Hello Senator OReilly, I would like to thank you for promulgating legislation that will make insurance companies provide coverage for autism related services. As a father of a child with autism spectrum disorder, I know first hand how emotionally and financially taxing it is to get the proper care for a child with a disability. Although my daughter received insurance coverage for speech and occupational therapy while I was in the VI, the out of pocket expense was still significant. And it is not just insurance companies that one has to battle; the services offered are also inadequate. Just to give you a quick example, the amount of therapy my daughter was getting from the VI Department of Special Education fell way short of her Individualize Educational Plan (IEP). No speech therapist was available to her in head start, in Kindergarten, she got one for the entire year, but by first grade, the department was short staffed and she was getting about a quarter of the required therapy--when the therapist showed up. Early intervention and a robust regimen of ABA therapy is very crucial for kids with autism disorder. While I am aware of the financial constraints of the Gov. of the VI, I am also very mindful of how paramount it is for these kids to get the most help possible. So I would encourage you to keep focus on creating policies that would help give these kids (and parents) the resources they need so that they will get a better opportunity for their lives ahead. Thank you indeed, Bond Beaupierre
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 03:53:43 +0000