eric Kleefeld points out that "it is very clear that Angle was opposing mandated health insurance coverage for various conditions, including autism." Meaning that Angle's plan wouldn't require insurance companies to cover it.

* Angle's response: Her camp puts out a statement that government allows people to "falsely label other symptoms as autism."

Sargent also writes on an attack from HHS Secretary Sebelius:

It isn't every day that a White House cabinet secretary thrusts herself this forcefully into a Senate race, but Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius today took a very hard shot at Sharron Angle over that widely-circulated video of Angle belittling mandated coverage for autism treatment.

"It is my understanding that Sharron Angle believes that there is a hoax, under the guise of autism, where you would include requests for treatments that may not even be required," said Sebelius, who was in Nevada promoting health care reform with Harry Reid.
Sebelius pounded Angle's comments as "insulting" to parents and kids, adding: "I don't know if there is anyplace in the country where the differences in the candidates are more stark than here."

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports:

Russ Steele, a parent whose 5-year-old son suffers from autism, said Angle "owes an apology" to parents and their children with autism.

"When she mocked the very existence of autism, she crossed the line," Steele said.

"Sharron Angle owes (my son) Brandon and every other autistic child in Nevada an apology, not only for trying to undermine their insurance coverage but for mocking the very existence of autism," Steele said.

Angle Not Clear on PDD-NOS

The Mohave Daily News reports:

Repeatedly, step-by-step, Angle explained how the Reid campaign has used half-truths to twist her statements.

Outside the new party branch office in upper Laughlin, she added another, about autism. She explained health insurance companies now have 52 mandated coverages to provide. When the government required autism it added a loophole “and any other developmental disabilities not otherwise classified” — meaning those paying for autism coverage also pay the freight for a lot of other conditions.

Here is what the law ( NRS 689A.0435 ) says:

“Autism spectrum disorders” means a neurobiological medical condition including, without limitation, autistic disorder, Asperger’s Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.

PDD-NOS is not a "loophole." It is an autism spectrum disorder. Autism Speaks explains:

Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD-NOS, for short, is a condition on the spectrum that has those with it exhibiting some, but not all, of the symptoms associated with classic autism. That can include difficulty socializing with others, repetitive behaviors, and heightened sensitivities to certain stimuli.

How it's similar to classic autism

Those with PDD-NOS behave like those with classic autism in many ways. First, they are all different (meaning one person with PDD-NOS doesn't act exactly like another; the same holds true for classic autism). When interacting with others, they may appear unemotional or unable to speak, they could have trouble holding eye contact, or they may have trouble transitioning quickly from one activity to the next.

How diagnosis differs

Those with PDD-NOS are different from others on the spectrum in one specific way: While they may exhibit some symptoms of those conditions, they don't fit the bill closely enough to fully satisfy all criteria set by the experts. Perhaps they started having difficulties at a much later age than others on the spectrum. (According to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, they are often diagnosed between the ages of 3 and 4 years old.) Or they may have the same challenges — for example, they may be oversensitive to their surroundings — but not to the extreme that others on the spectrum do.

Consequently, those with PDD-NOS are sometimes thought to have a "milder" form of autism, though this may not be technically true. One symptom may be minor, while another may be worse.

Angle and Autism: Parents Speak

From KTNV:

KRNV reports:

Parents of children with autism are fighting mad at comments made by Senate candidate Sharron Angle. The parents met at a round table discussion called by Assem. David Bobzien, (D) District 24, Wednesday morning in Reno.

Bobzien was among numerous state lawmakers who sponsored Assembly Bill 162 at last year's session, which provides for insurance coverage for expensive-- but effective-- autism treatments.

...

"I am outraged by Sharron Angle and the comments she has made," said Herah Osborne, whose 7-year-old twins have been diagnosed with autism. "[And] the fact that she didn't educate herself about Assembly Bill 162."

Several parents who attended the meeting took a copy of the 2008 report on autism, compiled by the Autism Coalition of Nevada, to Angle's Reno office. By Wednesday afternoon, Angle's office had released a statement that said in part:

"Sharron Angle believes that Americans deserve the best medical coverage and treatment, and the real issue continues to be about costly unfunded government mandates forced upon Americans by career politicians like Senator Harry Reid through unwanted legislation like Obamacare which will reduce the level of needed care while driving up the cost of health insurance."

