Children With Autism Summary

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Summary of Issues
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), approximately one in 68 children are diagnosed with autism in the US (1). The rise in autism diagnosis has been attributed to a better understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and better diagnostic tools (2). Diagnosing a person with autism can be challenging because there is no one test that can identify a person as autistic. Autism can be detected as early as 18 months; the earlier it is diagnosed the better outcome for the child (3). Autism is characterized by difficulties in social interactions, communication and behavior (2). Children who are autistic or fall within the autistic spectrum (AS) have varying functionality. Some might have average or above average …show more content…

Research has found that children with ASD often have additional health conditions (4). Depending on the degree of autism some children might qualify for disability services and benefits according to the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) (3). Health costs are estimated to surpass 460 billion dollars by 2025, exceeding the cost for diabetes (5). However, cost can be reduced with early diagnosis and intervention programs (4). Establishing a special council composed of coalitions and leaders in the autism community can help involve constituents and implement a new service program for children in the autism spectrum. The council will require that all members 1) Agree on a shared vision, service needs, and possible resources to leverage; 2) Decide how the new system of care for autistic children will be conducted 3) Establish a framework where members foster relationships with constituents through engagement …show more content…

Nancy Page from Family Voices has been a strong advocate for children with disabilities and her relationship with parents can help with obtaining honest feedback about how the proposed autism program would be accepted. The discussion should include their thoughts on the program being a part of the CSHCN. The feedback can be used by Ms. Molly Stapleton as she has a relationship established with the CSHCN program. Ms. Stapleton’s involvement in this collaborative will allow her to foster relationships with family and state coalitions and further understand what they envision for the program.
System of Care for Autistic Children|
Assessing the effectiveness and feasibility of a separate care system for children with autism has to be determined before outreach can be done. Factors to consider are cost, administration, and constituent confusion.
Establishing a new system of care for children with autism departing from the CSHCN program might not be an effective way to engage parents of children in the AS. This can conceivably cause confusion with parents. Children with autism might also benefit from being a part of the CSHCN. Some children who due to the severity of their autism might also need other special health resources that the new program might not be able to offer. Therefore, a separate system of care for autism might lead to families being confused about the different programs and resources that area available to their

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