Angle Under Fire on Autism

Greg Sargent writes at The Washington Post:

* I wrote earlier that Sharron Angle wasn't mocking autism in that vid that's making the rounds, but Nevada writer Steve Sebelius makes a strong case that she was, in fact, expressing "skepticism that autism is a legitimate disorder."

Sebelius argues the vid reveals "Angle's utter selfishness, and her encouraging that selfishness in others. She doesn't have autism, or autistic kids, so why should she pay for them? And why should you? She's not going to have any more babies, so why should she be forced to pay for other people's? And why should you?"

* And: Eric Kleefeld points out that "it is very clear that Angle was opposing mandated health insurance coverage for various conditions, including autism." Meaning that Angle's plan wouldn't require insurance companies to cover it.

* Angle's response: Her camp puts out a statement that government allows people to "falsely label other symptoms as autism."

Sargent also writes on an attack from HHS Secretary Sebelius:

It isn't every day that a White House cabinet secretary thrusts herself this forcefully into a Senate race, but Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius today took a very hard shot at Sharron Angle over that widely-circulated video of Angle belittling mandated coverage for autism treatment.

"It is my understanding that Sharron Angle believes that there is a hoax, under the guise of autism, where you would include requests for treatments that may not even be required," said Sebelius, who was in Nevada promoting health care reform with Harry Reid.

Sebelius pounded Angle's comments as "insulting" to parents and kids, adding: "I don't know if there is anyplace in the country where the differences in the candidates are more stark than here."

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports:

Russ Steele, a parent whose 5-year-old son suffers from autism, said Angle "owes an apology" to parents and their children with autism.

"When she mocked the very existence of autism, she crossed the line," Steele said.

"Sharron Angle owes (my son) Brandon and every other autistic child in Nevada an apology, not only for trying to undermine their insurance coverage but for mocking the very existence of autism," Steele said.

Autism Angle Update

KRNV follows up on Sharron Angle's comments on autism (see yesterday's post):

KRNV News 4 asked Sharron Angle's campaign for comment yesterday, and her spokesperson Jerry Stacy sent us the following in an email just before noon today:

"Sharron believes that anyone affected with autism deserves the best medical coverage and treatment, and she speaks out against these expensive government mandates which falsely label other symptoms as autism because it creates this huge cottage industry that drives up health insurance cost while diluting the needed coverage for those patients affected by autism...and nobody is buying Senator Reid's latest despicable attempt of trying to distract voters from his failed record."

Vice-Chair for the Commission on Autism in Nevada Ralph Toddre released this statement today:

"What Ms. Angle claims about AB 162 is false. The bill is very specific that the coverage is for autism spectrum disorders. It does not create a "cottage industry." It covers medically necessary treatment and evidence-based therapy, as well as the screening and diagnosis. It is autism specific. Legislators and advocates made sure of that. Read the bill! You don't condemn a bill that provides for medical coverage and treatment because you think it will become diluted! One in 110 children in this country is affected by autism. That is more than juvenile diabetes, HIV, and childhood cancers combined. All of those are covered by insurance. Why should autism be discriminated against by insurance companies?"

Senate Candidate Antagonizes Autism Community

KRNV in Reno reports:

Democrats are emphasizing Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle's opposition to mandating insurance coverage for autism and pregnancy and are using a video of her at a 2009 tea party rally to hammer home their point.

In the video, released by the Nevada Democratic Party, Angle slams a recently passed Nevada mandate for insurance carriers to cover treatment for autism.

"Take off the mandates for coverage in the state of Nevada and all over the United States," Angle said. "But here you know what I'm talking about. You're paying for things you don't even need. They just passed the latest one, is everything that they want to throw at us now is covered under autism," she said, using her fingers to make quotes in the air while she said the word ‘autism.' "So that's a mandate that you have to pay for. How about maternity leave, I'm not going to have any more babies, but I sure get to pay for it on my insurance. So those are the things we want to get rid of."